Adopting a Tree and Other Types of Awe

At Spartanburg Methodist College, first year students take a required, one credit class that trains/reminds them of the techniques that can make them successful:  academic techniques, meet and greet techniques, involvement techniques.  There are many reasons why I love being at a liberal arts college, and this commitment to student success at every stage, and with a wide definition of success, is one of them. 

One of my colleagues teaches one section, and on Tuesday, she asked me, "Do you have your students adopt a tree?"  I smiled and said yes.  She said, "I saw that written in the calendars of a few of my students, and I knew they must be in your class."

I felt like I had been paid a great compliment.  Even better, I knew that my colleague meant it as a compliment.  I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it--it's WONDERFUL to be at a place where my creative approaches are seen as normal--admirable, too, but normal.  It's WONDERFUL to be at a place where I'm not the only one doing creative approaches.

These days, even people who aren't inclined to take creative approaches are experimenting, often in an attempt to come up with assignments that can't be fed into generative AI.

Today I will begin using the green, brown, and gray paint swatches that I got on Tuesday:

My English 100 students will take the swatches outside with them, to help them learn to describe the colors of their tree more precisely.  My English 101 students will do that, and we will also talk about the names of the colors on the paint swatches, in a way to think more poetically/with more imagination about colors.

Earlier this week, I had my classes try to write instructions:  get us from this classroom to the tree.  Don't just say, "Go outside."  What if we go to the door on the other side of the building.  They wrote directions and then tested them and then wrote about what they learned.

Granted, they weren't as tough testing each other's directions as I would have been.  But they seemed to be learning what I wanted them to learn, and they worked in different small groups than the peer editing groups.  This year, I am looking for ways to have them be in small groups occasionally, since I do think it has benefits, even if I'm not as big a believer in some of the practices, like peer editing, as I once was.

It's good for all of us to move away from the traditional model:  students in desk, teacher at the front, no one moving, not much student talking, too much teacher talking.  As the fourth week of classes comes to an end, I think I'm doing a good job of mixing up activities:  some individual writing, some instruction, some group work, some inside work, some outside work.

 These ideas could be adapted for church groups too (retreats, Sunday School, etc.).  So many of us have forgotten how to see; teaching ourselves to see again can inspire awe, not only for creation, but for our Creator God.

Confirmation Class by Old-Fashioned U.S. Mail

I've been approaching Confirmation in a variety of ways.  The most traditional way has been the Sunday School format.  Decades ago, when I did Confirmation as a student, we had regular Sunday School class and then we met again for afternoon Confirmation class, followed by evening youth group.  Those days are not these days.

Even if the families were willing to return to church, we don't have that many youth for activities.  But I'm not living in the area, so even if the families were willing, I can't do it. I need to be back at my house in the NC mountains so that I can go to my teaching job in Spartanburg on Monday mornings.

I've also been hesitant to do a lot of Confirmation because I thought a new pastor might be coming soon, and I didn't want to overstep.  But now it's become clear that a new pastor isn't coming soon, so when we finished our study of the sacraments, I decided to move into a discussion of the creeds.  In the fall, if I'm still Synod Appointed Minister, we'll explore the 10 Commandments and then do a bit of Bible study in the spring.

I wasn't at church on May 11 because I was out of town for graduation.  But I wanted to give my students an assignment.  I decided to have the students mail them to me--a bonus, that I get mail, but also, they had additional incentive to do it.  

For our May 4 class, I gave them three sheets of paper and a stamped envelope addressed to me.  On one sheet of paper, I had them write God, on the second Jesus, and on the third, Holy Spirit.  I told them that the assignment was to draw or write or collage what they thought of when they heard these words and thought about these aspects of our Triune God.

I wasn't sure what to expect.  Would they even mail the envelopes to me?  I'm happy to report that they did.

I'm not going to post pictures because I said I wouldn't share their pictures.  But they are delightful, and they make me think that children in our churches are understanding far more than we might give them credit for.  And I want to remember that I, too, might be a more effective Confirmation teacher than I give myself credit for.

Confirmation Bread Baking

Yesterday, I made this Facebook post:  "I have been down to Spartanburg, SC to teach, and now we're about to leave Arden, NC to got to Bristol, TN to help Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church with tonight's fish fry. If we cross the line into Virginia, I'll have been in 4 states today. If you're in the Bristol area from 5-7, come on by to get the best meal deal: $10 buys a great dinner along with delicious desserts and a beverage. All proceeds go to fund local charities. It's so many wins I can scarcely count them."

