The Reverend Rebecca A. Nagy Officiating

In Celebration

Of The Christening

Kendall Brooke Cilley

August 5, 2011

4:00 pm

The Reverend Rebecca A. Nagy Officiating

Christening Ceremony for Kendall BrookeCilley

Opening/Greeting

A formal Christening has been requested for this child by her parents, Matt and Haley, who wished her to be baptized this day in order to begin her spiritual journey in this life.

Matt and Haley have asked you to be a part of this ceremony because you are an important part of their lives, and now they invite you to be equally important in the life of their child. Each of you as family has been invited here today to add your joy to theirs as they welcome this child not only to their family, but also to yours. In so doing we recognize the importance you play in the lives of Matt and Haley, and Kennedy, and now with Kendall Brooke - and to bear witness to the transforming power of love that she embodies here today, in our presence.

Invocation

Heavenly Father, we ask that the living waters of Spirit and of Truth may flow continuously through this child, and through all this faithful company. Grant us the Light that illuminates our way and dispels uncertainty. Give us new courage and resolve to turn our faces toward truth and beauty.

Strengthen us in the inward promptings of God, and refresh us with the ideals of purity, simplicity, humility and grace. We give thanks for the sincerity of intentions today, and for the moral resolves established in our hearts towards this child.

Vows

You, who are the parents of Kendall Brooke, stand before us now to reaffirm your commitment to each other and Kennedy:

Do you Matt commit yourself to Haley as her partner in life and parenting and promise to support her as a parent and in all endeavors?

- I Do

Do you Haley commit yourself to Matt as his partner in life and parenting and promise to support him as a parent and in all endeavors?

- I Do

By performing this ritual, you are acknowledging that your child is more than merely a child of your home; you’re acknowledging she is a of God and a child of the world and you’re expressing your desire and purpose to raise her to the best of your abilities, acknowledging that you have the privilege and responsibility to care for her mind, body, and spirit as her own story develops.

Matt and Haley, Do you dedicate yourselves to your child as her mother and father promising to be loving, patient, supportive and respectful and to always strive to be the best parents you can be.

- We do

And now Matt and Haley - I would like to ask you to hold your child and receive God’s blessings:

Dear God, We join together on this day, and pray for the life and well-being of this glorious child. With her parents we thank you for her entrance into this world. With them also, we surrender this family, and invite God's spirit to enter here. We pray for this couple, and ask that they be filled as parents with the spirit of God.

May they receive Your strength with which to hold this child, Your love with which to raise her and Your grace by which to guide this family now and forever.

Acknowledgment of Godparents

Even though they cannot be with us today, I would like to now acknowledge Kendall ’s Godparents Karen and Drew Martella. We know that God shall place within them the wisdom and the strength they need to hold within their minds and hearts forever the good of this child and the importance of the emotional responsibility now entrusted to them.

Blessing and Invocation over Baptismal Water:

My dear brothers and sisters, God uses the sacrament of water to give his divine life to those who believe in him. Let us turn to him, and asked him to pour his gift of life from this place on this child he has chosen.

Father, you give us grace to sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In Christening we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace given to us in the sacrament. At the very dawn of creation your spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness.

Father, look down with love upon your faithful and unseal for us the fountain of baptism.

Rev. Nagy touches the water with right-hand and continues:

By the power of the Holy Spirit give to this water the grace of your Son, so that in the sacrament of Christening all those whom You have created in Your likeness, thus be cleansed from negativity and rise to a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith

And now Matt and Haley: you've come here to present this child for baptism. By water in the Holy Spirit, Kendall is to receive the gift from God, who is love.

On your part, you must make it your constant care to bring her up in the practice of the faith. See that the divine life, which God gives her, is kept safe from negativity, to grow always stronger in his heart.

