Infant Dedication

[jimmyjimmy]

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[Timothew]

Hi Brian,
I don't understand the problem. Why shouldn't people dedicate their babies?

I also don't understand the "elder" thing. Shouldn't an "elder" be, you know, Elder? Older? How is a man who is younger, the father of an infant, an "elder"?

 

[Tangible]

Infant dedication is a rather bizarre recent development. It's like Evangelicals saw Lutheran, Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans, etc. baptizing their babies and thought, "I really like the sentiment involved in infant baptism but my theology rejects it. Let's do something similar that doesn't violate our rejection of infant baptism. Let's call it dedication."

To me, infant dedication is just parents standing up with their child in front of their congregation saying, "Look, this is our baby who we're explicitly not baptizing."

 

[bbbbbbb]

I agree with Tangible. For most of the churches that do dedications of infants, there is an extremely strong undercurrent of baptism. I attended on dedication where the baby was wearing the family baptismal gown and the Lutheran grandparents were beaming ear to ear.

In another church, the pastor explained in great detail why he and his wife decided to have their baby dedicated his father's church (his father, being a pastor, apparently carried more divine efficacy). If this was simply a matter of dedication, then there is every reason to dedicate the tyke as frequently as possible, engaging as many Christians in the effort.

However, the same rules concerning baptism seem to be used for dedication - only once and in a church, preferably with a congregation present and with a sanctified officiant.

 

[thecolorsblend]

Some might be bothered by this but I see things like this as symptomatic of Protestantism.

They recognize the utility of certain traditional practices which they doctrinally reject. So they create pale imitations of them.

They don't baptize babies; they "dedicate" them. Except a dedication isn't really assumed to accomplish anything. So what's it worth?

They don't go to Confession; they have "accountability partners". Except the partner doesn't absolve anything. And unlike clerical confidentiality (which is absolute; a priest cannot divulge what he hears in Confession under any circumstances, which American law accepts and recognizes), "accountability partners" might be legally compelled to divulge what they've been told.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Some might be bothered by this but I see things like this as symptomatic of Protestantism.

They recognize the utility of certain traditional practices which they doctrinally reject. So they create pale imitations of them.

They don't baptize babies; they "dedicate" them. Except a dedication isn't really assumed to accomplish anything. So what's it worth?

They don't go to Confession; they have "accountability partners". Except the partner doesn't absolve anything. And unlike clerical confidentiality (which is absolute; a priest cannot divulge what he hears in Confession under any circumstances, which American law accepts and recognizes), "accountability partners" might be legally compelled to divulge what they've been told.

For once (drum roll) I happen to agree with you. There are, unfortunately, some fringe denominations within Protestantism which, oddly IMO, mimic the practices of Traditional Churches. The majority of Protestant church denominations do not engage in this behavior, but it seems to becoming increasingly popular among some Pentecostal and Charismatic groups.

I have a cousin who was raised in the Assemblies of God. To make her very long biography short, there was a point in her life where she and her ordained husband attempted to liturgical Pentecostal house church. Needless to say, they failed in that effort.

 

[thecolorsblend]

For once (drum roll) I happen to agree with you. There are, unfortunately, some fringe denominations within Protestantism which, oddly IMO, mimic the practices of Traditional Churches. The majority of Protestant church denominations do not engage in this behavior, but it seems to becoming increasingly popular among some Pentecostal and Charismatic groups.

I have a cousin who was raised in the Assemblies of God. To make her very long biography short, there was a point in her life where she and her ordained husband attempted to liturgical Pentecostal house church. Needless to say, they failed in that effort.

Liturgical Pentecostal?? Golly...

When I was going through Catholic formation, circumstances required me to visit my old Southern Baptist congregation. Long, boring, pointless story, that one.

Anyway, so this was during the lead-up to Christmas. The first Sunday of Advent, in fact. And at this Southern Baptist congregation, they chose that Sunday to launch a new sermon series called ADVENTure. The choir (eg, "worship team") wore a lot of violet and the pastor wore a violet tie.

I just couldn't even, you know?

 

[seashale76]

For once (drum roll) I happen to agree with you. There are, unfortunately, some fringe denominations within Protestantism which, oddly IMO, mimic the practices of Traditional Churches. The majority of Protestant church denominations do not engage in this behavior, but it seems to becoming increasingly popular among some Pentecostal and Charismatic groups.

I have a cousin who was raised in the Assemblies of God. To make her very long biography short, there was a point in her life where she and her ordained husband attempted to liturgical Pentecostal house church. Needless to say, they failed in that effort.

I was raised in the Assemblies of God and was dedicated as an infant. That was quite common in my experience.

 

[bbbbbbb]

I was raised in the Assemblies of God and was dedicated as an infant. That was quite common in my experience.

Thanks for helping to make my point. Pentecostals and Charismatics such as the AoG are outside of the mainstream of Protestantism, although they might argue otherwise.

 

[Tangible]

Some might be bothered by this but I see things like this as symptomatic of Protestantism.

They recognize the utility of certain traditional practices which they doctrinally reject. So they create pale imitations of them.

They don't baptize babies; they "dedicate" them. Except a dedication isn't really assumed to accomplish anything. So what's it worth?

They don't go to Confession; they have "accountability partners". Except the partner doesn't absolve anything. And unlike clerical confidentiality (which is absolute; a priest cannot divulge what he hears in Confession under any circumstances, which American law accepts and recognizes), "accountability partners" might be legally compelled to divulge what they've been told.

Well, Evangelical Protestantism anyway. But yeah, I agree.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Dedication of Chidren: A Biblical Example!

1 Samuel 1:20, 26-27
It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived,
that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”and brought the boy to Eli.(priest)
26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord,
I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
28 So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Dedication of Chidren: A Biblical Example!

