"In baptism we acknowledge the entrance of our children into a covenant community under a banner which declares that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. As parents and as a covenant community we then take up the task of teaching these covenant children about the gracious offer of salvation given to us in the gospel, laboring and praying for the day when the child of the covenant will personally put his/her trust in Jesus Christ and realize in Him the fulfillment of the promise of forgiveness and eternal life through Christ's shed blood."
*To read more about our church's view & the history & tradition of baptism, click here.
These are the vows David and I took during the service:
Parents' Vows
Do you acknowledge your child's need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?
Do you claim God's covenant promises in his behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, as you do for your own?
Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before her a godly example, that you will pray with and for him, that you will teach him the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive by all the means of God's appointment, to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
Congregation's Vow
Do you as a congregation undertake the responsibility of assisting the parents in the Christian nurture of this child?
Only Hope
Written by: Charles Wesley (lyrics), Randall Goodgame (lyrics & music)
Depth of mercy can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God, your wrath forbear
Me the chief of sinners, spare?
It’s my only hope
You’re my only hope
It’s my only hope of heaven
At the cross forgiven
I have long withstood your grace
Long provoked you to your face
Would not hearken to your calls
Grieved you by a thousand falls
There for me the Savior stands
Shows his wounds and spreads his hands
Face to face before the Son
And like Isaiah I’m undone
Depth of mercy, vast and free
So much deeper than the sea
God of love, you heard my cry
Now into your open arms I fly
Before the Throne of God Above
We also sang "Before the Throne of God Above." It's our sleep time hymn that we've chosen for Blaise. In Noel Piper's Treasuring God in Your Traditions she talked about how she and John chose a bed time hymn for each of their children. We loved the idea and this is the one that's evolved into Blaise's! It was sung during the prelude of our wedding.
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love
who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heav’n he stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there,
who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there! The risen Lamb;
my perfect spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable, I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!
One with himself I cannot die —
my soul is purchased with his blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ my Savior and my God.
Words: Charitie Bancroft (1841-1892)/Music: Vicki Cook © 1993
