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| From left to right: Youth Director Bart Daniels, Associate Pastor Amy Nutt, Senior Pastor Rowland Buck. Charlotte's head is under Rowland's hand. |
Often, this is the Sunday to promote graduating students, from high school, colleges, kindergarten, 5th grade, etc. It is also a time for confirmation and new members and baptisms. Whew! This means it can be a wild and crazy time in the life of a church.
Yesterday in our church life was no exception. We had an immersion baptism in the courtyard between services. Though the rain could have provided the immersion experience, it held off long enough for the young confirmand to be baptized in a cool looking metal trough.
The second service was the one in which all the joining, moving up, recognition, confirming, and baptizing happened.
It was an extra special time for me because our daughter went through confirmation classes this year and was confirmed yesterday.
She was baptized September 23, 2001 by Dr. David Tabor when Charlotte and I attended Grace UMC. Charlotte wanted to go through confirmation last year because she felt she was ready for it. She even made an appointment to talk it over with the pastor. I was proud of her for doing so. Even though she was ready, they decided that she would wait until 6th grade to do it. Though I knew she was ready and I know he knew she was ready, I respected (and respect) his decision and reasoning for the wait.
At my last session of the Academy in April I visited the Cokesbury bookstore that was in its last days and found both a card and a gift for Charlotte's confirmation.
The card:
The verse on the inside is from Romans 8:26--"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness... that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words."
The inside of the card reads: "May God support you through every trial, that you may live a Christian life of love, holiness, and joy. Congratulations on your confirmation."
The card is from The Printery House. You can shop online at their website.
I was glad to find such a perfect confirmation card in the remains of the bookstore.
Confirmation is one step along the journey. The confirmand takes for him/her self the vows that were once taken on his/her behalf. My daughter has taken many steps along her spiritual journey. From VBS to Camp Lookout to Annual Conference kids' time to mission trips to retreats to family discussions, etc. She is listening and learning and growing in her spiritual journey. At times she has provided spiritual direction and insight for me.
What a joy and privilege to watch her take this step in the journey.
I don't know where you are in your journey. Wherever you find yourself,
May the Holy Spirit continue to blow and burn!
Debra
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