I had the privilege of walking Amanda Dillon for her dedication walk this morning. She is three and was joining her baby sister in dedication because their family had been between churches when Amanda was a baby. It is a privilege to walk babies in this ceremony, particularly older children, because I get to talk to them about their church family, about how these people would be the ones to help teach them about Jesus, about how these people were singing to them, about how these people, their church family, love them. Amanda was graceful throughout and listened and watched intently. I love the fact that her parents brought her to the altar of dedication, even now. It speaks of intentionality.
Intentionality. It’s a word I’m embracing more and more within Children’s Ministries this year. It reminds me that what we do is not to be done haphazardly, but with purpose — the purpose of leading our kids to Jesus. The baby dedication ceremony is one of the first markers of this intentionality within our church family. It is an opportunity to bless the child with our words, an opportunity to recognize before God and each other that each child is a gift from God, and an opportunity for the parent, and the church family to commit to raising that child to know Jesus. It is not for show. It is serious business. May we as individual families be reminded often of the day that we brought our babies to the altar of dedication and promised to raise them to know Jesus. And may that reminder spur us to constant evaluation of our intentionality — are we as families living our daily lives in a way that would point our kids to Jesus? It is not for show. It is serious business. May we be faithful.
