April 22, 2012 - Rites of Passage
Hello Families,
This Sunday at 9:15, families begin in worship and after Time for All Ages, will be sung out to their Faith Development explorations. There is Playschool as usual for children up to age 4. Children in grades 5 and older come to the 11 AM service for our annual Coming of Age Worship.
This is a beloved and sacred service when youth are given the honor of delivering a credo from the pulpit. You are not only encouraged to be a part of this as a beloved church member, but you are encouraged to bring your child as well. While some of this ceremony may seem abstract to children, it is valuable for them to experience the energy and meaning that surrounds this rite of passage. In this way, they gradually grow into their own moment of readiness to share a credo – what they have given their heart to.
For those who would like a little help in talking to your child about what this special service and moment is all about, this is our Unitarian Universalist coming of age rite of passage. I often explain it this way:
Rites of passages are times when something changes in a person’s life and there is often a ceremony or celebration to mark the occasion. These ceremonies are held to observe a person's entry into a new stage of life and can be anything from a high school graduation ceremony or a birthday party, to a funeral. Most rites help people to understand their new role in community. Â
There are many, many rites of passage in our lives and some are considered to be more significant than others. There are five times that are considered to be the most significant times of change. These rites are: Birth, Leaving childhood and becoming an adolescent, Leaving home, Weddings, Death/Funerals.
Our Coming of Age experience is the culmination of many years of learning, interpersonal explorations, and spiritual reflection.  It is a time when youth speak out loud the ways that they seek peace in their hearts, love in their relationships, and inspiration for their purpose in the world.
Let us look forward to this Sunday and embrace the moment when each of us surrounds these youth in a circle of affirmation and love.
In faith,
Anne
