A Beautiful Baptism

On Sunday May 24, 2009, I was honored to officiate a very special baby blessing/baptism for sweet baby James, 9-month old son of Kerry and Oliver. The ceremony was in a private room at the Salt Creek Grille in Princeton, NJ. James' mom Kerry's excitement for the special day was very contagious! I began the ceremony by playing the mbira, a small handheld finger harp. It is traditionally used in Zimbabwe for prayer and meditation, and it sounds like a lullaby.  It lent the right spiritual tone to the start of our ceremony, helping everyone to relax and leave the worries of everyday life behind them. Then we had an Opening Prayer, a Naming Ceremony, Naming of the Godparents and Grandparents. (James even had a great-grandmother present!) We listened to James Taylor's song "Sweet Baby James" as everyone envisioned their future hopes and prayers for James' future, and then we anointed James with water, lemon (for when life is sour), and honey (for when life is sweet). Everyone was enriched by the ceremony on this beautiful sunny day.

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