Child Dedications
I was moved to tears to witness Megan's blessing of Milo.
Her ceremony was so personal, and the joy she radiated was felt by everyone.
- Mitzi Bolin, Great Aunt, Menomonie, WI
Her ceremony was so personal, and the joy she radiated was felt by everyone.
- Mitzi Bolin, Great Aunt, Menomonie, WI
Dedication at The Universalist Church
I share with many Unitarian Universalists a profound belief in the unique blessing that each child brings. It is my greatest joy to officiate ceremonies that celebrate the life of a child and the connection that child shares with their parents and community.
Whether in a congregation or a gathering of family or friends, a child dedication or baby blessing is an opportunity for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to the Good, to each other, and to the nurture and support of new life and young families.
In the congregations I have served, each child dedication is the same: a traditional liturgy highlighting the role of the congregation in the child and family's life and vice versa.
I have also created unique ceremonies for families who are not part of
a church community. An example is below.
Whether in a congregation or a gathering of family or friends, a child dedication or baby blessing is an opportunity for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to the Good, to each other, and to the nurture and support of new life and young families.
In the congregations I have served, each child dedication is the same: a traditional liturgy highlighting the role of the congregation in the child and family's life and vice versa.
I have also created unique ceremonies for families who are not part of
a church community. An example is below.
Dedicating Shelby, with Lauren and Ben
Dedication of Shelby (Unitarian Universalist and Jewish)
Welcome/Gathering
Welcome everyone. Today we gather to celebrate the life of this child, to proclaim her name as unique and to dedicate ourselves to nurture her and support her parents throughout her life. My name is Megan, and it is a blessing for me to be here today with Shelby, Lauren and Ben. We are related by blood through the Lloyd Jones family and however distant cousins we may be (fifth?), since we met many years ago, the bonds of family, and of friendship have been strong.
Today is especially joyful as we welcome a new life into our midst. Lauren's and my shared ancestor, Susan Lloyd Jones, once wrote that the child rearing period of life is one in which the “soul is stirred to its depth by [parental] love, which is to grow and strengthen as years roll on, strengthen the bond between [parent] and child, enlarge and cement the love of husband and wife.” The child, Aunt Susan said, is
“a fresh link in love's chain, a mutual object of undying interest, where concentrate the hopes, fears and devout longings of both [mother and father].
Today, our souls are stirred as we celebrate Shelby as a fresh link in love's chain. We honor the love between these parents and their child and the expanding of the bonds of family and of community.
We lift up our hopes for Shelby and offer her blessings
as she makes her way in the world.
Opening Words/Chalice Lighting
We begin our ceremony today by kindling a flame.
We ask Lauren's Aunt Mitzi and Aunt Julie to come forward to light our chalice to begin our sacred time together.
Reverently I offer this symbol of our hope and high intent.
Reverently I bequeath this flame to you.
This is the light that is lit for everyone who comes into the world.
Bear this light to others, one by one.
Let the flame go from life to life till all is lit with its warmth.
Tell that the light means wisdom
Tell that the light means kindness
Tell that the light means understanding
Tell that the light means tolerance
Tell that the light means sacrifice
Tell that the light is a vision of a fairer world.
All: Tell that this is the light that is lit for everyone who comes into the world.
(by Elizabeth M. Strong)
Naming
Megan (to Lauren and Ben): Lauren and Ben, what is the name you have chosen for this child.
Lauren/Ben: Shelby L_____ L_____
Megan: Shelby, we welcome you and we give you this name as yours forever. You are unique. There is no one else like you in the entire world. Your parents and your family and your community welcome you in all your uniqueness and affirm our commitment to you. By your worth, may generations be blessed. May your name generate love and respect in years to come.
Hebrew Naming
In recognition of Shelby’s Jewish heritage, today she will also receive her Hebrew name Would Ben's Aunt Vivian please come forward?
Lauren and Ben:
Blessed with the gift of our daughter, we rejoice now with gratitude to God. We celebrate her entry into the Jewish community. We now link her destiny to that of our people, Israel, here and throughout the world, now and throughout history.
Vivian:
Having said the blessings for bringing Shelby into the covenant of the Jewish people, her parents will now symbolically join her in that covenant, by wrapping themselves with her in a very special tallit. This prayer shawl was a gift on the occasion of my Bat Mitzvah . It was given to me by my mother, Sylvia G_____, the person that Shelby named for. It represents the continuance of family values as well as the richness of Jewish tradition.
