Why do we do baby dedication?

He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded the fathers to teach to their children,
so the next generation would know them,
even the children not yet born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their hope in God
and would not forget his works
but keep his commandments.
—Psalm 78:5-7

This is an amazing passage.  In this text, God makes parents responsible for passing on their faith. He commands moms and dads to remember His words and works and then to teach them to their kids.  According to God’s word, the primary context for your child learning about faith is not in our children’s ministry on Sundays.  It is in your home, in your car as you drive along the road, at your child’s bedside, and at the breakfast table.  It happens in those planned moments when you pull out a Bible storybook.  And it happens in those unplanned moments when your child has sinned or is heartbroken and you correct or comfort your child as a Christian corrects or comforts.  Passing on our faith can’t just be done in one hour each week.  It involves passing on our lives.

And while it is clear that we are responsible for passing on our faith, it is also clear that God doesn’t give this responsibility to moms and dads in isolation. He gives his law and testimonies in the context of a believing community.  Training children is a community project, because we need help. We need one another’s encouragement, one another’s accountability, and one another’s eyes to see what we can’t see.  We need one another’s help, and we need God’s help.  He is the one who opens the womb and gives life.  He is the one who controls the way our children grow up and develop.  And He is the only one who can change their hearts and save them from sin.  If we are going to pass on our faith, we need God’s help.

These are the two reasons why we have a baby dedication service at Sojourn.  Parents are coming this Sunday, October 18th, because they recognize their God-given responsibility, and because they know that they need help.  And they’ve come to ask for that help in the form of a commitment with God and our church community.  Hope to see you there!

Tagged as: Baby Dedication