January 28, 2021
Dear friends,
Following up on last week’s note about the young folks here at Concordia, I thought it might be good to fill you in on Confirmation. I’ll write a bit more in a moment about why this matters at all to you, but first here’s how Confirmation goes:
We gather at 4:15pm on Wednesday in the sanctuary to worship using the order of Daily Prayer for the early evening on p. 297 in the hymnal. We sing a hymn that has to do with whatever part of the Catechism we’re working on (right now it’s “Our Father, Thou in heav’n above” on the Lord’s Prayer), and we also recite portions of the Catechism together.
Then the kids take some time to practice their memory work. I give them a written quiz on the parts of the Catechism that they’ve memorized so far so they can see what they need to review and refresh. This is one of the basic requirements for Confirmation: knowing the Small Catechism by heart.
Next, the kids review the portions of Concordia’s Bible History that they read during the week. To do this, I print out some woodcuts (like the one below) that illustrate the stories. The kids have to put them in the proper order and we talk through the details of the stories.
Next we’ll read aloud the next story in the Bible History, which gives us a chance to talk about it and connect all the parts. There’s a big timeline taped to the north wall in the basement, and we’ll go down there and figure out where on the timeline the story fits.
Last is a lesson on some portion of the Small Catechism. This past week was about the 1st Petition of the Lord’s Prayer: Hallowed be Thy name. We talk about what it means and where in Scripture we learn more about it.
The strategy for Confirmation is to cover the same material 3 years in a row. Each time through the Catechism and through the Bible, the kids will gain a deeper understanding and it will be locked more permanently in their memories.
Besides knowing the Small Catechism by heart, the kids also need to be able to give an overview and answer questions about what’s in the Bible. For much of it, that involves knowing the characters and knowing the stories. And it also means being able to talk about important parts of the faith, such as: what is sin? what is the punishment for sin? where does forgiveness come from? how does God give us forgiveness? how do we receive it?
My goal in Confirmation is not to graduate kids. Far from it. Instead, learning the Catechism and studying the Scriptures is laying a groundwork, something that can begin long before 6th grade. My goal in Confirmation is to build on that foundation so that knowledge and faith grows and matures just as the kids do.
Okay, now back to you. What does all this have to do with you?
What the kids learn in Confirmation, which is a prerequisite for membership in the church and for taking the Lord’s Supper, is God’s Word for all of us. What they learn in Confirmation is what we all should know and continue to grow into our whole lives long. It’s easy to forget, and without practice and review, we lose it, just as we lose anything that we have learned.
So – here’s my pitch to you: dust off your Catechism and start reviewing. If you can’t find it, ask me and I’ll give you a copy. A little bit every day goes a long way. Grab a Bible, or get a copy of Concordia’s Bible History, and start reading. Again, a little bit every day makes a huge difference over time. And once you’ve done it, do it again. Gaining knowledge is good, but what we’re after here is knowledge that builds you up in the faith. And it’s at your fingertips! All you have to do is put it to use.
Let’s lead our Confirmation kids by example. Let’s show them that what they’re doing right now is the beginning and not the end of their devotion to God’s Word!
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs