Isaac's Big Day

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 (NIV)

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The gathered family. A wonderful day.

Perhaps someone who writes a blog about parenting with a Christian perspective (or someone who used to before a fourth baby arrived and did serious damage to his dad’s productivity) should have something deep and meaningful to say about his infant son’s first sacrament. But this was a day where I paused in trying to figure out what everything meant and simply allowed myself to experience the joy of the moment.

There was a point during Isaac’s baptism where I stopped staring into his eyes, stopped checking to see if the other three boys were standing politely and stopped checking to see if my tie was straight and actually stood straight up and looked out at the congregation. For a moment it felt like our wedding ceremony, during which we surveyed a room full of people there to give us love and support.

It was a different building today, but many of the faces were the same. Several others belonged to people to whom we’ve gown close since moving her almost five years ago. And unlike at a wedding, there were plenty of folks there who would have been at church regardless of our special day, but the liturgy reminds them and us that accepting a child into the congregation is about our responsibilities as a community of faith not limited to personal relationships.

The moment didn’t last long. After all, I had three children to supervise, plus a little bit of fretting about the fourth howling as he got washed in the water. Yet the feeling persisted throughout the day and hopefully will sustain me through many long years of raising these boys. After all, this is our final baptism as parents. Our next major church milestones are both several years away and also not about us as mom and dad, but about the kids as individuals.

Three boys have yet to be old enough for their third-grade Bible. All of them hopefully will go through confirmation class as they begin high school. Then things like baccalaureate Sunday, and perhaps one day their own weddings. They will stand up and face outward, reading the eyes of those gathered under the same roof in God’s name — but we’ll be among the seated and observant. Their blood family, yes, but part of the larger family of faith as well.

Jack helps make sure all things are ready.

One of the great gifts given to us today was the pastor’s initiative and creativity in involving the big brothers in the ritual. Jack was invited to pour the water into the baptismal font during the opening sentences. Max was tasked with retrieving presenting Isaac’s first Bible. And all three were asked, in front of everyone, if they would promise to encourage us to share the Bible with Isaac, to help him find his Sunday school classroom and to teach by example the high art of sharing. When Max proudly answered, “I will!” well, I couldn’t help but radiate joy.

I know faith isn’t for everyone. There are people who can handle belief but abhor organized religion. Some point out it’s entirely possible be a good person without going to church or acknowledging and worshipping a higher power — and just as possible to behave horribly despite claiming to walk in faith. The diversity of thought and experience helps makes modern life rich and challenging, and I truly value the chance to communicate with people who come at the world through a perspective different from my own.

But on days like today, when I feel in my bones the love of God expressed in unmistakable, uncontained abundance, I know I’m walking the path intended for me. And after all the excitement and family time, as I (soon, I hope!) lay me down to sleep, I commit to waking tomorrow to live in gratitude for the many blessings I experience today and every day.

A prayer for December 15:

I know I’m supposed to write my own prayers to end these things. But I feel it more appropriate to share this instead. Following the worship service today was the Christmas pageant, our first with a child involved. Since the focus was on classic carols, and not just the music but extra knowledge as well, we were able to hear the name of Isaac Watts invoked during the spoken introduction to “Joy to the World.” This is special to me, as noted right after our own Isaac arrived.

Furthermore, earlier in the morning the sermon incorporated the well-known prayer that almost led to us using a middle name before we chose a first name. I’d love to delve into the full context of the sermon, or even the history of the prayer itself, but it seems more appropriate at the moment to simply share the words and add to them my thanks the prayer exists at all as well as my hope I can live up to its high calling:

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

A family lesson at the zoo

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 (NIV)

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

In a continued quest to make good use of the year’s first weekend of truly wonderful weather, we decided to head to the zoo. It was our first trip since the holiday lights outing in December, but Jack opted to spend the afternoon at my parents’ house. That’s not a bad thing, though; the younger two get far more out of the zoo than big brother and it’s good for him to have some down time away from our traveling circus.

The first thing I wanted to see was the giraffes. The herd welcomed a new baby in November, and the now five-month-old calf just experienced the outdoors for the first time nearly two weeks ago. Since Kristie loves giraffes and animal babies, Charlie was in the stroller and Max loves all the animals, no one put up a fight. Plus they’re close to the entrance.



Baby giraffes still are fairly large compared to pretty much everything else at the zoo, but it was easy to spot Dave, the new arrival. While the novelty of outdoor life might have worn off for the little guy (he wasn’t dashing about the enclosure, but was at least as active as the rest of his pals), it was a treat to get to see him up close. My favorite part was explaining to Charlie which one was the baby.

Our little guy took over from there. He could understand the smallest was the youngest — after all, that’s how it works in his family, too. But then he determined one of the taller giraffes must be the dad, just like he has a dad. Logically, another of the tall giraffes was Dave’s mother, just like Charlie has a mom. Charlie explained this too us in his inimitable jibber-jabber (a stream of syllables, from which you can understand “mommy,” “daddy,” “baby” and “my”) and I was thrilled we had this little moment.

Eventually Charlie will realize not every living thing has a mom and a dad. There are all sorts of ways this plays itself out in the animal kingdom, and quite a few varieties among humans as well. In my book the more family members there are to love a little person the better, but it’s not always possible or practical. Neither am I here to define “family” for anyone but my own wife and children, because what matters most is for a child to be surrounded by love.

But for Charlie, his family is a mom a dad and his brothers. The other morning after I changed his diaper he proudly identified himself as the baby brother, even though he also is very quick to loudly clarify he is no longer a baby and that he is, in fact, two. But he seems to enjoy his place in the family, or perhaps just being a part of the family. Somehow, most likely unintentionally or at least indirectly, we seem to have endowed in Charlie a sense of belonging, an understanding that home is a place of comfort and that his parents and brothers are the most important people in his life at the moment.

If that truly is the case — even if it’s not, that’s what I choose to glean from his communication, such as it is — we’re doing a good job. To have a child who feels safe, who feels loved and who feels they belong; to me those are marks of a strong family, and I’ve no doubt God’s role in our life is essential to fostering this environment.

A prayer for April 28:

Lord, it is important to me my children feel loved and that they value family ties. I thank you for helping to make this possible by revealing to me what it means to be truly loved and by opening my eyes to the importance of my biological family as well as my brothers and sisters in faith. Help me continue to work with my wife to make sure our home is a place where our children are safe, valued, comforted and encouraged to live lives worthy of you. And please help me lead by example. Amen.