Mtr Taylor Devine

Dear friend,

Today we reflect on this portion of Psalm 105:
8He has always been mindful of his covenant, *

the promise he made for a thousand generations:

9The covenant he made with Abraham, *

the oath that he swore to Isaac,

10Which he established as a statute for Jacob, *

an everlasting covenant for Israel,

11Saying, "To you will I give the land of Canaan *

to be your allotted inheritance.”

-Psalm 105: 8-11

My nephew Abraham is an important young man in my life, now a big 11 year old, Abe was my first nephew. Lucky for me, he and my parents are visiting us in Tucson for a long weekend! Look out for a very fast boy on Sunday, likely to be running wherever he goes! When Abe was born I learned the power of Aunt-love, and my sister asked me to be his Godmother. This was an important moment in my faith journey, I wondered, could I make the promises that I was being asked to make? Can I take on the claims of the faith enough to share it, and those Baptismal Covenant promises-are any of us able to claim and be claimed by those? I said yes, of course, and over the years have been a more or less attentive Godmother, always room to grow!

The vocation of Godparent is a truly special one, it honors the intergenerational and mutually-discipling nature of our Christian faith. When Abe was baptized I remember “Ms. Nancy,” a beloved member of Saint Paul’s, Salem, Va, who had supported the children's program for her whole adult life, saying “Epiphany! What a lovely day for a baptism.” I had no idea what she meant at the time. In January this year I had the distinct joy of Baptizing an adult, Suzanne, on Epiphany, and to join in the chorus of “Ephiphany! What a lovely day for a baptism.” It was especially poignant to me that her Godmother, Marion, was claiming a new vocation as well. It is a powerful thing to say, “I will, with God’s help.” 

A remaining hard question that I ponder each year as the anniversary of Abe’s Baptism comes around, is how do you explain to a child who his namesake is, what with the complexities of Sarah and Hagar, it doesn’t just roll off the tongue. This year I think I might finally have an age-appropriate answer. God made a promise to Abraham that God kept, through all the generations, with ordinary people, to be in relationship with us in a way God does not have to be but that changes the world forever.

Do you have any favorite practices you have shared as a Godparent?

In Christ,
Mtr. Taylor