Grafted In

In our church we have this beautiful liturgy for the children that the congregation prays together each week:

Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed 

our congregation with the joy and care of children. 

Give us courage, patience, and wisdom 

as we bring them up in the faith 

that they might never know a day apart from you, 

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I love this prayer on so many levels, first being that everyone participates in joy and care for the children; they are God's children not a particular family's children.  And the reality that we need patience and wisdom to raise them.  Mostly I love the line about them never knowing a day apart from the Lord, there is something so 'whole' about that hope.  

It is with that hope that we brought our little Justus to be baptized a few weeks ago, to be grafted in as a descendant of Abraham.  We do hope that as his parents, god parents, church community and family we can pass on our love for Jesus, that we can be stewards of our faith and share it with both of our children as they grow.

Justus and his godparents, Pat and Ashley