I have done my share of child dedications, both as part of the Sunday service and as private ceremonies. Some have been in UU Christian congregations, some have been in pluralistic congregations. I have baptized an adult Unitarian Universalist who had become a Christian.
But this was a first for me, the baptism of a child. It was last night, Christmas eve, after the candlelight service. I celebrated this baptism at the request of Unitarian Universalist Christian parents, one who had been brought up Unitarian Universalist, and the other who had been brought up Roman Catholic and whose understanding of baptism was influenced by that Catholicism. Their daughter was two months old.
So what follows is Christian baptism as understood by this Unitarian Universalist of Christian humanist leanings.
The baptism of a child.
Be the Love of God be with this gathering
And also with you
For there is one God, the Father, from whom all being comes,
towards whom we move. In that Spirit we are brought together
to celebrate this baptism.
We gather in your presence, O God, our strength and our sustainer,
For the love we share, and growth we enjoy, we are forever grateful.
We celebrate with joy the gifts of communion with the church,
through all ages and climes.
Bu your grace commit us to this child,
as we welcome her into your church universal,
creating for her a commitment
where she may learn, wisdom, gentleness and love.
Reading by one of the Parents
Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem
and cry to her
that she has served her term,
that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her transgressions.
A voice cries out:
"In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
Minister to Parents
To request baptism for your child is to make a solemn promise to be a disciple of Jesus,
to learn the way of life he taught, and with God's help to follow him as best you can. I also means taking personal responsibility for working out a faith to live by, remaining open to the guidance of the Spirit, and treating the faith and feelings of others with respect, tolerance and compassion.
Do you wish [child's name] to be received into the Church Universal by baptism,
pledging yourselves to walk in ways of love, as taught by Jesus and all who have revealed God's will for humankind.
Parents respond.
Minister to God Father
......and ......do you as God Father promise to support Laura and Bill in their intention to provide a spiritual nurture for [child's name]
God father responds
Loving God,
your spirit stirred life in the waters of creation.
and you called on us to be persons in your image
but our human community has strayed from your way,
and we have turned instead to our own devices,
and set ourselves up as standards of judgement
Through out history you have sent prophets and teachers,
of these we remember Jesus,
who came that we might know life and know it more abundantly.
He taught us that the first commandment is this:
The Lord our God is one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this: You must love your neighbor as yourself.
Are these the words of our faith?
The parents say. These are the words of our faith.
So let us with gratitude for the gift of life,
that this water here set apart for baptism
may be a symbol of the spirit poured out
that all sisters and brothers of creation
may be reconciled to the love that is in God,
that we know in your servant Jesus.
What name to you give this child?
Parents give the child her name.
I baptize you in the name of the Father who child you are,
in the name of Jesus who loved little children,
and in the name of the Holy Spirit that is a promise to you.
[child's name] a cloud of witnesses stretching back over time, and in every land
witness your naming tonight.
You are welcomed into the church universal,
We are together children of Creation,
and of God whose love is the source of all,
and sustains us day by day.
May the Spirit that was in Jesus be in you also,
enabling you to know the truth,
to do the will of God and to abide in God's peace.
Thanks to Celebrating Life; A Book of Spccial Services edited by Andrew Hill.
A book of special services for use in the Unitarian and Free Christian Tradition
(This is the United Kingdom's community of Religious Liberals.)
I have also found the book helpful for marriages, graveside commitments, communions, and other services need more attention to our historic Christian traditions.
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