It's a fairly narrow topic, and one that is of concern only to those who meet the following criteria:
- You have a kid that you want to get baptized
- You belong to a church that baptizes babies
- Your relatives are coming so you want to get the kid "done"
- You think that baptizing the baby will make him/her less fussy, by an infusion of grace
- You want to pick Godparents like some people pick their wedding party - sort of a token to say that you're my friend/ best loved uncle/got drunk with me in college
So assuming you meet the above criteria, how should you go about selecting Godparents? We are in the position of having to go through this process for the fourth time in 7 years. Since we have accumulated such a vast amount of experience, I thought it only fair to share this wealth of insight with those of our readers who find themselves in need.
One of the first things that I want in a godparent for our kids is prayer. Above all else, I want our kids' godparents to be people of prayer. I think prayer is the lifelong gift which a godparent gives. Above Christmas and Easter presents, confirmation books, birthday cards or whatever else you can think of. When you choose a godparent, choose a person of prayer. I believe that the people we have chosen as godparents for our first 3 kids are, at heart, people of prayer.
Asking someone to be a godparent is not the same as asking them to have a place of honour at a banquet, or showing them in some way that you like them. It is about asking them to have an active participation in the life and growth of the child as member of the Kingdom, a disciple. It is a (hold your breath) responsibility, carried out with love, which lasts for a lifetime.
Later: horror stories from the baptismal font...things I've seen in person
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