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| Mike Hosey, Elder |
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The 18th century English essayist, Charles Lamb, is said to have once quipped in a personal letter that his children "shall" be brought up in their father's religion, "if they can find out what it is."
The 18th century English essayist, Charles Lamb, is said to have once quipped in a personal letter that his children "shall" be brought up in their father's religion, "if they can find out what it is."
It was both
a serious acknowledgement of parental responsibility, as well as a humorous
admission of his own spiritual uncertainties.
He had an
urge to dedicate a portion of his children's education to something higher, and
therefore produce a lineage or heritage of belief, but he didn't know what that
belief was.
Thankfully,
most of us at Fellowship do not face that same dilemma.
Whenever we
think of child dedication, we often recall the story of Hannah dedicating her
son Samuel to God (1 Samuel 1:27-28). In that story, Hannah could not produce
children because God had closed her womb. Her society considered this a
terrible disgrace.
Perhaps the
disgrace was so profound because not producing a child ended a woman's (and
potentially her husband's) part of the highly important lineages that were so
valued in Hebrew culture. In effect, inability to have children meant an end to
her Husband's house.
Ironically,
when Hannah's womb was supernaturally opened, she completely dedicated her
first child to God. In fact, when Samuel was about 3 years old or so, she left
him at the temple with Eli the priest! A
lineage that looked like it would be cut off now included one of the greatest
prophets of the Old Testament! And then God gave her three more sons and two
daughters to replace Samuel.
When we
dedicate a child today, we are doing the same sort of thing as Hannah. We are
submitting "ownership" of our child to God to use as he pleases.
Interestingly,
while Samuel was trained for service to God by Eli the priest, our children are
trained for that service by us as parents, as well as our church, which is a
community of priests (1 Peter 2:5-9).
And this ultimately means that our part in the
lineage of God's house advances through the ages!
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