Bar Barakah Ceremony We celebrate a Bar Barakah-- a Christian form of the Bar Mitzvah-- when our children have reached the age at which they can hear from God on their own, and receive a more adult-level of responsibility of accountability to God, family, and community. We are part of a family and a fellowship that cherishes our rich Hebrew tradition for the objectivity by which it gives meaning (often, as in this case, in tangible ways) to our faith. When our son turned 13 last July, we hosted his special ceremony at our home.Our celebration was unique for several reasons: we had an African version, with African dance (choreographed by me and performed by my daughter and me), drumming, and food. Rather than in a synagogue with a rabbi, the ceremony was held at our home our pastor, my husband and I, and my par
...ents, who flew in from Houston for the ceremony.
My mother, an accomplished poet, wrote wonderful liturgy and an *oriki,* a traditional (epic) poem of genealogy to extol the celebrant's family background.A young person really begins to mature in his ability to hear from God, contribute significantly to his family, his temple, and society, respond with Godly wisdom to his life circumstances, and prepare for ministry around the age of thirteen. In the Hebrew tradition, all of which is also our own spiritual heritage, he is recognized for his commitments to adult responsibility within the religious community and subsequently, his recognition as a full-fledged Jew, when he becomes bar/bat Mitzvah, or son/daughter of the covenant.We are going to recognize our young men and women for becoming Bar and Bat Barakah
sons and daughters of the blessing, and indeed, of the best covenant of the blood of Jesus.
They will now be recognized as having many of the adult responsibilities and character of more mature people of God. As our level of expectation is raised and occasionally insisted upon, so will the respect that we show them for shouldering such responsibility.We believe that young people who recognize their God-appointed purpose in life, in a timely fashion, will not feel as compelled as their peers to wander endlessly in the foolishness and insecurity that is often the path of their peers in the world. In the Yoruba (western Nigerian tribe) culture, asho ebi is worn; this is the wearing of clothes sewn from the same material for each member of the celebrating family.
- Torah essays
- Adam And Eve essays
- Baptism essays
- Catholic Church essays
- Christian essays
- Church essays
- Crucifixion Of Jesus essays
- Crusades essays
- Elizabeth essays
- Eucharist essays
- God The Father essays
- Holy Spirit essays
- Jesus Christ essays
- Lord essays
- Pope essays
- Priest essays
- Protestant Reformation essays
- Protestantism essays
- Sacrament essays
- Afterlife essays
- Atheism essays
- Bible essays
- Buddhism essays
- Christian Worldview essays
- Christianity essays
- Confession essays
- Cosmological Argument essays
- Deism essays
- Devil essays
- Existence of God essays
- Faith essays
- Freedom Of Religion essays
- God essays
- Hinduism essays
- Immortality essays
- Islam essays
- Jainism essays
- Jews essays
- Judaism essays
- Miracle essays
- Monk essays
- Monotheism essays
- New Testament essays
- Old Testament essays
- Pilgrimage essays
- Puritans essays
- Revelation essays
- Ritual essays
- Salvation essays
- Sin essays
