God Bless the Child

[Lanolin]

Has anyone blessed their child?
What kind of blessing did you give your children..was it a specific one or a generic one, or a scripture?

I witnessed a baby dedication at my friends church it was the pastor's grand-daughter but she didn't seem to have a specific blessing like the one Isaac did to his son(s). Or the ones Jacob did to his 12 sons.
Maybe it's only boys that get those blessings?
The pastor just said 'I bless you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit' and laid hands on her. But shouldn't he say a specific blessing, like she will grow up to be graceful and beautiful and full of kindness and smell like roses all the time. Or she'll be fruitful or whatever. Or she'll make people laugh.

I don't know. I wondered if I should have said anything. It kind of was a bit generic. But then God didn't really give me anything to say - so I wondered if she actually got blessed at all. He did say that the parents had to promise to bring her up in God's ways. But that was more for the parents benefit than the child's..who was only one year old and falling asleep.

 

[blueskies]

He did say that the parents had to promise to bring her up in God's ways. But that was more for the parents benefit than the child's..who was only one year old and falling asleep.

Dear Lanolin
As one brought up largely bereft of this blessing, that blessing of being brought-up in ‘God’s ways’, I believe this a most worthy blessing and promise.

If the parents take it to heart then I know it helps to first shape a child’s formative development, then the adolescent child’s transformation into adulthood and finally a full flowering when entering into a Christian adult life.

Speaking for myself, I could have avoided so much sin and sorrow if someone had understood this well enough to guide me in God’s ways while growing-up.

As I know you do, I pray this child is loved enough to be guided in, and by, the Word.

God bless you and this child.

 

[Lanolin]

Dear Lanolin
As one brought up largely bereft of this blessing, that blessing of being brought-up in ‘God’s ways’, I believe this a most worthy blessing and promise.

If the parents take it to heart then I know it helps to first shape a child’s formative development, then the adolescent child’s transformation into adulthood and finally a full flowering when entering into a Christian adult life.

Speaking for myself, I could have avoided so much sin and sorrow if someone had understood this well enough to guide me in God’s ways while growing-up.

As I know you do, I pray this child is loved enough to be guided in, and by, the Word.

God bless you and this child.

The mum wasn't there though it was just the dad. They weren't married either.

So I think maybe it's just the grandparents who are going to do it, since it was the Granddad that did the blessing.

My own parents did not bless me either. I think they were like, oh it's another girl. Dang.

 

[Major]

The mum wasn't there though it was just the dad. They weren't married either.

So I think maybe it's just the grandparents who are going to do it, since it was the Granddad that did the blessing.

My own parents did not bless me either. I think they were like, oh it's another girl. Dang.

A baby dedication is for the PARENTS! Babies know nothing and can not think and reason and make choices. MOM and DAD can!

 

[Lanolin]

Shouldn't they sacrifice two turtledoves or a lamb or something?
Isn't that what Joseph and Mary did for Jesus? To buy him back. Otherwise they would have left Baby Jesus in the temple.

 

[Lanolin]

Jacobs sons weren't blessed when they were babies, I think they were grown up or teenagers by that time. Same with Jacob and Esau (Jacob 'stole' Esau's blessing).

I think Hannah dedicated her son Samuel to God by giving him to the temple when he was born. Or his life. I don't know if that meant she didn't raise him though.

 

[bobinfaith]

Has anyone blessed their child? What kind of blessing did you give your children..was it a specific one or a generic one, or a scripture? I witnessed a baby dedication at my friends church it was the pastor's grand-daughter but she didn't seem to have a specific blessing like the one Isaac did to his son(s). Or the ones Jacob did to his 12 sons. Maybe it's only boys that get those blessings? The pastor just said 'I bless you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit' and laid hands on her. But shouldn't he say a specific blessing, like she will grow up to be graceful and beautiful and full of kindness and smell like roses all the time. Or she'll be fruitful or whatever. Or she'll make people laugh.

Dear Lanolin
As one brought up largely bereft of this blessing, that blessing of being brought-up in ‘God’s ways’, I believe this a most worthy blessing and promise. If the parents take it to heart then I know it helps to first shape a child’s formative development, then the adolescent child’s transformation into adulthood and finally a full flowering when entering into a Christian adult life. Speaking for myself, I could have avoided so much sin and sorrow if someone had understood this well enough to guide me in God’s ways while growing-up. As I know you do, I pray this child is loved enough to be guided in, and by, the Word. God bless you and this child.

