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Celebration of Naming & Dedication
At the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, Illinois
The Rev. Dr. Lindsay Bates, Parish Minister
Cynthia Wade, Director of Religious Education
Opening Words
It is an ancient human tradition that calls us together to welcome our children into the larger community of fellowship and faith. Most of us here today were ourselves so recognized and welcomed -- in a service of baptism of christening, or the bar or bat mitzvah, or a Naming and Dedication ceremony like we're having today.
The earliest Gospels include the story of how the people were bringing their children -- even their infants -- to the rabbi Jesus, asking his blessing for them. The disciples, seeing this as an interruption of their teacher's more important work, scolded the parents and tried to send them all away. But Jesus stopped them, saying, Let the children come to me; and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.
In some churches, the formal welcoming of children is kept brief, tucked into whatever Sunday service is most convenient. We prefer a slightly different approach -- devoting one entire service each year to welcoming children -- infants, toddlers, and school-aged youngsters alike -- who are new to the world in general or to our church family in particular. In this annual observance, we recognize that each child is a special gift to us, an individual person in his or her own right, a reminder of the ongoing promise and creative power of Life. And each child is precious, with a right to a warm and loving reception.
Little children in particular are magic. They unite us all; parents and non-parents, old and young, boys and girls and women and men, all are brought together by the arrival of a child. They are messengers from realms we do not remember. Dave Barry reveals that "Babies receive signals from outer space, bringing messages from other galaxies that only babies can detect. These messages cause the baby to smile (if the message is a joke) or look startled (if it is bad news, such as the explosion of a popular star)."
And not only does the infant bring us such messages; he or she also sends back into the universe the ongoing affirmation of life's continuation. A child is born and screams at the indignity and the wonder of it all, and then, it is written, "The universe resounds with the joyful cry I am" [Scriabin]. A baby, it is said, reflects God's opinion that the world should continue.
Today we are devoting both of our services to celebrating the arrival of a total of fourteen children into our world and into our lives. The readings and music, the words of welcome and special tokens of happiness and love, all reflect the choices and requests of the families whose daughters and sons are formally presented to us today.
The children we will meet and name today range in age from three months to nine years old. They are brought here by their families to become part of the larger family of our Unitarian Universalist church. We will welcome and honor each one by name and dedicate each, as is our custom, with the symbols or water and roses, to a life of faith and service and love. In this ceremony, we say to these young people, to their families, and to one another, We are committed to the care of our children. It is a privilege to meet and welcome them. It is a source of great joy that they have come to be among us.
Would you please join in singing our first hymn, number 338, "I Seek the Spirit of a Child."
Special Charges, Readings and Meditations
Every family is different -- and every family has its own gifts and strengths and stories to give to the children entrusted to their care.
The mothers and fathers who present their sons and daughter here today obviously have the greatest and most difficult and most important task. You who are the parents of these little ones: you know that these children depend upon your love and care for all that they have and are. Your attentive love will cradle and shelter them for many years.
But the larger world, as you have yourselves already learned, is not always so gentle. You must prepare these children to find their own special strengths to face the world and to live in it bravely and well. Your own family and friends, and the community of our church, will help you so far as we are able, but it is your difficult and sacred and loving responsibility to be your children's special teachers of the ways of the world, the meaning of love, the worth of individuality, the courage of growth.
Parents, your Affirmation is printed in the Order of Worship. Would you please stand and turn each to your own child -- to all your children, if you have more than one here today -- address your child by name, and speak the words of that Affirmation:
Parent's Affirmation
I love you.
I am your parent; you are my child.
There is no more sacred bond.
In all the days and years to come,
I promise you my loving care,
Providing you both roots and wings,
That you may feel safe, that you may one day fly.
I am glad you have entered my life.
I love you.
Most of our young people have grandparents -- present in spirit and love if not in physical fact. Those of you who are here this morning, would you please stand [as you are able].
You grandparents also have a special responsibility in the nurturing of these children. It was you who taught your own daughters and sons what it means to be a parent, and it is probably to you that your grandchildren will turn when they are not quite pleased with how their parents are doing that job. Such is traditionally the way of grandchildren and grandparents, and all in all, it is a good and happy way.
As you love your grandchildren, remember also your love for your own child, and for your child's spouse. Respect them for the choices they have made; support them in their work as parents, assist them so far as you are able, and above all trust them to do well the work that you have in your own time also done. At the same time, rejoice in the special, sacred relationship that exists in love between grandparent and grandchild.
If you are indeed willing to stand in love beside your own sons and daughters and their families, will you turn to them and say the words of the Grandparents' Affirmation printed in the Order of Worship:
Grandparents' Affirmation
I love you and I have confidence in you.
I know you will raise my grandchild well,
And I will always be beside you with my support and love.
A number of our children also have godparents or sponsors, although, again. not all them were able to be here today. Those of you who are here -- would you please stand.
