Time to Dedicate!

Since my ordination, I've led all of pastoral special services: baptisms (8), weddings (5), funerals (6), and numerous services of communion. However, until last Sunday, I' d never led a baby dedication. I was pretty excited to celebrate my first!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Baptist tradition, we do not baptize infants, but dedicate them. Dedication involves narrative about the child and his or her family, litanies, prayers and presentation of the child to the church. (In the picture above I was reading the scripture about Jesus welcoming children to begin the presentation).

Baptism comes whenever the person is able to knowledge faith for themselves and usually comes around the time of confirmation within other Christian traditions, though may not occur until adulthood.

What makes infant dedications so special?

Services of infant dedication are for the the parents. They are a time for the parents, other family members and other close family friends to declare before a congregation that they promise to help their child come to know faith for themselves one day. And the parents promise to love their child as he or she grows up and be examples of kindness, compassion and faithfulness to him or her.

Infant dedications are also for the congregation at large. They are a time for the congregation to pledge their support to the parent(s) to help nurture the child. These services remind everyone of their responsibilities to the ministry of Christian education in church life.

And, while prayers of blessing are a part of the dedication, there is no overly special thing about the prayer that we feel will set the child a part. The hope comes in the community surrounding the child. It is the job of the community to bless the child as he or she grows up.

In this case, it was a happy day to welcome the dedication service of two year-old Nathan. All of us are hopeful that great things are in store for Nathan and that he will come to know the goodness of Christian community as we have experienced it too. Thanks be to God for the blessing of his life.