This coming Sunday, our congregation will be pleased to witness the confirmation of five of our young people. They will stand before God's people to confess the faith that they have been baptized into, that they have been instructed in, and which is theirs. As they prepare for this joyous day, I thought I would put a few thoughts about confirmation into a post.
What, exactly, is confirmation? In my personal library, I have a number of books that seem to point to different answers. For some, the view is that confirmation is the primary education that young people receive in the faith. They learn about the Scriptures and about God. They learn what Jesus has done, and what He continues to do. They learn a lot of content, and when they have assented to that content, then they are confirmed.
Another view of confirmation is that of ritual. It's a rite of passage, a time in which a young person is instructed in their faith, but more importantly, at the conclusion of the ritual, they are brought into a more meaningful relationship with the congregation. For many congregations, this is the time at which the confirmands are first administered the Lord's Supper. They pass through the ritual in order to receive this gift of God's grace.
Yet another view is that of responsibility. Up until the time of confirmation, the young person faith is the responsibility of the parents or guardians. They are the ones who see to it that the young person is brought to instruction, and brought to worship, and raised up in the faith. But once the young person is confirmed, they assume that responsibility for their own. Instead of relying upon mom and dad to nurture their faith life, they assume that responsibility on their own. Not independent of the rest of the congregation, but they bear the primary responsibility.
Is there a right answer in these different views? Is there a wrong answer? In my experience, I see a little bit of each of these going on with confirmation. I don't believe that confirmation instruction should rely solely upon the pastor or the teacher, but takes place throughout the life of the young one. Sunday School, worship, youth group and activities, all of these are geared toward the nurture of the faith. But perhaps most importantly, the family is the center at which the majority of this nurturing takes place.
Then, the students go through a period to ensure that what they know and believe is in line with the Bible. They learn and memorize Bible verses and portions of Luther's Small Catechism in our tradition. Typically, the pastor or another faith-grounded individual leads a period of instruction to ensure that they believe according to the Scriptures.
Then, as this time is brought to a close, the students are ready and equipped to take responsibility for the continued nurture of their faith life. It isn't a graduation, but rather, an acknowledgement that they have the tools to continue to grow. They leave their father and their mother, in a sense, and assume the primary responsibility for their continued growth. True, they still rely on their family a lot, just like they still rely upon the congregation for their nurture. But now the responsibility falls on their shoulders. They are ready to claim the faith, to declare it their own, and to ensure that they continue to grow.
Thoughts? Differences? Comments? All are welcome.
What, exactly, is confirmation? In my personal library, I have a number of books that seem to point to different answers. For some, the view is that confirmation is the primary education that young people receive in the faith. They learn about the Scriptures and about God. They learn what Jesus has done, and what He continues to do. They learn a lot of content, and when they have assented to that content, then they are confirmed.
Another view of confirmation is that of ritual. It's a rite of passage, a time in which a young person is instructed in their faith, but more importantly, at the conclusion of the ritual, they are brought into a more meaningful relationship with the congregation. For many congregations, this is the time at which the confirmands are first administered the Lord's Supper. They pass through the ritual in order to receive this gift of God's grace.
Yet another view is that of responsibility. Up until the time of confirmation, the young person faith is the responsibility of the parents or guardians. They are the ones who see to it that the young person is brought to instruction, and brought to worship, and raised up in the faith. But once the young person is confirmed, they assume that responsibility for their own. Instead of relying upon mom and dad to nurture their faith life, they assume that responsibility on their own. Not independent of the rest of the congregation, but they bear the primary responsibility.
Is there a right answer in these different views? Is there a wrong answer? In my experience, I see a little bit of each of these going on with confirmation. I don't believe that confirmation instruction should rely solely upon the pastor or the teacher, but takes place throughout the life of the young one. Sunday School, worship, youth group and activities, all of these are geared toward the nurture of the faith. But perhaps most importantly, the family is the center at which the majority of this nurturing takes place.
Then, the students go through a period to ensure that what they know and believe is in line with the Bible. They learn and memorize Bible verses and portions of Luther's Small Catechism in our tradition. Typically, the pastor or another faith-grounded individual leads a period of instruction to ensure that they believe according to the Scriptures.
Then, as this time is brought to a close, the students are ready and equipped to take responsibility for the continued nurture of their faith life. It isn't a graduation, but rather, an acknowledgement that they have the tools to continue to grow. They leave their father and their mother, in a sense, and assume the primary responsibility for their continued growth. True, they still rely on their family a lot, just like they still rely upon the congregation for their nurture. But now the responsibility falls on their shoulders. They are ready to claim the faith, to declare it their own, and to ensure that they continue to grow.
Thoughts? Differences? Comments? All are welcome.
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