Parish of the Six Saints circa Holt
St …...
Baptism of
Date and time
Introduction: The Revd Stephen Bishop
Hymn: eg 447Morning has broken
Thanksgiving Prayer
We rejoice today with all the family as we thank God for the gift of life and bring this child for baptism.
God our Creator, we thank you for the wonder of new life and for the mystery of human love. We give thanks for all whose support and skill surround and sustain the beginning of life.
As Jesus knew love and discipline within a human family, may this child grow in strength and wisdom. As Mary knew the joys and pains of motherhood, give to the parents your sustaining grace and love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We confess our sins to God our Father.
Father, we have sinned against heaven and against you.
We are not worthy to be called your children.
We turn to you again.
Have mercy on us.
Bring us back to yourself as those who once were dead
but now have life through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
May almighty God have mercy on you,
Forgive you your sins,
And bring you to everlasting life,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Heavenly father, by the power of your Holy Spirit you give to your faithful people new life in the water of baptism. Guide and strengthen us by the same Spirit, that we who are born again may serve you in faith and love, and grow into the full stature of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.
Please sit.
First reading: eg Mark 10: 13-16 read by ….
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Second reading: eg Wishing You Many Smiles and Happy Times (Anon) read by ...
Wishing you many smiles and happy times to come
May life’s adventures be exciting and sweet
Filled with love from the friends that you’ll meet
You’ll soon grow up for time does fly
So cherish each moment as it goes by
From crawling and walking
To toddling and talking
There’s no knowing what you’ll do next
There’s a threshold to cross and a wide open door
And a wonderful world for you to explore
Sleep with the moonbeams and play in the sun
Let your life be a long one and filled with fun
May today and tomorrow and all days hereafter
Be days that are happy and filled with your laughter.
Presentation
Please stand. The parents and godparents stand with the child.
The priest addresses the whole congregation.
Faith is the gift of God to his people. In baptism the Lord is adding to our number those whom he is calling. People of God, will you welcome this child, and uphold him/her in his/her new life in Christ?
With the help of God, we will.
The priest then says to the parents and godparents:
The Church receives this child with joy.
Today we are trusting God for her growth in faith. Will you pray for him/her, draw him/her by your example into the community of faith and walk with him/her in the way of Christ?
With the help of God, we will.
In baptism this child begins his/her journey in faith. You speak for him/her today. Will you care for him/her, and help him/her to take his/her place within the life and worship of Christ’s church?
With the help of God, we will.
The Decision
The priest addresses the child through his/her parents and godparents:
In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:
Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?
I reject them.
Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?
I renounce them.
Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?
I repent of them.
Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?
I turn to Christ.
Do you submit to Christ as Lord?
I submit to Christ.
Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?
I come to Christ.
Signing with the Cross
The child is signed with the sign of the cross and is anointed with oil.
Christ claims you for hisown. Receive the sign of his cross.
Do not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified.
Fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world and the devil, and remain faithful to Christ to the end of your life.
May almighty God deliver you from the powers of darkness, restore in you the image of his glory, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ. Amen.
Hymn: eg 410Lord of all Hopefulness
(During which the family and godparents move to the font .)
Prayer over the Water
The water is poured into the font.
The priest stands before the water of baptism and says:
Praise God who made heaven and earth,
who keeps his promise for ever.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.
Father, we give you thanks and praise for your gift of water in creation; for your spirit, sweeping over the waters, bringing light and life; for your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, baptised in the River Jordan. We bless you for your new creation, brought to birth by water and the Spirit, and for your grace bestowed upon us your children, washing away our sins. May your holy and life-giving Spirit move upon these waters. Restore through them the beauty of your creation, and bring this child and all who are baptised to new birth in the family of your Church.
Amen.
Baptism
The priest pours water on the child saying
I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
May God, who has received you by baptism into his Church, pour upon you the riches of his grace, that within the company of Christ’s pilgrim people you may be renewed by his anointing Spirit, and come to the inheritance of the saints in glory. Amen.
Commission
Today God has touched you with his love and has given you a place among his people. God promises to be with you in joy and in sorrow, to be your guide in life, and to bring you safely to heaven. In baptism God invites you on a life-long journey. Together with all God’s people you must explore the way of Jesus and grow in friendship with God, in love for his people, and in serving others. With us you will listen to the word of God and receive the gifts of God.
Music is played as we return to our places.
Prayers follow.
Father in heaven, bless these parents, that they may cherish this child. Make them wise and understanding, to help him/her as she grows, and surround all the family with the light of your truth and the warmth of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For all our families
Father God, from whom every family in earth and heaven is named, we thank you for the rich variety of the families you have created for us, and for the relationships which we see and enjoy within them. Help us to respect and learn from all the generations of our families that we may come to maturity in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
Eg The Gift of a Child (Marian Wright Edelman) read by a parent
Dear God, we thank You for the gift of this child to raise, this life to share, this mind to help mould, this body to nurture, and this spirit to enrich. Let us never betray this child's trust, dampen this child's hope, or discourage this child's dreams. Help us, dear God, to help this precious child become all You mean him/her to be. Let Your grace and love fall on him/her like gentle breezes and give him/her inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead. Amen.
Let us commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray,
to the mercy and protection of God this day.
We end our prayers by saying together the Lord’s prayer:
Our Father which art in heaven…
The Welcome and the Peace
Please stand.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism:
by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body.
We welcome you into the fellowship of faith;
we are children of the same heavenly Father; we welcome you.
The congregation greets the newly baptised.
The priest introduces the Peace.
We are all one in Jesus Christ. We belong to him through faith, heirs of the promise of the Spirit of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you
and also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Giving of a Lighted Candle
The priest gives a lighted candle to the family on behalf of the child.
God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and has given us a place with the saints in light. You have received the light of Christ; walk in this light all the days of your life.
Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.
Hymn: eg 550 Praise my soul
The Blessing
Please sit or kneel.
The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, And give you peace.
Amen.
Go in the light and peace of Christ.
Thanks be to God.