Bridger held Bill's hand the entire service. When we first arrived at the UU Church, Bill was the first person we met. He grabbed Bridger out of my arms and introduced him to every person he bumped into. As I set out to do the same, people approached me to say, "I know your son Bridger, now what is your name?" He precedes me already.
Rose give to Brider as a sign of new life.
Bridger was also introduced to all the children of the congregation during the ceremony. They promised to help Bridger learn and to be his friend. So precious!
Sunday, January 18, we had Bridger dedicated at the UU Church in Bloomington. Wondering what a dedication is? Here is a brief synopsis: It is a simple ritual where a family commits themselves to raise their child in the grace of liberal religious principles and values. Most Unitarian Universalists do not baptize their children because of the common association of the practice with the "washing away" of "original sin" - a concept in which few Unitarian Universalists believe. More commonly in this tradition, we have a ceremony by which we dedicate the child to the community and the community to the child, and during which, we mark the formal naming of the child [Ann Jacobson, 1996]. Unitarian Universalists believe that every child brings new life and hope into the world. We set aside a special time, called simply the Ceremony of Dedication, for the community to bless the child and celebrate the blessing of this gift of life. We affirm the dignity and individuality of the child, as we proclaim the child's unique place in the community of humankind.
Anyway, the ceremony was wonderful and sermon even better. First, Bridger was introduced to the congregation as all the children within it sat below to witness the ritual. Word has it that when we arrived on "stage" and turned around to see the crowd, gasps were heard as people oooed and ahhed over how cute Bridger is. When the shock wore off, the ceremony went on. Bill Breeden is the male reverend and MaryAnn Macklin is the female reverend.
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