WELCOMING CELEBRATION
for
LUKE JAMES TAYLOR
___________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
Celebrant:
Good afternoon. Today we welcome Luke James Taylor into his
family and his community. We have come
here to recognize the special responsibilities of parents to their child; to
acknowledge the role of grandparents; and to appoint guideparents who will
accept an important role in mentoring Luke on his journey through life. But most of all, we have come to rejoice in
life and to celebrate the precious gift of this child.
Luke’s parents, Mark and Barbara, have asked me to
express how each of you has played an essential part in their lives, and their
ability to reach this day to honor their son.
You are here not to merely witness this ceremony, but to celebrate it
with them. Your love and support has
been and will continue to be essential as they, with Luke, face the future, and
for that they are truly thankful.
As we celebrate with Luke and his family, we also
think about the larger human community and its responsibility to its
children. And so I ask each of you to consider what you can pass on to the next
generation. Perhaps, in the words
of Rachel Carson, “the greatest legacy we can bestow on our children is
this: the capacity to be enchanted by
the quiet gifts of everyday life.”
GIFTS FROM COUSINS
Celebrants:
Luke’s
cousins, I understand, have a special gift for Luke. Each child has selected a flower for Luke,
which they will bring forward to fill this vase, creating a beautiful bouquet
of welcoming.
Luke’s cousins come up from where they are seated in an informal
fashion, carrying flowers for Luke to place in a VASE to be placed on TABLE on
the stage. Celebrant helps them.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GREAT-GRANDPARENT
Celebrant:
Luke
will learn much from his cousins, his peers, as they discover life
together. But he also has much to learn
from those in his family who have lived longer and learned much. Today we especially acknowledge Luke’s
great-grandmother, Cecilia Taylor. Please
give Cecilia a warm round of applause.
BLESSINGS FROM
GRANDPARENTS
Celebrant:
Not
only does Luke have the good fortune to have the love of a great-grandmother,
but also all four of his grandparents are present to offer him blessings and
warm wishes for a bright future. They
are thrilled that Luke is a part of their families. I invite them to come forward now to read a
blessing in Luke’s honor.
Grandparents,
alternating parts:
Bless this
little boy,
Let him grow
healthy and strong;
And when he
faces indecision,
Help to show
him right from wrong.
Bless this
little boy,
Let love fill
his life;
And while you
watch over him,
Keep him free
from strife.
Bless this
little boy,
Keep him
happy, safe and warm;
And when he
faces danger,
Steer him
away from harm.
Bless this
little boy,
teach him
patience and trust;
And if he
follows the wrong path,
Show him that
the life best lived is honest.
Bless this
little boy,
Let him
discover the things he loves;
And when his
days are dark,
Show him the
beauty the world is made of.
Bless this
little boy,
Tell him not
to be afraid;
And if he
feels hopeless
Let his faith
never fade.
Celebrant:
Thank
you. Please give a warm round of
applause for Luke’s grandparents.
PROMISES OF PARENTS
Celebrant:
A child is not a blank
form to be molded, but rather a seed, containing what it will become within
it. It is the role of the gardener,
then, to ask, “How do I help it grow into what it is in its roots?”
Mark and Barbara will now
make their promises as parents, accepting their responsibilities to Luke, and
expressing their love for him and their hopes for his future.
Mother:
We are your parents and
we will care for you.
We promise to reveal the
adventure of life.
We will love you
unconditionally.
We promise to teach you about joy and humor.
Father:
We are your parents and
we will care for you.
We promise to embrace
your hopes and dreams.
We promise to open our
hearts fully to your love.
We promise to guide you,
respect you and protect you.
NAMING OF THE CHILD
Celebrant:
Mark
and Barbara, you have accepted your responsibilities as parents, you have
professed your love for your child and your hopes for his future. I now ask you, what first name do you give
this child?
Parents:
We give you this first
name, Luke, which means “bringer of light.”
As the sun illuminates the moon and the stars, so may you illuminate
your world.
Celebrant:
What middle name do you
give this child?
Parents:
We give you this middle
name, James, meaning, in honor of your father’s uncle. May you carry with you his optimism and
joyfulness.
Celebrant:
What last name do you
give this child?
Parents:
We give you our last
name, Taylor, may it stand for your heritage.
We give you our name, may
it honor your children, too.
PROMISES OF GUIDEPARENTS
Celebrant:
The role of guideparent
is an important one. Guideparents
provide both the strength of family and the comfort of friendship to a
child. Mark and Barbara have chosen
their friends Tony and Lisa to fulfill these roles.
Tony and Lisa, will you
please come forward to promise to uphold the responsibilities you are
undertaking?
Celebrant:
Will
you accept a lifelong interest in Luke’s well-being, growth and development?
Will you keep careful
watch over Luke as he grows?
Will you be ready to
advise, encourage and comfort Luke, and to be his friend and confidante when
necessary?
Guideparents:
We will.
Lighting of
the Family Candle
Celebrant:
Tony
and Lisa, you have created a special bond with Luke. To symbolize your union with Luke and his
family, Mark and Barbara have asked you to light their Family Candle. Each of you will first light one of the
smaller taper candles. You will then
join your flames together to light the Family Candle in the center.
Guideparents light smaller tapers from already-lit votive, then
join their flames to light the Family Candle
As you join your candles
together to light the single Family Candle, the flame flares higher than
before. This flame of love symbolizes
the unity of family, and how all of your lives will be richer because of your
common love for Luke.
Mark, Barbara and Luke,
the united flame is a strong symbol. It
represents the light that will guide you through every day of your future
together. From this moment forward may the light of life shine bright for you.
PLEDGES OF COMMUNITY
Celebrant:
Today we have recognized
many important relationships: between
grandparents and grandchildren; cousins; mother and child; father and son. We have appointed guideparents who will serve as mentors and trusted friends
to Luke as he grows. We now recognize
one more relationship – that between a child and his community. By watching you, this child will learn how to
live his life.
Please stand and silently
raise your palms upward, physically representing your support for Luke and his
parents and your unity with them.
Guests stand and raise palms upward
Celebrant:
I
ask all of you, do you promise to support Mark and Barbara as they raise this
child?
Guests:
We do.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Celebrant:
Before we finalize our
ceremony, the Taylors have asked me to make an announcement. After the ceremony, you are cordially invited
to the reception lunch. Please take your
seats at your tables, which will be called by number to the buffet.
PRESENTATION OF CHILD
Celebrant:
We came today to welcome
a child, to recognize a family, and to acknowledge our responsibility to the
next generation. We have achieved this
and more. We are blessed by the spirit
of joy in this room, the intertwined lives of family and friends, and the love
and support for Luke and his parents.
Luke, may you be a light
for yourself and others.
May the longtime sun
shine upon you,
may all love surround
you,
and may the sweet light
within you
guide your way on.
Celebrant:
I am honored to introduce
to you Luke James Taylor!
Applause!