We will celebrate the baptism of Arabella DiLorenzo this Sunday during worship, the daughter of Nicholas and Valerie DiLorenzo and the granddaughter of Lynda and Frank DiLorenzo and Daniel and Anita Perry.  Arabella’s great-grandfather, Deacon Dan Perry, will assist in the baptism.

The music will be fitting for such a celebration.  We will sing two hymns from the New Century Hymnal that are deeply moving and modern favorites: Child of Blessing, Child of Promise, and I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry, as well as two cherished hymns from the Pilgrim Hymnal, Take My Life and Let it Be and Jesus Calls Us, O’er the Tumult.  Organist John Atwood will play “Take my Life and let it Be” by W. Verburg, “Trio”  by  F. Couperin and  “Fantaisie”      L. Couperin.

The lectionary scriptures are not so fitting for a baptism, at least at first glance: Psalm 49, Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23, and  Luke 12:13-21.  They are all about the apparent meaninglessness of this life that becomes clear to us at the moment of our death.  And yet they do not intend to leave us despairing–they lift our vision to a higher meaning, a way of living on earth that has lasting value that no one and nothing can take from us, not even death.  We each have the ability to live that life in our own unique way.  The church can help us find our path, and we all can help Arabella find hers as she lives and grows among us.

Here are the two hymns we will sing from the New Century Hymnal.  Have your hankies ready–these go straight to the heart!