oh Lord...oh lordy...

Hm. I was in a bit of a moral pickle about becoming niece Maddie's god-father but came through that with fibre intact and an interpretation of the religious gunk I was at peace with. So, when asked to do a reading at at a christening for a friends new bub I, of course, said it would be a pleasure and an honour and they assured me that the piece would not be too relgious. A reading, they called it. I am, after all and as anyone who knows me knows, not a card carrying god-botherer; far from it, in fact. So, here is the reading that, when it arrived, was described by the mother of bub as 'more of a prayer really'.

Let us pray for [bub]

O God our heavenly father, we pray that your Holy spirit may rest upon [bub] and dwell in him forever. Keep him we ask you, under your fatherly care and protection; guide him and sanctify him in body and soul. Grant that he may grow in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man.

Abundantly enrich him with your heavenly grace; bring him safely through the perils of childhood, deliver him from the temptations of youth, and lead him in due time to witness and persevere in all these things to the end; through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

I will surely burn in hell* for this one. And those in the congregation who know me will either piss themselves or never talk to my hypocritical arse again. Stitched up like a kipper. I blame the parents.

*luckily I believe in neither a literal heaven of hell. I hope I keep a straight face when I do this, sheesh.