There was a baby blessing in our ward today. Dad carried a little white confection to the front and about 20 guys joined him in the circle.
When the blessing was completed he forgot the all important money shot. This is when the Dad hoists the new born as high as their delicate infant bodies will allow so we can all collectively say, “Awwww!”
I feel jipped! Has there been some memo from Salt Lake telling us we can no longer do this time honored tradition? Mary, did you have somthing to do with this?
LOL, no that wouldn’t be me, that would be Kim! :)
what?? Does Kim not like that when it happens??
Nope. not at all.
I assiduously avoided holding up any one of my children. I guess I’m just humorless, or maybe prideful, but I think I wanted to show that it has nothing to do with the ordinance.
I didn’t do it because they aren’t circus acts.
spoil sport
Kim your definition of a circus act is a tad broader than mine…
Re: Circus acts
I’m basically with Kim on this one. I don’t take a bow after performing an ordination. Why would I hold up a child for the admiration of the crowd after a blessing?
On the other hand, I would offer my congratulatory handshake to the recipient of the ordination, so maybe I’m being a bit harsh.
It’s just important to separate the ordinance from what isn’t the ordinance. And when something becomes so deeply imbedded in the culture,l there’s a risk of mistaking it for a part of the ordinance.
yeah but not holding up a new baby after a blessing so the women can oooh and ahhh is like having women at a baby shower and telling them to not say a word every time a gift is opened up!!! It’s impossible!
Actually, people can admire the baby all they want. They should just do it in a different time and place. Sacrament meetings aren’t for this purpose.
In a way this is related to the “clapping” thread we had earlier.
So when someone does hold up their baby, does that take away from the ordinance that was performed? Do you think that on Judgement Day this is going to be the deal breaker?
“Do you think that on Judgement Day this is going to be the deal breaker?”
Difficult as it is, I’m going to try to believe that you’re sincere in asking this question.
Answer: No.
“So when someone does hold up their baby, does that take away from the ordinance that was performed?”
I don’t think so. But it does detract, in a way, from the Sacrament Meeting, in much the same way as if I brought my wife to the front and asked everyone to admire how beautiful she is. Or asked them to notice how handsome I am. That just isn’t what we’re there for.
I don’t think it’s a major detraction, and I never complain to people who do it. It’s just something that doesn’t add what needs to be added to the meeting.
“But it does detract, in a way, from the Sacrament Meeting, in much the same way as if I brought my wife to the front and asked everyone to admire how beautiful she is.”
I disagree. I always thought that by holding up the baby we are symbolically presenting the baby to it’s new church family… The purpose of the ordinance is to bless the baby and give them a name on the records of the church. When we welcome a new member into the ward, they stand and we sustain them. When there is a new baby, we hold them up, and don’t sustain, but we at least get the opportunity to see and welcome them in our hearts. Besides, do we have to take all of the fun and sweetness out of everything?
“[Do] we have to take all of the fun and sweetness out of everything?”
Yes.
ROFL – Kim…if me and hubby ever have the chance to run our own world…I want to make sure we’re next door to you…should make for some good tourism! ;)
Sue…I love what you said and totally agree!
As I think back on it, I don’t know if I ever really thought through, at the time of a baby blessing, whether I would be detracting from the meeting. It was really just a feeling that hadn’t been thought out. I knew it wasn’t part of the ordinance, and I felt like I didn’t want to do it. But I’ve never been upset with anyone for doing it. No, I don’t think we have to take the sweetness out of everything. But I do think we have nothing to complain about when someone doesn’t do it.
Ya, just stumbled across this and I realize its a few years old, but it piqued my interest. Where is this done? I’ve been a member all my life and have no recollection of this cultural practice in any of the baby blessings I’ve seen….or have I been consistently sleeping through sacrament meeting?
I have attended over 100 wards, jessyB, throughout Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Virtually every time a baby blessing occurred in any of these wards, the tradition Nikki described in her post occurred.
great stuff, love the theme!