Reformation Sunday Baptism

Baby Pear was baptized yesterday, and we had no idea it was Reformation Sunday until the pastor announced it!

At six and a half weeks Baby Pear was baptized. We chose this particular Sunday because it was the one Sunday her grandma would be visiting us from over 2000 miles away. It was a beautiful service, and we were joined by our sweet neighbors and Baby Pear's godmother who is also a dear friend and the mom of Miss Pear's best friend!

Baby was baptized in a traditional christening gown made from Mr. Pear's mom's wedding dress.

While this might seem a bit over the top, christening gowns are tradition in both our families.

Miss Pear was baptized in the christening gown that I was baptized in. It was made by my grandma, and the reason that mine was new was that my mom was not the first born, so the family dress was not handed down to her. As an only child, my dress automatically got handed down to me. After Miss Pear's baptism the gown was preserved and placed in her hope chest.

Baby Pear could have been baptized in the same dress, or we could have borrowed Mr. Pear's family one (being a younger son, the gown was not handed down to him either). But this seemed kind of disappointing to me. And so we began casting around for ideas until my MIL volunteered to make it. We were thrilled. Baby's dress will be preserved and be the start of her hope chest as well.

So both girls had special dresses.

Baptism is so much more than tradition, it is the dedication of our child to God, the claiming of His promises for her, and the promise to do all possible under the power of the Holy Spirit to raise our her for Him. Our church family makes promises to help us. Our girls will need to one day make a decision for themselves. But on Sunday we gave our youngest to the Lord and she was welcomed into her church family.

So while both girls were baptized at six and a half weeks (I was baptized at 2 weeks, my husband around 8 weeks), and in family gowns, the tradition is nice, but not the most important.

We have prayed that true revival will start in our families with our little nuclear family. That the grandparents and aunts and uncles will move from tradition to real relationships, and that there will be godly generations to follow, with no one left out. So the fact that Sunday was Reformation Sunday seemed very special to us because we have essentially been praying for reformation in our families.