Vivian helps wrap Tallit
It is said that the four corners of the the tallit represent the four corners of the world, as well as God's presence in the world.
May God's presence full your lives, and may Jewish tradition be a constant source of comfort, shelter and strength for all of you.
As you are wrapped in this tallit, so may your lives be wrapped in light, in justice and in righteousness.
May you know peace in the shelter of God's presence, and may you all always be enfolded in the care of those who love you.
Vivian: (in Hebrew)
Our God, and God of our mothers and fathers, sustain this child through the loving care of her father and mother, and let her name be known in the house of Israel as Shaina Leah Bat Binyamin Yisrael and Surah Miriam. As she has entered into the covenant, so too may she enter into a life of Torah, the blessing of a sacred relationship and the practice of good deeds.
Shehechiyanu
All: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, She-hech-ee'anu, v'kee'yimanu,
v'hig-ee'anu laz'man hazeh.
Megan: Thank you Vivian. Lauren and Ben will now share with us the hopes they hold for Shelby
and the meanings of the names they have chosen for her.
Ben: (First Name, Hebrew Name)
Lauren: (Middle Name, Hebrew Name)
Blessing
Shelby, today we bless you, we celebrate and praise you. Your parents are delighted that you have come into this world and that they and those whom they love are the ones to welcome you. Today we honor you with the majesty of this world we live in, with three of the elements that make life possible: earth, water and fire. We do this to wish you the blessing of a life grounded with deep roots, the freedom that your spirit may flow freely and we celebrate the spark that makes you who you are and the light you are in all of our lives.
EARTH
Megan: Would Shelby's grandparents please come forward?
(Grandparents come forward. Lauren/Ben hold Shelby. When each grandparent speaks, he/she touches Shelby's forehead with the sapling.)
First, from the earth, we wish you deep roots. Your grandmothers and grandfathers have loved your parents well, and now their support is dedicated also to you. They are roots that ground you.
Grandparent 1: Shelby, we bless you with this sapling as a symbol of roots we offer you as you grow.
Grandparent 2: Shelby, we bless you with this beautiful symbol of life as you have blessed our lives with the unique beauty you bring into this world.
Grandparent 3: How a tree grows depends upon the nurture it receives. So, too, no child grows alone.
Shelby, today we pledge ourselves to the nurture of your mind, your body and your unique spirit.
Grandparent 4: Shelby, we plant this tree as we welcome you.
As it grows, so will you grow, may you always know how much we, your grandparents (and all those here today), love and care for you.
(Grandparents place tree back on the table. Grandparents are seated.)
WATER
Megan: Would Shelby's Uncle Trevor and Aunt Gina please come forward?
(They come forward. Ben does magic trick. Trevor and Gina touch the water and touch Shelby (anywhere, eg. hands and feet.)
Megan: Water is necessary for life. It is beautiful, powerful, it nourishes our bodies and the earth on which we live. Shelby, today your aunt and uncle bless you with water.
Gina: Shelby, we bless you with water, source of life and symbol of purity and clarity. Like this water, you are precious to us.
Trevor: Shelby, may you be blessed with purity of heart and clearness of mind. May your spirit flow freely as you will nourish this world and all those you meet.
FIRE
Megan: And finally, fire.
(Ben does magic trick. With the candle Ben lights magically, Megan will light a small tea light in a bowl from the chalice. Ben and/or Lauren will hold the bowl and hold it over Shelby)
Lauren: Shelby, We bless you with the flame. Symbol of our deepest hopes for you and the spark of the holy which resides in you.
Ben: Shelby, by this light may you be blessed with the warmth of community, the fire of commitment, and the passion of life. With your light, our world and the entire world is brighter.
Megan: Amen.
Shelby is celebrated today with the elements of life in the loving embrace of her parents and welcomed (officially) into the circle of care that you, her community--family and friends--provide.
As they bring up their child, Ben and Lauren do not stand alone.
Please stand now in body or in spirit and join together as we declare our commitment to Shelby and her parents.
Litany of Dedication
Megan: Shelby L_____ L_____, Shaina Leah,we welcome you among us.
All: We give thanks for your new life, and for the new hope you bring.
We will appreciate your uniqueness, we will teach you and learn from you, we will love you and respect you.
We will delight in your accomplishments, we will share in your sorrows, we will encourage you in every way as you grow into adulthood.
