Ceremonial Speech

The ceremony in which we now share is both ancient and timeless. It is tradition to welcome our children into the larger community of fellowship and faith. We recognize that each child is a special gift to us, an individual person in his or her own right, a reminder of the ongoing promise and creative power of life. And each child is precious, with a right to a warm and loving reception. Little children in particular are magic. They unite us all; parents and non-parents, old and young, boys and girls and women and men, all are brought together by the arrival of a child. This is a special occasion, shared by parents, family, and friends to mark the fact that we all have a responsibility for the care and nurturing of this child. At this time, we wish to recognize this child by his given name, for it is his name that is symbolic of the individuality that we wish to affirm.
Sawyer…you were born into this world on November 24th, 2013. Your parents have brought you forward among all those assembled to celebrate your dedication, to celebrate the joy they have that you are part of their family and count themselves blessed. In the loving and watchful embrace of family and friends, you will learn to count the number of your days and to weigh their meaning, to gather into your mind the wisdom of your ancestors, to know why we call one thing right and another wrong, to treasure beauty, mercy and justice in the deep places of your being. Every family is different, and every family has its own gifts and strengths and stories to give to the children entrusted to their care. K & J, who present their son. Sawyer here today obviously have the greatest and most difficult and most important task. You are his parents, you know that he depends on your love and care. Your attentive love will cradle and shelter him for many years. But the larger world, as you have yourselves already learned, is not always so gentle. You must prepare Sawyer to find his own special strengths to face the