Baby Blessing

For

Lily

 November, 2006

“A baby is God’s way of saying the world should go on.”

                   Carl Sandburg

ORDER OF SERVICE

Opening Music                       You Anointed Me – Eric Peterson

Welcome &                            Rev Joanna

Reading                                 (from The Prophet – Gibran)     

Grandparents’ Prayer      

Friend’s & Families’ Wishes            

Parents’ Prayer                      Mother& Father

Vows                                     Mother& Father

Candle Ceremony                    All

Music                                     “Through a Child’s  Eyes”

– Eric Peterson

African Blessing                    Mother, Father, Lily

Final Blessing                        Rev Joanna

Music                                    Imagine (Lennon) Vocal  - Jamie Lula                

As MUSIC FADES:

Minister

What a great day to celebrate Lily’s birth. In Lily the world is reborn. Through her we see yesterday absolved, new horizons opened, and the certainty of change. We are stilled into silence as we witness the miracle of a new life unfolding. This is the premise of all life - the beginning! And so we are gathered here today with Mother and Father and Lily because as family and close friends, our involvement and continued interest will always be welcomed in her life. Let us now join our thoughts for the welfare, peace and strength of Lily, as I read, at the request of Mother and Father:

The Prophet (on parenting)

by

Kahlil Gibran

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said Speak to us of children. And he said: Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you.

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love, but not your thoughts

For they have their own.

You may house their bodies but not their souls

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow

Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not

To make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children

As living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite

And He bends you with His might That His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness.

For even as He loves the arrow that flies,

So He loves the bow that is stable.

Minister (cont’d)

And now I would like to ask the grandparents to share the following prayer:

Grandfather C

Let us pray. Thank you for this healthy baby, a perfect embodiment of faith, love, compassion, openness.                                                                                              

Grandmother C

We heartily thank You for the gift of this child into this world and into this family. We commit to serve her and her parents, our children, with strength, love, and an open heart.

Grandfather H

Our love surrounds, protects and holds her safe and secure in a complicated world.

Grandmother H

We pray that we will have the wisdom to look to You as our guide in helping the glorious unfolding of Lily’s life, as we pray for her peace and joy and radiance.

Minister

Holy Spirit, Give me the strength and the courage to take an action each and every day to create a better world for Lily and for all the children on the planet.

We now ask friends and relatives who feel so moved to express their hopes and desires for Lily.

(guests share their hopes.)

Minister

We have been entrusted with a profound role in the ongoing life of Lily. We ask God to grant us the wisdom and strength to always hold onto a vision of her highest good. With this vision, may we always be led from a place of love in our hearts whenever our counsel is sought.

Mother & Father

And may you know that your role in her life will always be honored and appreciated. Thank you.

Minister

(To the Parents)

And now, Mother and Father, please share with us the following prayer:

Mother

Let us pray

Father

God, we thank you for the birth of Lily, a child in whom we see You, the Divine, manifest. We celebrate Your Divine spark, which has been born out of our love and desire.

Mother

We ask that we may remember in the days to come, through joy and pain, through laughter and sadness, in all the moments of each day, that You are our foundation, and from this truth, we shall know peace as a family and as Your children.

Both

(to Baby)

May we be the parents God would have us be, loving, open-minded, accepting, unconditionally loving … and the parents you have chosen to be born to. May you achieve all that you came here for, with wisdom, with love, with integrity, and with celebration. Amen.

Minister

 (to guests)

And so it is with love, celebration, and honor, in the name of God and all the generations gone and those to come, that we welcome you Lily. You have been awaited and we are joyous in your arrival. We ask Spirit to bless you and protect you in all your days to come.

Minister

(to the parents)

Mother and Father, please repeat after me your vows for your daughter.

Minister

Lily, we will always love you.

We will always hold your greatest good in our hearts.

Minister (cont’d)

We will always try to have open communication, be wise in our counsel, honor spontaneity and be present in every moment.

And we will always hope for a life for you that celebrates the unique Divine spark that we celebrate today."

I now ask you, Mother and Father to each light one of the candles to symbolize Lily’s inner light.         

          (Grandfather: Music cue)

And we each light a candle, praying, knowing that the light may serve to guide and illuminate all that lies in her path as we listen to the words of this song …

MUSIC – Through a Child’s Eyes  -  Erik Peterson

Minister

And finally, I ask all of us to extend to Lily a traditional blessing in the African tradition.

AFRICAN BLESSING

(Mother and Father put a drop of lemon juice on the baby's lips.)

Minister

Sometimes life is bitter.

(Mother and Father place a drop of honey on the baby's lips)

Sometimes life is sweet.

(They place a drop of wine on the baby's lips.)

But always, it is up to you to make life joyful.

(A cup of wine (or grape juice) is passed

for everyone to sip.)

Minister

In celebration of the joy of life, and the commitment to support and encourage Lily to make the best of whatever life will bring.

          (Glasses raised)

All

Salute! (Italian) Slainte! (Irish) Mazel Tov (Yiddish)

          (Music Cue)

Minister

During the final song, we can either just listen or take the opportunity to write in Lily’s book your personal blessings and hopes for her life. This will be kept and given to her at an age when she will be able to understand them.

Thank you Mother Father God for the blessings of all our children. And so it is. Amen                             

MUSIC: IMAGINE  -  John Lennon 

    vocalist: Jamie Lula

(Slow Fade)