I nearly always get so choked up reading my portion of our annual Child Dedication service that I can barely get through it, and yesterday was no different! It’s especially moving for me to dedicate our older children, as I have often had the opportunity to get to know them over the years. Yesterday we dedicated two of the French sisters, Melanie and Meredith. Arline made a special mention of their oldest sister, Molly, and gave her a rose, too.

Our annual Child Dedication service is one of several meaningful rituals that we observe at First Parish to mark the cycles of our lives, and I love having a part in these rituals. In this particular ritual, the congregation is asked to take responsibility for helping to raise the children we dedicate, by responding “we will” to the following litany:

“As we witness the dedication of these beautiful children, symbol of the promise yet to come, let us as a congregation acknowledge our responsibility to them and to all our children: to surround them with love, guidance and the principles of our ancient liberal religion. It is fitting that we take this opportunity to rededicate ourselves to life, to one another, and to our principles. Will you dedicate your hearts and minds to these children and to their parents? Will you love and cherish them and all our children and parents in times of struggle and times of gladness?”

The enthusiasm of the congregational response, “we will,” also brought tears to my eyes. To witness your ongoing dedication to our children and youth is such a positive affirmation of my work with you. And of course, I know how much it means to the parents and families of those we dedicate. Thank you.

During coffee hour someone asked me what gift we gave our newly dedicated children. In addition to the rose, we give the following framed poem by Robert Kaufman, with the hope that it will become meaningful to the children and their families, maybe read at bedtime, or during a family meeting. Here it is:

A Prayer for our Children
We wish for you a storm or two
that you may enjoy the calm.
We wish for you tranquility in time of trial.
We wish you a cool breeze on a warm day,
and pale white clouds
that you may better appreciate the blueness of the sky.
We wish you darkness that you may see the stars.

We wish you anticipation of high adventure,
and we wish you the courage to avoid battle.
We wish you a sense of wonder
- and poetry - and music.
We wish you companionship
that you may appreciate solitude.

We wish you a friend who will understand you,
and understanding so that you may have a friend.
We wish that you may become all that you wish to be,
and more than you hope that you can be.

We wish you a flower to smell, a hand to touch,
a voice to cheer, a heart to gladden.
And we wish you someone to love,
as we love you.

Beautiful, yes? And with that, I bid you the happiest of summers: full of cool breezes, pale white clouds, a night sky full of brilliant stars, a time to wonder, a flower to smell, and a hand to touch. Enjoy the season that lies before us, and know that I am thinking about you and looking forward to the year ahead with gusto!