Sacred Pause
Life in Christ, from Holy Baptism to the threshold of young adulthood
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By the Rev. John Jenkins
At every Baptism, the child’s immediate family and Godparents vow to bring up the child “in the Christian faith and life.” Moments later, the congregation vows to “do all in [their] power to support these persons in their life in Christ.” The congregation then share in renewing their own baptismal convent alongside those making it for the first time (and those making it on their behalf). We then administer water three times in the Trinitarian formula, “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” followed by the laying of hands on the candidate’s forehead, marking the sign of the cross with sanctified oil, and saying, “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism, and marked as Christ’s own forever” (The Book of Common Prayer, Holy Baptism). These vows are about intentionally orienting the life of our children into the life of Christ Jesus. The symbols and signs proclaim that through Christ, we are soaked in God’s love and named God’s own, God’s beloved, made children of God. From that point forward, as families in the community of the church, we strive to honor these vows to form and support our children in their life in Christ. The life of the church, therefore, is very much about remembering our true identity and supporting one another on the journey. For our children, growing up is full-time formation. They are immersed day by day in the hands-on experience of learning how to become adult humans. Most of that formation happens by observing and absorbing the behaviors, attitudes, and habits of parents and other family. Their mind and body is trained in particular ways by schooling, but their character and personality grow primarily from daily life within the family, where the “how” of living continuously happens in real time and under real conditions. In essence, every day we show young people how to be… [fill in the blank]! How to love. How to care. How to trust. How to forgive. How to say yes or say no. How to be when in pain. How to listen and share. And while we may attend church with some regularity, the faith formation that matters most is absorbed and taught in the home. How to be faithful. How to pray. How to be compassionate, virtuous, kind. How to love. How to know and love Jesus Christ. How to serve. How to see others. How to speak to and of God. In short, how to be the people God created us to be. 18
Will Stanley
ast summer, St. Stephen’s Church introduced a new way to pause and acknowledge a momentous threshold in the life of our young people. We called the event “Sacred Pause.” But before saying more about it, I’m going to begin at the beginning of the journey that leads to that threshold.
Last year’s ‘Sacred Pause’
All of this formation accumulates more rapidly than parents can believe! Suddenly, the child we baptized is graduating from high school. Many choose to pursue higher education and some choose other paths forward, but the end of secondary education for all is a monumental transition into a new phase of life: young adulthood. It is a time for the church to pause and mark as sacred this momentous threshold in young people’s journey to adulthood. It is a time for a sacred pause to mark the occasion in God’s presence, to pray together in thanksgiving, and as a community of believers to bestow on these young people God’s blessing and assurances. Last summer’s Sacred Pause, we must recall, took place after the most irregular senior year in living memory. Prior to the event, seniors were invited to craft private prayers to bring with them. These prayers reflected on what needed to be said and offered to God in the midst of the pandemic. When we gathered outdoors for a special service of Celtic Eucharist, they placed their prayers on the altar as their offering. We burned the prayers and each graduate as well as parents and siblings were invited to add incense to the fire as the prayers burned and rose in fragrant smoke toward heaven. At the end of the service, after sharing Holy Communion, we spoke words of blessing for all our graduates, those present and absent, and sent them on their way with our love and the faith we proclaimed at their Baptism: remember always that you are God’s beloved and marked as Christ’s own forever. We look forward to renewing this tradition with this year’s graduating seniors in May or June. In the meantime, remember your vows to the Most High God, remember your true identity in Christ Jesus, and help one another along the journey of life, most especially our children and youth. SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
