Dedication

Yesterday (Sunday October 11th), our church did something it had never done before; what is usually called a "Baby Dedication." In churches where baptism is done with infants, most of the ceremony actually is about the parents, and the community of faith upholding them in their role as parents. It's the parents who take vows to bring the child up in the nurture & admonition of the Lord, as part of the community of faith. This is done before the congregation, which also takes responsibility to teach the child according to Scripture, and to hold the parents accountable to bringing them up as they should. Since I am not a paedobaptist, I believe this is a misunderstanding of the sacrement of baptism, BUT I still really find the idea of publicly placing your child in the arms of Christ & His church to be appealing and helpful. Credobaptist churches (churches who only baptise confessing believers) have come up with a ritual that fills that gap-- not a sacrement, but certainly helpful and good. That is baby dedication.

At Immanuel, we've never done this before, but I kept meaning to ask about it, knowing that it would be helpful to me as a mother... a reminder that I'm not just raising my child for my own sake, or even for her sake, but for the sake of the Kingdom. My prayer is that my daughter will grow up to become a Daughter of the King, a willing and capable servant of His Bride, the Church. I'll need help to do that! I want the whole church to take ownership in my daughter's spiritual upbringing-- praying for her salvation, and then for her godliness; praying for Ryan & I as parents!! I also need to remember that she isn't just "my" child. She was given to Ryan & I to steward, treasure and guard... but she is God's creation; His to do as He likes with her. The day will come when we have to give her up, one way or another, and I want to train myself to say "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord."

So, last Sunday our pastor for preaching, Ryan Fullerton, called us to the front of the church, along with two other families & their little ones, and introduced us to the congregation, and then prayed for us. One of the things he said that will stick with me is that our children will go somewhere that I can never go: the future. They will be the messangers of the Gospel, Lord willing, to the next generation.

"He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God." (Psalm 78:5-8)

"Great is the Lord , and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts." (Psalm 145:3-4)

Ryan, Me & Éowyn; Mark, Libbie & Simeon; and Fernanda with Matias

(these pictures aren't very good, but my sister took some better ones, which she has promised to email me)

Please pray for us! :)
--Christina