The portions of the rite printed in bold are spoken or sung by all assembled. The portions not in bold are read by the pastor or leader.
GREETING
The pastor, occupants, and friends assemble in front of the house.
Peace to this house.
And all who live in it.
In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
VERSE
Through wisdom a house is built,
And by understanding it is established;
By knowledge the rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches. [Proverbs 24:3-4]
Let us pray.
Lord, be with those who live in this house; drive away the devil and remove every trap he sets; let your holy angels stay in this place to keep it in peace; and let your blessing be always in it; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PSALM 127
Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Other suitable psalms are 34:1–14; 91; 128.
READING
Hear the word of the Lord as it is written in Matthew 7:24-29.
[Jesus says,] “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
(The following readings are also suitable: Deuteronomy 6:3–9, 16–18; Luke 10:38–42; Luke 19:1–6.)
APOSTLES’ CREED
A cross or crucifix or other sacred image may be set in place.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty,
from thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life + everlasting. Amen.
BLESSING
I bless this house, in the name of the Father † and of the Son † and of the Holy Spirit †.
Amen.
A verse and collect may be said in individual rooms.
HOUSE ENTRANCE
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in|
From this time forth, and even forevermore. [Psalm 121:7-8]
Let us pray.
Lord God, protect and guide those who live here, as they come and go; let them show hospitality to all who visit this home, so that those who enter here may find peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
LIVING ROOM
[Jesus says,] “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” [John 13:34-35]
Let us pray.
Lord God, bless all who use this room, so that they may be united in friendship and love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
STUDY OR LIBRARY
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. [Proverbs 9:9]
Let us pray.
Lord God, teach those who study here, so that, as they follow your direction and reflect on their experience, they may gain wisdom and insight from you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
KITCHEN
“Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. [Deuteronomy 8:6-10]
Let us pray.
Lord God, bless those who work in this kitchen, and make us thankful for our daily bread; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
DINING ROOM
The Lord upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works. [Psalm 145:14-17]
Let us pray.
We thank you, Lord of heaven and earth, for giving us food to sustain us and drink to make us glad. Make us grateful for all your gifts, and help us remember the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
BEDROOM(S)
There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. [Psalm 4:6-8]
Let us pray.
Guide us while we are awake, Lord, and guard us while we are asleep, so that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest with him in peace.
Amen.
GUEST ROOM
Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. [Hebrews 13:1-2]
Let us pray.
Lord God, refresh all who visit here, so that they may enjoy friendship and acceptance; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
CONCLUSION
PRAYER
The pastor says one of the following prayers or another suitable prayer.
For a family with children.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, stay with those who live in this house. Give wisdom to N and N (the parents), so that they may set their children a good example and uphold them in prayer. Support these parents in all their work and care for their family, and give them fulfilment in their calling. Bless N, N, and N (the children), so that they may love and respect their parents. Give to all who live in this home health and strength, faithfulness and respect, humility and patience, and readiness to forgive, so that they may work together in harmony. Bless all who visit this home, and let its doors be open to those in trouble. Merciful Father, watch over this house, now and always; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
General
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, every family receives its name from you: Be present in this home, so that all who live here may love each other and make it a place of peace and blessing. Lord, bless this home with your presence, so that your love may be its inspiration, your wisdom its guide, your truth its light, and your peace its blessing. Protect those who live here, so that they may live in safety, and at the end may enter your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
LUTHER’S MORNING OR EVENING PRAYER
Morning
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Evening
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
Let us pray together the prayer our Lord has taught us:
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and forever. Amen.
HYMN/SONG
A suitable hymn or song such as the following may be sung.
1. Oh, blest the house, whate’er befall,
Where Jesus Christ is all in all!
Yea, if He were not dwelling there,
How dark and poor and void it were!
2. Oh, blest that house where faith ye find
And all within have set their mind
To trust their God and serve Him still
And do in all His holy will!
3. Oh, blest the parents who give heed
Unto their children’s foremost need
And weary not of care or cost!
May none to them and heaven be lost!
4. Blest such a house, it prospers well,
In peace and joy the parents dwell,
And in their children’s lot is shown
How richly God can bless His own.
5. Then here will I and mine today
A solemn covenant make and say:
Though all the world forsake Thy Word,
I and my house will serve the Lord!
BLESSING
The Lord keep you from all evil; the Lord guard your life; the Lord watch over you, as you go out and as you come in †, now and forever.
Amen.
NOTES
- This rite is adopted from the Rites and Resources for Pastoral Care (David Schubert ed, Openbook, Adelaide, 1998) and the Pastoral Care Companion (CPH, link)
- All Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version
- Hymn: Oh, Blest the House, Whate’er Befall,#625 from The Lutheran Hymnal, Author: Christoph C. L. von Pfeil, 1782, cento. Translated by: st. 1, 2, 4, 5, Catherine Winkworth, 1863, st. 3, translator unknown. Titled: “Wohl einem Haus, da Jesus Christ”. Tune: “Wo Gott zum Haus”. 1st Published in: Geistliche Lieder, Town: Wittenberg, 1535.