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February 2007, Page 2.
Index of articles:
by subject,
by date.
In this issue:
(February 2007)
Perseverance,
Confirmation,
Electoral Roll,
Weddings.
Confirm, O Lord, your servant ...
with your Holy Spirit.
The welcome group we advertised in last month’s magazine didn’t run, because it turned out that most people who might have been interested in it were more interested in the question of confirmation. What’s that?
In the bible, the way people opt into the Christian faith and say they want to be followers of Jesus for themselves is by baptism. But if people have already been baptised as infants, they can’t be baptized again (because baptism is a one-off). Confirmation is their opportunity to say for themselves what was said on their behalf when they were too young to say it personally.
At the confirmation service, the bishop asks the people who are going to be confirmed to profess their own faith. Some of the people present may be asked to tell the story of how they came to a personal faith in Jesus (that’s often called a “testimony”), and they are all asked to answer a series of questions. Then individually the bishop places a hand on their heads and prays for the Holy Spirit to come on them (using the words above). The congregation welcome them, and the service usually finishes with Holy Communion which the newly-confirmed people are the first to receive.
We’re probably working to a date in April for the service (which will be at a local church but not St Luke’s), and if you’re interested, please speak to the vicar. There will be a course starting this month, which is without obligation on either side (you don’t have to get confirmed and we don’t have to recommend you.)
John Hartley