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Reflecting on Confirmation
by Jen Miller This Sunday, we celebrate confirmation. This ritual is an important part of the life of church members, as well as the church as a whole–it is a way for individual members to affirm the promises made on their behalf in baptism, as well as a way for the congregation to see the path of the church into the future. My daughter, Zoe, is one of three young people getting confirmed this weekend at Christ the King. Over the last few weeks,I’ve watched as she has worked on writing out her faith statement, responding to three questions:
Her response made me wonder if asking confirmands for a faith statement is what we should be doing. What if in confirmation, we instead asked our young people–and ourselves–to commit to a life of embracing and exploring these questions, without expectation of definitive answers? Having heard the conversations Zoe has had as part of confirmation, I know that she is being encouraged by pastors and other mentors to see these questions as ongoing guides throughout her life, but given the emphasis in the church as a whole on creeds, explanations, and statements, I wonder if the importance of dwelling in the questions themselves gets lost along the way. Imagine how freeing that could be, for a 15-year-old (or a 45-year-old!) to know that they didn’t have to have it all figured out! And from a rhetorical standpoint, prioritizing the questions themselves, rather than the answers, turns confirmation into a checkpoint along a faith journey, rather than an endpoint, a way to emphasize that faith is a lifelong process of learning about God. While a person who can make a confident profession of faith seems to be the model of a strong faith, isn’t someone who is committed to embracing key questions of faith just as important of a model? The disciples are great examples of this–they are always full of questions. Even in the reading from Acts for this week, the very last thing the disciples say to Jesus before his ascension is to ask, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” It would be easy to chuckle at the disciples over their continued lack of understanding, yet they continue to walk alongside Jesus, striving to understand while serving him, loving him, and loving each other. This model of a life of faith as one that asks questions, rather than provides answers, also sets believers on the path of humility, rather than arrogance. Rather than believing that we can come close to describing God, when we ask questions, we acknowledge that we don’t–and can’t–know God fully on our own, yet we are committed to coming ever closer. Imagine how different our world might be if instead of approaching our neighbors with answers, we approached them with questions. How different would the history of our country look, for instance, if the first European settlers had come asking questions about the beliefs and values of the Native tribes, rather than providing them with answers? How different would our current political discourse be if leaders on both sides of the aisle asked questions to promote genuine understanding, rather than score points against an opponent? When our kids act out, what if we asked what was bothering them, rather than lecturing them? In this embrace of questions, then, we might, paradoxically, also find an answer to one of the questions our confirmands were asked. In this embrace of questions, we have a way for us to live faithfully among all of God’s people. The Big Question by Pastor Sarah Anderson “The BIG question!” That’s what I've come to call the query we ask of families at baptism and youth during affirmation. You might be able to guess the question which asks: Do you intend to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper, to proclaim the good news in word and deed, to serve all people, and strive for justice and peace in all the earth? It’s a BIG question, because a lot is packed into it. In fact, it’s really more like five individual questions all lumped together, and each question is a commitment in and of itself. This Sunday, three youth will be asked this question, and the congregation will also have the opportunity to say they will continue to support these young people in their lives of faith. As the ninth graders make a public statement of their faith, I invite you to pray for them, engage with them, and celebrate with them. Additionally, you are invited to reflect on the BIG question and how it impacts your own life. Be curious how you are attentive to all its parts and the ways it impacts your decisions and your actions. You might notice there is an area you would like to set a goal to work on from now until the end of the summer. Whether the question is asked at our baptism or during the rite of confirmation, it is a living question, asking us to continually pay attention to our lives of faith. From Women of the ELCA
Today’s blog comes from the Bible study “Plenty good room” by Angela T. Khabeb in the May 2020 Gather magazine and shared May 5 on the Women of the ELCA blog. [. . .] Most of us would describe our congregations as “welcoming.” Many of our church signs and bulletins proudly proclaim, “All are welcome!” But what does this phrase actually mean? Alicia Sojourner, a racial equity consultant, encourages congregations to move “beyond welcoming and seek God’s authentic integration.” Given this, it may be time for us to examine the differences between being welcoming and being inclusive. …continue reading By Deb Wolterstorff
In today’s world, our lives are so busy and if you’re anything like me, you forget things or dates. Just recently, I totally blanked out on a CPY dinner. I have to write things down in my calendar and sometimes use sticky notes to help me remember things. How do you remember things? We all have different ways that we try not to forget things. One thing we should never forget is how much Jesus loves us, and Communion is one reminder of that. The Lord’s Supper is an essential part of our Lutheran faith. It is one of two sacraments—baptism being the other. The Lord’s Supper is a reminder to us of the meal shared by Jesus and the disciples before Jesus died. It is a memorial of Jesus’ death on the cross so that we might have eternal life. And it is a physical means of experiencing God’s grace through which the gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation come to us. Today, we have 7 children, Jack, Malen, Kyle, Liam, Mara, Will and Robert, taking their First Communion. It truly is a joy to watch these kids learn, bake bread together, and see their expressions when they get to taste the wine for the first time. What a special time for them to be joining us at the table. For the blog this week, you are invited to read a draft version of the ELCA's statement on "Earth's Climate Crisis" that was released for discussion and feedback for a period of 2022. Please be aware that this is a draft and does not express the ELCA's explicit social teaching on this topic. It is, however, valuable to engage the discussion as we celebrate Care for Creation Sunday. A edited version of the statement will be voted on in 2023.
