Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, Witness

Acts 2:42–47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”

Intro

Today is what I would call a high and holy day in the life of our church. Any time we get to welcome new members into this assembly & this fellowship of believers is special, but today is especially important for me. These past two months, I’ve gotten the special honor and privilege of walking through the journey of confirmation with these six youth. In the United Methodist Church, we view confirmation not as a sacrament and not required to join the church, but it is still an important marker in our spiritual journeys.

For those in this group who were baptized as infants or toddlers, confirmation is the response of faith to the grace that God has bestowed on them throughout their life. It is the point at which these youth are filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to stand up in front of you, the church, and profess their belief in God and put their trust in Jesus Christ as their savior and join the church. It is truly a beautiful thing.

For those in this group who have not been baptized, confirmation has a double meaning. It is a way for them to prepare for their baptism by profession of faith. Today will also be the first time I’ve ever baptized someone, which would be special no matter what but especially with these three who have all thought long and hard about this decision and come to the conclusion that they are ready to take this leap of faith. I am ready to get them in this water!

I find it funny that often when I type “confirmation” in texts or emails, it autocorrects to conformation. I think that is what we sometimes associate confirmation with. And it would be easy for us who teach confirmation to teach about Wesleyan theology, the history of the church and look at Bible stories with a specific outcome in mind or a specific set of doctrines we want to make these youth believe.

But what I tried to emphasize to these students throughout these last two months is that it is okay to have questions and doubts. In my past year and a half in seminary, I have been faced with many questions that have led me to really think critically about my faith and what I believe about God. But at the end of the day, this inquiry and doubting has the power to make our faith stronger because at the root of it is the desire to know more about God and to know God more. One of the beautiful and amazing things about God is that the more we learn and know about God through the church and scripture, the more questions we have and the more things we want to know. What I’ve told these youth throughout our time together and what I want to tell you today is that God wants our questions, our struggles, and our doubts. We grow closer to God through giving these things to Him. I hope that’s what confirmation has given these youth a taste of- that learning and questioning is an integral and lifelong component of our faith.

As you know, we are here today to celebrate the individual professions of faith being made by these six youth, but also to welcome them as a group to be a part of this congregation. One thing that I have told our youth at this church over and over again over the past few years is that God created us to be in community together. That’s why we gather together on Sunday mornings and Sunday nights for our youth. That’s why we have confirmation classes with more than one person. That’s why everything we have here at WFUMC exists- for Christian community. I think this community is reflected in this passage and in our liturgy today.

Whenever someone joins the United Methodist church, they pledge through a vow to serve and participate in the ministries of the church by their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.

Essentially we are all asked, “Will you live out your commitment to Christ through your participation in the local church as modeled by the Apostles in Acts 2?” And we, as the congregation, renew our pledge to do the same each time someone joins the church. This passage in Acts 2 always reminds me of what the church should look like.

This is the model for what the Church truly is and what we should strive for. The believers were fully and wholly devoted and committed to one another. God was performing miracles and signs through them. The believers held everything in common, shared what they had, and distributed it to those who were in need purely out of love. They ate meals together and shared what food they had with one another. They were hospitable and invited each other over to their houses. They praised God and they were thankful. And, I think, as a result of these things, their community grew. Three thousand new believers entered the Christian community on that day of Pentecost. As time went on, the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The Lord has continued to pour out His Spirit on us to this day. We are a continuation of this story in Acts 2. In confirmation, we recognize that these things are more than just rituals or coming-of-age symbols, but that there is power in confessing our faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is working here in the lives of these young people today. The Holy Spirit is working in this church today.

The church exists because of the people in it. People who are devoted to the life of the church by their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. So this morning, before these confirmands and all of us here renew our vows to faithfully participate in the ministry of the church in these ways, I want to invite you who are members here to think of what it means for you to make this covenant with the church.

The church, both in its local and worldwide sense, is very unique from other organziations we may be a part of. We are not just a group of people in one place, but the body of Christ across the world. When the head of the body tells us to go and do and love and serve and pray, we have to follow or else the whole body becomes paralyzed. We have a responsibility to do our part to strengthen the church through our individual and communal gifts.

But at the same time, our duties and responsibilities as Christians are not burdens, but privileges because they bring us closer to Jesus. In prayer, we grow closer to the God who created us and loves us, and hear the voice of God giving us direction and discernment. With our presence, we form true community and bonds of friendship and support one another. With our gifts, we get to be a part of the church in unique ways that allow us to put to use the spiritual gifts and talents God has given us. We get to share what we have for the benefit of all. With our service, we learn what it means to be compassionate and follow in the example of Christ. We get to help those around us who are suffering and show them the light of Jesus. And with our witness, we bring together all of these expressions of faith, living a life that reflects the love and light of Christ. Living a life that shows people the good news of Jesus, and leading them to His love and grace.

Church, the Holy Spirit is in this place and working within us all. We are the church, not because of us in this room, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit that has been in this place for many many generations but is also alive and moving here today. Today, as we recognize the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of these six youth and seek to welcome a new group of people into the fellowship of our congregation, I want to challenge us to continue to be bold in our prayers, consistent in our presence, generous in our gifts, compassionate in our service, and faithful in our witness. To remember what church is and why we gather together. To love one another and the world around us because Jesus tells us to.

Seeing these youth grow over the past few months and be ready, excited, and even nervous to take this step in their faith has spoken to me more than any words that I could write in this sermon. I know it will for you too. These six youth are ready to be a part of this church. They are ready to strengthen it with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. And they are ready to show the world this faith that is so much greater than anything we can do on our own. We need Jesus. We need one another.

It is time for us to follow in their footsteps. To remind ourselves of why we’re here and what we’re doing here. And to continually recognize the power of God all around us and in this place.

Prayer:

Gracious God, we know that your presence is here with us today. We are in awe of all you are doing around us and especially today in the lives of these youth. We thank you for all you have given us. Amen

Benediction

Let us go from this place with joy and recognition that the Holy Spirit is all around us. We have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. Amen.

Join with me: We go to love all and serve well.

AMEN