I spoke to a young couple this morning after church about a baptism for their son. I told them how baptism happens in our congregation. They were quite accepting of our practice.
Then I asked if they had any thoughts or questions on the baptism. Yes, it turns out they had several.
They were not born in Canada and in their tradition there are a number of godparents. There will be seven godfathers and seven godmothers. Usually, he explained, there are many more. Maybe they don’t want to overwhelm us who have one or two or more often none.
They also would like to sing a blessing while we walk out into the congregation with their son. So the whole extended family, which is a choir, will come forward and sing their blessing.
We are so deeply blessed and enriched by the faith-filled, intercultural traditions that our ever-expanding community share with us.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Moment Of Awe
There are awesome moments that take place everyday. Sometimes I give them my full attention; other times I glance at them, smile and then forget. Yesterday I had one of those very special moments that I will put down in my journal.
It took place in a quiet family memorial service. A woman stood up in the little semi circle and began to read a poem. Already it was a transcendent moment as she was reading a poem that I dearly love, John Donne’s “Death, be not proud.” The poem and the circumstances caused the reader to tear up. Suddenly the four-year old granddaughter stepped forward.
She had already had an important part to play as she lit a candle for her great grand-father. She had slowly and carefully moved the stick match to the large candle and then so carefully blown it out. Her actions had the reverence of a Japanese tea ceremony.
This time she came forward, put her little arms around her grand-mother’s legs and hugged her. Then she took her elder’s free hand and kissed it gently.
Just one of the God-moments in that time together.
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