1 Samuel 1:20, 26-27
It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived,
that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”and brought the boy to Eli.(priest)
26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord,
I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
28 So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.

And, from this you develop the dedication ceremony of Protestant churches that is a shadow of infant baptism? I think not.

 

[MyGivenNameIsKeith]

Dedication of Chidren: A Biblical Example!

1 Samuel 1:20, 26-27
It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived,
that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”and brought the boy to Eli.(priest)
26 She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord,
I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
28 So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.

The word "dedicated" here is this Hebrew word (see below). It is used as such due to the fact that she had prayed for the child, from the Lord, to begin with. So she literally borrowed him from the Lord, and as such is dedicating him to the service of the Lord in that regards. It should be noted, he was to be a priest and/or prophet. It isn't related in any way to infant baptism. Nor is it related to a dedication ceremony, as the majority of people aren't praying for children so that they can hand them over to the priesthood after birth. You miss the underlying meaning of this whole thing. See 1 Samuel 1:11. He was to be a Nazarene.
◄ 7592. shaal ►
Strong's Concordance
shaal: to ask, inquire
Original Word: שָׁאַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: shaal
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-al')
Short Definition: ask
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to ask, inquire
NASB Translation
ask (45), asked (41), asking (5), asks (5), beg (1), begged (1), begs (1), borrow (1), borrowed (1), borrows (1), consult (2), consulting (1), consults (1), dedicated (2), dedicated* (1), demand (1), demanded (1), desired (1), desires (1), earnestly asked (1), earnestly asked leave (1), greet* (5), greeted* (1), inquire (6), inquired (18), inquires (1), making (2), medium* (1), pray (1), questioned (2), questioned particularly (1), request (2), request* (1), requested (7), require (1), required (1), sought (1), surely ask (1).

 

[Circumcised_Heart]

I don't see what the complaint about child dedication is.

In the Old Testament, they had circumcision. Available only to males, it didn't save anyone, and at the time, was a symbol of what should happen in the heart - more a symbol for the people and parents, and to the baby only later when he could understand. This one is fulfilled in Christ, so is not required for believers anymore.

In the New Testament, we received baptism, this time for both males and females, but again, not saving anyone of itself, and a symbol of what should take place in our hearts - being immersed in Christ.

Some agree with believer's baptism, others with baptizing all the members of the believer's household, and both probably have some scriptural support. But as baptism (immersion) of babies can be dangerous, christening or sprinkling became the practice (not supported in scripture to my knowledge).

Those who don't believe scripture supports sprinkling in place of baptism may practice dedication, as it removes what is considered an unnecessary tradition (i.e. the sprinkling), and involves a commitment from the parents and congregation for the upbringing of the child, and seeks God's assistance in the process. While the dedication tradition may have weak scriptural support, the praying and commitment to disciple the child do not.

 

[bbbbbbb]

I don't see what the complaint about child dedication is.

In the Old Testament, they had circumcision. Available only to males, it didn't save anyone, and at the time, was a symbol of what should happen in the heart - more a symbol for the people and parents, and to the baby only later when he could understand. This one is fulfilled in Christ, so is not required for believers anymore.

In the New Testament, we received baptism, this time for both males and females, but again, not saving anyone of itself, and a symbol of what should take place in our hearts - being immersed in Christ.

Some agree with believer's baptism, others with baptizing all the members of the believer's household, and both probably have some scriptural support. But as baptism (immersion) of babies can be dangerous, christening or sprinkling became the practice (not supported in scripture to my knowledge).

Those who don't believe scripture supports sprinkling in place of baptism may practice dedication, as it removes what is considered an unnecessary tradition (i.e. the sprinkling), and involves a commitment from the parents and congregation for the upbringing of the child, and seeks God's assistance in the process. While the dedication tradition may have weak scriptural support, the praying and commitment to disciple the child do not.

If it were a simple matter of dedicating a child to God, then the parents could do it best and simplest at home and do it every day. However, when it becomes a one-time event that must be done in a church by an ordained pastor, it does very closely mimic the infant baptism of other denominations.

 

[Circumcised_Heart]

If it were a simple matter of dedicating a child to God, then the parents could do it best and simplest at home and do it every day. However, when it becomes a one-time event that must be done in a church by an ordained pastor, it does very closely mimic the infant baptism of other denominations.

But parents are not faultless. They involve the church as witnesses so the church can be praying for them and the child, and to encourage church members to be more officially involved if the parents are failing. (Similar to how you can have a marriage with several witnesses at home, or in front of the entire congregation).

 

[bbbbbbb]

But parents are not faultless. They involve the church as witnesses so the church can be praying for them and the child, and to encourage church members to be more officially involved if the parents are failing. (Similar to how you can have a marriage with several witnesses at home, or in front of the entire congregation).

Sure, but must this be only a one-time event officiated at by an ordained pastor? I think not.

 

[Circumcised_Heart]

Sure, but must this be only a one-time event officiated at by an ordained pastor? I think not.

The church services would probably get too busy if it happened every week.

 

[Albion]

If it were a simple matter of dedicating a child to God, then the parents could do it best and simplest at home and do it every day. However, when it becomes a one-time event that must be done in a church by an ordained pastor, it does very closely mimic the infant baptism of other denominations.

Yes, indeed. And who dreamed this thing up, I wonder? Probably one of those sticklers for Bible literalism who like to say "Where's that in the Bible?" every time some ancient practice of traditional Christians comes up for discussion.

 

[bbbbbbb]

The church services would probably get too busy if it happened every week.

Not really. It could be added to the various altar calls at the end of the service. After all, many churches have an altar call for those who want dedicate or rededicate their lives to Christ, so they can also have folks come forward who want to dedicate or rededicate their infants, adult children, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. to Christ, as well.