Opening Words
Jeff LiebmannAlso appropriate as
Bridging Ceremony
The Bridging Ceremony celebrates the transition of our youth from their high school experience into young adulthood. It is a time of tremendous change—and stress—for our youth. It is a time when many of them will leave our particular church community to travel to other cities, into higher education, into careers, and possibly into new families.
The Bridging Ceremony is a rite of passage that welcomes these bright and energetic people into the rewards and responsibilities of adult life. The bridge has two sides. One is childhood and adolescence, where they have become leaders and role models for their younger friends and acquaintances. The other side is a scary and vast frontier of the unknown, full of boundless opportunities and new challenges. We, the adult members of this church community, also stand on the other side. We stand on the other side with our arms open to welcome them, our minds prepared to mentor and learn from them, and our hearts prepared to share life together with them.
Source: Original
Copyright: The author has given Unitarian Universalist Association member congregations permission to reprint this piece for use in public worship. Any reprints must acknowledge the name of the author.
Last updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.
