In our Anglican Way of following Jesus, we sometimes use “churchy” words that are unfamiliar to newcomers, and that have lost their meaning for long-time members. Confirmation is one of those words. I think it’s helpful to understand Confirmation in three ways: Renewal; Empowerment; Welcome.
Renewal: The “Candidates for Confirmation” stand before the Bishop and renew “the solemn promises and vows” made at their Baptisms (p. 176, BCP 2019). If they were children when baptized, this is the moment they publicly proclaim their mature, personal commitment to Jesus. If they were adults, this is a moment of reaffirmation.
Empowerment: The Candidates (now called Confirmands) then kneel, and the Bishop places his hands on each person’s head. It’s another significant moment. The Bishop stands in a generations-long line of Bishops reaching back to the Apostles themselves—the first ones empowered through Jesus by the Holy Spirit for mission and ministry—and he prays “that the Holy Spirit may fill [each Candidate] more and more for their ministry in the Church and the world” (p. 176, BCP 2019).
Welcome: In that same moment of prayer, the Bishop also welcomes that person into the fellowship of the ancient, global Anglican Church. When the Confirmands stand, they now stand as Anglicans, a communion of Christians pursuing a unique way of following Jesus, formed through centuries of Spirit-inspired Scripture, Sacrament, Liturgy, and Order.
If you have not yet been confirmed, I invite you to consider participating in this important sacramental moment when our Bishop, Chris Warner, comes to visit us in November. (This is called an “episcopal visitation.”) In the fall, we will offer classes to prepare you for Confirmation, reengaging the essentials of Christianity and learning the distinctives of Anglicanism.
For those of you who have been confirmed in another Christian tradition, this same episcopal visitation is an opportunity for you to be “Received” into the Anglican Church. It’s also a time when current members may “Reaffirm” their commitment to Jesus and his Kingdom. The above-mentioned classes are for you as well!
If you would like to explore Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation, please get in touch with Pastor Sallie (srathbone@iachurch.org) or me (thines@iachurch.org) as soon as possible.
Your Pastor in Christ,
Comentarii