dedication

She was God's all along, but today we had a service to declare that we agree to the terms.



From the liturgy I prepared for the dedication:

Within this gathering, we embody the different circles of care that surround Eleanor-- parents, family, godparents, friends, community. We may desire these circles of care to form walls that protect the treasure that is Eleanor from every harm and danger, but we recognize that Eleanor’s path will take her beyond these walls, to places and relationships beyond those represented here.

So it is that we come together to remind ourselves that as we care for Eleanor and walk alongside her as she grows, we need to focus our eyes and hearts on a God whose centre is everywhere and circumference nowhere. For by putting our trust in a God that knows no boundaries, our own circles of care are transformed, no longer walls but a beautiful blend of concentric circles-- overlapping, radiating, and expanding—in a reflection of God’s vast and eternal love for Eleanor and for each of us.

In the service of dedication, we put ourselves in the centre of God’s care and in that centre we both hold and release Eleanor. We pray for wisdom in our care for her and pray that she may grow to have a vision that is wide and a centre that is true.