That post sums up my Friday; we did not drive into Virginia.  The post doesn't talk about the bread dough creating that was part of the fish fry.  I had this vision that the confirmands and I would make bread dough during the slow moments of the fish fry, from the proofing of the yeast to the mixing of the dough.  I calculated that there would be plenty of time for the bread to rise.

My plan did not take into account that two of them would have their horseback riding lessons rearranged.  I proofed the yeast and hoped they would show up, but no luck.  So, as the minutes ticked by, I decided to go ahead and mix up the dough without them.

The one confirmand who was there watched, but she didn't want to mix the dough.  The older teen who was confirmed two years ago watched even more intensely than the confirmand.  The adults divided their attention between bread dough and the baby that one of them has.  One of them said, "You really love doing this, don't you?"  Imagine it said in a kind way, not a sneering way.

We ended up with five chunks of bread dough.  I had four paper pans, four plastic bags, and baking directions--one for each confirmand and one I gave to the parishioner who first asked, "Would it be possible to have homemade bread like we did at my church in Wisconsin?"  I took one home with me.

This morning as the bread baked, I thought back to my own beginnings in bread baking.  My grandmother baked rolls every day for the big meal which was usually in the middle of the day, but the first person I knew who baked loaves of bread was an intern who came to our church in my 7th grade year.  Her name was also Kristin, and she seemed like the coolest person I'd ever met.  She was my confirmation teacher, and she brought bread for snack time, which she ate, while we ate the candy that we bought from the convenience store across the street.

I didn't start baking bread, though, until high school, when my mom suggested we try it for the seminarians who were coming over for dinner.  Kristin the intern had moved on by then, but we still had her recipe for Milk and Honey Whole Wheat Bread from the cookbook Recipes from a Small Planet by Ellen Buchman Ewald.  I don't have access to my copy, but I found someone else's photograph online:

The recipe used whole wheat flour and dry milk, with honey, oil, salt, warm water, and yeast.  I no longer make that recipe, but I bake variations of it, sometimes with liquid milk, sometimes without, often with butter instead of oil and brown sugar instead of honey, and oats.

I hope that the bread baking experiences that I've brought to Faith Lutheran Church take root.  I think of the intern who first expanded my notion of what bread could be, and I hope I'm doing that for the youth who are there.  At the very least, I hope I'm giving them good memories, even if they don't do bread baking of their own.

The Beginning Days of Confirmation Class

I am a Synod Appointed Minister, a very temporary position which has lasted a year longer than first planned.  I am happy to be at Faith Lutheran in Bristol, TN, and I'll be sad to leave.  But it's also hard to know some best approaches as I think about things like Confirmation class.  After all, the church is looking for a full-time pastor to share with the neighboring church in Bristol, VA.  It might make sense to wait on some things, so that the full-time pastor can go from beginning to end with the confirmands.

But the search process can take awhile, and meanwhile, the middle schoolers are getting older.  So I decided to start Confirmation this year, on Feb. 9.  That Sunday, we made Valentines to talk about God's love, so we opened the class to everyone, regardless of age. I made some salient points about love and how God loves us no matter what. The youth enjoyed making Valentines. I do realize that they may remember the Valentines making more than the message. But since it's a message I return to often in the youth sermon, hopefully they will remember.

On this past Sunday, we looked at the baptismal promises and the affirmation of baptism promises, which are essentially the same.  We talked about parents and family and church members making promises on behalf of babies and about what it means when we hand those promises back to the confirmands.  It was a good session.

This Sunday, we'll start talking about baptism in earnest.  I have an infographic that I made for a seminary Foundations of Worship class, and we'll start there.  

The following week, I will be out of town, so I want them to make an infographic or a collage.  They can use mine as a model.

I'm thinking of this approach as one of modules.  When the new pastor comes, I hope to be able to say, "We've done a module on baptism and a module on communion."  If it's awhile before the new pastor comes, we'll move on to the creeds and the commandments.

It is strange thinking of Confirmation, what I hope to teach, what really feels important. I worry about the next person coming in as we are midway through the process and deciding that I've done a bad job. I don't care what that person thinks of me, but I don't want the youth to be punished in any way.

Sunday Report

Yesterday was a more harrowing drive to Bristol than I like, especially in the first half hour (darkness and rain and wind and big trucks).  But it was a good day at Faith Lutheran.