In other religious communities, the role of the godparent or sponsor is clear -- but that 's not the case with us. Some of you come from faith perspectives other than Unitarian Universalist, and you're certainly not being asked to convert to our way, nor are you being asked to try to raise thee children in yours. For these children, your task is to be throughout your lives their comforters and adult friends, advisors and "parents in reserve," grownups who can be trusted to help them through the rough times that are an inevitable part of growing up.
You do have a religious task, if not a doctrinal one. We ask you specifically to help teach these children, through your example and your words, to know that this world is their home, that it is holy, that their lives are each a special gift -- to them, and to all who love them. It is your particular task to help them learn that, stronger than all hatred and sorrow, is the power of love and creation that guides the universe. Teach them to know the sanctity of life, the holiness of integrity, the virtue of charity, the challenge of faith. And at the same time, offer to their parents that same support and love, assisting them in their most difficult, most joyful work.
If you are willing to accept this charge, will you please turn to the child (or the children) who has been entrusted to you, address that child by name, and then say the words of the Godparents' Affirmation:
Godparents' Affirmation
I will be present in your life to teach you and help you,
To comfort you and love you.
I am glad to be your special grownup friend.
Each family was invited to choose a special reading or readings or some special words, prayers or a combination thereof to include today. As I read your child's name and your names, and introduce you to the gathered community, would you please stand? Then I will invite those of you who are speaking or presenting for the family to come forward…
[Each family is introduced in whatever way seems best -- child's birthday, family's years of involvement in the church, names of the siblings and other family members, etc. I ask families to keep their presentations to under four minutes. Some are better at doing that than others …After each family has made its presentation, someone from the RE team goes to the classrooms to have the teachers bring all the rest of the children to the sanctuary. The taped music is played while the children come in.]
Interlude -- special music for the arrival of our Church School children "Welcome to this earth," by Robbie Gass from the tape "Trust in Love," recorded by Robbie Gass and On Wings of Song.
Now that the children have arrived and found their parents and sat down, I'd like to ask, how many of you are a big brother or big sister? This is for all of you, too -- but it's especially for the older sisters and brothers of the children who are being dedicated today:
Being a brother or sister sometimes is hard. It's not easy being the big sister of big brother -- babies especially need a lot of attention, and they get a lot of fussing over, and when they get older they can also start getting into your things and interrupting what you want to do. It's not easy to be patient or share when that happens. And when you're the younger one, it can be awfully hard to be patient when it looks like your big sister or big brother is getting to do things you can't do yet. Part of the job of being sisters and brothers is learning together how to play, how to share, how to be a family. We know that you're all working to get really good at this -- and your parents are very proud of you.
And so, I'm going to ask all of you to turn to your own brothers or sisters and to say to each other -- and you can say it very quietly -- after me:
I'm glad you came to our family.
Charge to the Children, given by Cynthia Wade, Director of Religious Education:
This is a special service, and it's important that all of our children be part of it. Would all of our children please stand up -- right where you are is fine. How many of you have seen a Naming and Dedication service here in our church? How many of you were Named and Dedicated here? So a lot of you already know what we're going to do.
Most of you might not yet know all of these children. Some of them are already part of our church school, but others are still pretty little. But as they get older, we hope that they'll be here most Sundays, too. And so all of you will be their special guides and companions and friends in the years ahead. Always it will be very important. Remember how important you are and will always be to them, as playmates and as friends, in the days and years to come.
If you're willing to give this your best shot, and promise that you will be their friends as you all grown up together, would you all say "YES"?
[And the children will, we trust, respond appropriately!]
Thank you!
And now let us name and dedicate these our children. Parents, when I speak your names, please bring your children, along with their godparents, grandparents, and any other special family and friends who are with you today, to the front of the sanctuary.
The Ceremony of Naming and Dedication
[The families come forward one family at a time. This is the standard ritual, adapted as appropriate for single parents, same-gender parents, etc., to reflect the preferences of each individual family:]
John and Jane Familyname, how have you named this child?
Alex Dana Familyname.
Alex Dana Familyname, so shall you be known. With water we anoint you, for it is the symbol of purity and life. And a budding rose we give you, for it is the symbol of unfolding life and love, of the better world we would give you if we could, and of the beauty which is always at the center of goodness and truth. Welcome to our church; welcome to our world.
[After all the children have been dedicated:]
We have dedicated these children. Now would everyone -- all the family members and friends, and all the members of the congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva -- please stand and join in the Congregational Prayer of Dedication that is printed in the Order of Service [adapted from Robert Eller-Isaacs]:
Congregational Praying Dedication
It is our faith that each child born is one more redeemer, and we acknowledge the divine spark within each child. By this Service of Dedication, we have committed ourselves to these children, to their nurture and their growth. We will love and cherish them always, in times of struggle as well as gladness. Together may we be worthy guardians of these young lives. Together may we build a community in which they will grow, surrounded by beauty, embraced by love, and cradled in the arms of peace.
Our closing Hymn is number 301, "Touch the Earth" …
The words of our Unison Benediction are printed in the Order of Worship [from Great Occasions]:
Benediction
And now may our hearts be open to all the children of the generations of humankind, that the circle of love and peace may grow forevermore.
So indeed may it ever be. Amen. |
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