When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy ... John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, "Bless the Lord God of Israel because he has come to help and has delivered his people. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David's house, just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago." -Luke 1:57-80
Rites of passage come in many forms and are sacred thresholds into new and uncharted territory. These special, sometimes once-in-a-lifetime moments, when surrounded in words and acts of blessing, provide us with courage and assurance that we are not alone and that our next steps are anointed and held by God.