Jill's Journal: A moment in time to reflect

As my friends and I were checking out from serving coffee between worship services on Sunday, we strolled past a bulletin board filled with pictures of this year’s 32 confirmands. The display featured baby photos of each and a picture of them today.

It’s funny how a simple moment in time can resurrect a memory, like this one, which brought me back to my Confirmation day. After two years of Confirmation classes each Wednesday after school during my seventh and eighth grade years, year three constituted three hours of classes on Saturday mornings as a high school freshman.

And there was more. We were required to write sermon summaries, and were allowed a certain number of absences for weekend trips or illness. Back then, community worship services weren’t broadcast on the local television channel, nor was there a website to tune into. We simply had to be there. And in the following week’s bulletin, there for God and the entire congregation, were our summaries for all to read. I remember feeling a hint of pride seeing my work in print, hence, which may have played a slight role in my future plans for a career in journalism.

While we had workbook assignments to complete and class discussions to take part in, one of the more grueling requirements was having to recite – from memory – several key documents in “Luther’s Catechism”. Obviously, the Ten Commandments were first and foremost. We also had to memorize the “Apostle’s Creed,” including the Articles and their explanations, “The Lord’s Prayer,” which we all knew from years of folding our hands and bowing our heads when appropriate, and The Petitions. 

Then, we were required to sit before a small group of Church Elders and recite what they asked of us, like, “The Fourth Commandment” or the “First Article”, including the “What does this mean?” explanations.

On our Confirmation Day, my classmates and I were seated in front of the entire congregation to answer questions asked of us by our Pastor, and glory be, as I recall, we mastered those questions, too.

It was a lot of pressure for a huge reward. Most of us likely didn’t fully comprehend the importance of the several-year journey we’d be on and the importance of declaring our faith before God, our families, friends and our fellow congregants.

As we knelt at the railing for the closing prayer on that early spring day in 1979, one of our classmates – Jon – fainted. It’s the one and only time I can remember our Pastor stopping mid-blessing, albeit, it was only for a moment as ushers tended to him. I also heard my friend Laurie whispering, “Jon, Jon, what are you doing? Get up! Get up!”

Fortunately, Jon recovered, but when I look at our class picture that was taken post-worship, you can clearly see that our friend wasn’t feeling quite up to par at that point. 

As a teen, I probably complained about all that was required of us to be confirmed. Decades later, I’m wise enough to know the importance of the years and years of after-school and Saturday morning confirmation classes, sermon summaries and memorizing the Catechism. Combined, they led us to that day, that moment and this memory.