(To be used at a shower, or as a stand alone blessing ritual).

In You, O God rests our hope for answered prayers.

In You Elizabeth, Mary, Rachel and Hannah entrusted the futures of their families, and You answered them—

In ’round about, unforeseen, surprising and long-awaited, comings.

Blessed be the longing that brought ___ to this place of expectation.

Creator God, you relish making all things new.

As you’ve known each of us since before we were knit in our own mothers’ womb,

we celebrate today your generous gift of life in a new way.

We praise you for the gift of prayers answered, again.

Loving God, as we prepare to welcome this baby, we pray too for his/her Mama.

We ask that ___ be filled with a peace that ‘all will be well,’

A confidence that her body will continue to care for baby as it has for the past __ months;

That she instinctively will meet the needs of this little one.

 We pray in a special way for the health of both mother and baby for a safe and healthy delivery.

Holy Spirit, You also know the gift of celebrating a growing family—

Exemplified in Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as well as the many living witnesses to holy families you have placed in our lives.

You already flourish in the_____’s family home,

we ask that your grace continue to pour down as two become three/three become four, etc.

Christ Jesus, We pray for ______ & _________,

that they might know a deep bond of love as siblings.

We ask that their love for you, their parents and one another would be life-long.

We praise you for the gift of siblings.

Gracious God, we ask that in this time of transition and growth

That you continue to strengthen and nourish the bond of love between ___ & ____.

Strengthen their marriage and cohesiveness as the number of their children grows.

Move in the lives of these spouses that they might be united in raising their children.

God of life, you are our divine parent—model of love and sacrifice.

Bless the special bond between mother and daughters/sons and the important relationship between father and daughters/sons.

Inspire ____ & ____ to continue to embody their roles as first preachers in their domestic church.

God of all, in the quiet of the night and the chaos of the day

We ask a special blessing upon _____:

Strengthen her with patience, with love, with encouragement and your Holy Spirit,

That in the midst of exciting and daunting newness, she continues to find herself deeply rooted in her identity as Beloved—both mother and child of Yours.

Amen

Katie Cassady, 2016