Notes for Baptism Customary — with Mark's Edits (2016)

Notes for Baptism Customary

August 23, 2016

In the week prior to a scheduled baptism, the MC for that service notifies the following servers that there is a baptism and invites them to join the presider for a pre-service walk-through:

MC

Thurifer

EM1

EM2

Deacon

At 9 am baptisms, the walk-through will begin at 8:20 or as soon thereafter as practical. At 11:15 baptisms, the walk-through will begin at 10:30.

At the walkthrough, the presider welcomes the family and godparents and introduces servers.

After the sermon and a moment of silence and stillness, the altar party moves into the Prayers of the People position, and the family/ies come forward. The families will have been instructed to stand in a “choir” position, facing each other rather than with their backs to the congregation.

At the words “let us now pray for this person who is to receive the sacrament of new birth,” the presider steps aside and the Thurifer leads the baptismal party to the fond. The deacon, MC and EM2 follow the baptismal party, inviting other family members in the front pews to join the procession. [Unless the deacon is carrying the paschal candle (?), in which case s/he follows the thurifer before the candidates and families. This could happen occasionally, right, when the paschal candle is up front – not just the Great Vigil? In other words, we would always process the candle to the font if it is not already there?] The presider hands his/her book to the EM1, who uses it to chant the Prayers for the Candidate in procession.

All gather around the font, with the family facing the altar and the presider on the west side of the font. The EM1 continues to hold the presider’s book. The Deacon (or MC) hands the ewer of water to the presider at the words “We thank you father, for the water of Baptism….” The EM2 assists in drying the newly baptized, using towels placed back by the font before the service.

Following the water bath, the MC lights the baptismal candle from the paschal candle and hands it to the presider, who in turn gives it to the family. (OR should the MC give the presider an unlit candle to light from the paschal candle?) [I think it should be the presider. The only challenge will be getting her/him to the paschal candle from her/his spot to the west of the font. But that’s do-able with a little fore thought.]

Aperges follows, and the altar party and baptismal party moves to the front. Family members may return to their pews; the newly baptized, parents, and godparents resume their position in the front of the church.

In full sight of the congregation, the presider anoints the newly baptized, “marked as Christ’s own forever,” and then says the prayer “Heavenly Father, we thank you…joy and wonder in all your works.” [Does this mean the chrism is placed on the credence table, rather than near the font, before the service? I don’t think we want to be carrying the chrism up front after the baptism. If it is to be on the credence table, we need to make sure the sacristan’s manual reflects that.]

The presider then says: “Let us welcome the newly baptized” and all pray: “We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.”

[*NOTE: the above prayer MUST be printed in the bulletin. It comes just before the Peace*.]

The exchange of peace follows, and the service continues as any other Sunday except that the newly baptized is censed during the offertory.