If your faith makes you ready to accept this responsibility, renew now the vows of your own baptism. Reject sin, profess your faith in Christ Jesus. This is the faith of the Church. This is the faith in which this child is about to be baptized. And so on your behalf and on behalf of this child, I would ask you to answer these questions:

Do you reject sin so as to live in the freedom of God's children?

I do.

Do you reject the glamour of evil, and refuse to be mastered by negativity?

I do.

Do you believe in God, the father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?

I do.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only son our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?

I do.

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?

I do.

This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Is it your will that Kendall Brooke Cilley should be baptized in the faith of the Church, which we have all professed with you?

Matt and Haley: it is.

The Christening

(Dipping fingers into the bowl of blessed water, Rev Nagy places two dampened fingers on the space between the eyebrows...)

And now in the Presence and the Power of the Most High, I baptize thee, Kendall Brooke Cilley in the name of the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, and welcome you into the Body of Christ, and this, your extended family. From this time forward you are invested with the spiritual qualities necessary for the enrichment and fulfillment of your life, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

In order for this life to be of the richest experience possible, I would bless you now with the qualities of the spirit that will guide you upon your way....

Rev. Nagy makes sign of the cross over the heart with water: I anoint you with the water of salvation in the name of Christ our Savior; may he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen

v May you be blessed with an open heart, so that you may give and receive unconditional love. (Bless the heart)

v May you be blessed with an open mind, so that true wisdom may always flow to you and through you (bless the forehead), forever connecting heart with mind.

v May you be blessed with courage, creativity and conviction, so that nothing will sway you from your purpose (bless solar plexus)

v May you be blessed with right speech and right action, that all you do and say may be twice blessed with truth and beauty. (Bless throat)

v May you be blessed with a willing spirit and a true sense of self, so that you will always know that you are a perfect embodiment of God's Highest Love (bless top of head)

Lighted Candle Ceremony with Kennedy and Matt

We would like to now acknowledge Kendall’s big sister, and the importance she plays in the life of this family: Kennedy adores her little sister more than anyone, and we want you to know, Kennedy, the how proud we are of you as for being such a wonderful big sister to Kendall.

And so, we would like for you to help your Daddy light these special candles, each one representing all that you are, and all that you ever will be together as you grow up, play with one another and take care of each other.

And Matt, these lights are entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. Your children have been enlightened by Christ. They are to walk always as a children of the light. May both Kennedy and Kendall keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts.

I would now like to ask you, Matt and Haley, to step forward and share your prayer for Kendall with us:

Please repeat after me:

Thank you Kendall, for teaching us the gift of being parents. Thank You, God, for the birth of our daughter. May she receive the gifts of grace this day? We dedicate her life to You, that she may grow in love to become a woman strong and wise.

May we be the father and mother that You would have us be. Give us patience and wisdom,

Help us, God, to live in Your light. May our home be blessed and guided by Your will

Thank You for Your faith in us that such a glorious child has been placed in our hands. We are ever mindful that this extraordinary child brings us closer each day to the greatness of the love that pervades throughout the world.

Rev Nagy to Kendall: I wish you, Kendall, a long and happy life, in a peaceful and loving world and I hope that you find among this community an abundance of spiritual and emotional nourishment and support. I wish that life’s riches joys and blessings are yours and I hope you grow healthy in body and mind and that it is your good fortune to play some worthy part on the world’s stage to make life more pleasant for those whose paths you will cross.

And now to you Haley and Matt, I say on behalf of all of us, go in peace and build a strong and beautiful family life. Your wishes are rooted in truth; we have prayed with you and joined our hearts with yours. Your prayers are our prayers, that you might have a home that is full of love and joy for you and for your child. May she grow up to reflect the best in both of you and extend to the world she touches the love she receives from her father and mother. May the spirit of God is with you always to guide you both and bless your child.

And so it is.

God bless you all. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

And let us all say together: Amen!

Presentation

Ladies and Gentlemen: may I present to you for your blessings and enrichment:

Kendall Brooke Cilley!!