Lesson 9: Soul Tending Together through Catechesis and Confirmation
(see Soul Tending pgs 150-153)
Baptism is a rite of passage, and is a sign and symbol of being part of a family that transcends human boundaries. All baptized members of the Church universal is part of a family, the family of God. Through confirmation, Christians respond publicly to the promise of baptism, pledging to obey and follow Christ. In confirmation Christians say what they believe, tell the local church and the world that we profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Confirmation is like beginning a journey. It is the first step in becoming who we are in Christ, and publicly marking our intentions to be who God created us to be and to follow Christ all the days of our life.
Confirmation normally mean participating in some form of instruction. Confirmation is an in-depth exploration of the history of the church, doctrine, social principals, and the covenant story. Catechism teaches the same information through memorization of questions and responses. Both lead up to a confirmation service in which the participants confirm their faith in God by reaffirming their baptismal vows and receiving the biblical faith of their ancestors as their inheritance, as summed up in the ecumenical Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds.
By being confirmed, the participants adopt the mission statement of the particular church, and the faith which undergirds it. When a confirmand stands before the congregation affirms their baptismal vows, and receives their inheritance of faith as their own, and promises to be active in the prayers and work of the Church, it is a very big deal. When you accept the promises that God has made to you, you are claiming God’s promises for yourself. You belong to a God who loves you enough to die for you. God has given you a new identity and the strength and courage to live out that identity. God has called you to live not as a lone ranger, but in community - to live and work and laugh and serve with others. When you accept these promises and respond to them by standing before the church and the world, affirming your baptismal vows and the faith of the catholic Church (universal, and above denominationalism), your life will never be the same.
AS people prepare for confirmation, they have a special responsibility to learn the basics of the Christian faith. The point is not for them to memorize a bunch of information and pass a test. Rather, catechetical instruction is intended to help people realize what is at stake in standing before the church and confessing their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savor. This decision is not to be taken lightly, and those who are journeying to take the next step of committing their life to God should be fully informed. Confirming one’s faith is a commitment the will change the course of one’s life in ways that cannot be imagined. Studying the amazing story of faith is an opportunity to learn about the big picture of being followers of Christ Jesus and to ask plenty of questions about what it means to be Christian.
As people are confirmed in their faith and grow in the faith they have inherited and begin to own it as their own (hopefully the result of many questions and struggles), they also learn a new language. Getting involved in a new activity often involves learning new terminology. If you want to play the oboe, you need to learn to read music. Its’ hard to excel in basketball if you don’t know what a foul is. If you were moving to Paris, you would need to learn to speak French. So it is with being a Christian. The Christian language helps us to experience and live out the living faith we have inherited. Catechisms and confirmation classes help us to learn the new language, and provide a foundation for our continuous Christian formation.
Catechism and confirmation classes aren’t just for education. Meditating and reflecting on these truths of our faith deepen our experience of God and provided a bedrock of trust in difficult times. As you go through life, you will find that lessons you learned preparing for confirmation become lived out in the world around you.
PRACTICE: Read the Apostle’s Creed aloud.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and will come again to judge the living
and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and the life everlasting. Amen
What does it mean to you to proclaim these words? In what ways does this proclamation lead you to living a holy life?
HOMEWORK: (1) If you haven’t yet been confirmed (or even baptized), plan a time to talk with you pastor, campus minister, or youth leader about what is involved and what steps you need to take; (2) If you have been confirmed, keep a journal this week about ways your profession of faith in Christ makes a difference in your life; (3) Choose a question and answer from the Presbyterian Catechism to meditate on for the week (pdf versions or daily). Read it each night before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning. Look for connections between the question and answer you chose and the world around you. Write about these connection; (4) Write your own catechism question and answer. What is a question you have about faith? Do some research (including seeing what the bible has to say) and talk with some trusted mentors; (5) Memorize the Apostle’s Creed and say it every morning when you wake up as a declaration before you go about your day; (6) Ask Pastor Christian for a copy of the Book of Confessions, Book of Order, and the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship and learn more about not only the Christian faith, but this distinctive leaf on God’s greater family tree.
REFLECT: How does confirmation and studying the faith enrich and transform your life and the life of others?