Confirmation Sermon

Acts 2:1-21
Romans 8: 31-39

Today is Pentecost Sunday – the birthday of the Christian church. Today we remember when the Holy Spirit came like a mighty wind sweeping the disciples off their feet and into the streets to preach the good news about “God’s mighty deeds and power.” And so it is fitting that today we celebrate the Rite of Confirmation. Now the Spirit isn’t going to descend upon our confirmands with the same dramatic force of windows blown open and tongues of fire on the head that the disciples experienced 2000 years ago. But the Spirit’s work in them is no less awe inspiring today.




_________ and ___________,

What you are about to receive today is an outward sign of an inward grace that was given to you on the day that you were baptized. As part of your baptism your parents made vows on your behalf and you were welcomed into the church. Now that you are of age, you will re-affirm these same vows and commit yourselves to accept the joys and costs of discipleship in Christ Jesus.

In the past year and a half we have shared in our faith journeys and explored what it means to be a Christian in this time and in this place. I have learned so much from you. What I’ve learned is that things are different for you then they were when I was your age. When I was your age I didn’t have the internet, cell phones, 100’s of cable TV channels, and news 24/7. When I was your age music videos had just been invented and Madonna was considered the most scandalous singer in my day, and yes I wanted to be just like her. You have access to music videos 24/7 with explicit imagery that is less kind to women. You are facing more pressures at a much younger age than I did, pressures to fit in, to keep up, to grow up fast. My hope and prayer is that the faith you already have will sustain you as you continue to grow into adulthood.

You have your whole lives ahead of you! Oh the wonderful places you will go. There will be so many happy times: graduations, careers, travel, marriage and children (if you so choose).   For you, your life's adventure is just beginning.

However, life will have its challenges. There will be hard times. You will find that life is not always fair. There will be things that will happen to you that don’t make sense. There will be people in the world who out of their own sense of insecurity who will try to make you feel less than worthy because they think your don’t look right, act right, own the right things, have the wrong beliefs. There will be times where you will choose to do the right thing because of your Christian beliefs and still be treated badly by those who refuse to understand you.

If you remember one thing from the time that we have shared together, please remember this, there is nothing absolutely nothing you can do that can separate you from the love of God. God is for you. God is for you! It doesn’t matter what people think of you because God will always think highly of you. It doesn’t matter if you mess up or even fail, God will always love you. In good times and bad, God will always be there. Even in the times where you feel lost and lonely and that hope is gone, you are not alone because God is there beside you. For I am convinced that neither life, nor death, nor too skinny super models, nor manipulative mean girls, nor cliques turning against you, nor peer pressure trying to force you to do things that you are not comfortable with, nor relationship break ups and make ups, nor class grades, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate you from the love of God in Christ. _______ and__________, remember you are always worthy because you are beloved of children of God. Amen.