New Babies
"Will you nurture this child in Christ's holy church?"
This week, two of my colleagues from divinity school welcomed new babies into their lives. How wonderful it has been to hear about the first hours and days of the babies’ lives instantaneously through Facebook. The chance that I will see these children in person before they are walking and talking and graduating is very slim since they live in Washington and Texas, so I appreciate these parents taking the time to include the larger community in their joy.
We will all now look forward to the day that these babies are baptized, the day when the church community will announce to the world that “this child is a child of God… God’s own”. It is the community of believers who take on the responsibility of passing on what has been given us through the grace of God - love of God and neighbor, communion, gathering as the body of Christ, Scripture, and a host of other gifts.
One of the most wonderful rituals of my former church home ocurred after the Baptismal Covenant. The pastor carried the baby or walked with the child or adult through the congregation so that everyone could sing to the newest member of the body. He ended by lifting the infants at the altar. I found it a wonderful way to think about the power of the words of the covenant.
I am excited for my colleagues, and excited that we have welcomed two more children of God!
RESOURCES:
Your Child is Baptized by Bishop William Willimon
This Holy Mystery: A United Methodist Understanding of Holy Communion for Children and Youth by Carolyn K. Tanner
Water, Come Down! by Walter Wangering, Jr.
