Suggestions for reading at Christening...

[Wilkie]

Am having my 6 month old son christened and want a couple of nice readings that family members can read out.

I am not particularly religious so don't want anything too religious more nice words about love and our child etc etc.

Any suggestions? Minister is happy for it not to be from the bible or gospels.

Hate to ask the question, but why are you having your child Christened if you're not religious?

Having said that - here are some suggestions:

Infancy by W. H. Davies ( from The Bird of Paradise )

Baby Song by Thom Gunn ( from Jack Straw?s Castle )

Infant Joy or The Lamb by William Blake ( from Songs of Innocence )

I spoke to the Minister about this and he said he would welcome any one into the church to celebrate the birth of their baby with a christening. I like the tradition and my son will have a christian upbringing as both my DH and I have christian values even if we don't attend church!

Thank you for your suggestions, I will have a look.

Fair point, just being nosy I suppose - the William Blake poems are nice - especially if you are living to Christian values.

There's also the passage from Kahlil Gibran's - The Prophet,

And a whoman who held a babe against her bosom said,

• Speak to us of children!

And he said:
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come trough you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of to-narrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the Archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.