What is Confirmation?

The end of summer us upon us. Kids are back in school and the temperatures have slightly cooled. With the school year comes another beginning of confirmation for the children of Our Savior. Confirmation is a rite, that is, a ceremony, that we have inherited from the history of the Church. It indicates that a child has been examined and has been found to confess the Lutheran faith. He or she is then ready to become a full member of the congregation and participate in the Lord’s Supper. For many of us confirmation class was our first introduction to the Small Catechism, the book that Martin Luther wrote to provide a simple, basic explanation of Christian doctrine. Confirmation class is a crucial part of the Christian's formation. We will learn Lutheran doctrine and learn about the Bible, but it isn't just about becoming familiar with a body of knowledge. The ultimate goal of confirmation is to learn how to live Christian lives.

We can use the word "catechesis" to describe the process of teaching the Christian life. The main goal of Christian catechesis is to create and sustain faith in Christ and learn how to express that faith in one’s life. Catechesis is a process that is begun at Baptism and ends at death. It does not end with confirmation and full membership in the church, but continues throughout the Christian's life.

Faith in Christ is the goal of catechesis. We want to know Christ, to have a righteousness that comes by faith in Him, not our own observance of God's Law. Our righteousness is tainted by sin, and so cannot save; but the righteousness of Christ, which is given to us and which we hold on to by faith in His promises, gives us eternal life. Successful catechesis gets the catechumen to recognize this central truth, that he must look away from himself and toward God.

Catechesis involves teaching, but is not the same as education. Education is concerned with passing on a body on information or developing intellect or skills. Catechesis involves forming Christian habits and attitudes in addition to learning from books. The catechumen learns by doing. He attends the Divine Service, listens to preaching, and reads and meditates on the Bible and Catechism. Catechesis does not only happen in the classroom. Catechesis involves doing the things which continue to be a part of the Christian's life after Baptism and after Confirmation: attending the Divine Service, confessing sin, hearing the absolution, and living one's calling in a God pleasing way. All this flows from the righteousness that is given to us through faith in Christ. Catechesis enables the Christian to live faithfully by hearing the Word of Christ and doing those things that will continue to be a part of his or her life.

The rite of Confirmation does not mark the end of something, like a school graduation ceremony, but marks the beginning of a child’s adult Christian life. For those of us whose confirmation is now a more or less distant memory, let us remember that our catechesis is still ongoing. We still have much to learn. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus as we run the race to win the prize of heaven (Heb. 12:1-3).
-Pastor Pope