Service of baptism for a young child - a new liturgy

This liturgy is based on the one in the Methodist Worship Book (1999), but is significantly different in its content. Many people in the room at the event of a baptism are unlikely to be familiar with Church, even if the parents are members. Often, the people who are members don't really seem to have a grasp on what baptism is either, and the current liturgy for the British Methodist Church doesn't help half as much as it should. It speaks of sacrament without explaining what that means and it frames questions in a tone that no one would use in the real world. It speaks well about the gift of baptism from God, but evades the core issue of baptism as an entry point or moment of commitment to the universal Church; as something that we also offer ourselves. Since the introduction of the 1974 service book we have been asking our congregations to promise, "will you so maintain the Church's life of worship and service..." and wondering why we find ourselves stuck in maintenance mode. That may be a chicken and egg thing, but it remains a poorly framed question for this generation. Anyway, here's my first attempt - hope it's helpful to some...

Service of baptism for a young child

[WELCOME]

Welcome to those who are here often

as well as those who come particularly for this special occasion.

May you experience the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

while you are here in this place,

may the love of God fill you at all times

and as you go out from here,

may the Holy Spirit of God go with you.

Hymn

[THE DECLARATION]

Baptism is what we call a sacrament; a moment when we are aware of a connection between heaven and earth; a meeting of humanity and divinity,  a moment when people and God are connected; a discovery of the special within the ordinary things of life.

In this sacrament of baptism, we are making a response to all that God has done for us through Jesus and responding to Jesus' call for us to follow him. by offering ourselves as part of the community of believers known as the Church - not of the Church here in this place or of one denomination or another, but of the universal Church

God came to us in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ -

who showed us how to love,

how to show compassion,

how to act without prejudice,

how to challenge injustice

and to lift the burdens of those oppressed,

either by their own past actions,

or the current actions of others.

He did not fight for his own life, instead he died for ours.

Christ washes away the things that have weighed us down

and offers us a new life if we are ready to receive it.

And so baptism is not about what we do,

but our acknowledgement of -

and our willingness to receive what God gives to us.

After Jesus had risen from the dead, he told his disciples to 'Go and make disciples of all peoples,

By baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

by teaching them to carry with them all of his instructions

and remembering, that he is with us till the end of time.

On the day the disciples received the Holy Spirit, Peter shared the news that Jesus had risen from the dead. When people asked what they should do about it, Peter told them all to turn their lives around and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that their sins may be forgiven; so that their burdens may be lifted; so that their dirt may be washed away and so that they too might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And this promise as declared then still stands for us today, for you,

for your children and for all who are far away,

as the Lord our God calls each one of us to respond'

[THE REQUEST FOR BAPTISM]

The parents (and godparents) of the child(ren) to be baptized stand. The minister says to the parents:

Name(s) of Parent(s), having heard these things, how do you respond to the offer of God's grace?

Answer:

I/We thank God, and ask that my/our child be

baptized.

[THE THANKSGIVING OVER THE WATER]

A child from the family or congregation brings the water

Water is poured into the font, in the sight of the people.

The minister stands at the font and says:

Gracious God, we thank you

for this life giving water which washes us clean

And is a symbol for us of the outpouring of your Spirit to all people

And just as your Spirit moved over the waters at creation

So may it move in our hearts today.

Pour out your Holy Spirit

that the child baptized in this water

may die to sin,

be raised with Christ,

and be born to new life in the family of your Church.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[THE AFFIRMATION OF FAITH]

All stand

The parent(s) (and godparents) gather round or near the font.

The minister says to the parents (and godparents):

Do you turn away from evil and all that denies God?

Answer: By the grace of God, I do.

Do you turn to God,

trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour,

and in the Holy Spirit as Helper and Guide?

Answer: By the grace of God, I do.

The minister says to everyone present:

 We say together:

We believe in God the Father,

who made the world.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his Son,

who redeemed humankind.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

who gives life to the people of God.

[THE BAPTISM]

The minister says to the parents of each child:

What name have you given this child?

The parent(s) respond with the Christian name(s) of each child.

The minister says:

Name of child,

Jesus came into the world for you;

to show you God's love;

he died on the Cross, triumphed over death,

and rose to a new life that he hopes one day you too will share.

All this for you, before you could know anything of it.

In your Baptism this word of Scripture is fulfilled:

'We love, because God first loved us.'

 The minister, taking each child into his arms, pours water generously and visibly on the child's head, or dips the child in water three times, once at the mention of each Person of the Holy Trinity, saying:

Name of child, I baptize you

in the Name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

By Baptism, God has received you into the Church.

