Choosing a Closing Song for Worship: The Grace, The Blessing and Other Benedictions

Choosing a closing song for worship depends on what the final moment of the service needs to do. Sometimes the congregation needs a blessing. Sometimes it needs a simple response to the sermon. Sometimes it needs a final act of praise, peace and assurance before people go back into daily life.

Well-known songs such as The Blessing, Benediction by Matt Redman, The Lord Bless You and Keep You, and the Doxology each serve this closing space in different ways. They help frame what many churches are looking for at the end of a service: a sung prayer, a spoken blessing, a final act of praise, or a congregational word of grace.

When the service needs a blessing

A blessing song is often used to send the congregation out with words of peace, assurance and hope. Songs based on the language of biblical blessing, especially the priestly blessing from Numbers 6, work well when the focus is on God’s favour, presence and peace resting on his people.

This is why songs such as The Blessing, Benediction, and The Lord Bless You and Keep You are often associated with the close of a service. They give the congregation words to carry with them.

A new testament Trinitarian Christian closing

Typically the Old testament ‘Aaronic’ blessing from Numbers is used at baptisms and ordinations. More often,  the closing benediction shared by the whole congregation is Paul's Trinitarian benediction from 2 Corinthians 13:14.  A closing song rooted in this is particularly suitable for closing a service, because it's more explicit about  nature God's blessing; The grace of Son, The love of the Father and fellowship of and with the Holy Spirit. 

The Grace by KDMusic was written for that kind of moment. It gives the church a simple, singable way to close worship with the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Because it is congregational, explores these three themes, and lands on the assurance of  salvation and adoption "for You've made me Your child and that cannot be undone'  The Grace can work especially well at the end of a Sunday service, a communion service, a baptism, Trinity Sunday or any time you need a song on one of those three themes to bless one another in the name of the triune God.

How to choose the right closing song

For a sung blessing over people and families, a song such as The Blessing may be a natural fit.

For a traditional short act of praise, the Doxology remains one of the simplest ways to close.

For a direct benediction setting, songs such as Benediction or The Lord Bless You and Keep You can work well.

For an explicitly Trinitarian congregational close, The Grace offers a simple and focused option.

Why The Grace works as a closing worship song

The Grace is designed to be easy for a congregation to learn and sing. Its purpose is not to extend the service, but to gather the final meaning of worship into an encouraging sung blessing.

It is especially suited to churches looking for a closing worship song that is:

  • biblically rooted
  • Trinitarian
  • congregationally singable
  • compelling chorus
  • suitable for closing regular Sunday worship, communion, baptisms and services of blessing

For worship leaders planning the final song of a service, The Grace offers an upbeat way to end with the gospel, with blessing, and with the shared faith of the church.

Song: The Grace
Writer: KDMusic
CCLI: 7175472
Use: Closing worship song, Trinitarian benediction, congregational blessing

Listen to The Grace and view worship resources:
https://kdmusic.co.uk/the-grace