January 15, 2012, 9:00 Worship
Welcome: Genevieve, Jason, Micah, and Rebekah Yow, Godparents Alesa Qwock and Chris Chin
The mornings in the Bay Area for the past 6 weeks have been glorious! For probably all of us, we love the dry weather and welcoming the morning sun as we go about our day, getting to work, going to school, tending to the daily tasks of life. But even when there are mornings when it’s cloudy, foggy, or even raining, it is still morning and a brand new day has been given to us by God to live fully and faithfully.
In Lamentations 3:22-23, it reads, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” From these verses, we have the song,
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
His mercies never come to an end,
They are new every morning, new every morning,
Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord…
Great is thy faithfulness.
Many of us grew up singing this little praise song at FCBC and we often find ourselves humming it as we start our day in the morning. When Genevieve and Jay were growing up at this church, they sang this song as a reminder that God’s love is steadfast—never ending and his mercies for us never ceases. Now that they have Rebekah and Micah to love, they are singing this little song to teach them that when they get up in the morning and see the bright shining sun and the deep blue sky that God’s love and mercy are always there because God is faithful.
By now, you know that I love mornings. It’s the best time of the day for me. I wake up in the dark most of the year just so that I can witness the rising of the sun in the morning. So to know that not only is Micah’s name is Micah Morning Yow but his sister is Rebekah Dawn Yow, I pray that they will also love the morning as I do. Besides, Rebekah Dawn and Pastor Don have the same name!
Today, we dedicate Rebekah Dawn Yow to the Lord because her parents believe that she is God’s child to love and raise up just as God has loved her parents, Genevieve and Jason. Inasmuch as God is faithful to Genevieve and Jason, Rebekah’s parents will be faithful to her.
On this new morning at the earliest service at FCBC, we pray that Rebekah Dawn will know that God’s love is steadfast and his mercies are unending. We pray that every morning as she gets up in her long and good life that she will embrace every morning, every dawning, every bright morning star as a blessing from God her maker. Genevieve and Jason have selected from the prophet Micah 6:8 to capture their hopes and dreams for Rebekah’s life—“God has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” We pray that this beloved community known as Christ’s church will as it has for so many little ones support Rebekah and her brother, and her parents to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.
Ritual
To the Parents:
In presenting Rebekah Dawn Yow to God, do you promise that through the grace given you and in partnership with this church, you will teach her the truths and responsibilities of the Christian faith, and seek to lead her into a living relationship with Jesus Christ?
Parents: We will.
To the Congregation:
Do you, the loving church family of this child and members and friends of this church, accept the responsibility, together with the parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles, to teach this child that she may be brought to full maturity in Jesus Christ? If so, will you signify your acceptance by saying, “We will.”
Congregation: We will.
Don holds Rebekah, “God bless you and keep you. God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you. God look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.”
Presentation of Certificates and Roses
This certificate will remind you of the commitments you made here today. This rose, a universal symbol of beauty and God’s wondrous creation represents your child made in the image of God himself.
Closing Prayer
Dear God, even as Mary and Joseph brought the child Jesus to your house that he might be consecrated to your service, so these parents have brought this little one to this house of worship, that among your people they might present her to you. Give to these parents your special graces of insight and love that under their guidance, Rebekah Dawn Yow may grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with you and all people. Grant that we your people may truly be a household of faith to this child, providing her with food for the spirit to nourish her through the years of growth and maturity. With gratitude for this child we dedicate her, their parents, and ourselves, to the end that her life may be a blessing to you and a service to humanity. Amen.