文章基本信息

标题：Confirmation day
作者：Barsness, Roy
期刊名称：The Lutheran
印刷版ISSN：0024-743X
出版年度：2001
卷号：Oct 2001
出版社：Augsburg Fortress Publishers

Confirmation day

Barsness, Roy

Reflection

Amid our son's adolescence, we pause-grateful for God's faithfulness

Our son proceeds to the altar as we join the congregation in singing,"The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord."My wife's eyes tear, and my voice quivers.

Each day since he was born we've prayed that"he would grow up to know,to love and to serve thE Lord,"whispering it every time he left our home to be with friends and to go places we doubted. Now in this brief moment, amid his adolescence,we pause and are grateful for God's faithfulness.

The pastor's sermon reminds us of God's saving grace and that nothing can separate us from God's love. Nothing! So far so good.We are saved by grace.We are loved. Easy sermon. A few more songs, I think-then brunch.

But our pastor continues,"I'm not frightened for your eternity, but I'm scared to death of your tomorrow!"Shivers come up my spine. He continues,"Death cannot have you. It's life that will suck you away."

I'm awake now. know that living dead, numb to the Spirit, comes easier than responding to the God who is in constant pursuit of me. My heart pumps for a moment, wanting to be alive to the stirrings of Jesus in my life. But will I stay attuned to the Spirit within me,or will I leave this moment and my tomorrow will be as dead as my yesterday? Wil I my son hear the Spirit's voice amid the sounds of sex, drugs, alcohol and violence? Will he hear God's word today and ignore it tomorrow? Will I? Can I remain alive enough to provide for him a different voice?

The homily continues, quoting theologian Douglas John Hall, exhorting us"to be stewards of life in a culture of death."

Then a moment for meditation. And,"Lord have mercy!"

The confirmands stand and begin: "I believe in God...."

As they complete their confession,the pastor's challenge continues."I don't trust your confession as much as I trust God,"he declares, reminding us that God wants to be in our lives and is relentless in pursuing what is his.

My son and I are new confirmands today, both making declaration of our faith in a God who never will leave us alone and who seeks us out so we can have life and live it abundantly.Through Christ's death and resurrection we've been justified, and by faith we confess our sin, our humanity, our deadness, so we can be born anew into life.

We bought him a Bible, and he was pleased. I pray he will open it more than I do mine. pray that he will find the message of life intoxicating. pray that he will continue to grow up to know, love and serve the Lord-to have an abundant life. The service is over.

I hope my tomorrow is as alive as today.

Barsness is associate professor and director of clinical training, graduate psychology, at Seattle Pacific University and a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church, Bellevue, Wash.