HOLY  BAPTISM

( II )

THE BAPTISM  OF  INFANTS


CSI  LITURGY

Eucharist

Order of worship 1

Order of worship 2

Order of worship 3

 

Baptism of Infants

Baptism of Adults

Confirmation

Covenant Service

Marriage

Burial service

Burial service-cemetery

 

 

A  THANKSGIVING  AFTER  CHILDBIRTH

 

This thanksgiving should be made at a public service of the Church, and the congregation should join in the saying of the Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer.

The Mother and Father, bringing the newly born child, kneel before the Holy Table, or at some other covenant place and the minister facing them says:

Almighty God has been good to you in giving you the gift of a child.

Let us therefore give thanks to Him.

The minister and parents together with the congregation say the following Psalm responsively:

 

Psalm 145: 1-8

I will magnify thee, O God, my King: and I will praise Thy name forever and ever.

Every day will I give thanks unto Thee: and praise Thy name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and marvelous worthy to be praised: there is no end of His greatness.

One generation shall praise Thy works unto another: and declare Thy power.

As for me, I will be talking of Thy worship: Thy glory, Thy praise, and wondrous works;

So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvelous acts: and I will also tell of thy greatness.

The memorial of Thine abundant kindness shall be showed: and men shall sing of thy righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful: long-suffering, and of great goodness.

Glory be to the Father: and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:  world without end.  Amen.

Minister:

Let us pray

Lord, have mercy upon us:

Christ, have mercy upon us:

Lord, have mercy upon us:

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come;  Thy will be done; In earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread;  And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us;  And lead us not into temptation,  But deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, The power and the glory,  For ever and ever.  Amen.  

ALMIGHTY  God, we give thee hearty thanks for Thy love and mercy in giving this woman, Thy servant, a safe and happy childbirth.  Grant that she, having in remembrance Thy care and love for her, may never cease to give Thee thanks and serve Thee faithfully; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, by whose creative power and love,  this woman has been granted the gift of a child, give her and her husband wisdom and guidance, that they may know how to train their child in the way that leadeth to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The parents say:

O GOD, our Father, we give thanks to Thee for the child whom Thou hast given to us: help us to live together as a family in love, joy and peace; give us wisdom to be good parents, that we may all love and serve Thee faithfully; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Of the child has died, Psalm 63: 1-8 is said instead of Psalm 145: 1-8.  Instead of the three prayers appointed above, the minister alone says the following prayer:

ALMIGHTY God, we humbly praise Thee that Thou hast saved Thy handmaid from all dangers of her delivery, so that she can again come to Thy house today.  Beloved father, comfort her and her husband in their sorrow, and strengthen them that they may continue in faith, do Thy will, and at the end of the days of their journey attain the glory of life eternal, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The minister dismisses them with this blessing:

The blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon your going out and your coming in; upon your sitting -down and upon your uprising; upon your talking and upon your silence; upon your prayers and upon your work; upon your home and upon your fellowship therein, this day, henceforth, and forever.  Amen.

The parents may make thanks offering, and, if there is a service of Holy Communion, they may receive the Communion together. 

 

 

THE  BAPTISM

 

The minister ascertains beforehand that the children have not already been baptized.

 

 

THE DECLARATION OF THE WORD

 

When the people are gathered at, or proceeding to, the place of baptism, a hymn may be sung, after which the minister says:

Our help is in the name of the Lord:

 Who hath made heaven and earth.

* Let us pray

* ALMIGHTY God, thou Shepherd of Israel, who didst deliver Thy chosen people from the bondage of Egypt, and didst establish with them a sure covenant: Have mercy, we beseech Thee, on Thy flock, and grant that these children who are by baptism to be received into thy heritage, may be delivered from the bondage of sin through Thy covenant of grace, and attain the promise of eternal life which thou hast given us in Thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.  Amen.

* Passages so marked may be omitted.

The people may sit.

Dearly beloved, we are met together to administer holy baptism to these children, that, according to Christ’s command, they may be sealed as members of Christ, children of God, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven.

Hear therefore the words of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ:

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.    Mathew. 28: 19                                                                      

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5                                                                                               

Hear also what is written in the Gospel according to St. Mark:

They were bringing children to Him, that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.  But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant, and said to them, ‘ Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’  And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands upon them.   Mark 110: 13-16                                     

The minister expounds the teaching of Scripture concerning baptism in his own words.

¶ Or he says:

You hear in this Gospel the words of our Savoir Christ, when He commanded the children to be brought to Him.  You perceived how He took them in His arms and blessed them.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  He loves these children and is ready to receive them, to embrace them with the arms of His mercy, and to give them the blessing of eternal life.