For our Confirmation class, we looked at the baptism promises and the affirmation of baptism promises, which are essentially the same.  We talked about what it means to live into these promises.  Even the ones that seem straightforward, like bringing children to the word of God could have some nuance:  that could be the Bible, most obviously, but even things like hymns can contain the word of God.

I will continue to stress that what we're talking about is a lifetime journey, not a one time test, like a driver's license.  I want them to know that even if they're not sure about everything, it's O.K. to live with some mystery.

Then we headed upstairs for worship.  I was happy with worship and with my sermon, which you can view here or read here.  There was a good vibe in the congregation, even though the attendance was a bit lighter.

On our way home we had rain and snow at the higher elevations.  Down here on the other side of the mountain, we had sun, but so much wind I didn't want to go back out.  Luckily, I didn't need to.

Sin and Seventh Graders

During the Confirmation Camp week-end, I didn't lead the group discussions, not small groups and not the large groups.  When we were in the large group, I kept saying to myself, "This week-end is not about me.  Do not answer the questions.  Do not chime in to the discussion."  For the most part, that wasn't a problem.

However, when we talked about sin, I really wanted to participate.  I was shocked and saddened by how the middle schoolers who answered the questions were so quick to talk about how humans are born sinful and full of evil.  They didn't seem to have much of a sense of God's love, and without that sense of God's love, it's not surprising that they didn't mention grace.

Oh, Augustine, you have so much to answer for!

I don't think they got their concept of original sin from their Confirmation classes, although having met many Lutherans with non-Lutheran theologies, it wouldn't surprise me.  I took a walk with a pastor friend on Monday, and we talked about Confirmation and living in the southeast part of the U.S.  Much of their theology is likely formed by their friends who are Southern Baptist or more to the right of Southern Baptists.

I realize that they are years and decades away from thinking for themselves and that they may or may not undo the harmful theologies they've picked up along the way.  I hope we've planted seeds that will sprout in the future.  We did end the week-end in the lakeside worship space, with the pastor who led the large group discussions reminding us all of God's deep love of us.

I hope they remember that God loves us, and I hope they reject the idea that God is so angry/disappointed with us that Jesus must intervene.

Bread Baking Process for Large Groups

 Last night I had a classic anxiety dream--I was in a class, and something was due, but I thought it was due the following week.  I woke up and made a list in my head to make sure I'm not missing something.  I'm still feeling anxious this morning, even though I haven't missed anything.

I am in that time of the term where I'm thinking of all the balls I'm juggling and trying not to think about it.  If I just keep going, I'm less likely to drop a ball.  If I look down, I may drop all the balls.  So, in an effort to calm my jittery self, let me reflect a bit on bread baking with a huge group of easily distracted middle school confirmands.  I accidentally created a successful approach that I want to remember.

I wanted to talk about yeast and bread in general, but I also wanted to make quick breads for our Communion bread.  So I decided to do both.  The first thing we did as a group was to look at yeast.  I walked in front of each child and held out a spoonful, commenting on the small grains.  

Then I sprinkled 5 spoonfuls in a bowl of water and showed the bowl to each person.  I commented on how it looked like lake water with algae in it.  I set it aside.

I had the bread making supplies on two tables, and my vision was that one group would make quick bread with regular flour and one would make it with gluten free flour.  

That part of the process went fairly well.  Each table had 8-10 children, and we dumped the ingredients in the big bowl, stirred and stirred, and then made the dough into rounds.  

At a certain point, restlessness happened, so I had everyone line up against the back wall to look at the bowl of yeast and water.  It was bubbly, and we talked about what yeast does, and why Jesus had the parable about the yeast.  What does it mean to be leaven in the loaf?  Why does Jesus call himself bread?  We talked about how lots of people have sustained themselves with not much else but bread.  We talked about the other types of food we know that ancient people ate, olives and lamb and small birds.  Bread is much more affordable and sustainable.

We came back to the table to finish up the quick bread and to add ingredients to the yeast bread bowl.  We added oil and honey, along with milk and more flour.   The confirmands had a chance to mix and knead with their hands (not required, since I know not everyone likes to get their hands messy).  The first group even got a ball of dough to shape.

