Youth Confirmation
As happens each year, the time had come to gather those young members of the parish who were ready to commit to a mature relationship with Jesus. These young people are typically in their mid-to-late teen years and are already taking some part in the active life of our Cathedral family. This is a time for deep personal reflection, instruction in the Christian faith and practices of the Episcopal Church, and preparation to receive the sacrament from a bishop.
This year’s journey began for five young parishioners on Tuesday evening, April 14. The class connected via Zoom each week from then through May 26. During classes, thorough discussions about the Book of Common Prayer included the Rite 1 and Rite 2 Eucharist services, the Baptism service, the Collects in the earlier part of the text and the Prayers in the later part, the Lectionary, and the Catechism. Beyond the BCP, the seasons of the year and the liturgical calendar were discussed, as were the books of the Bible and how they were selected, and the topic of apostolic succession leading to a history of the Episcopal Church and its precursor Church Of England. Early in the class, a significant discussion was held about selecting a sponsor, someone with whom the young person already has a relationship that will permit them to talk about anything and everything, including ongoing spiritual development.
Topics that particularly resonated for the students included the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the Apocrypha and whether it is or should be considered on par with the 66 primary books of the Bible, and personal prayer as a part of our daily activities that goes beyond the eyes closed, hands folded variety of prayer. When asked to provide a written response to what in the class stood out for them, responses varied by student.
“This class has taught me that instead of a requirement, confirmation is a choice to take on the life of a Christian man with the help of God. A choice that I can make individually when I am ready.” --Andrew
“You will begin to realize the importance of prayer and realize that you can do normal actions with the intention of pleasing God and that can count as one of your prayers for that day.” –Ben
“I also learned about things I hadn’t been thinking about, like what is a covenant? It is a relationship initiated by God and it is responded to by the faith of a group of people.” --Faithe
“When we participate in communion, we are becoming one with Christ by drinking his blood and eating his body. This class has made me think more about joining myself with the Christian community and making myself better for the lord.” – Katie
“I've also learned that sacraments are Christian rites that one takes part in (like baptism or communion) and that we believe will strengthen our bonds with God. I never realized that until now. It's made me realize that this (practicing sacraments) isn't just a check-list.” –Luke
The youth were asked to write these statements in the form of a letter to their 12-year-old selves, and one of them closed in a way that properly ends our class for this year:
“I love you. You are strong when you lean on Christ. Don’t forget that, please.”
Let the Church say, “Amen!”