Full Church for Family Baptism

It was a joy to welcome Nick and Tracey Holland, their large Marson family and many friends from far and near, to celebrate the baptism of their baby son Sebastian during our morning service last Sunday. The church was filled to capacity as our minister, the Revd Mark Lawrence assisted by his wife Carolyn welcomed everyone most warmly. Accompanied by Neil and Jill Barnett on the organ and keyboard, we sang our opening hymn the well-known chorus of which is “Then sings my soul, My Saviour God to Thee, How great thou art! How great Thou art!” Mark led us in a prayer of thanksgiving for all that God has bestowed on us in our earthly lives.

Our New Testament lesson from chapter 18 of St Matthew’s gospel was read by Victoria Marson. To the question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a child into the midst of them and said, “unless you change and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven and the greatest is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child and whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this welcomes me”. Mark then led us into the baptism of Sebastian as he baptised the child supported by the chosen Godparents and to our acclamation.

Carolyn Lawrence led our prayer for others after we sang a lively chorus “Great, great, brill, brill” and then Margaret Maxwell read the Old Testament lesson from Psalm 103 which speaks of the love of God. Mark directed our thoughts to the need for faith and trust in Jesus in his short address beginning with his own personal experiences and concluding with an appeal that we seek to ask Jesus into our lives. We sang “Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy one is here” as we moved into the Service of Holy Communion, the elements of bread and wine being administered by Mark and Carolyn assisted by Keith and Jill Harrison. We concluded a wonderful act of worship as we sang with great power“ Lord the light of your love is shining” followed by the blessing.