Our Children are not really ours; they belong to God.
Holy
Baptism
"Suffer the little children to come unto Me."
-Jesus
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Our Children are not really ours; they belong to God. |
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We recognize the covenant
between God, ourselves, and our children when we bring them to God in
holy baptism. Some
churches do not practice infant baptism, believing that baptisms should
only be
administered to persons that are of age. But Jesus specifically
included little children
in the family of faith.
In the Old Testament, Jewish parents were
responsible for their children's
upbringing in the faith, and symbolized this by the act of
circumcision. In the new, we
symbolize our commitment to bring up our children "in the nurture and
admonition of
the Lord," by baptizing them. At the time of baptism, the child cannot
speak for him
or her self. When children are baptized, the ceremony has two parts,
separated by a few years. The vows that the parents made are confirmed
by the child at a later ritual,
when he or she comes of age. At confirmation, the child accepts his or
her baptism and professes faith in Christ. Then they are accepted into
the membership of the church as adults.
The
commitment made by the parents or sponsors in
baptism:
Beloved, do you in presenting this child
for holy Baptism confess your
faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Do you therefore accept as your bounden duty and
privilege to live before
this child a life that becomes the Gospel; to exercise all godly care
that he be brought
up in the Christian faith, the he be taught the Holy Scriptures, and
that he learn to give
reverent attendance upon the private and public worship of God?
Will you endeavor to keep this child under the
ministry and guidance of the
Church until he by the power of God shall accept for himself the gift
of salvation and be
confirmed as a full and responsible member of Christ's holy Church?
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The
commitment made by the community of faith in baptism: With God's help we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to life eternal. |