 

The first group, a smaller group, did a good job of sharing the tasks, but the larger group was not skilled that way.  So I changed course.   I had everyone line up to take a turn at the bowl.  I said, "Mix, mix, move aside."  So everyone stirred 3-6 times and stepped aside.  Every so often, I dumped some flour or milk in the bowl.  I did the same thing with kneading.  The quick pace kept people focused.  They seemed to have fun, but more important, everyone got a chance to participate.

I didn't give the second group a chance to shape their own ball of dough.  They needed to get cleaned up and back to the main group.  But I also didn't want to risk what might happen if they had much more than a quick encounter with the dough:  dough in hair, dough flung across the room, not enough dough for bread to bake.  Once the confirmands went back to the main group, I washed my hands and took the trays in to the large group.

I said, "Look how much your bread dough has risen in the last half hour.  This is what it means to be leaven in the loaf.  This is your task, to be leaven in the loaf of your community."  I said it in my loud booming voice, and it got everyone's attention.

Then I went back and finished shaping the loaves and watching over the baking of them.  The kitchen staff and some of the grown ups helped me clean up.  

Once the bread cooled, I decided it was wise to slice the loaves in advance.  We were giving people a chance to taste the breads with their dinner, and I didn't want everyone waiting while I sliced bread.

I was pleased that everyone had a chance to try whichever kinds of bread they wanted and even to come back for seconds.  

It was very neat to worship the next day with the bread that we had created as part of communion.  I didn't have a chance to see if the confirmands found it as moving as I did.  

What I'd really like to be able to do is to check with them in 20 years to see if they remember, or who remembers what.  But most of us don't get to do that.  We do the work and we hope that some of it takes.

Confirmation Camp Overview

 Tomorrow I will write in more detail about the bread baking at Confirmation Camp yesterday.  Last night I made this Facebook post which gives an overview of a more in-depth piece of writing that will come in the future:  "At some point, I'll write more and include pictures, but let me just say that out of the chaos of baking with 44 middle school confirmands came amazing bread: yeasted and quick breads, gluten free and wheat flour breads. We talked about what it means to be the leaven in the loaf, and then we ate our loaves. We talked about how God is forgiving, just like the process of bread baking, and then we made huge batches of bread without a recipe. It was amazing."

It's amazing to think that my total time with the confirmands creating bread dough was only an hour:  roughly half an hour with each group of 22.  Here I am with a pan of their dough that had risen, and I reminded the whole group what we had talked about, what it means to be yeast, how something tiny can bubble up into something that will nourish a whole community.

But there were other memorable moments too.  I led a group on a labyrinth walk.  Lutheranch has the most unusual labyrinth I've ever seen:  instead of clearing out trees to make the labyrinth, the labyrinth winds around the trees.  To get to it, you walk up a little trail.  It felt completely remote, yet we could hear the group of confirmands who had gone swimming in the lake and a cow at a nearby farm.  It was wonderful.

I also want to remember how many people were enthusiastic about art.  I'm sure that some of them were sketching and doodling out of boredom.  I pulled out my sketchbook during the morning baptism large group session, not out of boredom but as a way to stay focused.  One of the girls asked me about my sketching at break, and I offered to share supplies.  I showed her various markers and gave her a blank page out of my sketchbook.  Her grandmother was one of the adults there, and she thanked me for taking time with her granddaughter, but it was a great experience for me too.

The meals have been good, and I have been surprised at how much food middle schoolers consume.  We had fresh fruit at breakfast yesterday, and it was all gone by the time I walked through the serving line at the end.  I'm not complaining, mind you.  But I'm almost sure that my generation, when we were younger, would have walked right by that fruit.

Of course, we wouldn't have had the same wonderful mix of fruit.  I don't think I tasted fresh pineapple until late in my college years, if then.

The moon is full, and there's not really a great set up for writing in this room.  Let me go out and enjoy the view of it one last time, in this rural Georgia setting.

Baptismal Promises, Confirmation Promises

I am part of the leadership team (a very small part) for the Confirmation Camp retreat/week-end at Luther Springs this week-end.  Last night, in our first session, we talked about the promises that are made at a person's baptism, promises made by family members, promises made by the church community.

Here is what ELCA Lutherans promise when we baptize; we will help/guide/direct the baptized one to do the following:

·       Live among God’s faithful people 

·       Hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper 

·       Proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed 

·       Serve all people, following the example of Jesus 

·       Strive for justice and peace in all the earth 

Last night, we had each small group take one of those promises and talk about how we could fulfill this promise outside of the church building.  It was interesting to see what these middle school age confirmands came up with.  For example, in the justice and peace area, the confirmands talked about ending bullying, which wasn't a topic that was widely discussed, back in the late 1970's when I went through the confirmation process.

