Pentecost 18C, 2025

It’s good to be back with you again, and it’s especially wonderful to share this special day with you as we celebrate Emma reaching this significant milestone in her faith journey.

I’ve been blessed to get to spend time with Emma in Confirmation class over the last 2 years. She’s been an exceptional student, enthusiastic about participating in things (ask her about going to Confirmation Camp if you want a taste of her enthusiasm), and honestly...she’s kinda fearless. Of course, I’m not sure I know that because of Confirmation class. Although I will say that square dancing with the Moravians did put her a little out of her comfort zone.

But if you know Emma outside of these walls, you might know that she’s also a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol. I know this because she and I are in the same squadron. So I’ve been blessed to spend even more time with her, and learn about what an extraordinary young woman she is. And THAT’S where I learned a little bit about her fearless side.

Now Emma, it’s because you’re kind of fearless that I need to talk to you about this whole Confirmation thing. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Parents, I’m sorry, but I have to leak this. We still remember what it’s like to be your age. I know you don’t believe me...but we do. So when I tell you, I know what you’re thinking now that you’re being Confirmed… I’m probably not as far off as you think I am. So knowing what I know, I want to give you a little advice, starting with a caution.

Don’t think that because you’re Confirmed, you don’t have anything more to learn about Jesus, about the Holy Trinity, about the Church, about your faith. I’ve known a lot of teenagers who saw their Confirmation as a graduation - they’ve finished and they get to celebrate that. Sure, celebration is fine - it’s definitely an accomplishment. But then what’s next? You see, what you’ve been doing up until now is really just training. Think of Confirmation more like the summer camp before football season. You haven’t played any real games yet; you’ve just been learning the plays, running drills with your teammates, taking it easy because the risk is low. Once summer camp is over, then the season starts, and it’s time to play some real games against real opponents. The games are tougher than the practice.

And I don’t take any pleasure in telling you that it gets tougher now. I mean, you’re only 13. I’d much rather tell you that the world is a safe place, and people are kind and friendly and always open to hearing about Jesus. But I’d be lying to you if I said any of that. Confirmation is intended to give you a better understanding of your faith so that when you encounter someone who tests your faith, you have a firm foundation to stand on. I hope that our study these last two years has done that.

On the positive side, you still have a couple of years before you have to go out into the world on your own. And that means you can build on what you’ve learned in our class. Ask the tough questions. Talk to the adults in your congregation and find out how they live out this thing we call “faith”. How do they put this stuff into practice? What are the questions that they wrestle with? How do they pray and how do they respond when their faith is challenged (and look around and see if any of them are squirming in their chairs right now...).

Interestingly, we have a very appropriate reading from St. Paul’s 2nd letter to his student Timothy that is actually quite fitting for a day when we celebrate a confirmation. Paul has trained Timothy to be a senior pastor, one who is training others to be pastors under him. So Paul’s guidance here is not just for Timothy, but those he trains… and there’s wisdom in there for all Christians as well.

St. Paul uses 3 analogies in this passage to describe some guiding principles for a leader of Christ’s Church. Yes, it’s aimed at those who follow God’s call to ministry… but again, I think it’s worth thinking about for every Christian who walks the journey of faith.

First, he describes a soldier who should share in suffering, but not get “entangled in civilian pursuits.” Emma knows a little bit about wearing a military uniform, so you know that when your commander gives you an order, you follow it, and you don’t let yourself get distracted from your duty by other things outside of your chain of command. I think you probably can understand and appreciate this one pretty well. How does this apply to faith? Well first of all, if you’re going to “please the one who enlisted” you, that means the things you do and the things you say should be pleasing to God. And when you’re doing the work of God’s Kingdom, follow God’s guidance. Don’t get distracted by outside things, and don’t let something that’s not from the Bible distort what you KNOW the Bible really says. This is good advice for ALL of us, not just pastors.

Second, Paul uses the example of an athlete, who must play by the rules or they can’t legally win the prize. Of course - no one is going to reward a cheater. I *know* that Emma has a good sense of integrity - it’s the very first and most important core value in CAP. How do we apply that to faith? Well… the life of a Christian has rules also. Kind of like the soldier who wants to please the one who enlisted him, the soldier can’t disobey those rules. But on top of that, integrity plays a part here, too. We define integrity as “doing the right thing even when nobody else is watching.” If you live your life of faith that way, you will be a shining beacon to the world around you. Again, this is solid advice for any Christian.

