Last Saturday was Juno's baby dedication ceremony. We had it at home, like we did for Clark. We're closer to having a church home this time, but really liked doing it ourselves before. Too, the church we've been attending is Presbyterian, so it would have been a baptism if we'd done it there. We'd put together a service we really liked, and it was nice to be able to use the materials again--I felt guilty at first, but churches use the same service over and over, so decided I should enjoy the re-use. Here's our program:
We all sang All Things Bright and Beautiful
Four Elements Welcoming Ritual (I wrote this, see below)
Community blessings--several people brought kids books and read them as part of the service, and my aunt and uncle sent "Forever Young" which we played on YouTube.
Rachel Aldous's song "A Mother's Prayer"
Parental Vows
Community Vows
We all sang Trees of the Fields
Juno was happy and calm during the ceremony, and with the help of a little snack or two made it through quite well. Clark and his friends mostly played in another room during the service, but he ran in each time we sang, and then asked us to sing again. It was informal and fun, and special to have him be part of the celebration. We loved being able to gather with a small group of friends and family to dedicate Juno to God. I wish we lived closer to all our family, and had more room in our house, but it was really nice to be able to have so much of our community be such an intrinsic part of the ceremony in a way they wouldn't in a more traditional setting.
I'm attaching the text of the Four Elements Ritual and the vows I wrote, below.
Four Elements Welcome Ritual:
Juno, we're all here today to welcome you to our lives and to our world. People have thought about what makes up the world in a lot of different ways, and one of the enduring ways for many groups of people is to think about the world as being composed of four elements. Today we'd like to welcome you to the world with each of its four elements.
Water—Pick up the goblet of water
Water makes up much of the planet, and most of our bodies. It cleanses and purifies. Jesus was baptized in water to symbolize his death and resurrection, to demonstrate his purity from sin, and to mark the transition from his life as a carpenter to his new ministry and life as the Son of God. In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is described as streams of living water that flow from our lives when we come to Jesus and learn from him. May you, like water, be a person of strong feelings and intuition, of forgiveness, of adaptability and receptivity.
We Welcome you with Water (Let her sip the water)
Earth—Pick up the plant.
Earth is the substance from which the very first person, Adam, was made; like Adam, all humans come from the earth and will return to the earth. Even Jesus was incarnated into a physical, earthly body. May you be humble, knowing you are made from the same matter as everyone else, and may you not fear death, since Christ died but was resurrected so that you might have eternal life. May you respect the earth that grows the food that sustains our physical bodies, and like the earth, may you be nurturing and stable, nourishing and firm, full of patience and strength.
We Welcome you with Earth (cross with dirt)
Fire—Pick up the candle
Fire is a powerful force and tool, both as flame, and as a passionate emotion. God showed Himself to Moses as a burning bush, and led the Israelites through the wilderness as a pillar of fire at night. The Holy Spirit made Her presence known to the disciples as a flame above their heads at Pentecost, equipping them to do Her work. The Holy Spirit is a Christians' counselor and teacher, and brings us joy, hope and peace. May you know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you and always listen to Her counsel. May you, like fire, have passion, joy, righteous anger, a strong will, and positive energy.
We Welcome you with Fire (cross with fire)
Air-Pick up the feather
Air surrounds us and we use our breath to communicate with each other. God breathed life into Adam, and as Job said, “it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. May you think, see, and communicate clearly, and have great wisdom.
We welcome you with Air (Cross with feather)
Dedication Vows
Kara: We are here today before God and his people, to declare our desire to dedicate ourselves and our son Clark to the Lord
Chris: We commit to living in gratitude for the blessings God gives us
Kara: We promise to love and respect Clark, caring for him in the all joys and challenges that life brings
Chris: We ask God's help in our promise to teach Clark, by example and by our words, to extend grace to himself and others, and to love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Kara: We dedicate Clark to God, committing ourselves to encourage Clark to seek, know, and love God, and to serve God as he embraces all that life has to offer, becomes who God has made him to be, and brings love and peace to those around him.
Chris: To the group:
We invited you here today because you're important to us, and are part of our community. You are the people we rely on to help and encourage us as we raise Clark. We would like to ask you, if you feel it is appropriate, to be a part of this dedication by responding to the following commitments with “we will.”
Kara: Will you celebrate Clark's birth, and welcome him into the community of God-seekers?
Chris: Will you care for and support his parents, as they help Clark to grow, offering prayer and encouragement that the family may grow in strength and maturity?
Kara: Thank you for your support!
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