This Saturday, we have six parishioners getting confirmed or received into The Episcopal Church. The exciting thing about this weekend is that all these parishioners are adults. We tend to think Baptism is for babies and Confirmation is for teenagers, but these rites can be offered to anyone who would like to take a next step in their faith journey. In fact, there is a special rite for those who have been baptized and confirmed in a different tradition — it’s called being received into The Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church honors your Baptism and your Confirmation from a different tradition, and being received is a way to not forsake your background, but to honor that The Episcopal Church is now your spiritual home. I was received into The Episcopal Church and in addition to the special prayer for those getting received, the Bishop also said, “Welcome home.” For those of us that did not grow up in The Episcopal Church, this tradition can truly feel like coming home.
The heartbeat of a confirmation/reception service is reaffirming our Baptismal Covenant. That is, affirming what God has has already made true during our Baptism. The Baptismal Covenant (found on page 304 of your BCP) is one of the deepest gifts our tradition has to offer. We recite the creed and then we make promises to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to “respect the dignity of every human being” — all with God’s help. Perhaps today think about the next step you’d like to take in your faith journey. Perhaps it is getting confirmed or received. Perhaps it is asking the hard questions. Perhaps it is looking at the world around you anew. Think about the people you’d like to journey with and the God who companions with you each moment of the way. As Matsui Basho says, “The journey itself is home.” Please join me in praying for our parishioners who are taking this sacred next step this Saturday!
With gratitude,
Rev. Janelle
