Non-denominational Baby Blessing and Naming

Welcome or Opening:

“Welcome family and friends, today we are here to celebrate Dyson Jonathan Smith’s birth and to officially bless and welcome him to this family and community. What you are all about to witness here today is truly a celebration of love, and of life! As Dyson is here today, he is new and perfect. He is a gift. his smile, his laughter, and his presence enrich the lives of all who know him. Only 6 months old, and already he has made the world a better place. We are here to acknowledge that children are the greatest gift and most blessed responsibility bestowed upon a family.

A new life has joined your family. We celebrate baby Dyson’s birth and the excitement of his new life. He comes into this world bringing a renewed life and the gift of hope for all of us, who have the honor of sharing in the innocence and delight of his spirit.

So today Diane and David have invited you all here to share, and participate in the gift that Dyson’s birth is and to welcome him into this loving and compassionate family.

Invocation: (Opening prayer)


At this time I would like you all to close your eyes, fill our circle with love and join me in a blessing for baby Dyson and his family.

“This family has been blessed with a new life,
May the gift of Dyson’s presence bring joy and gladness
to the hearts of all who love him.
May he be blessed and protected through all of the wonderful
and difficult things that the years will bring.
May he find goodness and inspiration, and be given
the wisdom to discern the true from the transient,
May his life be rich and full, in wealth that is measured by both the physical
and spiritual context of his existence
May Dyson be prosperous in all ways. May he love well and be well loved.
Through each passage and season,
May he always be surrounded by the warmth of family and friends.
And may his days be forever filled with love and happiness.”

(Optional) We would also like to honor and remember all those that for whatever reason could not be here with us physically today…….(we can add names here too)

Although death has separated us physically, faith and love have bound us eternally. Though we cannot see you, we know you are here. Though we cannot touch you, we feel the warmth of your smile, as we begin a new chapter in our lives.

Today we pause to reflect upon those who have shaped our character, molded our spirits and touched our hearts. May this moment of silence be a reminder of the memories we have shared, a representation of the everlasting impact you have made upon our lives.

Ancestral blessing: (optional)

“In today’s world there is no greater gift than the continuation through the generations of family, so we will begin with an Ancestral Blessing.

“Will Dyson’s grandparents please come forward?”
Dyson’s grandparents step forward

Grandparents:

(grandparents names), you have been wonderful parents to Diane and David. You have always been there for them encouraging and supporting them through all of their trials and triumphs, imparting your wisdom gently and giving your love unconditionally. Will you now hold your grandson,

Dyson’s grandparents hold him –

And call to your mind now, all of the wonderful people who have shaped your lives. Many of those people are no longer with this world. Your parents, your grandparents, your great grandparents…. as far back as the stories you have heard and beyond. Remember what it felt like to be with these loved ones, so that he may come to know his ancestors and the lineage that is his birthright. In today’s world we cannot know who we are unless we know where we come from. Your words and memories will be as much of a gift to Dyson as his presence is a joy to the soul of this family”

Grandparents pause, kiss Dyson, pass him to the next set of Grandparents who do the same and then return him to his parents

“Diane and David, as you hold your son will you now reflect on the gratitude and joy in your heart, remembering to be thankful for all that has come to pass, and all that has made it possible for Dyson to come to be.”

The Parent’s Vows
“Diane and David, the journey of parenthood is one of amazing beauty, this is clear just to look at you both. The love that radiates from and around you and your son today shall change over the years. We gather here because it is our wish that Dyson grow to be a man who truly loves his life. You most of all will be his guide on this journey. It is important to provide not only food and clothing to a child but also time and love and respect.

So it is only right that this ceremony should include your promise to nurture your son in all ways as he grows. Therefore as a promise to him and a reminder to yourselves as the years pass, I now ask you:

Do you promise to keep the bonds between you strong, thereby providing Dyson with a stable and loving home, giving him a firm foundation, and a good example of what it means to be committed to one another in love and joy, through difficult and wonderful times as husband and wife, parents, partners, teachers and friends?”
David and Diane : yes we do.

