Entrusted

This past Sunday, Jeff and I stood up in front of our church family to be commissioned. I know to a lot of people that term is a strange one. This was a super important moment in the life of our little family, so if you'll let me I'd like to explain what in the world happened. :)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines commission as "the authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another" and "a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another." At Summit Church, we commission the parents rather than baptizing the baby. This is done out of an understanding that an infant can't yet make personal decisions about faith, but their parents can. And so we stand before our church family in a demonstration of agreement that we desire and will try our best to raise our precious babies in a home that declares the salvation and goodness of Christ. Our pastors and the church body pray over us, that God will use his Holy Spirit in us to show and teach the Gospel to our children, and that they will come alongside of us as a community of believers to help us as we raise these kiddos. After all, it takes a village to raise a child!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not poo-pooing infant baptism. I was baptized as a baby and will always be grateful that my parents felt it important to bring me into the Church. I later chose, as a young adult, to be baptized again as a profession of my own faith. In a sense, I ratified my parents' earlier hopes for me. That is what Jeff and I fervently hope for our children, that as kids they will grow in the knowledge and understanding of who God is and what his atoning sacrifice means for them. Then, once they are able to make life-altering decisions for themselves, our greatest desire is for them to choose Christ on their own.

As part of the parent commissioning process, Jeff and I were asked to choose a Scripture passage and write a prayer for Baby Cakes. We chose 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

"To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Jeff penned this prayer for our son. I will treasure it always and pray it over him as often as I remember. 

Let any good B sees in us direct him to Your goodness, and let our shortcomings provide the opportunity to remind him of Your perfect love. Let him feel the irresistible pull of Your love from a very young age. Give him the grace to trust You more than he does us, himself or the world.