Dear Fellow Children of God,
This Sunday is Confirmation Sunday at St. John. In late worship seven young people will share
their faith with the congregation in an essay they have written. In addition, as part of the confirmation
ceremony, they will vow to serve the Lord with their lives.
Confirmation is important enough an occasion in the life
of a Christian that I will write about the confirmation event and the decision
to serve the Lord in this week’s devotion and in next week’s devotion.
Every Christian, after all, should continue to ask, “How
committed am I to serving the Lord with my life?” The historic vows said in the Confirmation
ceremony are sobering. The person is
asked if they are “willing to suffer all, even death” rather than to fall away
from the Lord and His Church.
Really? Am I
personally willing to suffer death in order to serve Jesus? Honestly, I am not sure what my response
would be. That is an overwhelming
question to ask a 7th or 8th grade student!
Consider that in our Bible readings last week, Holy Week,
we heard all the disciples say at the Passover Meal that they would be willing
to die rather than to desert Jesus in His time of need. But, then all the disciples did desert Jesus. And Peter even denied 3 times knowing Jesus. So, the disciples who knew Jesus made these
vows and they failed. It is interesting
to me that God’s Church has for centuries asked the same questions of young men
and women coming into adulthood.
So, in class on Wednesday as the youth were preparing for
Sunday’s ceremony we practiced reading their speeches or testimonies which they
have written. And we practiced the
Confirmation ceremony and the vows they will speak. I talked to them about the meaning of the
vows and shared with them another way to think about their commitment.
First, I asked if in their hearts they sincerely want to
live for Jesus. A very important memory
verse in Confirmation Classes each year is 2 Corinthians 5:15, And he
died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for
him who died for them and was raised again.
Jesus died for us.
Jesus died and rose so we can have eternal life in heaven. I find that it is important to first consider
what Jesus did for me, before I promise what I can do.
Actually, I told the class, none of us know what we would
do if we were have to choose between our Lord and death. We hope we would be willing to die for our
Lord, but we don’t know. But, we can
look at our hearts and ask if, in response to Jesus’ sacrificial love, we want
to do what 2 Corinthians 5 calls us to do.
Do we want to live for
Jesus? Do we want to serve him ahead of
ourselves? Personally, I know that Jesus
died and rose for me, and I know that I do want to live for Him. I also know that, like the disciples, I often
fail.
However, the other part of these vows is found in the
words with which the students respond, “with the help of God.” The confirmation students are not asked if
they are willing to live for Jesus and die for Him by their own strength. When asked the questions, they will answer, “Yes,
with the help of God.”
I can’t even resist temptation from day to day. I know I cannot promise on my own to be sure
I would die for Jesus. But, Jesus’ forgiveness, and His love, and His Spirit do
help me to continue to work to live for Him.
Actually, I hope that through my life I have perhaps grown in living for
the Lord. Though I have not, and never
will, reach perfection. I cannot live or
die for Jesus on my own, but with God’s help I can keep working to love God and
serve Him in all I do.
So, as the confirmation class on Sunday answers the
questions, I encourage you to answer them in your hearts as well. Many of us have taken those vows in our
lives. “Do you promise to live for our
Lord and to suffer all, even death, rather than to fall away from Him?” I cannot do it on my own. But, because Jesus died and rose for me, with
God’s help, it truly is my will to live for and serve my Lord. “Yes, with the help of God.”
A Child of God, Seeking to Live for Jesus,
Pastor
Jonathan
P.S. Here is a picture from the Passover Seder
Meal. https://plus.google.com/photos/114993745799525883148/albums/6134840029771814305?banner=pwa
P.P.S. Here are pictures from the Easter
Festival. https://plus.google.com/photos/114993745799525883148/albums/6134842347843241617?banner=pwa
P.P.P.S. Here are some pictures from the Easter
Breakfast. https://plus.google.com/photos/114993745799525883148/albums/6134840642532395089?banner=pwa
P.P.P.P.S. FINALLY, here are some pictures from Monday’s
day off! https://plus.google.com/photos/114993745799525883148/albums/6134831265635374369
****
ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’
- I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St.
John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am always adding new
names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for
the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail,
please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this
message. . .
****
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