Theme of the Week:
​Back to the Basics: Family Matters

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Read

This week's reading comes from My Faith, My Life, A Teen's Guide to the Episcopal Church by Jenifer Gamber.  It provides a basic explanation of the meaning and history of baptism and confirmation. In addition, Rev. Zack has provided some thoughts below. 
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In a Nutshell...
​Thoughts from Rev. Zack

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YES to Following Christ
Jesus said that following him is all about loving God and loving our neighbors, and confirmation is our invitation to say yes to following Jesus. It's simple.  But it's also hard. (How many of us actually find it easy to love the kid in our class who smells like an abandoned hamburger or our sibling who plays the most annoying music in the car?) 

YES to Being Part of the Church
The good thing is that none of us is called to follow Jesus by ourselves. We do it together.  And because we need people in our lives who will encourage us and support us, being confirmed is also an invitation to say "yes" to being a part of the church — All Saints', the Episcopal Church, and the whole family of Christ around the world.
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YES to Serving the World
But make no mistake, the family of Christ is not an insiders' club.  Rather, being part of this family should always remind us that we are part of an even bigger family: the human family.  Being connected to God reminds us that we are connected to all people and to all living things.  As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to play a role in caring for all our neighbors.  Confirmation is about saying yes to spreading love in the world.  

Faith is a Family Affair
​So, love God and love people.  It's pretty straightforward, but humans are good at making things complicated. Every Sunday, we stand up and make some pretty mind-boggling statements in the Nicene Creed, a summary of the Christian faith from 325 C.E.  We say we believe things like:

  • Jesus is the Son of God
  • Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary
  • Jesus was raised from the dead.

These are beliefs that the mothers and fathers of our faith have passed down to us over centuries. Like any family, we may find ourselves disagreeing with our "parents," and we may have different takes on the meaning behind these statements.  Some of us will take them more literally than others.  Others may roll our eyes and question their relevance altogether.  After all, do the finer points of religion really matter during a global pandemic? Valid point.
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That is all okay. These are great questions, and questions are an important part of confirmation. Jesus himself offered way more questions than answers. He wants us to think.  And while some religious groups expect their followers to keep quiet and believe whatever their leaders say, Episcopalians do not adhere to "blind faith."  We don't all have to believe in the same way.  We can argue with our brothers and sisters and still love them.  We even think it's okay to reconsider beliefs handed down to us from forebearers.  What's important is that we do it together. 
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We > Me
I think the most important word we say in the Nicene Creed is  "we."  We believe. On days when I am anxious or skeptical or filled with doubts, I know I can still come to All Saints' and belong.  I know I can borrow a little faith from my brothers and sisters praying next to me when I need it.  There is an awesome priest in Colorado named Nadia Bolz-Weber.  She has tattoos and does competitive CrossFit and is way cooler than I will ever be.  She started a church called House for All Sinners and Saints', and she has a really cool take on faith.  She says that faith is a gift that isn't just given to individuals, but instead to entire communities.  In other words, none of us gets the whole thing.  None of us gets all the faith. 

We can't choose our siblings.
In Christ, we get a new family, and in confirmation we renew our commitment to that family.  But just like our families at home, none of us get to choose our siblings!  We are simply called to love them. Confirmation is a choice to love God by loving the brothers and sisters and siblings God has given us. Fight, disagree, and hurt each other as we may, confirmation means we promise to show up for one another -- to return to the family table time and again that we may share in God's feast of love, forgiveness, and faith. ​​​

Bible Passage for Reflection:
We love because God first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.  (1 John 4:19-21)