The Work of God Displayed: June 2009

Mega blog post today. Let me start with Peyton's first time on stage at church. Enormous thanks to Jamie Hatcher for getting my video problems solved. This video is in 2 parts, so be sure to watch them in order.

Part 1

Part 2

Last night Rayna and I dedicated Peyton in front of friends and family gathered in our backyard. Thanks to Dustin Wiggins' little Mino video camera, we're able to share it with y'all. I've included the text that Rayna and I wrote for the dedication below the video in case some parts of the audio are less than clear.

Peyton's Dedication

Karl: Thanks for coming tonight. Rayna and I really appreciate each of you taking time out of your busy schedules to be here with us. The road we walked over the last year was littered with adversity, sadness, fear, grief, and loss. And yet, with each of you alongside us and God’s spirit within us, we were able to take one step, then another, and then another. We felt first-hand the power and blessing of community and living open, authentic lives. Tonight is both a testimony to that power and a celebration of that blessing.

Rayna: Tonight we are dedicating Peyton, which really is misnomer. Peyton will have no memory of the words said here. So really Karl and I are dedicating ourselves and our parenting. We want to make a series of commitments—some general, some very specific—before you, Peyton, and God for how we purpose to raise Peyton. Once said, we will invite you to join us in this journey. So let’s begin…

Karl: Peyton, we gather tonight with our family and our spiritual family to express commitments to you. We are asking God and each of them to stand as witnesses and to serve as the strength and reinforcement of these vows. Our first commitment to you is to raise you in a household that points to our risen Savior. In our activities and conversations, priorities and values, we want you to see, hear, and know the sovereign, holy, love-filled God, the crucified Son, and the transforming and empowering Spirit.

Rayna: We commit to telling the truth. Even when the truth is hard, the words that come out of our mouths will be reliable and genuine. We will not exaggerate or manipulate. We will not recycle lies like the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus or Major going off to live on a farm. We will not omit, and we will say the last five percent.

Karl: We commit to living lives of authenticity and integrity. What you see on the outside will reflect the truth of what’s going on inside us. We will own up to our many faults and imperfections. We will not hide our brokenness. Our motto will not be “Do as I say, not as I do”, but rather “Follow me, as I follow Christ.”

Karl: We commit to doing conflict well. We will not avoid or ignore conflict. We will model humility, truth, and the pursuit of reconciliation in how we fight and argue with each other and with you.

Rayna: We commit to grace. We promise to love you unconditionally, to show you unmerited favor the way God has shown it to us.

Rayna: We commit to purity. We will teach you about the sanctity of your body, mind, heart. We will work with you and for you to guard against temptations, and we will come alongside you and, with God’s strength, restore you when you fall.

Karl: We commit to rest. We will guard against over-commitment and busyness in our schedules…and yours.

Rayna: We commit to deliberate boundaries. We vow to say yes as often as we can, to say no when we must, and not just choose the easiest answer. We will lead and discipline you with clear and attainable expectations. We will let you experience the consequences of your choices.

Karl: We commit to nurturing a heart for the poor. We will expose you to different socio-economic groups, and show you in our actions and in the scriptures God’s heart for the orphan, widow, and alien—the marginalized of society.

Karl: We commit to relationships and community. We will foster and prioritize deep community in our lives. We will encourage you in settings where you can develop deep and lasting friendships. We will demonstrate solving problems in and through relationships.

Karl: We commit to servant leadership. We will not ask you to do what we are not willing to do ourselves. We will not lead by lording over you, but through relationship.

Rayna: We commit to prayer. We will bathe you in prayer, lead you in prayer, and show you what an on-going relationship with God looks like: dependency, thankfulness, intercession, submission, and praise.

Rayna: We commit to modeling and teaching stewardship. Our time, money, talents, and possessions are not ours, so we will show you how we invest them as our Savior would desire.

Karl: We commit to teaching you the entirety of God’s Word.

Karl: We commit to raising you as a Kingdom bringer and training you to live for eternity.

Karl: We commit to investing in our marriage. We will prioritize our marriage in our schedules and over our other responsibilities. We will pass along to you the heritage of a thriving marriage through good times and bad.

Rayna: We commit to pursuing and granting forgiveness, especially when we need them from you.

Karl: We commit to seeking out your strengths and giftedness. And when we find them, we will fuel them with opportunities for you to fully blossom. We will celebrate you and what God does through you.

Karl: I commit to loving Rayna by dying to myself. I will set the standard for husbandry and how men should treat you—a standard by which you will measure any man who wants your hand in marriage or even just a date.

Rayna: I commit to honoring Karl. I will show you by my actions what a Godly wife and mother looks like.

Karl: I commit to not buying a shotgun and burying your prom dates in our backyard.

Rayna: We commit to promoting a healthy body and a healthy body image.

Karl: I commit to not bringing out your baby pictures in front of your dates. On second hand, I’m not gonna make that promise because by your wedding those pictures are coming out!

Karl: I commit to training you on Excel and PowerPoint.

Rayna: I commit to teaching you how to act like a lady and still have fun.

Rayna: I commit to stretching your tastes and skills in the kitchen.

Karl: I commit to introducing you to your sweet-tooth.

Rayna: I commit to training you in the art of bargain hunting.

Rayna: I commit to training you in the art of shoe shopping.

Rayna: We commit to equipping you with the necessary life skills before we kick you to the curb.

Karl: Like how to change a flat tire and how to change your oil.

Rayna: How to vote.

Karl: How to make basic home repairs and improvements.

Rayna: How to buy a car and a house.

Karl: How to do your taxes by becoming well acquainted with your CPA.

Rayna: How to balance your checkbook.

Karl: And certainly how to squash bugs.

Karl: Lastly, I commit to teaching you how to root for the Cowboys and the Longhorns, and to impart an understanding of the game of football.

Karl: Okay, that’s our bit. Those are our commitments to Peyton. Now it’s your to turn. We are going to ask you four questions. After each, if you agree, please respond “I do”.

Karl: Do you commit to modeling Jesus to Peyton, showing her sacrificial love, grace and truth, submission and servanthood?

Rayna: Do you commit to loving Peyton, even if that means through discipline?

Rayna: Do you commit to holding us accountable to these vows we make here today, and compassionately calling us out when we drift and lose sight of them?

Karl: Do you commit to honor us as parents, upholding our values when you interact with Peyton?

Karl: We’d like to wrap up this evening by inviting whoever feels led to pray for us, for Peyton, and for this spiritual family. Remember sound gets lost outdoors, so please speak up. Don, when you feel the time is right, would you please close?

Of course, we've got to have some photos too, compliments of Jamie Hatcher and Lyndsi Parker...