Baby Dedications

My favouritest Sister and her husband decided to dedicate their boys over the Father's Day weekend. That was a wonderful surprise! I only found out two days prior (apparently, she mentioned it at our family bbq a week earlier, but I obviously missed that announcement) I was so depressed when I learned that we'd have to miss it due to obligations at our own church. (Hunny was teaching his pre-teen Sunday School class, and I was helping in the Age Two class.) I felt horrible! 

On a whim, I thought I'd see who could take my place in the class, and the coordinator said that it was okay, I could skip out since there haven't been many kids in that class lately. (I think there are only 3 or 4 kids in that age group right now. So some Sundays, there may only be Eden and another child, and the Leaders outnumber the kids. Which I guess is better than the kids outnumbering the adults, but sometimes it can feel awfully quiet in that room!) Hunny still had to miss out, but at least I got to go and support the family!

(( My picture isn't the best, but my camera is old and it sucks, and my cell is still broken, so I make do with what I have. Julie & Andy are beside their pastor with their two boys Gavin (almost 2) and Micah (4 months old), along with another couple (with two girls) also dedicating their children. ))

My early childhood was spent attending a Christian Reformed church with my family and relatives, where I was baptized as an infant. When we moved out to BC, we started to attend an Alliance church when I was in my early teens, and where I was baptized again.  As a young adult, my Hunny and I attended a Baptist church, where he was baptized. And now we attend a Mennonite Brethren church! (To be honest, the denomination doesn't really matter to me as long as the pastor is speaking absolute truth from the Bible, but Hunny wanted to investigate different churches on their theology before committing to which one we'd attend. Both ways are just as good for making a choice on a home church.)  We have never baptized or dedicated our children, and I can't quite explain why yet.  I was always for the idea of infant baptism just for it's symbolic nature. The whole getting dressed in a beautiful christening gown and having a pastor sprinkle water in a symbol of the blessing of life that He gives.  I recognize that this does not mean that this child will grow up and make a decision to follow Christ, and it does not automatically mean that they are in the family of Christ, just that we recognize that it is important that this child will be raised to know, understand and hopefully love the Lord as we do.  I know of some friends who think that the idea of "baptizing" an infant is a bad tradition that takes away from the importance of baptism as an adult.  I can understand what they mean, but I like the symbol of it. The outward act. However, none of the churches we have attended do them. Instead, it is done as an Infant Dedication. You and your child(ren) go to the front of the church, introduce everyone, and explain why you wanted to do this, and you make a verbal commitment to raise your child in a Christian home, to teach your child the way the Lord intends. The church usually gets a chance to verbally agree to support and encourage and help the family in this task as well. (at least at our church we do)  The same as an infant baptism, without the symbolic water! 

I got to watch my sister and brother in law do that and it was wonderful! I brought along Abi, Eden and Rhys. We joined my parents, who also came to celebrate, and with friends and with other family members.  It was beautiful and it made my heart happy. Any time someone makes a public choice to follow God makes my heart happy.  Maybe one day my whole family will do something like this too. ...is it too late when your oldest is already 12?