“Christians are made, not born,” said Tertullian, an early Christian scholar. Following Jesus isn’t something that comes naturally, and not without time and training.
Our journey as Christians begins in Holy Baptism. Just as Jesus’ ministry began with his baptism in the Jordan, our ministry as Jesus’ disciples also begins with our baptism. Whenever we baptize anyone, we are fulfilling Jesus’ command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a). When we are baptized, our lives are caught up in a powerful sign of what it means to live and die as a Christian. The New Testament is full of images of the meaning of baptism … cleansing, birth, refreshment, life, and death … which are not simply individual experiences. Being a disciple means being adopted into a new family. And it is this new family of God, with each member witnessing to us, that teaches us and shows us how to grow up into Christ’s disciples. Confirmation is a part of the larger baptismal process of making disciples. In confirmation, we remember our baptism, renew our covenant with God, and recall God’s covenant with us. Confirmation is not only an opportunity for us to “confirm” our commitment to God and the church, but it is also a time for God and the church to publicly and visibly “confirm” a confirmand’s commitment to us. (Above excerpted from Making Disciples by William H. Willimon.) The curriculum we are using for confirmation is called Making Disciples, which teams an adult disciple of the church as mentor with each confirmand. Seven young adults and their mentors are two months into in this process … Braden and Briana Capek, Ashley and Sophia Gilliam, Cameran Jansky, Cade Kresak, and Becca Krupicka are teamed with Dan and JoAnn Vavra, Carol Capek, Traci Zelenka, Adrienne Capek, and Mary Johnson. Would you join me in praying for them as they continue the next four months to explore their beliefs and journeys with Christ? They will need the support of all of us to do the important work ahead of them. Grace and peace … --Pastor Pat
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Pastor
|