A lighted candle is given: N., the light of Christ scatter the darkness from your heart and mind.

Christ go before you to guide your steps. Christ be within you to kindle your vision. Christ shine from you to give joy to the world. WELCOME The priest addresses the newly baptised. N., God has received you by baptism into the Church. We welcome you. We will care for you. We will share our faith with you. The Eucharist continues with the Peace: Renewed in the Spirit, we meet in Christ's name; All: Let us share his peace.

Candles since earliest times have symbolised Christ as the light of the world, a light that no darkness can quench. The giving of a candle is a sign that Christs light will always be with you.

Your Childs Baptism at Christ Church Morningside

Here the people of the church commit themselves to the new member of the family of God, promising to care and support the child in its life. This is sealed with the sign of peace, a symbol of friendship and love.

After exchanging the sign of peace with each other and the priest, you will be led back to your seat. The Young church, and any visiting children who wish, now leave for their own meeting in the Church Centre. The service continues with the sermon.

Rector: the Very Revd Susan Macdonald susan@6a.org.uk 0131 229 6556

Your childs baptism at Christ Church.

Welcome to Christ Church Morningside. Christ Church is an active church which strives to show the love of God through kindness, laughter, prayer and social action. Its daily services of morning and evening prayer provides a framework of worship which finds its focus in the Sunday Eucharist at 10.00am. The Sunday Congregation, averages about a hundred and fifty, and has a healthy variety of young people, long-standing members and an increasing number of new recruits to our church family. The Scottish Episcopal church is part of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, and is in full communion with the Church of England. This leaflet is intended to give you some information about being baptised at Christ Church. If this booklet does not answer all of your questions, please contact one of the clergy (see back of leaflet for contact details), who will be happy to talk with you.

to be one with him in his resurrection. Send your Holy Spirit to sustain them, with all your people, to be hope and strength to one another and to the world. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be honour and glory, now and for ever. The Priest will turn to whoever is Amen. holding the child and say name this child. Please say the childs THE BAPTISM names clearly. It is your choice as to who holds the child, normally N., I baptise you in the name of whoever you think will be able to the Father and of the Son and of most effectively quell tears! the Holy Spirit. Amen. ANOINTING AND LAYING-ON OF HANDS The priest anoints upon the forehead, using the Oil of Chrism, saying: N., you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever. All: Amen. The priest lays hands on the head, saying:
The laying on of hands, as happens in May the Spirit of God be in you, ordination and marriage, is seen as a wisdom and understanding keep you, sign of healing as well as a sign of the power of God encircle you, blessing. and God's truth lead you into freedom. Amen. The early church always anointed the baptised. Anointing with oil was a sign of kingship for the people of Israel. The anointing in baptism demonstrated that we are all as important as kings in the sight of God, that we are called to be a royal priesthood

GIVING OF LIGHT

What is Baptism? THE BAPTISMAL PRAYER Lord God, well-spring of life, in your love and justice, you use the gift of water to declare your saving power. In the beginning your Spirit moved over the face of the waters. By the gentle dew, the steady rain, you nourish and give increase to all that grows; you make the desert a watered garden. You command the wildness of the waves; when the storm rages you calm our fear; in the stillness you lead us to a deeper faith. In the life-giving rivers and the rainbow Israel discerned your mercy. You divided the Red Sea to let them pass from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. In the waters of Jordan penitents found forgiveness in the baptism of John. There, Jesus your beloved child was anointed with the Holy Spirit, that he might bring us to the glorious liberty of the children of God. Bring those who are baptised in this water, with Christ through the waters of death, This prayer is based on a Gallic prayer of baptism, reminding us of the deeds of God throughout creation. Here we pray that once again water will be used as a symbol of new life. The word Baptism comes from a Greek word, bapto, or baptizo, to wash or to immerse. We see it first in connexion with Jesus, in the Gospels, when Jesus is Baptised by John the Baptist. The word itself suggests something more profound than simply washing it is difficult to translate. It has some connotations of re-birth, almost of coming to life again. Baptism has been used in the Christian church since the time of Christ. It is associated with the coming down of the Holy Spirit, described by Christ as the Comforter, a symbol of Gods abiding presence on the earth. The earliest actual service passed down to us is that of Justin Martyr, from the early second century. In it, he describes in detail what happened at Baptism service. With little exception, what is done today is more or less what was done then. In Justin Martyrs time, and still today, people were baptised at Easter, the symbolism of new life and hope in God. Why Baptise a Baby? It has become a common part of our culture that one of the rites of passage is to be baptised soon after birth. This was not always the practice; in fact, Saint Augustine positively resisted getting baptised, as it meant that he would probably have to behave himself a bit better he wrote in his Confessions; make me pure Lord, but not yet. The tradition of infant baptism came about for a number of reasons. The simplest reason that we baptise babies is that the gift of being a member of Gods family should not be refused to anyone at any age; that simply by being born upon Gods earth, you were automatically accepted and loved as part of the family of Gods creation - all human life is the

responsibility of Christians to care for. As God loves unconditionally, therefore there should be no conditions placed on who is permitted to be baptised or not. Baptism is described as one of the sacraments. A sacrament, at its simplest, is a moment of grace. It is a moment when God commits himself to us and gives himself to us. What is the role of Godparents? Godparents have traditionally been a family member or someone closely associated with the family, who have agreed to care for the child as a member of the family of God. As a Godparent, and as a parent, you will make certain statements on behalf of the baptised infant, such as I believe in God I reject the works of evil. As you commit the child to these things, so it is the duty of the Godparent to show the love of God to the child. Traditionally many people would only have had one Godparent, but two or more is often common today. They can be of either gender. The only stipulation is that they themselves have been baptised, and they are willing to make promises on behalf of the child. This does require a commitment to the childs journey of faith, but not usually to the guardianship of the child.

