Word work

Participating in organized religious practice has both potentially sublime and problematic elements. In this case, the question is basically "if we want to encourage the flourishing of the more life giving bits, how do we work with the deeply imbedded patterns of oppression that do not fall into the "spiritually useful goads" category.

As "people of the book" a certain amount of faithful response must take the form of rewrites.

Here is a work in progess.

Aidan will be christened January 29th, 2006. This is the Christian sacrament of baptizing and naming an infant as it is practiced in the Methodist church. The United Methodist Hymnal provides a "Baptimal Covenant II" service for use "only when children or others unable to take the vows themselves are being baptized" It goes something like this (my version in italics below may be compared to the original on pages 39-43 in the UMHymnal):

Intro: persons come forward during an appropriate hymn (maybe "Silence, Frenzied, Unclean Spirits?" UMH 264 or possibly "He's Trampling the Unrighteous with Hooves of Iron?") (better go with "This is a world of love"-with word changes from This Is My Father's World UMH 144, or Be Thou My Vision UMH 451, or best "The Summons" in The Faith We Sing 2130

Traditional beginning...
Pastor: Brothers and sisters in Christ: Through the Sacrament of Baptism we are initiated into Christ's holy church. We are incorporated into God's mighty acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit. All this is God's gift, offered to us without price.

a shift might look like

Celebrant: Beloved Church, Baptism invites us to enter community, bathed and initiated in signs of God's love that gift our wild and precious lives. We are many and also one body, moving in the world we know in new ways, tending soul, welcoming new life in ourselves and others through water, spirit, and daily signs of all kinds. These mysterious movements of grace are free from conditions, like a newborn given without price, but also in the sense of insisting on liberation from the mercenary obsessions that drive so much of our world.

Presentation of the Hopeful:

Celebrant: We invite those adults to come forward who bring a child for baptism. All others in this assembly, both Christian and not, please participate with words, song, and silence as you feel moved and hear that this is a reconciling congregation, aspires to love unconditionally, and would not have you be other than you are before loving you.

[Parents:] "We present Aidan Paul for baptism."


Church, I ask you:

Taking stock of your own choices, do you acknowledge the personal and systemic presence of evil, injustice, and oppression and feel sincere regret for the destructive choices in which you have participated?

(those so moved respond aloud) I do.

Do you commit to make and call for whatever changes are necessary to circumvent cruelty taking root and flourishing, and resolve to deepen your understanding and trust in order to behave more compassionately as you live?

(those so moved respond aloud) I do.

Have you heard the stories about God's love living within and among us in Jesus' unconditional love for every creature, and do you feel the deep pull to follow this example yourself, calling for the whole church to do the same?

(those so moved respond aloud) I do.

Do you, as one mysterious body with many beautiful and living parts, reaffirm your commitment to follow the examples of Christ, therby understanding deeply the ways in which we cause each other harm, so that you will not fall into these habits in the future?

(those so moved respond aloud) I do.

Will you nurture one another and Aidan by making "Church" synonymous with loving and responsive Community, so that by your teaching and example he and all children may be guided to accept and speak openly of grace, faith, and the leading of a loving life?

(those so moved respond aloud) I do.

Let the people say: Amen.

Peace be with you. And also with you.

Please turn to those around you and offer them, in whatever way moves you, an invitation to share in this Peace...

Let us pray.

Loving God, soul's Mother, spirit's Father,

These are the stories of our people for generations. Through chaos and nothingness you sweep across dark waters bringing forth light. In the days of Noah, through the water you saved those on the arc. After the flood you set in the clouds the rainbow. When you saw Israel enslaved in Egypt you led them through the sea. Their children you brought through water to land you had promised.

Sing, all the earth. Speak and spread mercy each day.

In the fullness of time you sent Jesus, nurtured in the water of the Womb. He went down into the water, was baptized by John, and anointed by your Spirit. He called and calls women and men as his disciples to share in baptism, death, and resurrection, and as his hands to carry to the world holy gifts of love and mercy.

Declare these works to the nations, and glory among all the people.

Pour out your Holy Spirit to bless this gift of water and he who receives it, to wash away any reasons for guilt as he lives and clothe him in all that is good, so that throughout his life his dyings and risings may reflect the image of Christ.

All praise to you, Beloved Creator, through your Son Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and loves for ever. Amen.

I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

The Holy Spirit work within you, that being born through womb, water, and Spirit you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Now it is our joy to welcome our new little brother in Christ.

Through baptism you are embraced by the Holy Spirit, welcomed into God's new creation, and called to share in Christ's great celebration of life. We are many and we are one in Christ Jesus. With shouts of joy and songs of thanksgiving we welcome you as a member of the family of Christ.

Natch. Followed by shouts and songs...

Comments?