You can access the draft here: https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/DRAFT-Social_Message_on_Climate_Care.pdf Excerpt: God gives a sacred responsibility to human beings in Genesis: to care for and “keep” God’s creation for future generations. God made humans to be “keepers” of the garden, God’s earth (Genesis 2:15). The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) first addressed this calling three decades ago by pairing environmental and social justice in its social statement Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice. That statement emphasizes the goodness of all creation, humanity’s kinship with other creatures, and God’s promise for the fulfillment of all creation (Ephesians 1:10). It also names climate change as a central environmental issue, one the ELCA has addressed to varying degrees since 1993. Thirty years later, climate change poses grave dangers to present and future generations. With this social message the ELCA provides facts, raises questions, draws on its own social teaching, and identifies convictions that expansively address caretaking for climate. At the heart of this social message lies the claim that climate change presents our generation with a kairos moment; that is, a critical moment in time when decisive action is required. [. . .] Our planet has a fever. God yearns for earth’s ecological well-being. “God’s faithfulness alone sustains the Church and renews our faith, hope, and love.” As God’s people we address the climate crisis with active hope rather than paralyzing despair. “Captured by hope, we proclaim that God has made peace with all things through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:15-20), and that the Spirit of God, ‘the giver of life,’ renews the face of the earth.” Additionally, the public responses to the draft have been compiled into a separate report. If you have interest in digging deeper to how some members of the ELCA responded to this draft, you can access that document here: https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Public_Feedback_Report_of_Draft_Social_Message_on_Earths_Climate_Crisis.pdf?_ga=2.80841552.614156301.1682178712-1039074577.1682178712 In the next couple of weeks we will hold two SALT sessions focusing on care for creation. CtK is a congregation that recognizes our responsibility as stewards of all that God has given us and seeks to do our part in preservation and restoration.
April 16 SALT - The Science of Climate Change SALT this week will be about the science of climate change and how we can help lower our impact on the earth. How do scientists know about climate change, what affects it, and how can we prevent it? What does our future look like? Come with questions and learn how to make changes in your life to lower your climate impact. Presented by Zach Johnson, environmental science teacher and University of Minnesota Center for Climate Literacy fellow. April 23 SALT - Ethical Responses to Climate Change Climate change presents a novel ethical challenge to humanity. This challenge is global, intergenerational, and exacerbates existing inequality. But what can I do about this big problem? We will actively discuss ethical questions like "what should I do about it?" as well as "what should we do together, particularly as a church?" This Lent we are encouraging you to view the Lenten devotional in place of our "standard" blog articles.
You can access the devotional on our Lent page. “Each February, National Black History Month serves as both a celebration and a powerful reminder that Black history is American history, Black culture is American culture, and Black stories are essential to the ongoing story of America — our faults, our struggles, our progress, and our aspirations. Shining a light on Black history today is as important to understanding ourselves and growing stronger as a Nation as it has ever been. That is why it is essential that we take time to celebrate the immeasurable contributions of Black Americans, honor the legacies and achievements of generations past, reckon with centuries of injustice, and confront those injustices that still fester today.” A Proclamation on National Black History Month, 2022
Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963, addressed to “My Dear Fellow Clergymen”. He was jailed for protesting segregation which persisted in Birmingham even after it was outlawed in the U.S. He told his fellow Christians, “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.” Most of us have a shallow knowledge of history in general, and we are even more clueless about Black history. As we move into new beginnings and new callings at Christ the King, perhaps this February is a good time to dedicate ourselves to new knowledge and understanding. We have attached a list of activities and information to expand our understanding of Black history and experience. Can you resolve to choose at least one each week in February? As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever.” Racial Justice Team by Kisten Thompson
We commemorate The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a Federal Holiday on the third Monday of each January. We have done this as a nation since 1986. We remember Dr. King as a civil rights leader in the 1950’s and 1960’s, as a committed proponent of non-violence as means of protest and activism for systemic change, and as a remarkable preacher, prophet and pacifist. Dr. King’s actual birthdate is January 15 and he would have been 94 years old today had his life not been cut short by an assassin’s bullet April 4, 1968 at the age of 39. Dr. King was quite young when he sprang to national prominence in 1955. He was the associate pastor at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL and because he had just been elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which had called for the boycotting of city public bus transportation until certain rights had been acknowledged and given, he was called upon to be the spokesperson for the boycott. On December 5, 1955 he gave a speech outlining the reasons for the boycott and calling upon the words of the biblical prophet, Amos: “We are here this evening for serious business. We are here in a general sense because first and foremost we are American citizens, and we are determined to apply our citizenship to the fullness of its means. We are here because of our love for democracy, because of our deep-seated belief that democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest form of government on earth. But we are here in a specific sense, because of the bus situation in Montgomery. We are here because we are determined to get the situation corrected. . . . My friends, I want it to be known that we’re going to work with grim and firm determination to gain justice on the buses in this city. And we are not wrong, we are not wrong in what we are doing. If we are wrong, then the Supreme Court of this Nation is wrong. If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. If we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong. If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a Utopian dreamer and never came down to earth. If we are wrong, justice is a lie. And we are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream." With these words and with the actions of the determined and peaceful Black residents of Montgomery, change began to happen. It was not without violence, hardship and suffering. But after 381 days, the segregated bus practices had been outlawed and a new day dawned. But it was only the beginning of a long and hard journey. On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we remember the struggles, barriers and obstacles that were faced in every day life by African Americans in this country. And we continue to look to Dr. King’s legacy and the contributions of so many named and unnamed participants in the fight for justice, equality and inclusion, giving thanks for their dedication, and vowing to continue to uphold these values for all, to call out oppression when we see it and advocate for change where it is needed. |
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Christ the King Lutheran Church
1900 7th Street NW New Brighton, MN 55112 Phone: 651-633-4674 Email: info@lifeatctk.org Office Hours: 9 am - 2 pm Mon - Thurs or by appointment Sunday Schedule Sunday Morning Worship at 9:30 am 12 pm Cristo Rey Servicio en Español |
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