The minister makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of

each child, saying:

Name(s) of child,

I sign you with the cross, the sign of Christ.

The people sit.

A lighted candle is given to the parents or godparents of the child. The cradle roll secretary says to the child:

Name(s) of child,

This is to remind you that Jesus is the Light of the world.

May he be the light for you to follow, on your way through this world.

Amen.

The newly-baptized child(ren) is/are shown to the people

as we sing: StF 453 Wash me Clean

[THE BAPTISMAL PROMISES]

The parents and godparents stand.

The minister says to the parents:

Name(s) of Parent(s), I ask you now to respond to God's love and

grace to your child by making these promises.

Will you love Name(s) of child(ren),

committing yourselves to care for her/him/them

in body, mind and spirit?

Answer: With God's help we will.

Will you, therefore,

ensure that he is nurtured

in the faith and life of the Christian community?

Answer: With God's help we will.

Will you set before her/him/them a Christian example,

that through your prayers, words and deeds,

he/she/they may learn the way of Christ?

Answer: With God's help we will.

(The minister says to the godparents:

Name(s) of godparent(s),

will you help Name(s) of Parent(s)

to nurture Name(s) of child(ren) in the Christian faith?

Answer: With God's help we will.)

[THE PROMISE OF THE PEOPLE]

The people stand. The minister says to them:

People of the Church, the body of Christ, we rejoice that Name(s) of child(ren) has/have been baptized into this family.

Do you promise that together you will work to be a Church that will make space to nurture Name(s) of child(ren) and those of his/her/their generation in the ways of Christian discipleship;

that he/she/they might know God as Father, Son and Spirit,

that he/she/they might understand something of God's love and Grace

and that he/she/they might be encouraged to share that love with the people he/she/they meet(s) along his/her/their journey?

With God's help we will.

The people sit.

A Bible and certificate of Baptism is presented.

Let us pray.

Generous God,

May we sense you near to us;

May we recall the promises we have made to you,

Today and in the past

And may they be made new once more.

Amen

Lord we have become weighed down by our own thoughts

So we ask you to lift our burdens

We are covered in the marks of our own actions

So we ask you to wash us clean

We have debts of the heart that are too much for us to pay

So we ask you to release us from our internal chains

Amen.

Silence

'I am making all things new,' says the Lord.

This is Christ's gracious word:

'Your sins are forgiven.'

Amen. Thanks be to God.

We say together the prayer that Jesus gave us:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,

now and forever.  Amen.

Hymn

The Church needs to learn how to have Godly fun

It is right that the Church is a community that deals with serious issues, a community that takes serious things seriously; it is right that the Church looks to challenging injustice, healing the sick, freeing the oppressed and finding food and shelter for the poor and homeless. It is right that the Church takes these things seriously and it is right that the Church takes seriously its own capacity to get these things wrong; to oppress and to cause harm. But surely the Church is about serving the whole human being not just solving the problems.

Some of the Church is just serious or even miserable for no good reason - and some of the Church has a sense of fun that isn’t really as healthy as we might think. There is that 'worthy' sense of joy that many Christians get out of doing good to others and being good people. There is a sense of fun that, from the inside of the fold seems like wholesome, clean and holy fun. However, it is also a sense of fun that often comes across as dismissive or aloof to those on the outside - and as disingenuous to those who may be hurting, either in spite of or even because of their experience of Church.

I believe that what we need is more of that joy that digs deep into the well of human experience; that laughs alongside the broken hearted and the lost; that sees godliness in the laughter of the drunk and the deep holy reverence of the person who dances long into the night in celebration of the fleeting experience that is a human life. We need this more than the kind of joy that revels in judging itself superior to such lower people. We need the joy of singing our hearts out in the karaoke bars and in the back seats of cars; we need the joy of the ones singing football chants in the stadium as well as the ones who bristle with joy at the complex rhythms of a jazz tune or feel their hearts lift as the protest singer sings out ‘we shall overcome'. We need this so much more than the self righteous joy that will not laugh at a joke because it contains a rude word, that cannot bear the laughter of people with short skirts and long nails, that is immune – inoculated against the effects of a samba beat upon their feet and panics at the ambiguity of sophisticated humour.

Christ ate with sinners and associated with outcasts and in amongst all the other stuff was washed by prostitutes, met politics with satire, shared food and drink with friends and was accused of gluttony by religious leaders. He went to parties and told stories about banquets, weddings, new wine and young women.

Ecclesiastes said there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance - I wonder, what time is it for you and where do you find true joy in your life?