It's Tuesday! Come tell us something GOOD that's going on in your life this week! The rules are easy...just make a post on your blog about something that made you smile this week, then come back and link up! If you want to share the button, you can grab it from the box at the top of this post too.
And because I want to leave you with a smile, here's what's good in my life!
"When we say "bless this child", we are wishing for the child, the unmerited good of life. We are hoping that this child will have every opportunity to grow into their potential, not because they have earned it but just because they are." - Rev. Kathy Schmitz
This past Sunday was Mother's Day, but it was also the day we had Angelica dedicated at our church. A dedication in the Unitarian Universalist faith is similar to a baptism, but it's more of a presentation and introduction of a baby or young child to the church community rather than to God. (Though if a UU believes in God or a deity of some sort, that is certainly also respected and accommodated.)
This is a photo of the pulpit at the front of our church prior to the dedication (and the one and only photo that I took that day -- my sister helped by taking the others you'll see in a moment). The glass dish contains water that was collected during the annual water communion service that took place earlier this year, and represents the purity from which the child comes. The roses are presented to each child (or the parents, in the case of a baby) with the thorns removed to represent the child's unfolding beauty, and our commitment to protect and nurture the child as he or she grows and blossoms into adulthood. In the upper left corner is the chalice we light at the beginning of each Sunday service.
The dedication was just so moving...the entire congregation taking a commitment to help nurture our daughter (and the other baby who was also being dedicated that day), and, as our Rev. said, "be reminded of our responsibility to create a safe, just, and compassionate society for all the children of the world." One of the best things about our faith is how it just lives and breathes love, day in and day out, and I really felt it that day.
My sister, Stefanie, and brother in law, Will, were gracious enough to accept the responsibility of being Angelica's sponsors (our version of Godparents).
When Angelica was handed her rose, she turned to Scott and yelled out, "Hey Daddy! Look! I got a ROSE!" And the entire place just burst into laughter. And naturally, being the ham that she is, continued yelling it over and over again.
Finally, at the end, Rev. Kathy had this very touching prayer:
We pray today for the future of these children.
May they dream great dreams and have the strength to follow them.
May they know abundant love and give love freely in return.
May they walk a path of truth and beauty and have justice as their guide.
We pray today for the future of these children and of us all.
~Blessed Be
 |
| Angelica being presented by Rev. Kathy (Angelica had also just presented her underwear to the entire church. Oops.) |
 |
| Being blessed with the water |
 |
| "Hey look, I got a rose!" |
 |
| Still showing off her rose |
 |
| The last photo of the dedication, and I am STILL giggling over her reaction to the rose. |
It was truly a joyous occasion, and I am so incredibly grateful for the community that nurtures and supports our whole family, and where we can raise Angelica in a spiritual home where she is loved, accepted, appreciated and respected just for being who she is, and challenged to grow and question, and learn and love.
After the dedication was over, our regular Sunday services followed, with a really wonderful sermon called Bless This Child (clicking that link will take you to the sermon's text).
Thank you, Rev. Kathy, for a beautiful dedication, and to Stefanie and Will for standing up with us on this incredibly important day in our life.
Link up below with me and LeeAnn from The Life of Rylie...and Bryce Too! Let's spread the joy!
4 comments:
That looks like an incredible ceremony. I have been considering attending a UU church near me, and I just haven't had the courage (or something, I just don't know WHY I haven't gone). This makes me even more curious and interested in seeing if the UU church is right for me.
Congratulations to Angelica on her dedication. It's wonderful to know that a whole community is supporting her.
Have a great week!
It WAS beautiful, and we really loved being a part of it. We are so glad your family is part of our community.
so great!!
I can tell how much you enjoy your church, and I'm so glad for you guys that you found it and became members. It seems like an awesome community. It looks and sounds like that was a wonderful ceremony. Congratulations to you all!
Post a Comment