Our son, Zac, was just confirmed as a member in the Lutheran church. This was a momentous time in our family with my parents coming over for the week to celebrate this event. Some of you, though, may not know what this is or you may even be thinking "what's the big deal?" Let me see if I can explain.
We, as a family and as Lutheran-tradition believers, have had our children baptized as infants. This not only shows our dedication to God in offering our children into His presence but it allows the Holy Spirit to dwell in the children. This, I believe, helps to bring understanding as they grow in body, mind, emotion and spirit and lays the groundwork for true wisdom later in life.
However, we all need to make the conscious decision to follow Christ and acknowledge his sacrifice and God's provision for us through His son. This is where the "confirmation of faith" becomes important. The youths first go through an intensive class that takes them through highlights of scripture, Luther's small catechism with explanations, and real-life applications and scenarios. These are designed to highlight the need for Christ, the way to him and how they can keep that faith throughout their lives. They then get to make the decision for themselves as to whether or not they want to confess their faith publicly to the congregation and receive full membership into the church body.
This does not mean that we are no longer active in increasing our child's understanding or faith but it does give him the background to understand and defend his beliefs. It can also be the net that catches him if he steps off the path; he will always know the web of knowledge and belief is there to catch him if he falls. I am overjoyed that Zac chose to confirm his faith in Christ in front of the church and I will always be there to guide him, learn from and with him, and walk beside him knowing that we are both children of faith and God's beloved ones.