Lauren & Ben: We, your parents, love you with all our hearts,
and dedicate ourselves to do all that we can to share with you the beauty and the goodness of life.
All: We promise to be always available for you and your parents in the journeys and adventures ahead,
and we promise you our loving presence in your life.
(all remain standing)
Vivian: Closing Prayer in Hebrew
Megan: This day we dedicate our minds and hearts to Shelby L_____ (Shaina Leah) L_____.
Shelby, may you be blessed as you go on your way,
may you be guided in peace,
May you be blessed with calm and joy, may you be kept in safety and in love,
may grace and compassion find their way to your soul and, through you, to the world.
(Words adapted from Debbie Friedman)
May it be so and amen.
Welcome/Gathering
Welcome everyone. Today we gather to celebrate the life of this child, to proclaim her name as unique and to dedicate ourselves to nurture her and support her parents throughout her life. My name is Megan, and it is a blessing for me to be here today with Shelby, Lauren and Ben. We are related by blood through the Lloyd Jones family and however distant cousins we may be (fifth?), since we met many years ago, the bonds of family, and of friendship have been strong.
Today is especially joyful as we welcome a new life into our midst. Lauren's and my shared ancestor, Susan Lloyd Jones, once wrote that the child rearing period of life is one in which the “soul is stirred to its depth by [parental] love, which is to grow and strengthen as years roll on, strengthen the bond between [parent] and child, enlarge and cement the love of husband and wife.” The child, Aunt Susan said, is
“a fresh link in love's chain, a mutual object of undying interest, where concentrate the hopes, fears and devout longings of both [mother and father].
Today, our souls are stirred as we celebrate Shelby as a fresh link in love's chain. We honor the love between these parents and their child and the expanding of the bonds of family and of community.
We lift up our hopes for Shelby and offer her blessings
as she makes her way in the world.
Opening Words/Chalice Lighting
We begin our ceremony today by kindling a flame.
We ask Lauren's Aunt Mitzi and Aunt Julie to come forward to light our chalice to begin our sacred time together.
Reverently I offer this symbol of our hope and high intent.
Reverently I bequeath this flame to you.
This is the light that is lit for everyone who comes into the world.
Bear this light to others, one by one.
Let the flame go from life to life till all is lit with its warmth.
Tell that the light means wisdom
Tell that the light means kindness
Tell that the light means understanding
Tell that the light means tolerance
Tell that the light means sacrifice
Tell that the light is a vision of a fairer world.
All: Tell that this is the light that is lit for everyone who comes into the world.
(by Elizabeth M. Strong)
Naming
Megan (to Lauren and Ben): Lauren and Ben, what is the name you have chosen for this child.
Lauren/Ben: Shelby L_____ L_____
Megan: Shelby, we welcome you and we give you this name as yours forever. You are unique. There is no one else like you in the entire world. Your parents and your family and your community welcome you in all your uniqueness and affirm our commitment to you. By your worth, may generations be blessed. May your name generate love and respect in years to come.
Hebrew Naming
In recognition of Shelby’s Jewish heritage, today she will also receive her Hebrew name Would Ben's Aunt Vivian please come forward?
Lauren and Ben:
Blessed with the gift of our daughter, we rejoice now with gratitude to God. We celebrate her entry into the Jewish community. We now link her destiny to that of our people, Israel, here and throughout the world, now and throughout history.
Vivian:
Having said the blessings for bringing Shelby into the covenant of the Jewish people, her parents will now symbolically join her in that covenant, by wrapping themselves with her in a very special tallit. This prayer shawl was a gift on the occasion of my Bat Mitzvah . It was given to me by my mother, Sylvia G_____, the person that Shelby named for. It represents the continuance of family values as well as the richness of Jewish tradition.
Vivian helps wrap Tallit
It is said that the four corners of the the tallit represent the four corners of the world, as well as God's presence in the world.
May God's presence full your lives, and may Jewish tradition be a constant source of comfort, shelter and strength for all of you.
As you are wrapped in this tallit, so may your lives be wrapped in light, in justice and in righteousness.
May you know peace in the shelter of God's presence, and may you all always be enfolded in the care of those who love you.
Vivian: (in Hebrew)
Our God, and God of our mothers and fathers, sustain this child through the loving care of her father and mother, and let her name be known in the house of Israel as Shaina Leah Bat Binyamin Yisrael and Surah Miriam. As she has entered into the covenant, so too may she enter into a life of Torah, the blessing of a sacred relationship and the practice of good deeds.
