:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/BabyDedication-GettyImages-57567836-5a4bb2c00d327a00373c1d46-5ba281d84cedfd0025f732a8.jpg)
..................................................................................................................................................................
Baby Dedication
A Biblical Practice
Why do some churches practice baby dedication instead of
infant baptism?
by Mary Fairchild
A baby dedication is a ceremony in which believing parents, and
sometimes entire families, make a commitment before the Lord to raise that
child according to God's Word and God's ways.
Many Christian churches
practice baby dedication
instead of infant baptism (also known as Christening) as their primary celebration of a child's
birth into the community of faith.
The use of dedication varies widely from denomination to
denomination.
Roman Catholics almost universally practice infant baptism,
while Protestant denominations more commonly perform baby dedications.
Churches that hold baby dedications believe baptism comes later
in life as a result of the individual's own decision to be baptized.
In the Baptist church, for example, believers are usually
teenagers or adults before being baptized
The practice of baby dedication is rooted in this passage found
in Deuteronomy 6:4-7:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord
our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command
you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your
children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk
by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (ESV)
Responsibilities Involved in
Baby Dedication
Christian parents who dedicate a child are making a promise to
the Lord before the church congregation 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.
As is the case with infant baptism, it is sometimes customary at
this time to name godparents to help raise the child according to godly
principles.
Parents who make this vow, or 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 practical examples of godliness,
disciplining the child according to God's ways, and praying
earnestly for the child.
In practice, the precise meaning of raising a child "in a
godly way" can vary widely, depending on the Christian denomination and
even on the particular congregation within that denomination.
Some groups place more emphasis on discipline and obedience, for
example, while others might regard charity and acceptance as superior virtues.
The Bible supplies abundant wisdom, guidance, and instruction
for Christian parents to draw from.
Regardless, the importance of baby dedication lies in the
family's promise to raise their child in a manner consistent with the spiritual
community to which they belong, whatever that might be.
The Ceremony
A formal baby dedication ceremony can take many forms,
depending on the practices and preferences of the denomination and
congregation.
It may be a short private ceremony or one part of a larger
worship service involving the entire congregation.
Typically, the ceremony involves the reading of key Bible
passages and a verbal exchange in which the minister asks the parents (and
godparents, if so included) if they agree to raise the child according to
several criteria.
Sometimes, the entire congregation is welcomed to also respond,
indicating their mutual responsibility for the child's well-being.
There may be a ritual handing-off of the infant to the
pastor or minister, symbolizing that the child is being offered to the
community of the church.
This may be followed by a final prayer and a gift of some kind
being offered to the child and parents, as well as a certificate. A closing
hymn may also be sung by the congregation.
An Example of Baby Dedication
in Scripture
Hannah,
a barren woman, prayed for a child:
And she 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, presenting Samuel to the Lord:
"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)
Mary
Fairchild
Introduction
Christian
minister since 1988 with General Biblical Studies and Missions degrees
Full-time
writer and editor specializing in Christianity, Bible study, and Christian
living since 2005
Author
and general editor of "Stories of Calvary"
Experience
Mary
Fairchild has worked full time in Christian ministry since 1988. While in Bible
School, she worked for a major city church as the assistant to the dean of
Christian education. Next, Mary served on the foreign mission field in Brazil
from 1990-1994. Upon returning to the States, Mary became a pastoral assistant
and office manager for a large intercity church.
Mary
worked as the general editor on several Christian books and booklets for
Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg from 2006 until 2017. Recently, Mary joined the
team of writers for GotQuestions.org, where she provides responses to questions related
to the nature of God, the Scriptures, salvation, and other spiritual topics.
Education
Mary
received a General Biblical Studies degree from an Interdenominational
Christian Training Center in Central Florida. She also holds a Missions degree
from Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School.
Publications
"Stories
of Calvary" (2008, Winepress Publishing)
"Exposing
Samson" (General Editor, 2009, Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg)
A
Message from Mary Fairchild
Learn
Religions and Dotdash
Our
mission at Learn Religions is to help you explore the practices of your own
faith, understand your neighbor’s beliefs, and familiarize yourself with the
world’s major religions — regardless of your own spiritual background.
Learn
Religions is part of the Dotdash family.
For more
than 20 years, Dotdash brands have been helping people find answers,
solve problems, and get inspired. We are one of the top-20 largest content
publishers on the Internet according to comScore, and reach more than 30% of
the U.S. population monthly. Our brands collectively have won more than 20
industry awards in the last year alone, and recently Dotdash was named
Publisher of the Year by Digiday, a leading industry publication.
No comments:
Post a Comment