Celebration of Manhood and Womanhood (Rite 13)

In our society, the line between childhood and adulthood is often a fuzzy one. Unlike other cultures, we don’t have formalized rites of passage that define the points along the path to adulthood. We need ways to tell our young people they are making progress; they are growing and learning; they are becoming adults. The Journey to Adulthood program that we use attempts to do just that.

During the regular 10:30 service on Sunday, May 18, we will celebrate an important Rite of Passage with eleven of our teens. This liturgy is formally called The Celebration of Manhood and Womanhood, but is more well-known as "Rite-13" since it takes place near the candidate’s 13th birthday-much like a bar mitzvah.

During the ceremony, we recognize the gift of womanhood or manhood that God bestows on each one of us. This is a gift from God that we cannot earn and need not prove. This gift is the essence of who we are. As we grow and mature in the journey to adulthood, our knowledge and skills increase, but the magical core of who we are remains the same.

The teenagers we will celebrate and recognize on May 18th are:

Eliza McLeod
Christopher Latimer
Jack Constantine
George Segee-Wright

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare. Please plan to be with us to witness this important event on Sunday, October 21st during the 10:30 service.

(Posted May 1, 2008 by bmenk)