Shehechiyanu
All: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, She-hech-ee'anu, v'kee'yimanu,
v'hig-ee'anu laz'man hazeh.
Megan: Thank you Vivian. Lauren and Ben will now share with us the hopes they hold for Shelby
and the meanings of the names they have chosen for her.
Ben: (First Name, Hebrew Name)
Lauren: (Middle Name, Hebrew Name)
Blessing
Shelby, today we bless you, we celebrate and praise you. Your parents are delighted that you have come into this world and that they and those whom they love are the ones to welcome you. Today we honor you with the majesty of this world we live in, with three of the elements that make life possible: earth, water and fire. We do this to wish you the blessing of a life grounded with deep roots, the freedom that your spirit may flow freely and we celebrate the spark that makes you who you are and the light you are in all of our lives.
EARTH
Megan: Would Shelby's grandparents please come forward?
(Grandparents come forward. Lauren/Ben hold Shelby. When each grandparent speaks, he/she touches Shelby's forehead with the sapling.)
First, from the earth, we wish you deep roots. Your grandmothers and grandfathers have loved your parents well, and now their support is dedicated also to you. They are roots that ground you.
Grandparent 1: Shelby, we bless you with this sapling as a symbol of roots we offer you as you grow.
Grandparent 2: Shelby, we bless you with this beautiful symbol of life as you have blessed our lives with the unique beauty you bring into this world.
Grandparent 3: How a tree grows depends upon the nurture it receives. So, too, no child grows alone.
Shelby, today we pledge ourselves to the nurture of your mind, your body and your unique spirit.
Grandparent 4: Shelby, we plant this tree as we welcome you.
As it grows, so will you grow, may you always know how much we, your grandparents (and all those here today), love and care for you.
(Grandparents place tree back on the table. Grandparents are seated.)
WATER
Megan: Would Shelby's Uncle Trevor and Aunt Gina please come forward?
(They come forward. Ben does magic trick. Trevor and Gina touch the water and touch Shelby (anywhere, eg. hands and feet.)
Megan: Water is necessary for life. It is beautiful, powerful, it nourishes our bodies and the earth on which we live. Shelby, today your aunt and uncle bless you with water.
Gina: Shelby, we bless you with water, source of life and symbol of purity and clarity. Like this water, you are precious to us.
Trevor: Shelby, may you be blessed with purity of heart and clearness of mind. May your spirit flow freely as you will nourish this world and all those you meet.
FIRE
Megan: And finally, fire.
(Ben does magic trick. With the candle Ben lights magically, Megan will light a small tea light in a bowl from the chalice. Ben and/or Lauren will hold the bowl and hold it over Shelby)
Lauren: Shelby, We bless you with the flame. Symbol of our deepest hopes for you and the spark of the holy which resides in you.
Ben: Shelby, by this light may you be blessed with the warmth of community, the fire of commitment, and the passion of life. With your light, our world and the entire world is brighter.
Megan: Amen.
Shelby is celebrated today with the elements of life in the loving embrace of her parents and welcomed (officially) into the circle of care that you, her community--family and friends--provide.
As they bring up their child, Ben and Lauren do not stand alone.
Please stand now in body or in spirit and join together as we declare our commitment to Shelby and her parents.
Litany of Dedication
Megan: Shelby L_____ L_____, Shaina Leah,we welcome you among us.
All: We give thanks for your new life, and for the new hope you bring.
We will appreciate your uniqueness, we will teach you and learn from you, we will love you and respect you.
We will delight in your accomplishments, we will share in your sorrows, we will encourage you in every way as you grow into adulthood.
Lauren & Ben: We, your parents, love you with all our hearts,
and dedicate ourselves to do all that we can to share with you the beauty and the goodness of life.
All: We promise to be always available for you and your parents in the journeys and adventures ahead,
and we promise you our loving presence in your life.
(all remain standing)
Vivian: Closing Prayer in Hebrew
Megan: This day we dedicate our minds and hearts to Shelby L_____ (Shaina Leah) L_____.
Shelby, may you be blessed as you go on your way,
may you be guided in peace,
May you be blessed with calm and joy, may you be kept in safety and in love,
may grace and compassion find their way to your soul and, through you, to the world.
(Words adapted from Debbie Friedman)
May it be so and amen.