Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Baby Blessings in New Orleans

 Fig Street Ministry also does other religious services. We do Baby Blessings in the Metro area. Usually at homes or restaurants where the entire family gathers to welcome the new child into the community.




 Sample  Baby Blessing


Greeting

Officiant:
Today is a very special day for all of us. It is a day in which we celebrate the birth of this child Evangeline.  A day in which her parents introduce her to her extended family, friends, as well as the community that she will live and grow up in.

Today is truly a celebration of love, and of life! BABY iis a gift. Her smile, her laughter, and her presence enrich the lives of all who know her. This child is our future and represents the light of the world. Today we simply give thanks and celebrate all the many wonderful blessings BABY brings and do our best to remember, and be thankful for, the very special role that we all have in her life.

Charge To Parents

Officiant:

BABY has honored you by choosing you as her parents. Therefore, honor her and remember that BABY is her own being with her own thoughts and feelings. She is a child of the universe and has been given many gifts from the Divine so that she can light the way for the future. Therefore, it is important for you to support her and protect her, so that her gifts may blossom and she can make this world better than it was before.
Parental Promise
Officiant:

MOM and DAD will you promise to love, nurture, and support BABY and to create a healthy environment so that she may grow on her specific path? If so, please answer “We will.”

Parents: We will

Do you promise to teach her not who or what, but how to love, to trust, to respect, and to value her hopes and dreams so that she may truly participate in the remarkable journey that is life?
Parents: We will.
 
To expose her to a variety of experiences, showing her the beginnings of many a wondrous journey, instilling in her a sense of wonder and passion, and the knowledge that she alone has the power to complete herself?

Parents: We will.

To teach her right from wrong, to enable her to make her place in society as a kind and caring person?

Parents: We will.

Officiant:

To teach her to celebrate diversity, never ever being aware of prejudice. Knowing no boundaries, to be loving of all that surrounds her in her life, and celebrate the similarities and differences in our world?
Parents: We will.

To hold her close in your hearts always, yet still encourage her to stand on her own when the time comes so that she may discover her own true self?

Parents: We will.
Charge To Godparents
A wonderful tradition in our culture on these occasions is the responsibility accepted by Godparents. Godparents are those who promise they will be there in CHILD life should she need support, wisdom, comfort and guidance. They are someone she knows will always be standing quietly behind her, encouraging her to make good choices, and sharing with her the lessons they themselves have learned along the way.

Today Woman  and Man  have agreed to become involved in Baby  life .

They have been chosen by MOM and DAD because of their connection with them, and the family. The fact that they have been chosen by is an indicator of their position of trust, and respect within this family.

Godparents come forward

Officiant:
“While you are not Baby  parents, the place that you have both taken in her life is an
important one. MOM and DAD trust your motivations and your judgment and they take comfort in knowing that although there will be times when she cannot come to them, that she will be able to come to you for guidance and support. By accepting the role of Godparent you say to BABY and the world. I promise, I will be there for you as you grow into womanhood. With this in mind I now ask you...
Godparents Vows
Will you as best as you can, encourage, guide and support her in all her endeavors,
Help her recognize the beauty within herself and all things,
And help her realize her own hopes and dreams?
Godparents: “We will.”
Officiant:

“May you always know how special you are to this family that they would ask you to tend to the most precious thing that they have in this world."
The Blessing Of The Child
Officiant:

May the gift of CHILD presence bring joy and gladness to the hearts of all who love her.
May she be blessed and protected through all of the wonderful and

Difficult things that they years will bring.
May she find goodness and inspiration,

and be given the wisdom to discern the true from the transient,

May her life be rich and full in wealth that is measured by both the physical
and spiritual context of her existence
May BABY be prosperous in all ways.
May she love well and be well loved.
Through each passage and season,
May she always be surrounded
by the warmth of family and friends.
And may her days be forever filled with love and happiness.

Dear Little One, we welcome you with love,
And ask for these Blessings to flow from Above,

Officiant touches top of her head and say:
You are connected, protected, loved, and blessed.

Officiant her forehead and say:
All your senses are blessed, protected, and awakened.

Officiant touches her heart and say:
Your heart is blessed so that you may feel compassion for yourself and others.

Officiant touches her hands:
Your hands are blessed so that you may reach out to the world.

Your feet are blessed so that you may connect with the earth, be grounded, and stand your ground in this world. Know that your spirit is strong and it will guide you through this life.. Know that you are deeply loved and that your presence brings overwhelming joy.
Closing Words
Officiant:

( To Parents):  I congratulate DAD and MOM on the birth of their baby, and the Godparents on their willingness to share with them the care and concern for the welfare of Evangeline.  May her life be filled with the good things of life, and in particular with the love and laughter of those who make up her world.

(To Child): With abiding confidence and affection, we send you forth on your journey of life. May you be filled with thanks and wonder, humor and fun, hope and perseverance so that you may grow in wisdom and grace.

(To Guests): Thank you all for being with us today to bless and welcome Evangeline. Let the memory of this day fill us with love and family.


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Fig Street Weddings, Chaplain Jerry Schwehm, Pharmacy Museum, French Quarter

Fig Street Weddings, Chaplain Jerry Schwehm, photo by 1216 Studio: Fig Street Weddings,



Fig Street Weddings, Chaplain Jerry Schwehm, at Pharmacy Museum French Quarter, New Orleans.  See www.figstreet.com/weddings for details. ( photo by 1216 Studio)