A baby dedication is for the PARENTS! Babies know nothing and can not think and reason and make choices. MOM and DAD can!

Hello Lanolin;

My post may be deep.

Yes, I asked God to bless and embrace the soul of our lost son from my wife's 6 month miscarriage. We were only married 7 months when we lost our baby. She and I were angry and argued alot not understanding why we were in this state. In return God and church counseling helped us understand that we were actually mourning our loss. At the time we were 28 and 27 years old and too young to make any sense of it all.

But when we attended infant dedications it rubbed us the wrong way when the pastor gave verbal and prayerful blessings to the parent's infant. Why? Because the words fell short and reminded us of our loss.

I cannot explain how, but in time of healing our unborn child brought our marriage closer together.

Before I got married I managed Little League baseball. I oversaw another manager berate his young player after a game for poor play. His mother looked distraught as she saw her son walk away alone. I reacted by running up to the young player and began to walk with him. I don't know what his manager said but I felt the words that came out of my mouth may have been a "special blessing." I wanted to encourage him, that he didn't have to face this alone for a 12 year old. We bonded, Little League games, picnics and family gatherings until I moved on from managing baseball.

Many years later I have been officiating baby dedications. I approach each dedication case by case instead of a "one kind of message only" for all dedications and as Major shared, especially directed at the parents. Some are married, some were single parents and even those who lived in cohabitation. My message was of responsibility, stewardship and public witness of the parents raising their child in a Christian foundation. The other part of my message was for God's blessing on the child despite the outcome of the parents and home.

For every one of these blessings to the child and their parents, I never faced opposition but that doesn't mean every dedication or message I officiated was favorable.

When I was an infant, one month old, my parents were 19 and 20. I was their firstborn and they chose to have me dedicated in the church. I don't know if it was "traditional or from their hearts," but in my life I will always be grateful to them for making this decision.

 

[blueskies]

My post may be deep.

Great post, thank you bobinfaith for your testimony. If deep means heartfelt and thoughtful, then it is certainly that and a great contribution.

 

[Major]

Hello Lanolin;

My post may be deep.

Yes, I asked God to bless and embrace the soul of our lost son from my wife's 6 month miscarriage. We were only married 7 months when we lost our baby. She and I were angry and argued alot not understanding why we were in this state. In return God and church counseling helped us understand that we were actually mourning our loss. At the time we were 28 and 27 years old and too young to make any sense of it all.

But when we attended infant dedications it rubbed us the wrong way when the pastor gave verbal and prayerful blessings to the parent's infant. Why? Because the words fell short and reminded us of our loss.

I cannot explain how, but in time of healing our unborn child brought our marriage closer together.

Before I got married I managed Little League baseball. I oversaw another manager berate his young player after a game for poor play. His mother looked distraught as she saw her son walk away alone. I reacted by running up to the young player and began to walk with him. I don't know what his manager said but I felt the words that came out of my mouth may have been a "special blessing." I wanted to encourage him, that he didn't have to face this alone for a 12 year old. We bonded, Little League games, picnics and family gatherings until I moved on from managing baseball.

Many years later I have been officiating baby dedications. I approach each dedication case by case instead of a "one kind of message only" for all dedications and as Major shared, especially directed at the parents. Some are married, some were single parents and even those who lived in cohabitation. My message was of responsibility, stewardship and public witness of the parents raising their child in a Christian foundation. The other part of my message was for God's blessing on the child despite the outcome of the parents and home.

For every one of these blessings to the child and their parents, I never faced opposition but that doesn't mean every dedication or message I officiated was favorable.

When I was an infant, one month old, my parents were 19 and 20. I was their firstborn and they chose to have me dedicated in the church. I don't know if it was "traditional or from their hearts," but in my life I will always be grateful to them for making this decision.

Good stuff brother!

 

[Lanolin]

I'm sorry to hear about your son Bob.
I do think when the child is an infant its more for the parents sake than the child.

When children are a bit more grown up and understanding wouldn't that be the time to bless them?
If not its more 'God Bless the Parents'

In the Bible it actually was the parents who blessed the children or the grandparents, not a pastor blessing the parents/children. Though Jesus would bless whoever came to him, but he didn't make a huge ceremony of it. He probably just did it naturally all the time anyway.