Jason, with thanksgiving we dedicate you to the Lord of life. May the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.
“Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said: ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” (Luke 19:13-15)
And so, in the spirit of Jesus, we celebrate children as a gift of God, and affirm that they belong to God before they belong to us. Parents, especially, have the privilege of enjoying this great gift, but also bear the responsibility of caring for this precious gift. In as much as our children belong to God and are given by grace as gifts to parents, it is only proper and appropriate that our children be dedicated to God, and that we pray for the hand of God to be upon these parents throughout the journey of their child’s upbringing.
In the book of Acts (Acts 17: 24-28) the Apostle Paul addresses these words to the followers of Jesus in Athens: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one ancestor he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”
Our children belong to God, and are entrusted into our hands for but a season. Parents have the tremendous opportunity to witness it all, and the great responsibility to guide this process.
Elizabeth and Joshua bring their son Jason, presenting first themselves and then their son before the Lord our God. Accompanying them in making this commitment are Jason's godparents, Glen and Carolyn Thompson.
Liz and Josh, you have brought your precious son before this congregation to consecrate him to the Lord. As you love God, one another, Jason and his sister Sophia, you will model before Jason the love of God. Do you this day acknowledge that Jason belongs first and foremost to the Lord our God? So that Jason may walk in the abundant life that Christ offers, do you Liz and Josh, vow to the best of your ability, with God's help and in partnership with the church, to provide Jason a home of love and peace, to nurture him in the love of God, and to raise him in the truth of our Lord? Will you encourage Jason to grow in faith and loyalty to God, so that he might later be received into the fellowship of the church by baptism?
It has been said that “it takes a village.” Modeling this kind of love requires the help of others. For this reason, Liz and Josh call upon the help of Glen and Carolyn. Glen and Carolyn, not only do you, who stand with this young family today, thoroughly enjoy and help nurture this precious child in your own unique way, you also support his parents through the wonder-filled and sometimes frustrating process of parenting. Will you pledge to help Liz and Josh fulfill the vow they have just made as Jason's godparents, and to love Jason and his parents through these years, to uphold them in prayer, and to invest in Jason's spiritual growth?
Finally, I ask that the church make a vow as well. This room is full of many hearts and hands whom God has drawn together into a family of faith. Within the church of Jesus Christ, no parent stands alone, no child is without many spiritual aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers. We are here to help bear this awesome responsibility of raising children, and to encourage this child to walk by faith. God did not intend families to go it alone in this world, so I ask you who are gathered here to take seriously your responsibility. Will you accept the call to be a community of faith to this child and his parents so that Jason may walk in the abundant life that Christ offers?
Dear Lord, we are filled with joy, and yet, we are also mindful of the awesome responsibility you have given to us: For we are imperfect parents living within an imperfect world, in need of your comforting Word to us, in need of the assurance of your Spirit, and in need of a believing community. During the time we are granted with Jason, grant us your guidance, comfort, and assurance. This we ask in your Name. Amen.
Having heard and shared the commitments made by Liz and Josh, and Glen and Carolyn, let us commend them and Jason in prayer to the gracious keeping of the God “in whom we live and move and have our being.”
Most gracious and ever loving God, with these parents and this child, we give ourselves this day to uphold him with your love, to teach him your Word, and to encourage him in times of failure and rejoice with him in times of success. Give to these parents the special graces of insight and love that this child may grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with you and the whole human community. Grant that we your people may truly be a household of faith for this child, providing him with food for the spirit to nourish him through the years of his growth into maturity. This we pray in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
The pictures were taken by our dear friend Melissa Fuccillo from www.lovelifepics.com and the Dedication was officiated by Jason's Grandfather, Reverend Dr. C. Raymond Trout.
Jason began the service asleep, but fortunately woke up just in time for his dedication.