The priest addresses the parents and godparents: The holy God, source of all being, eternal Word, and Holy Spirit, this is the God who has called you in faithfulness, the Lord, in whose name I trust. COMMITMENT TO CHRISTIAN LIFE The priest addresses the whole congregation: In Christ, God has given us a new nature, so that day by day we might be renewed in the image of our Maker. As disciples of Christ, will you continue in the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? With the help of God, I will. Will you proclaim the good news by word and deed, serving Christ in all people? With the help of God, I will. Will you work for justice and peace, honouring God in all Creation? With the help of God, I will. This is the calling of the Church. This is our calling; to live and work for the kingdom of God.

The beliefs of the creed are summed up here in this Trinitarian formula (i.e. Belief in the Creator God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, which are professed here as holy God, eternal word and Holy Spirit)

Who is entitled to receive Baptism? It is the view of the people at Christ Church that, as Baptism is a sacrament, a gift from God, baptism belongs to God and is not ours to refuse to anyone; but we do all we can to support and to resource you to bring up your child to be articulate in living their faith Whilst it is our sincere wish that your child might come to regard the church as a place where they belong and are welcome, the church puts no limiting factors on baptism.

The statement of belief in the creed requires us not only to believe and be passive, but to act. The commitment to Christian life is a commitment to live out the love of God which we have affirmed.

Does denomination matter? PROFESSION OF FAITH The priest addresses the whole The profession of faith contains congregation:, and invites all to renew their baptismal vows with the the same statement of beliefs that are contained in the Creed. one to be newly baptised; The creeds were created in the formative years of the early Do you believe in God the Father? church. This form of the creed is known as the Apostles Creed, I believe in God, the Father and was formed in the very early almighty, creator of heaven and years of the church in Rome, and earth. based on the beliefs of the Apostles contained in the Gospels Do you believe in God the Son? and Letters of the New I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Testament. Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Many people who come to have their children baptised in Christ Church have a tradition of different denominational backgrounds; Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic being the most common. Baptism is a sacrament upon which, thankfully, almost every church can agree. If you or your child is Baptised in the Episcopalian church, the following churches amongst others will accept this as a valid form of baptism; The Roman Catholic church The Church of Scotland All churches within the Anglican Communion; The Methodist churches in Britain The Federation of congregational churches The Free and united Free churches of Scotland and England The United Reformed Church When do Baptisms normally take place? As one of the main elements of Baptism is a welcoming of the child into the family of God, it is customary to have the Baptism on the main Sunday Morning Service at 10.00am. This is the main service of the week, with sung Eucharist and hymns, and the Baptism takes place as part of the Eucharistic service. It is a time when all Christians reaffirm their own baptismal vows with the child. If Sunday mornings are inconvenient for any reason, other times may be arranged. Are there Baptism Classes? Baptism classes can be organised, and we would encourage anyone who wishes to make arrangements. However there is no compulsion to go to baptism classes. The priest will talk you through the service and the associated theology when they visit. You may wish for more than one visit if you have any issues which you would like to discuss, and you are warmly encouraged to do so. Is there a financial cost? No. the church does not charge for Baptisms, although you may make a donation if you wish.

The Liturgy of Baptism

On the following pages you will find the part of the service where your child is baptised, with annotations and elaborations. The liturgy of baptism takes place after the gospel during the main Sunday Eucharist. It is comprised of several sections; the request for Baptism, the profession of faith, the baptism and anointing, and the sharing of peace. During the Baptismal Hymn, someone will collect the family and guide you to the Podium. Please ensure that you stand in such a way that does not block the view of the congregation. Parents and Godparents and any siblings of the baptised child are welcome to come and take part.

Liturgy of Baptism
THE REQUEST
The priest addresses the Parents and Godparents;

God is love. God gives us life. In Christ God reaches out to us. In baptism God calls us to respond. Do you accept this call? Parents and Godparents only. We hear and accept God's call to us and to this child. We ask for baptism.

All who are involved in the care of the child are asked to say this out loud. Be sure and speak up!

The priest addresses the congregation: God calls the Church to reflect Christ's glory; in baptism to declare his new life, in fellowship and mission to share it. The care and encouragement of the Church are offered to all who are baptised, that they may grow in newness of life Do you accept this call? We hear and accept God's call. The priest addresses the parents and godparents: The Christian life means turning from evil and turning to Christ. On the Cross, Christ confronted the power of evil and sin, and, raised from the dead, declared the victory of God's love. Standing now with Christ, do you renounce all evil? I renounce all evil. Seeking now to follow him, do you turn to Christ? I turn to Christ.

Here the members of the church make a promise to your child, to care and encourage them.

Here the parents and Godparents make promises on behalf of the child.