09/27/2025
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Blessing the People of the Land - a reflection by Vineyard Engage, our national initiative focused on helping our communities develop in God’s justice and compassion:
Psalm 24:1 declares, "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."
As temporary stewards of this beautiful land, we choose to take time to honour Indigenous people who have been its traditional caretakers for millennia. In Genesis 2:15, God calls all humanity to care for the earth, and by acknowledging the amazing stewardship of Indigenous communities, we are reminded of our shared responsibility.
Jesus also calls us, as his representatives as the body of Christ, to the ministry of
reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19), not only between humanity and God but also among peoples. Recognizing Indigenous lands fosters healing with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities and reflects the heart of Jesus’ reconciling work for all creation (Colossians 1:15-20) and God’s ultimate desire to bring peace and wholeness—shalom—to the world.
Many years ago, a young Indigenous man told me that he started coming to our church because of the way we acknowledged the people of the land and desired to bless his people. He had never heard a church honour Indigenous people this way. He felt seen and heard.
Here is an example of an acknowledgement as we bless the Indigenous people of the land:
Before we begin our worship, we want to take time declare how grateful we are to be able to worship and stand together on this land that our Creator God has wonderfully made. As the Psalmist rightly declares, ‘the earth is the Lords and everything in it’.
We are also so thankful to the people of the [find out what Nations land you are on and learn the pronunciation] whose traditional and ancestral lands we are on.
We recognise the thousands of years of care and stewardship of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit people of Canada, whose ancestral and traditional lands we now share. We bless them in Jesus name. We commit our hearts to this journey of healing as a nation.
We declare the whole earth is full of your glory. We pray for the whole earth to be full of your healing, redeeming and liberating presence. Today, we speak a blessing over them in the name of Jesus. We bless them to flourish in all that God has made them to be and commit in our hearts and actions to continuing on this journey of reconciliation.
Helpful Resource: https://native-land.ca/