Optional:

Father: to David, he turns his hands palms up:

“Into these hands do I place the blessings of spirit and the responsibilities of being a father. With your hands will you uphold your child’s future. Do you receive these blessings of grace?
Response: Yes I Do

Mother: (I’ll hold Diane’s hands around Baby Dyson)
“Into these hands, that hold this child, I place the blessings of spirit and the responsibilities of being a mother. Do you receive these blessings of grace?
Response: Yes I Do

Address:

Today we are gathered together to celebrate Dyson’s birth and to officially welcome him to this family, a family that extends to include all of you here today.
The essence of this ceremony today is to celebrate and welcome Dyson into our hearts and into this already blessed family. A family that extends to include all of you who Diane and David call family, you who have shared with them life’s most sacred moments; they ask you to share and bear witness to a new chapter of their lives, as we welcome Dyson into this world and this family.

Not only has Dyson been given the gift of such a loving family, but he has also been blessed with an older brother: Davian who will not only be his brother but throughout their lives he will be his protector, his mentor, his inspiration, his support and his best friend. This is the ultimate gift for both of them to be able to share and grow with each other, constantly learning, challenging and encouraging each other as their young lives unfold into adulthood.

Davian will be asked to kiss Dyson

All of us here today are bestowed with the gift of light and love that is Dyson’s spirit. For those of you who have pleasure of holding him, you know what a force that spirit is in this world; so grounded, strong and beautiful. He helps to remind us of all that is new, hopeful and life-affirming.

I am sure some of you have heard the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child”, well I believe very strongly in this theory. For each and every one of you will have some contribution and impact to add to Dyson’s life. In your presence here today and each time you are given the gift of sharing a portion of his life, you will be helping to shape his values and beliefs that he will carry to adulthood. This is perhaps the greatest gift you can possess, the gift of assisting in molding and instilling the values that will create the man that Dyson will be. So, there is a certain amount of responsibility that falls not only on his parents and God parents but also on all of you who form his community, his family.

In addition to the impact you will have on him, he will ultimately also impact some form of change in your lives also, just by opening your heart to his spirit and the lessons that all children can teach us.

Babies and children offer us the gift of remembering who we are and the values that are inherent in us from the beginning, but are sometimes lost along the way. Babies are innocence, joy, and laughter. They are happiness, and delight. They live in the moment, each day a new adventure. They are unconditional in their love, and they are authentic, genuine and pure in their spirits, free from the illusion of limitations that we have learned as adults. Babies and all children give us an opportunity to relearn those values.

Today we will share aspects that create a truly unique ceremony that expresses the values and beliefs inherent in all of us.Diane and David share a common belief in a spiritual higher power. They believe in the beauty of humanity and the goodness in all people. They believe in the richness of tradition and wish to share with their son the traditions of their families so as to create their own spiritual journey together. Diane and David look forward to raising Dyson to understand and celebrate their religious traditions. There are many paths to becoming a good person, with a strong internal moral compass and a joy of living. So not only is this a joyous occasion, but a spiritual one, as well.

The baby naming is a popular tradition. There is an imaginative story based on the bible which says “every person has three names; the one chosen by his parents, the one that others call him, and the one he acquires for himself”. Naming a baby can feel somewhat like a self-fulfilling prophecy; a beautiful name will produce a beautiful soul, or a strong name suggests endurance and strength. A name has a history, a life and a purpose, and it will be carried and honored by Dyson his whole life.

Naming (optional)

Today, we enter into the book of names, a new son. We give to you,
Our God and God of our mothers and fathers! Sustain this child through his parents loving care. Let him be known by the name of Dyson Jonathan Smith, son of Diane and David. May this little child grow into manhood as a blessing to his family and to all humanity.

“Dyson Jonathan, you have been loved and wanted since long before you were born. We longed to be blessed with your arrival and we consider your presence in our life to be a true miracle. Today we simply give thanks and celebrate all the many wonderful blessings Dysonbrings, and do our best to remember, and be thankful for, the very special role that we all have in his life.

God Parents are: (optional)

“Godparents are those who promise they will be there to help the child grow spiritually. Theirs is a place in Dyson’s life almost like a guardian angel.
The promise is one of a physical presence in his life as someone who he knows will always be standing quietly behind him, encouraging him to make good choices, and sharing with him the lessons they themselves have learned along the way.

Diane and David, as Dyson’s parents the duty to safeguard his future is yours. Have you chosen those who will aid you in giving love and council to your child as he grows?” Parents: “We Have.” Diane and David: “We have chosen Cecilia and Bryan

Cecilia and Bryan,“While you are not Dyson’s parents the place that you have both take in his life is an important one. Diane and David trust your motivations and your judgment completely and they take comfort in knowing that although there will be times when Dyson can come to them, that he will always be able to come to you for guidance and support. By accepting the role of Godparents you say to Dyson and the world. I promise, I will be there for you as you grow into adulthood. With this in mind I now ask you… Will you as best as you can, help take care of Dyson? To protect him at all times from harm? To encourage, guide and support him in all endeavors, Help him recognize the beauty within himself and all things, And to become someday not the man we wish for him but the realization of his own hopes, dreams and the fulfillment of her soul?” Godparents: “We will.”

“May you always know how special you are to Diane and David that they would ask you to tend to the most precious thing that they have in this world.”

(Optional) Candle Lighting Ceremony – Parents and Davian

For centuries fire has symbolized life, spirit, strength, initiation, and rites of passage. Today each of your candles represents your spirit, you wishes of hope, and blessings for your Dyson. Together you light to new center candle of light that represents your Son Dyson, and his light in the world, and represents this family that has been blessed with Reed.

Light was the first of God’s creations; as light appeared, it brought with it the possibility of all the wondrous things to follow. We, too kindle lights—of hope, of understanding, of celebration, of countless new possibilities. This little Son with whom these parents have been blessed has already brought light into their lives. May God’s radiance continue to shine upon them. May he grow to be a source of light to all those around him. And may his radiance illuminate the world.

(Optional) Blessing the head and heart with oils – ancient oils
The blessing and anointing of a baby with sacred oils and water, is a ritual that is performed in the Catholic/ Christian faiths, and its represents baptism.

The Oils are symbolic of protection and blessings. The water which symbolizes life and birth is also a symbol of purity, newness and renewal. The spirit of God, which moves on the face of the water.

Oils: (optional)
I anoint this child with the oils of our fathers, of the sacred temples for protection and blessings and health. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

(Optional) Water Ceremony
“Water has long been considered by many as the source of life…. Water is in and around all of us, and is also a symbol of the human spirit— always in motion, never ceasing, only taking new forms….. Every element of God’s creation needs water to grow and thrive, to even survive. The trees and flowers, the fish and the birds, and all of us…….. Water nourishes us, cleanses us, comforts us, renews us.

Because we believe and know in our hearts that DysonJonathan made his way onto this earth as a pure, innocent, and perfect soul, this ceremony is not intended to cleanse him from sin. It is instead to celebrate his life, and to signify our intentions to nourish his heart, his mind, his body, and his spirit…. to allow his life to flow in the direction he chooses each day, with the love and guidance of God and family to help him find his way.

Our prayer for you is that the love that surrounds you today will wash over you like rain every day of your life, just as this water rains on you now…

(Optional) Blessing the baby’s head with holy water

Born of water and of spirit I bless this baby DysonReedSolomon and welcome him to this spiritual world.

The love of God, the love of your parents,and the love of all your family, friends, and loved ones, whether near or far,

officiant sprinkles water over the child’s head

may love be all you know from this day forward.”

Benediction:

We ask baby Dyson continue to be blessed and loved throughout his life. May he be guided and supported through all that he does. May he always feel safe and protected in all things. May he constantly feel loved, supported and cherished. May he find and follow his path with grace and ease. May he fulfill all the things he has come to do in this lifetime. May his parents, family and friends help guide him gently and lovingly on his path allowing him to be the individual that he is and honoring his choices in life. We ask that he may maintain his innocence, joy and grace in this life as he grows to adulthood. May he choose happiness for all his days and may laughter fill his heart. That he may be a living example of love and hope that is his true nature.

We bless you David and Diane: May you enjoy raising Dyson and teach him to live by the values of your ancestors and to be a person who truly loves and honor all of life and his family traditions. May he grow into manhood as a blessing to all humanity.

We would like to give our thanks to baby Dyson for the blessings he brings to all of us, with his glorious spirit. We’d like to thank you all for participating in this beautiful day and sharing your blessings with Dyson and his family. May we continue the celebration of life and its cycles, not just today but every day we are able to gather together!