Rituals are part of every culture. They give us a way to express our identity, connect us with people from the past, and establish foundations for the future. Rituals can be powerful reminders of who we are, or they can be thoughtless routines done only for the sake of tradition.
This week we began a new series, called “4 Significant Christian Practices". Over the next four weeks we’re going to explore Child Dedication, Baptism, Holy Communion and Church Membership. We’ll look at Scriptural connections, talk about what role these practices play in our experience of faith, and, most of the time, practice them. We begin with Child Dedication.
The birth of children floods us with thoughts and emotions. But mostly, we find ourselves grateful for the incredible gift of life that God has entrusted to our care. And that’s where the ritual of child dedication comes in.
Child Dedication celebrates God’s gift of life. That’s what the practice of child dedication is, but where does it come from? What does the Bible have to say about the practice of child dedication?
Child dedication finds its roots in the story of Hannah & Samuel (1 Samuel 1-2). Hannah cried out to God for a child. He said yes. And about a year later, she presented Samuel to the Lord. In Dhild Dedication, we bring our child to a place of worship, give thanks to God publicly, and we go home, to live out our commitment to nurture their faith.
Child dedication is a parental commitment (Proverbs 22:6). Kids learn faith mostly by watching their parents practice it. In child dedication, parents dedicate themselves as well as their child, promising to provide a Christian home of love and peace, to raise their child in the truth of the Lord's instruction and discipline, and to encourage their child to one day trust Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Child dedication is a community event (Hebrews 5:24-25). The Christian faith has always been something that is done in community. The church plays a role in the nurturing of children. We support families in prayer, providing Biblical instruction and set an example by our lives.
Put all this together, and you have a significant Christian practice.
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