Some of the confirmands had some trouble paying attention when we presented information as a large group, but when we broke into small groups, every confirmand became intensely involved.  I haven't always seen that dynamic in adult settings.

We ended with our group leader reminding the confirmands that at the end of this process, the confirmands will take on these promises as a commitment for themselves.  She reminded us that we've taken a great first step in thinking of ways we could do that.  It was a great overview of what is coming as part of the process and a good way of working through that transition.

It seems that this process could be a great retreat exercise for an adult group too, a great reminder of how we begin our life as Christians, a great way to think about what we're doing well in our faith journeys and where we might want to think about a course correction.

Processing History

I've spent the last week wrestling with this writing assignment for Church History class, which seems like it would work in a variety of settings.  It may be too sophisticated for Confirmation classes, plus I do realize that Confirmation classes are often doing something very different.  It may be much more academic than is appropriate for any church setting--and if that's the case, I feel a bit sad.  

But it may be a perfect approach.  I love the way that it required us to look at a vast swath of history and choose our own focus.  I love the way it required us to respond to each other, but not in a "You're wrong!" way.  I loved that it required us to think about the long term implications of Church History.

Later, perhaps I'll share my answers.  For right now, I don't want to post my answers online, for free of triggering the plagiarism software contained in the course shell.

Here's the assignment:

Most of the reading and lecture materials have focused chiefly on the major reformers and movements in the Reformation (Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Cranmer).  But there were other, perhaps lesser-known but nevertheless significant, figures.  Some were later-generation leaders, even successors of the early great Reformers (with names like Theodor Beza, Martin Bucer, John Knox, Oecolampadius).  Others were Anabaptists or more fringe Protestant figures (e.g., Konrad Grebel, Thomas Müntzer, Menno Simons).  In addition, we have seen, or will be seeing Roman Catholics who played a key role (Erasmus of Rotterdam, John Eck, Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples, Thomas More, Teresa of Ávila, Ximenes de Cisneros, to name a few).

Select two figures who you see as having played a positive role in the Reformation, and say why.  One may be a major player (such as the three listed above), but at least one must also be a more minor figure.  (If you have encountered a Catholic Reformation / Counter-Reformation figure that you would like to substitute for one of these, you may do so.)  Be sure to state why you believe that the contribution is significant.   In your reference to each, name at least one key event, document, or council related to that person.  This is due by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, 16 February.

Then, after you post your basic response, reply to one other student (you choose who), and bring it forward to the present:  what lesson or example (this can be positive or negative, either something to imitate, or to avoid) might  the modern Church might one find in one of the two persons that other class member wrote about?  Remember to be courteous in your reply, even (especially!) if you disagree.  (There are two critiques that are out-of-bounds here because they are obvious and I want you to be more subtle and thoughtful: Luther's anti-judaism/anti-semitism, and Knox on women.  Both repugnant -- but choose something else.)  The reply is due by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, 18 February.

Notes on a Confirmation Service

Yesterday, we had a long delayed confirmation service.  We didn't have one in 2020, and I don't remember having one in 2019.  We have a small church, with an even smaller group of parents with confirmation age children, so there are years when we don't have a group getting confirmed.

I have now been in this church long enough that I've watched some of our confirmands grow up, and I've been part of Christian Ed initiatives through the years that gave me more interactions than I might otherwise have had.  One of them I know more as a member of a Girl Scout troop that works with our church than as a church member.  A few of them aren't familiar at all, but that, too, isn't unusual.

Let me take a moment to appreciate my pastor, who meets people where they are.  He hasn't insisted that confirmands participate in the life of the church in specific ways, like the pastors of past generations would have.  That flexibility has been a great gift during this past time of pandemic, but in truth, it's always been a gift.

Today, I lit the candles while I listened to our pastor prep the confirmands.  He reminded them not to feel stress, that there weren't going to be any special tests, that they should just relax.  That was so different from my pastor.

My pastor met with each of us individually to make sure we were really able to make the vows we were about to make.  Of course, none of us could drive.  We had that conference with my mom waiting for me.  Was I sure about my vows?  No, of course not.  But I said that I was, because all of my extended family had come to see me get confirmed.

