As springtime comes upon us, an annual milestone in the life of our congregation grows closer: Confirmation Sunday. Every year, our confirmands look forward to being confirmed and joining the church as communicant members. Perhaps you remember the days leading up to your Confirmation Day. Were you nervous? Excited? A mixture of both? What most people tend to remember was how anxious they were about their examination. It is a necessary part of every confirmands’ journey to have their knowledge and faith examined to see if they have learned what is required of them. Each congregation tends to have its own process of examination. While the methods are varied, ultimately the goal is to determine if the confirmands hold to and believe what is taught by the Word of God.
In recent years, I have found great value in doing what I call ‘Confirmation Interviews’. I sit down with the confirmand and one or two parents, and we discuss what the young person knows and believes. We hit all the high points of our doctrine: Who is Jesus? What are the sacraments? And so on. One of the points that we discuss in confirmation class and in our interview is, “How do we prepare ourself to take communion?” This is what St. Paul talks about in his 2 letters to the church in Corinth.
“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”1 Cor. 11:28
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” 2 Cor. 13:5
This is not just for our confirmands to think about their first time taking communion, but should be something all of us do before we partake in the Lord’s Supper.
The catechism tells us that we should examine ourselves and see whether:
1. We are sorry for our sins.
2. We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and His words in the Sacrament.
3. We plan, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to change our sinful lives.
It’s easy to go to communion without taking the time to examine ourselves, but we should take a moment before coming up to receive the Body and Blood of Christ to consider these things. I encourage my confirmands to remember these steps, and I encourage you to do the same.
Our hymnal is a wonderful tool that can help us in this endeavor. On page 329, you will find a list of “Christian Questions and Their Answers.” These questions serve as a way for us to examine ourselves and meditate on the doctrines and truths given in Scripture and expressed in our Small Catechism.
Even though you may have completed your confirmation training many years ago, it’s always a good idea to refresh your heart and mind from time to time. If you find yourself waiting for your turn to go up to receive communion, take a moment, open the hymnal and ask yourself these questions. I think you will find a wonderful opportunity to enrich your heart and mind.
God’s Blessings!
Pastor Mike Boothby
In recent years, I have found great value in doing what I call ‘Confirmation Interviews’. I sit down with the confirmand and one or two parents, and we discuss what the young person knows and believes. We hit all the high points of our doctrine: Who is Jesus? What are the sacraments? And so on. One of the points that we discuss in confirmation class and in our interview is, “How do we prepare ourself to take communion?” This is what St. Paul talks about in his 2 letters to the church in Corinth.
“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”1 Cor. 11:28
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” 2 Cor. 13:5
This is not just for our confirmands to think about their first time taking communion, but should be something all of us do before we partake in the Lord’s Supper.
The catechism tells us that we should examine ourselves and see whether:
1. We are sorry for our sins.
2. We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and His words in the Sacrament.
3. We plan, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to change our sinful lives.
It’s easy to go to communion without taking the time to examine ourselves, but we should take a moment before coming up to receive the Body and Blood of Christ to consider these things. I encourage my confirmands to remember these steps, and I encourage you to do the same.
Our hymnal is a wonderful tool that can help us in this endeavor. On page 329, you will find a list of “Christian Questions and Their Answers.” These questions serve as a way for us to examine ourselves and meditate on the doctrines and truths given in Scripture and expressed in our Small Catechism.
Even though you may have completed your confirmation training many years ago, it’s always a good idea to refresh your heart and mind from time to time. If you find yourself waiting for your turn to go up to receive communion, take a moment, open the hymnal and ask yourself these questions. I think you will find a wonderful opportunity to enrich your heart and mind.
God’s Blessings!
Pastor Mike Boothby
About our Pastor:
Pastor Mike Boothby has been at St. Paul's Lutheran Church since February 2016. He previously served as the pastor of St. John's and Holy Cross Lutheran Churches of Cole Camp, MO. He is married to his wonderful wife, Rachel, and has 4 children: Elias, Maggie, Linnea, and Zoey.
Pastor Mike Boothby has been at St. Paul's Lutheran Church since February 2016. He previously served as the pastor of St. John's and Holy Cross Lutheran Churches of Cole Camp, MO. He is married to his wonderful wife, Rachel, and has 4 children: Elias, Maggie, Linnea, and Zoey.