Third, we get the example of a farmer. Farmers are well-known for an ethic of consistent, hard work. Without that, a farmer can’t survive. They HAVE to work hard, and do so consistently. The wisdom here is that the farmer who works hard should get first share of the crop he harvests. Emma… I don’t know if you know anything about farming, but I do know that you’re a hard worker, so I think you can appreciate this one, too. Just like the athlete who plays by the rules will enjoy the prize at the end of the game, the farmer who works hard will enjoy the fruit of his labor. There’s something at the end waiting for you to enjoy when you work hard and follow God’s commands.

I hope you thought, “hold on, that doesn’t sound very Lutheran.” And you would be right to think that. Yes, God wants us to do good works and obey His Commandments, but that’s not to earn God’s love, mercy, or grace. It’s certainly not to earn our salvation. But when God wants to bless us, He will not do so if we are disobedient. God does not bless the disobedient. He will always forgive the disobedient when we ask, but He will not bless us when we are disobedient. No good parent would do that. So Paul provides this wisdom here to show us how we can ensure God can bless us, and we haven’t gotten in His way.

Emma, when you head off to college or the military or wherever you go to when you’re ready to fly from the nest, you’re going to encounter a great many people who don’t want you to live as a Christian. Some will tease and ridicule you and even hate you for your faith. Some will try a more sneaky method by tempting you with different things that seem like you would enjoy them a lot… but you’ll know pretty quickly that God would not approve. This is why we teach you about your faith. We want you to be so confident in your relationship with Jesus that you don’t even have to think for a second. You KNOW what Jesus would want you to do, and you do it.

I won’t kid you - that’s a lofty goal. Many adults in this room face that exact question, and we still have problems doing it Jesus’ way. The struggle is REAL. But when you walk with Jesus every day, and you build a relationship with Him, you can lean on Him, and He’ll be there for you when you call on Him.

In a couple of minutes, we’re going to talk about what God did for you in Baptism. We’ll be reminded of the promises that were made to you in Baptism, and what that means for you. And then we get to come to the Lord’s Supper and receive Jesus’ very own Body and Blood. This is the part of our worship that I hope you will always be hungry for. In this Sacrament, our Lord comes to us personally. You bring Jesus closer to you than He will ever be … at least until Judgment Day. In His Holy Supper, we are reminded of the suffering and death that Jesus endured for each one of us. We are reminded that His death wiped clean our sins - all of them. Everything that was getting in the way of our relationship to God is no longer an obstacle. We have unrestricted access to God because Jesus made sure of it. And in His resurrection, we have hope. We know that death is not the end. We know that God has something more planned for us - to be with Him eternally in peace, in joy, in love, and in communion with Him and each other. I hope this Sacrament will bring all of this to your thoughts and to your heart each time you receive it. And whenever your faith feels a little bit challenged or overwhelmed, I hope you’ll think to come to this Sacrament and get close to Jesus again.

The other 2 readings also have something to offer you on your Confirmation, Emma. First, of course, is Ruth. Not only that she’s a strong woman of faith. But as you read her story, even in the first chapter, it’s clear that she is a woman of commitment and loyalty. Again, these are qualities that are good for any Christian to strive for. If you need a role model, Ruth is a darned good one.

Finally we have our Gospel reading. The easy lesson here is also important: don’t forget to give thanks to God when good things happen to you. Or, just don’t forget to give thanks to God. There’s ALWAYS something to thank Him for. It’s easy when life is going well to forget to thank God. We are conditioned to only talk to God about things when it’s tough, or we’re sad or angry or frustrated. We do the same with other people. We complain when things aren’t going well, and we’re quick to point out other people’s flaws and demand they fix their problems. Why are we so reluctant to recognize the good? When we have a bad day, we might get down on our knees and pray fervently to God for His help, His blessing, His intervention. When we have a good day, why don’t we get down on our knees and praise Him? Don’t forget that. Also good advice for any Christian.

Ok Emma, now you’ve got all you need to face the world, right? Of course not. Neither do I. But I have Jesus, and so do you, and He will take you far. And He’ll NEVER leave you alone. I pray that your walk with Him will be close and always growing closer, and that your faith will make other people want to have the faith that you have. It’s been my honor and privilege to be your teacher the last 2 years, and although I’ll miss you in class, I’m proud to see you complete this course and begin the next part of your faith journey.

Please pray with me: Heavenly Father, please bless young Emma today as she celebrates this milestone in her life of faith. Inspire her to continue on this journey and empower her to face the challenges the world will throw at her with courage and with trust in You. Help her family - both her immediate family and her church family - to continue to nurture her faith and help them to find ways to support her as she becomes an adult in your church. Continue to sustain her with Your Holy Spirit, that she may run the long race, and see it through to the end.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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