Ronan's Dedication

This weekend is a very special weekend for my family. We are having a beautiful dedication ceremony for Ronan on Saturday and on Monday he turns two! Our dedication is a ceremony welcoming Ronan's soul and being into our family and promising to teach him of our religious beliefs. Now, in addition to us he will have Godparents and a wonderful community of friends to surround him as he grows. I can't believe my baby is already going to turn two!

We have grandma and papa flying in from Hawaii and abuelita and tio Marcos from Arizona to be with us this very special weekend. We are also blessed with a connection to a beautiful family in Tillamook, Oregon. Our minister for Saturday is one of this family and is making the drive all the way up to Olympia to lead us in Ronan's ceremony.

Jonas is very excited about grandma and papa coming. All week he has been talking about putting on his helmet and riding his horse out to pick up grandma and bring her back to his house (he doesn't have a horse here but love the imagination!). We pick up grandma and papa tomorrow! From the airplane!

For those who are interested I have posted the ceremony below:



Ronan Luke Urrutia-Sheehan



Dedication and Soul-Welcoming Ceremony




Opening Song: Simple Gifts by Shaker Elder Joseph Brackett

'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
It will be in the valley of love and delight.
Refrain:

When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Til by turning, turning we come round right

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say, (Refrain)




Greeting and Introduction: Dr. Richard Jenks

Special ceremonies have always been significant for God’s people. Often, stones built into an altar, represented and marked the place where a divine intervention was to be remembered and honored. Today we come to celebrate an amazing divine intervention in the lives of the Urrutia-Sheehan family…the birth of Ronan. I would invite each of you to spend a few moments searching the bank of this river for a stone that catches your eye, then bring it back to our gathering place and with these stones we will build an altar to God in thanksgiving and honor of the life that has been entrusted to Pocho and Monica.

The Old Testament book of Psalms describes the miracle of birth and life: “For You formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth…Your eyes have seen my unformed substance and in Your book they were all written…how precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them.” Psalm 139: 13-17



And in Psalm 127 we are told that “Children are a gift, a heritage of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
Jesus Christ, in the Gospel of Matthew, presents God’s heart and perspective on the importance and significance of our children. “And Jesus called a child to Himself and set him before them and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.”

Pocho and Monica Urrutia-Sheehan, what name have you given this precious child who you dedicate to the Lord today? (Parents respond)

This ceremony and celebration is the outward expression of an inner commitment, which has already taken place in your hearts. It is a commitment of loving support in the unfolding process we call life. Because all life originated from God the Creator, it is a sacred moment. Let us enter into it by seeking God’s blessing.



Prayer: Dr. Richard Jenks

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for giving us the gift we have in Ronan. What a precious child he is. As we dedicate him to You, His creator, we ask for your blessing to fall upon this entire company gathered here in this beautiful place. We acknowledge that as we bring Ronan before you, on this significant occasion, we first bring ourselves before You as those who will have the primary care, influence, guiding light, and responsibility in raising him with love, patience, discipline, and faithfulness in Your Truth and Ways. We accept this honor both seriously and joyously. May Your Holy Spirit be a witness in what we do today. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.


Godparent’s vows of commitment

Richelle as Godmother and Hugo (Marcos standing in) as Godfather will you always listen to Ronan and offer him, when needed, the counsel your own spirituality provides? /I will /

Will you guide him throughout his life and teach him love and respect for all beings? /I will/

Will you make yourselves available to him in times of questioning and doubt? And will you also share with him all the joys and milestones of his life? /I will/



Parent’s vows of commitment

Pocho and Monica, will you respect, trust, and care for Ronan? /We will. /

Will you encourage and affirm Ronan's spiritual growth, and support the sacredness of his being? /We will/.


To all present: Will you support Monica, Pocho, Richelle and Hugo in their dedication and commitment to Ronan? Will you help them preserve this precious creation of God in our midst? Answer: We will



Reading, "River" – John O'Donohue: Monica

A River somehow illuminates the beauty of time. In a river, past, present and future coalesce in the one passionate flowing. A river is a continuous flow of future. Though it flows through landscape, it never divides space into 'sooner' or 'later,' 'before' or 'after.' The river is a miracle of presence. Each place it flows through is the place it is. The river holds its elegance regardless of the places it flows through. Though a river maintains a line of direction, it somehow turns still, fixed space into the embrace of a flowing circle of presence. It gives itself to the urgency of becoming but never at the cost of disowning its origin. It engages the world while belonging always secretly within its memory and still strives forward into the endless flow of emerging possibility.
- From John O'Donohue, "Beauty of the Invisible Embrace”




Blessing with Earth Elements: Dr. Richard Jenks, Richelle, Hugo(Marcos), Monica and Pocho

We bless this child with the elements of our common being, with earth, air, fire and water.

(Richelle-Godmother lifts a handful of earth before the child)

With earth, which is as solid as your given frame, my child, we bless you. Take care of yourself as a body; be good to yourself, for you are a good gift.

Con tierra, tan duro como tu cuerpo regalado de Dios, te bendicimos. Cuidate bien como persona, y quierete, porque este es un buen regalo.


(Marcos, standing in for Hugo-Godfather blows gently on the child's head)

With air, which is as fluctuating as your given passion, my child, we bless you. You will know sorrow and joy, rage and contentment, resentment and ecstasy. Feel your passions, my child, they are good gifts.

Con aire que siempre fluctua como tu pasion regalado, mi nino, te bendicimos. Vas a conocer tristeza, allegria, furia y tranquilidad, resentimiento y ecstasis. Sienta tus pasiones, mi nino, porque son buenos regalos.

(Pocho-Father holds a flame aloft before the child's eyes)

With fire, which is as illuminating as your given intelligence, my child, we bless you. Reason with care, test the world, and think with care, for your mind is a good gift.

Con fuego, que ilumina tan fuerte como tu inteligencia regalado, mi hijo, te bendicimos. Haga tus decisiones con cuidado, prueba el mundo, y piensa con cuidado porque tu mente es un buen regalo.

(Monica-Mother dips fingers into warm water and touches them to the crown of the child's head)

With water, which is as clear as your spirit, my child, we bless you. Grow in conscience, be rooted in good stories, and grow spiritually, for spirit too is a good gift.

Con agua, que es tan claro como tu espiritu, mi hijo, te bendicimos. Cresca con conciencia, tenga un base en historias buenas y cresca espiritualmente porque el espiritu tambien es un buen regalo.


Blessing for Ronan: Dr. Richard Jenks

"A Blessing for Equilibrium

Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,
May the music of laughter break through your soul.

As the wind wants to make everything dance,
May your gravity be lightened by grace.

Like the freedom of the monastery bell,
May clarity of mind make your eyes smile.

As water takes whatever shape it is in,
So free may you be about who you become.

As silence smiles on the other side of what's said,
May a sense of irony give you perspective.

As time remains free of all that it frames,
May fear or worry never put you in chains.

May your prayer of listening deepen enough
To hear in the distance the laughter of God.

By, John O'Donohue, from 'Benedictus – A Book of Blessing'



Closing Song: led by Laura and Monica

Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Living, Working, Helping..................

We are ________ in the light of God,
We are ________ in the light of God.

Repeat
We are _______ ooh ooh; we are _______ in the light of God.


Benediction: Dr. Richard Jenks

Thank you for being here to share in this ceremony of dedication, soul welcoming, and commitment. Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

-Amen.