I am a little behind on dedicating Pinky! We are finally doing it after two years this weekend. I know, she is not a baby anymore, she is a toddler 🙁
I have seriously been going crazy planning this celebration, that a part of me forgot the true reason for the celebration. We are dedicating our daughter first and foremost, choosing her Godparents and we are also celebrating her half birthday! Guilty as charged, I have been super busy. But three things happened that prompted me to write this post…
- My mom cried when she found out I wasn’t going to baptize Pinky…
- I was recently asked what a dedication was and thought I should remind myself…
- I can’t remember, I’ve been so busy worrying about the other details…shame on me again
I grew up at first attending a catholic church with my mom and grandmother the first 12 years of my life. I was baptized, so were all my siblings. I did my holy communion, and so did all my siblings! I knew that I had to go to church, and I knew I believed in God. It wasn’t until I started attending my dad’s church, a christian church, that I started understanding what it really meant to believe in God. I converted at a young age, which didn’t seem like much a jump for me, but to my mom she was heartbroken.
Long story short, I remain a christian today, Daddy is a christian and I like to believe we are raising Pinky to be a christian as well. The catholic church believes in baptism and that’s all good, so does the christian church. The big difference is that Christian’s believe in baptism when one is old enough to confess their sins. It is true we are all born sinners, but babies are innocent (until they are about two) and also do not know how to repent! Therefore, we believe in parents dedicating their children to the Lord, making a promise to God that they will do everything in their power to raise their child by the word of God, the bible. No Holy water is involved, there are scripture readings, prayers and a charge to parents and sponsors or Godparents, much like in the catholic church. The dedication can be as formal or informal as you like, at least this is what I have noticed. We are doing ours at a park.
About.com gives a very clear and simple explanation of what a baby dedication is…
“Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise the child in a godly way, prayerfully until he or she can make a decision on his or her own to follow God. Parents who make this vow of commitment are instructed to raise the child in the ways of God, and not according to their own ways. Some of the responsibilities include teaching and training the child in God’s Word, demonstrating an example of godliness, disciplining according to God’s ways, and praying earnestly for the child.”
An Example of Baby Dedication in Scripture
And she (Hannah) made a vow, saying, “O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
- 1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV)
When God answered Hannah’s prayer by giving her a son, she remembered her vow:
“As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.
- 1 Samuel 1:26-28 (NIV
As you can see, it is still very much a ceremony and celebration. Almost like a wedding, but instead of promising yourself to another, your promise your child to God!
Hope this helps!