Confirmation Devotion: Precious People - 1 Peter 4:16

1 Peter 4:16                However, do not be ashamed if you suffer for being a Christian; instead, praise God that you bear Christ’s name!

            This Sunday, four of our young people will go through the rite of Confirmation at church and publicly declare their faith in Jesus. They are very bright young people and each of them have prepared Faith statements about their Christian beliefs. They have been nurtured spiritually by their families and our congregation, so the whole event will be both a sacred and special time for all of us.

            They are all deep thinkers which is what Presbyterians are known for. However, they are also Presbyterians in the Bible Belt, which is not always easy to practice. Some of them have been have been confronted and demeaned by their evangelical peers, who seem to take great delight in telling them that they are not going to Heaven simply because they are Presbyterians. It must be very hard for our young people during those moments, but they are all strong in their faith and know who they actually are in Christ’s eyes. One day, each of them will become leaders in our church. They have a great potential and we all feel both honored and deeply privileged to have them among us.

            When Peter was writing about the sufferings that Christians were experiencing in his time, he was reminding them that to follow Christ was never easy. During those dangerous times, Christians were persecuted by both Imperial and religious authorities. They were regarded as seditionists whose beliefs were thought to be corrupt and shameful. They were hunted down and arrested, humiliated and executed for believing in a religious fanatic who had been crucified for his criminal behavior.

            I wonder what Peter would have thought of today’s Christians who bait and provoke one another, causing our young people to reject the church? I think that he may have been both disappointed and righteously angry by our pride and arrogance, our heartlessness and hostility. Perhaps it is time to re-learn our faith from our young people; perhaps it is time to seriously rethink about our divisive ways. I know that I have been guilty of this, too. I know that I need to reconsider that how I express myself as a Christian is more important to our young folks than what I actually have to say.

Questions for personal reflection

How do I convey my Christian faith to those around me? Is my witness to Christ effective or aggressive?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, the world is constantly changing and our young people are the most precious gifts that You bring to our churches. Help us all to support them in their faith journeys, to nurture them spiritually, and to encourage them faithfully, so that they may develop their Christian beliefs in productive and positive ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to make comments or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “After the Fire.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/14077009816_c339a8caf4_b.jpg

Confirmation devotion: Confirming the Covenant - Exodus 24:7

Exodus 24:7   Then Moses took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."

            I love the aspect of Confirmation that takes place in Exodus 24. God has provided for the people through the blessings of deliverance, sustenance, and providence. They are beginning a new journey in the history of God’s people – a journey that will lead them eventually to the Promised Land. Moses has brought the Law to the people and given them beautiful rites in order to serve and worship God. It’s an historic time in the lives of the Jewish people. It’s a deeply significant and highly spiritual moment for the whole community.

            In the Presbyterian Church, Confirmation is the sealing of a beautiful process which begins with baptism. Years before Confirmation, parents bring their beloved child before God to be baptized before the holy community and make promises to bring up that child in the Christian faith. More than a decade later, usually around their first Senior High year, that same child confirms the promises which were made by her or his parents. It’s a beautiful sealing of a sacred and solemn ceremony. It’s a time of God’s grace and goodness upon the child.

            The start of Senior High is a major and daunting step in the life of any young person. There are many new challenges and changes to experience; there are some exciting times ahead and new responsibilities to encounter. In the midst of all of these social, cultural, peer, and educational changes, it’s wonderful to celebrate a deep spiritual rite which allows the child of God to become a confident, blessed, and beloved young person in the Church. Like the Hebrew people of old in Moses time, it becomes a sealing of a special covenant. It’s also the start of a new journey, not just of schooling, physicality, and emotions, but one grounded in Christian faith.

Questions for personal reflection

When did I experience a time of Confirmation? How did that special moment bring me closer to God?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are always with us from the day we are born to the time after we die. Your presence guides and encourages us at any stage in life or rite of passage. We thank You for the sacred blessings and holy covenants of faith that are graciously given and spiritually sealed in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully and thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s Lent drawings for 2013. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8089/8476883057_ab5a9f9d78_b.jpg