And let's talk about those vows.  We had to recite the Nicene creed and affirm that we believed all the elements.  Now I would get around that by saying I do believe in that creed, but my interpretation may differ from yours.  And if I wrote a creed, I wouldn't focus on the things that those ancient writers of creeds did.

Today, our pastor's sermon focused on God's love for us, no matter what we do, no matter how we feel.  It was a very different kind of confirmation than the one that we had.  My confirmation day felt like turning 18, when we knew that suddenly if we screwed up, we would have a record that would follow us forever.

I often feel weepy during Confirmation services, and yesterday was no different.  I'm sure that some of that was mingled with the fact that we were having the first Confirmation service after the pandemic disrupted plans for the last one.  Part of it was feeling weepy about what these youngsters will face, about what they are already facing.  Part of it was feeling weepy about myself and how many years it's been since my own Confirmation.  Part of it was missing people, thinking about those relatives who shaped me, and how many of them aren't here anymore.

But I am glad that we were able to have this Confirmation service.  I am glad for this opportunity to reflect on my own Confirmation and the spiritual development that came later.  I am happy to be headed to seminary, where hopefully I can continue to be part of Confirmation services, part of helping them evolve to be less about whether or not a Confirmand is worthy and to be a reminder of God's grace.

Confirmation and Reformation

Yesterday we had Confirmation rites along with our Reformation service.  It felt right. 

In the past, we've had Confirmation rites on Pentecost, which also feels right.  I know churches who have the Confirmation service on Mother's Day, which seems like a non-starter to me.  I know the tradition of welcoming confirmands on Easter, which also seems like too much competing for the same service.

We've now been at this church long enough that I have often known at least one confirmand since childhood.  Yesterday, one of the young women getting confirmed used to be the acolyte, and we'd play Hangman during Pastor's sermons--but we had to use words that Pastor used during the sermon.

After the rite of Confirmation, I watched the congregation file up for Communion.  I watched the littlest ones and thought, it will feel like a quick zip of time before we see these toddlers getting confirmed.

I have not been at one church long enough to see Confirmation rites of the children of anyone who has been confirmed during my tenure there.  I can only imagine how odd that would feel.  But it would also feel wonderful--that knowledge that faith formation has flowered.

An Early Rite of Confirmation

Like many churches, we usually celebrate the rite of Confirmation on the high holy day of Pentecost.  It's a wonderful time to welcome children into the adulthood of believers--and let me in the spirit of honesty, admit that I'm uncomfortable with the way we see Confirmation as the day when children become adults who can participate fully in the Church.  Most churches see that as admission to serve on Church Council or some other equally mundane task.

I have long been uncomfortable asking people to make these vows when they are in high school--or younger.  I remember feeling like a hypocrite for making these vows, because I wasn't sure what I believed, and I certainly didn't intend to spend my grown-up life as a church member.  But I had family who had come long distances for my Confirmation, and I wasn't going to pull out the night before, when the Pastor had individual conferences with us and asked us if we had any doubts.

Did I have any doubts?  Have I ever not had any doubts?  But I was trained to be a good girl, and I said I had no doubts.

Yesterday, I listened to those vows with different ears.  I thought about my own faith journey, and how even during the years that I was not attending church regularly, I still went with my family when I returned home, I still celebrated the Eucharist several times a year, and I still lived among God's faithful people.  I have spent my whole life striving/hoping for peace and justice, even when I had different sorts of faith communities to support that.

Today, on the third Sunday of Easter, as we listened to the stories of Jesus making one of his post-resurrection appearances, I thought of the reason why we aren't waiting 40 days until Pentecost.  The woman who has faithfully taught our confirmands for decades has just received a dreadful medical diagnosis.  By having Confirmation today, she could participate.

The post-resurrection stories seem particularly appropriate for this year's Confirmation.  I need to be reminded of the Easter promise that death does not have the final answer, the final decision.  I need to be reminded of the fact that the earth commits to resurrection every day--and so does God.

When we were getting married, during one of our required pre-marital counseling sessions, our pastor told us that everyone in the congregation would be evaluating their own relationships during a marriage ceremony.  I'm betting that the same is true for Confirmations and Baptisms--at least, if we're paying attention.

Yesterday, I was paying attention.  The medical crises of so many in circles that surround me have hammered home the message:  death may not have the final answer, but it may be coming sooner than anticipated.  I want to be more fully present in my life, so that when it's time, I'm O.K. with that transition.