These little children belong with you to God.  In Holy Baptism He establishes them in the family and household of faith, that they may grow up as members of Christ and heirs of thee kingdom of heaven.

 

THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

 

All stand.  The minister says to the parents (and godparents):

It is the duty of those who present children for baptism to make confession of the faith in which they are baptized and to promise to bring them up in the way of Christ.

Do you believe in one God, the Father, the Son, and thee Holy Spirit?

The parents  (and godparents) answer:

I believe.

HOLY BAPTISM

 

 

Let us therefore profess our faith.

The Apostles’ Creed is said or sung by all:

I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

            And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried, He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead, He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty; From  thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

            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.

 

THE PROMISES

 

Will you, by God’s help, provide a Christian home for this child and bring him up in the worship and teaching of the Church, that he come to know Christ his savior?

Answer:             We will, God being our helper.

Will you so order your own lives that you do not cause this little one to stumble?

Answer:             We will, God being our helper.

Will you encourage him later to be received into the full fellowship of the Church by Confirmation; so that, established in faith by the Holy Spirit, he may partake of the Lord’s Supper and go forth into the world to serve God faithfully in his Church?

Answer:             We will, God being our helper.

The minister says to the congregation:

Dearly beloved, will you be faithful to your calling as members of the Church of Christ, so that these and all other children in your midst may grow up in the knowledge and love of him?

 

The congregation answer:

We will, God being our helper; and we welcome them into our fellowship.

 

THE BAPTISM

The minister says:

Let us pray in silence for the children about to be baptized, that they may receive the fullness of God’s grace.

The people may kneel.

Silence is kept for a space.  Then the minister says.

The Lord be with you:

And with Thy spirit.

 The minister prays in his own words.

¶ Or the following litany is said or sung:

Blessed art thou, O Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast created all things and given us the element of water:

Blessed art thou, O Lord.

Blessed art thou, O Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who wast baptized in the Jordan and didst die and rise again:

Blessed art thou, O Lord.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, who didst descend upon Jesus Christ and upon the Church:

Blessed art thou, O Lord.

Be present, O God, with us who call upon Thy threefold name, and bless this water, that it may signify the washing away of sin, and that those baptized therein may be born again to eternal life:

Hear us, we beseech thee.

Grant them thy Holy Spirit, that they may be baptized into the one body, and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect people:

Hear us, we beseech thee.

Grant that, being united with Christ in His death and resurrection, they may die unto sin and live unto righteousness:

Hear us, we beseech thee.

Grant that they may put off thee old man and become a new creation in Christ Jesus:

Hear us, we beseech thee.

From darkness lead them to light; from death lead them to everlasting life:

 Hear us, we beseech thee.

All stand.  The minister, having asked thee Christian name, pours water upon thee child, saying:

 

N, I baptize thee in thee name of thee Father, and of the Son, and of thee Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The minister says over each child baptized:

We have received this child into the congregation of Christ’s flock

 [@ and do sign him/ her with the sign of the cross]. 1

1 Here the minister may make a cross upon thee child’s forehead.

Then he says for all together:

May these children never be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, but continue his faithful servants unto their lives’ end.  Amen.

Then may be said or sung:

* The Lord bless you and keep you: the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you: the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.  Amen.                          Num. 6: 24-26

 A hymn of praise is sung.  A procession may be made from the place of baptism into the body of the church.

 

* THE  LIGHT

 

The parents of the children baptized may be given lighted lamps or tapers.  When they have received them, thee minister says:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works:

And give glory to our Father who is in heaven.                                                      Matt. 5: 16

 ¶ Or some other brief forms of words may be said.

 

THE THANKSGIVING

 

The minister says:

Let us pray

The minister says, or the minister and people say together:

WE yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it has pleased thee to receive these children for Thine own children by adoption and to incorporate them into Thy holy Church.  And we humbly beseech Thee to grant that they may more and more show forth in their lives that which they now are by Thy calling; so that, as they are made partakers of the death of Thy Son, they may also be partakers of His resurrection, and finally, with all Thy Church, inherit Thine everlasting kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The minister says:

ALMIGHTY God our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son shared at Nazareth the life of an earthly home: Bless, we beseech Thee, the homes of these children, and grant wisdom and understanding to all who have the care of them, that they may grow up in Thy constant fear and love; through the same Thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

A hymn may be sung, and a thanks offering is taken.

If thee baptism is administered otherwise than at the Lord’s Supper or at Morning or Evening Worship, thee minister dismisses those that are gathered together with this blessing:

MAY God almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in thee inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Amen.

 

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