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

Devotion - Cosmic Collision - Genesis 15:5

Genesis 15:5   God took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then He said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

I’ve just read a fascinating article about an inter-galactic collision that will take place 4 billion years from now between our own Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy. Billions upon billions of stars will either collide or closely pass by one another over a time period of more than a billion years. The article is based upon a study that NASA has released; to even think about such a cataclysmic event is absolutely staggering to my feeble mind. The astronomers who have completed their observations, done their research, and completed the math are amazing scientists. We certainly won’t be on this side of Life when the collision occurs, so perhaps we will witness it as the equivalent of a divine Fourth of July fireworks display on a Heavenly scale.

When God takes old Abram outside to show him the night sky and tells him that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, I find that equally amazing and fascinating. It tells me that when God makes a promise, He not only keeps His word, but He also blesses and fulfills it as wonderfully as He possibly can. The majority of the religious people on the Earth today can trace their spiritual roots to this moment of God’s magnificent blessing. Billions of people – Jews, Christians, and Muslims - find their religious ancestry in Abram of old. God’s promise, made thousands of years ago, has found its fulfillment in today’s world. This also tells me that God not only works in mysterious ways, He also has a great patience in fulfilling his work of salvation.

Questions for personal reflection

Where do my religious roots originate? How does my faith sharing with others expand this ancient blessing?

Prayer:                        Almighty Creator, when I gaze upon the stars in the night sky, I am struck with wonder and awe. Your works are amazing and I feel both humbled and privileged to be a creature of Your making. May I continue to bless and praise You throughout the days of my life. In Christ’s Name, I pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings called “Sleepless Sky.” It features a beautifully starlit northern sky illuminated with the aurora borealis. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5322/7186639110_1bbac69be5_b.jpg