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Service to Celebrate and Dedicate a New Life
Prelude and Opening Music
OPENING WORDS
Elaine: Out of the infinite our children come to us, a miracle of incarnation. Out of the mystery beyond knowing, into the here and now, our children are born to us. With stardust in their hair, their hearts beating out the seasons of eternity, with a shining in their eyes like sunlight they come. It is our duty to welcome them. From time immemorial, men and women have assembled with their families and friends to give thanks for the gift of life in their children. Once again, we acknowledge the source of life from which all things come, and to rejoice in the hope and promise of this young life before us.
David: Our children will live in the world we leave them. We can not tell them how to live in that future. But they are learning from us right now. What values, what passwords do we as a community need to transmit to them that will give them the tools they will need? In our community we are called to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We hold that each is a unique individual, precious in his or her own right, entitled to be received by loving arms and to be guided with sympathy and respect. We take it as a duty incumbent on us all to provide that love, care and support so that our children may grow to be confident in self, joined to a larger humanity and loving of life.
David: Please join us in reading together in unison the reading from page 664 in the hymnbook
All:
Give us the spirit of a childTHE NAMING OF THE CHILD
Jim: What is the name of this child?
Parents: Michael Robert Germain Richards
Jim: Michael Robert Germain Richards, We welcome you into the world, and affirm our commitment to you. By your worth, may generations be blessed. May your names generate love and respect in years to come.
PARENTS BLESSINGS
Adrienne: Michael, I bring you the legacy of my father's name, a past rich in Ukrainian and French heritage, and a Catholic tradition from which you can learn. (Mother makes a cross on baby's forehead) But most of all I bring you patience, respect and love.
David: Michael, I bring you the legacy of mine and my father's name, with a heritage as diverse as I hope your future will become and a humanist tradition from which you can learn. But most of all I bring you wonder, enthusiasm and love
THE COVENANTS OF CHILDREARING
Jim: David and Adrienne, in bringing your child to be celebrated and welcomed into this fellowship, you acknowledge the need for loving care, and your determination to guide him with understanding and commitment. Your affection and devotion will support him for many years.
David, do you promise, to the best of your ability, by your example, your love, and your wisdom, to lead this child in the way of fairness, rationality, ethics, equality, science, compassion, respect, and freedom?
David: I do
Jim: Adrienne, do you promise, to the best of your ability, by your example, your love, your faith and your wisdom, to lead this child in the way of faith, goodness, beauty, justice and truth?
Adrienne: I do
Jim: Will Guideparents please step forward.
Adrienne: Lorna Richards, David Germain, Paula-Jean Germain, and Jamie Jeffers have been selected by David and I to play a very important role in Michael's life. They have been asked to be a guideparent. We see in you a special quality, humour, sensitivity, compassion and understanding that we wish for you to share with Michael.
David: Jamie and PJ, on behalf of Lorna, David and yourselves do you accept a commitment to Michael to offer support and sanctuary, friendship, laughter, love, and advice, so that in times of doubt or difficulty he can turn to you with confidence and trust?
Jamie & PJ: We accept this responsibility.
David: Adrienne and I have asked Jamie and PJ to read together a short poem.
PJ: If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.
Jamie: If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
PJ: If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate.
Jamie: If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
PJ: If children live with security, they learn trust.
Jamie: If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
PJ: If children live with acceptance, and friendship, they learn to find love in the world.
Jamie & PJ: Michael Robert Germain Richards, on behalf of everyone here I welcome you to the world with love.
Jim: David will now call upon everyone gathered here on behalf of Michael. Those who choose to, can respond with “we will”
David: Will you, friends and members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Regina rejoice with us in the birth of Michael? Will you take upon yourselves the sacred privilege and responsibility of nurturing his character and spirit, and pledging to him the love and care of this fellowship.
All: We will.
Reading 714 from book
Jim: Please join me in reading 714 from the hymnbook in responsorial.
Jim: It is our faith that each child born is one more redeemer.
All: By this service of dedication, we commit ourselves to the nurture of this child.
Jim: Are you ready to dedicate yourselves to Michael?
All: We are prepared. We dedicate our minds and hearts to this child and his parents.
Jim: Will you strive to love and cherish him in times of struggle as well as gladness.
All: We will love and cherish him always.
Jim: We acknowledge the divine spark within each child.
All: May we be worthy guardians of this young life. May we build a community in which he will grow old surrounded by beauty, embraced by love, and cradled in the arms of peace.
ACT OF DEDICATION BY THE CELEBRANT
Jim:
To welcome Michael we make use of three elements:
A budding flower, symbol of the unfolding life before us, in all its strength, its grace, its possibility; Fire, a symbol of truth that burns away the darkness of ignorance; And water, symbol of purity and freshness, the source from which all life springs, reminding us that while we today embrace this child within our community they are already part of the wholeness of the world. Michael, with a flower, fire and water, ancient symbols of purity, truth, and beauty, I touch your brow, your lips and your hands, to dedicate your thoughts, your speech and your deeds to that which is noble and beautiful and true. (touch base of candle to head, flower to lips, and dip hands in water) May your heart always know love, your mind search for Truth and Beauty, your eyes always seek justice; May your hands find labour which fulfills you, your body carry you far, and your spirit forever seek the mountain top.CLOSING
Jim: and now if I could ask everyone to read a few closing words together from the order of service
All:
And so dear families and friends
Deep peace of the running wave to you, that is joy
Deep peace of the flowing air to you, that is love
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, that is health.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you,
Now our service is ended.
Go in peace until we meet again.
Song: What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong