Vows: Church Membership

Vows for Admission of persons to Sealing Ordinances:

1.    Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?

2.    Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?

3.    Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?

4.    Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?

5.    Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

On xx September 1979, I answered these questions affirmatively when I joined Chalcedon Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA.   I believe it was a transfer of church membership from St James Anglican Church, Atlanta, GA, where I was confirmed on 8 March 1970 (age 11y11m).

Wedding Vows

Not very often do I swear (or make an oath). Perhaps my first was when I was confirmed in 1971. Then when I married in 1980. Later still when our daughters were baptised. I've never been on the witness stand, but I have been sworn in as a juror. At any rate, today I'm posting wedding vows: ones similar to what I expect DD#2 to make on August 30, 2008, deo volente.

Some people write their own. Ours were taken from the Book of Church Order (PCA). It's good to re-read these from time to time.

D-, wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband, to live with him after God's commandments in the holy estate of marriage? And wilt thou love him, cherish and obey him, so long as ye both shall live?

I, D, take, thee, K, to be my wedded husband, and I do promise and covenant before God and these witnesses to be thy loving and faithful wife in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, as long as we both shall live.

There was a *short* sermon based on 1 Peter 3:1-7 at our ceremony years ago.

What do you remember about your wedding ceremony?

Baptism

Sunday, December 9, 1984
















Here's a family photo taken after church on the day of our first child's baptism. I thought of it because this weekend I've been addressing Christmas cards and we included this picture that year...exactly 23 years ago.

I like to re-listen to a recording of what the minister actually said. We have audio from two of the our four baptisms. I'm not sure how/why we're missing two.

No doubt you recognize these promises:

Acts 2:39

For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.

Gen 17:7

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.

Acts 16:31

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.

Then we were asked the following questions to which we answered affirmatively:

1) Do you acknowledge your child's need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?

2) Do you claim God's covenant promises in her behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for her salvation, as you do for your own?

3) Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before her a godly example, that you will pray with and for her, that you will teach her the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all means of God's appointment, to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?



I dont remember much about the service after that because I think she and I exited for a feeding.

After church we traditionally had dinner together, and this Sabbath was no different. Grandma had come over from Charleston, SC, and we were living with my folks, so they were there. Usually I remember Sunday dinners right down to the very last detail, but in this case I only recall the Haagen-Dazs ice cream cake we had for dessert. Yum!

Here she is now....with her father :)















Ps 147:1 Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

Ps147:11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.


What do you know about your baptism?

Baptism

This third Sunday in September is the anniversary Sunday of DD#2's baptism.

The ceremony was a part of the worship service at Chalcedon Presbyterian Church in Atlanta GA where J C Morecraft III was/is the minister. Although we were living in Gadsden, AL, at the time, we had spent the previous two weeks in Atlanta visiting family, as your maternal great-grandmother had died on September 2, 1986. So, before returning home, we prepared for this special day.

You wore a beautiful white gown handmade by Peggy Schilling.
*I keep trying to upload photo here, but blogger is not cooperating*


I wore a Laura Ashley dress which I now think makes me look frumpy. A family photo was made and used in the 1986 Christmas card.

It would be neat to find a program from the service and figure out which hymns were sung and which Scripture exposited. Edit: I found a tape of the sermon delivered that day and relistened to the *Call to Constancy* based on Heb 6:9-20, part of a series.

Here's what I do know was read: three covenant promises after we had been instructed on the institution, nature, use, and ends of the sacrament of baptism.

1) For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him. Acts 2:39
2) And I will establish my covenant between me and then and thy see after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. Gen 17:7
3) Believe on the Lord Jesus, and though shalt be saved, thou and thy house. Acts 16:31

Here are the questions proposed to your parents, all of which were answered affirmatively:

1) Do you acknowledge your child's need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?
2) Do you claim God's covenant promises in her behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for her salvation, as you do for your own?
3) Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before her a godly example, that you will pray with and for her, that you will teach her the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all the means of God's appointment, to bring her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

After the service we had a big Sunday dinner at Cochise as was our custom. There were a few extra guests. Grandma and Grandpa Jago had driven over from Charleston, SC for the celebration.

The menu was Baked Pork Chops, Rice, Layered Salad, and Lemon-cheese Cake.

June 8, 1958














This photo was taken after Sunday dinner, on the day of my baptism. There are probably a number of stories which could be told about this day, but I am going to allow the picture to speak its *thousand words.*

I do want thank my folks for their covenant faithfulness demonstrated by having me baptised as an infant. It was indeed a special time with longterm consequences.

See all the ladies wearing hats?

All the different styles of hats is my favorite part of this photo. I am the baby on the far left in the lap of my paternal grandmother. That's my older brother in the lap of my maternal grandfather. Both of those grandparents died within two years of this event.

I am named after my father (tall guy behind me) and my maternal grandmother's maiden name (seated lady front extreme right).

There are two sets of godparents pictured.

There are three sets of sisters in the picture, too.