What do you say when you dedicate a baby? Or baptize one, depending on your tradition? What might God be trying to say through that ceremony? What passages of scripture might be appropriate to share?
I was asked to do a baby dedication recently and was thinking through these questions. My wife Janet went to visit her mother, who keeps up on things going on in our lives, and her mother asked about the baby. This particular baby had been named Trinity. Janet’s mom thought about that and responded, “Trinity. What an interesting name. She’s going to be asked about how she got that name, and that’s going to give her an opportunity to explain about God.”
That observation triggered the idea for me that Trinity may grow up to become more of an evangelist by the very nature of her name… one who is poised to share the good news with others. In biblical times, names meant a lot. They were often connected to a prophetic picture of what the child’s future could be.
Janet’s mother’s perspective on Trinity’s name helped me prepare for her dedication. I prayed through what God might want me to say on this occasion and was grateful to be open to receiving guidance from an unexpected source. It was a good reminder that God speaks to in all kinds of ways… sometimes even through our very names.