Inter-Faith Blessings & Support

Wedding Celebrant and Workplace Chaplain

So many different ways...

Most parents whatever their circumstances would like to mark the birth of a child in a special way. But everyone has a different idea of what is special;

• It is a wonderful opportunity to gather family and friends together

• Others prefer a closer, more intimate gathering

• You may want something formal or very informal (perhaps in the middle of a party)

• You may have particular tastes in music

• You may want certain friends or relatives to share in the upbringing of your child as 'sponsors' or Godparents

• A lot depends on your beliefs

• You may have a mixture of views between you - either because you were raised in different faiths or your own ideas don't really match an established church

• God is referred to traditionally in the masculine, but today many people prefer to speak of the feminine or neutral

• You may feel excluded from some churches, perhaps because you aren't married, or this is your second marriage, or you are a same sex couple

• Some people like the idea of a celebration in a chapel, while others would like the open air, a large hall, somewhere famous, a beach, or even afloat

• to celebrate the child's arrival
• to formally give the child its name
• to state openly your own commitments to it
• for any sponsors to make their commitments public
• and to seek God's blessing on the child and its parents, according to your personal spiritual beliefs

Outside the established faiths there are few alternatives. Some people have considered a Humanist service, though this means that there won't be a spiritual element at all.

The Interfaith approach honours the common elements in all Faiths. As an Interfaith minister I will work with you to shape a ceremony that suits you - often people find this helps them to clarify their own feelings about God and spirituality at the same time which is an added bonus! That said, whatever your particular circumstances, I don't expect you to accept any creed, nor to explain your choice of lifestyle.

What about special situations? I can also create a ceremony to suit very special circumstances. For example, a Service of Adoption to celebrate a different kind of new life.

Celebrations can also be arranged for older children, in which they themselves will hopefully want to take part in its design and preparation - often with modern themes.

Though less common, sometimes an adult may present themselves, often after a period of personal soul searching, and a service of Adult Baptism or Adult Dedication can be arranged to suit them too.

For parents who belong to different religious traditions, the source material from their own faiths can be integrated to produce a ceremony that still respects the integrity of all concerned (in other words, tries not to offend anyone)!

© 2003-6 Rev Dr Graham Wilson

This page was last updated on 23/01/2006

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