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A Homily for Confirmation Sunday // Rev. Matt Kennedy // May 18 2025
Published 1 year, 1 month ago
Description
The world is changing quickly. More so every day. A person who starts high school next fall may find the world a totally different place in 4 years when they graduate. The cultural, social, and technological transformations are enough to make your headspin. Yet there remain traditions that endure and are handed from generation to generation.
For two thousand years, followers of Christ have "handed on" something unchanging. We call it, "the Apostolic Faith." Some things persist, and we get to be a part of that.
There is a long tradition of the Christian church we call Confirmation: we invite our youth to dedicate time and energy to learning the essentials of Christian faith, to consider the invitation of the gospel, and to reflect on God's calling to be "Holy People". Then we invite them to make a public declaration that these ancient truths are beliefs they will share, and then with prayer and "the laying on of hands" (2 Timothy 1:6) we charge them and commission them with work once given to us, "guard the good treasure entrusted you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us." (1:14). What is that good treasure? The faith and love of Christ.
For two thousand years, followers of Christ have "handed on" something unchanging. We call it, "the Apostolic Faith." Some things persist, and we get to be a part of that.
There is a long tradition of the Christian church we call Confirmation: we invite our youth to dedicate time and energy to learning the essentials of Christian faith, to consider the invitation of the gospel, and to reflect on God's calling to be "Holy People". Then we invite them to make a public declaration that these ancient truths are beliefs they will share, and then with prayer and "the laying on of hands" (2 Timothy 1:6) we charge them and commission them with work once given to us, "guard the good treasure entrusted you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us." (1:14). What is that good treasure? The faith and love of Christ.