Devotion: Confirmation #ThisMatters
Ephesians 4:1-4a
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit.
This passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is one of many in the Bible that emphasize how important community is to our physical and spiritual well-being. Elsewhere Paul tells us we need each other, the strong should help the weak, and we each have specific gifts to share in the body of Christ and all are necessary.
We are to support each other as we seek to know Jesus. Thus a Christian community nurtures its young people, guiding them as they grow in faith. This week at Sheridan we are lifting up our Confirmation program.
Confirmation at Sheridan is a lively affair. Each small group of boys or girls has adult leaders who commit to being their guides for the three years of Confirmation. God bless these caring adults! Our young people are encouraged to ask questions about faith and seek their own answers, rather than be given them. They read Scripture and take other leadership roles in our Wednesday evening worship. They meet in their small groups to
discuss the topics from the teaching time, the message and what’s happening in their lives and how Jesus is a part of it. And they learn about the importance of serving others by volunteering within the church and around Lincoln.
They are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses – all the many adults who also come to church on Wednesday evening, to worship in the middle of the week, to serve the meal or clean it up, to teach special classes and generally have fellowship with others in the body of Christ. These adults demonstrate by their presence and their enthusiasm that putting effort into your spiritual life is important – both during your Confirmation years and ever after.
Confirmation matters because it provides a structure for thinking and talking about faith and about developing a lifelong relationship with the God who loves us.
Father God, thank you for all who serve in Confirmation ministry. Give them strength, patience and insight as they help our young people to know you better. Amen.
Written by Cheryl Stubbendieck
Cheryl Stubbendieck is a member of Sheridan’s Devotion Writing Team. She and her husband Jim live near Sheridan. Their family includes their son Aaron and his wife Chaitra of San Francisco, CA and their son Reed of Madison, WI. Cheryl was the public relations department head for Nebraska Farm Bureau before retiring in 2012. She spent the next four years as the volunteer manager of Barnabas Community and now helps to manage the OneSent Market.