what do you do with godparents?

Most of us in this branch of the Christian family have them.  Or we have asked people to be godparents to our children.  So we either choose godparents for our children, or perhaps we have been asked to be godparents, and then the connection is lost after the morning of the baptism.  So let me share just one little tradition which has grown up in the Felix clan over the past several years:  "godparent parties".  We had one this afternoon. 

Over the past several years we have had a number of godparent parties.  These get togethers are opportunities for us as a family, and as an extended Christian family ("church") to celebrate the goodness and love of God in the lives of each of our kids.  So this afternoon we had a celebration:  a big old feast, interspersed with prayer, and singing, and games, and fun.  We try to have one on an anniversary of a baptism, or as close to the date as possible. 

While families often have "rituals" and traditions which grow up or are inherited (there was always a certain kind of food when the playoffs came in our house), we should also find space for the spiritual traditions and rituals which remind us of Jesus' call on our lives, and of his love for each of our children.  If you are a parent or a godparent, I suggest that you give it a try.  Get together, pray, sing or do whatever it is that fits.  If you are a godparent, it is one simple way of starting to fulfill your promise that you would help this child grow up in faith.  And if you are a parent, let me know of any other such family traditions which you have used to hand on the faith.  I'd like to start collecting some resources around "Christian parenting."

Comments

[Donald]

Although this doesn't relate to what to do with godparents, it does have some bearing on the whole idea of godparenting.

St. Paul Fort Garry, in Winnipeg, where I am currently doing my placement is starting to incorporate parish godparents into the baptism equation. The family is still able to choose godparents in the traditional sense, but in addition the newly baptized individual is connected with a member of the parish who will fulfill some of the formation aspects of godparenting as well as providing a lasting link with the parish after the rest of the godparents have disappeared from the scene, if such be the case.