Introduction of the parents/families and infants
Scripture reading: Matthew 19:13-14
13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for
them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 Jesus said, "Let the little children
come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Reflections and Vows:
The Lord has honored you in making you parents. It is a great blessing as well as a great
responsibility to mold and shape the values, attitudes and experiences of a child. Scripture tells us
that children are a gift: a gift which is to be care for and cherished. It is not easy raising a child; it
will take changes in you, giving up some things and starting up others. There will be times when
you are at a loss for what to do. There will be other times when you will be scared to death.
There will be times of joy that are marvelous. There will be times of celebration that make life
unbelievably rich.
You do not have to undertake this journey alone. God will be beside you each step of the way,
providing you with what is needed, and this community of faith will walk with you as well. The
covenant you stand here today to make is that you will share our faith in Christ with this young
one. This means sharing Scripture with them, teaching them about Jesus and his great love for
them, seeking to lead them to be followers of our Lord and Savior. It means praying for them
regularly as well as praying for God to help you be the best parent possible. So I ask you now:
Will you care for your child to the best of your ability? Will you raise this little one as a child of
God? Will you provide for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs? Will you
pray for them and for your ability to be a good parent? If so say “I will”.
The task of raising child is one that we as a community of faith have a responsibility in as well. A
child’s parents need support and guidance, care and compassion, words of encouragement and
actions of help. The child also needs our love and acceptance to help them grow in the faith. So
as a community of faith:
Do you accept your part of the privilege and responsibility in raising these children? Will you
live in ways that show them Christ? Will you pledge to pray for them and their parents? If so
say “I will”.
Prayer
Giving of Symbols: Cradle Cross- In times passed God has the people set up symbols which
provided an opportunity to share the story of what God has done. People would see the symbol
and ask what it meant and then they were to tell of the great love of God. The cradle cross is hung
is the child’s room to be a sign of what God has done and is doing.
Rose: is a sign of beauty and has a wonderful aroma. But it also has thorns. Parenting is full of beauty and wonderful things but it is not without its difficulties and sorrows. If we are not careful we can focus on the thorns and loose sight of the beautiful flower. So remember the joy of what God has brought into your life with this young life and celebrate it.