Liturgy On The Occasion Of A Birthday

The following liturgy may be used in small or large family celebrations or in gatherings of the larger worshiping community. Adapt to local needs and customs.

Gathering

Leader: My dear friends, today is a special day in the life of our family, for on this day we celebrate the birth of [Name]. Let us begin by giving thanks to God Almighty.

Let us pray. Father, we praise you for every perfect gift that comes from above. You have gifted us with [Name]. Now we bless you for his/her presence in our family. Grant, we pray you, that your blessing may rests upon him/her all the days of his/her life. Amen.

The Scripture Readings

Reader 1: A reading from Ecclesiastes:

"?To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace?" (3:1–8). This is the word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God.

Reader 2: A reading from the Gospel according to John:

"?There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, '?Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.?' Jesus answered and said to him, '?Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.?' Nicodemus said to him, '?How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born??' Jesus answered, '?Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, '?You must be born again.?' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit?" (3:1–8). This is the word of the Lord. Response: Thanks be to God.

The Presentation of Gifts

(The gifts may now be brought.)

Leader: [Name], these gifts are tokens of the love and esteem we have for you. Before you open them, we wish to express our love to you in words. Each of us has thought of something about you that we appreciate. We want to acknowledge you in this way.

(Each person may now state a positive characteristic of the person whose birth is being celebrated by saying: I like or I appreciate .)

The Prayer of Dedication

Leader: Let us dedicate [Name] to the Lord.

Father, we dedicate [Name] to your service. We ask that his/her life may bring glory to your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Response: Amen. (The gifts may now be opened and the cake shared by all.)