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Detailed coverage by BBC, complete with photos, may be found here. Carry on.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33399642
What does this have to do with The Episcopal Church?
Answer: Fun.
It occurred in the Church of England, our sister (some say Mother) church in the Anglican Communion. Our mandate goes beyond TEC, which is something that I think that you will see in the Saturday offerings that I post. In addition to articles of interest regarding TEC, we cover the Anglican Communion and its member churches, ecumenical partners and Christianity in general.
Bro David
Is it called “christening” in England. I was taught that we christen ships, and baptize babies.
The English verb “christen” means:
1. To baptize or to receive into the Christian church by baptism.
2. To give a name to a person at baptism.
3. To name and dedicate something.
4. To make use of something for the first time.
The first of these definitions goes back to around the 900s.
The second, third and fourth definitions, to around the 1500s.
The word “christen” is rooted in the words “Christian” and “Christ.” It means “to make Christian” or “to make Christlike.” It is an apt descriptor of what happens in the rites of initiation into the Christian church.
1. In baptism, “we put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).
2. In the chrismation that follows, we are marked as Christ’s, anointed as he was (“Christ” means “Anointed One” in Greek), a la 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.
3. In the first communion that follows, we receive Christ as our food and drink, his body and blood joining us to all the other members of his body, the church (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).
Nothing wrong with the word “christen” at all! It ties together some very important experiences in the life of a Christian.
That is indeed the custom in the UK and naming the infant is part of the 1662 BCP service