Anyone for Confirmation?
For some, confirmation is seen as a rite of passage, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah of the Christian Church. Receive a bible at the end of year 6, get confirmed at the beginning of year 7! Get confirmed and you will be a man my son – to misquote Kipling! But that is to both over simplify and over complicate things.
Confirmation is not a coming of age, maturity proving event. For starters, it isn’t just for the young. One of my proudest moments was walking alongside a 78-year-old as he took confirmation classes, stood before the Bishop, and then received the bread and the wine for the first time.
Nor is confirmation a declaration that we have a complete understanding of, a total grasp of, all it means to be Christian and to lead a Christian Life. If we had to be word, deed and theologically perfect before we could be confirmed then the Church of England would have no Bishops, Priests or Deacons, let alone a sacramentally active community.
Yes, at confirmation we confirm, we affirm, we declare, but what we are declaring is that we promise to commit ourselves to the lifelong journey, to lifelong learning, of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
We commit ourselves to wanting to know Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly, every day, knowing that we will fall and stumble on the way, and that we will never get to the end of the learning!
Would you, could you, commit to that? Would you, could you, experience the wow of knowing that Christ wants you as you are, warts and all, to be His disciple? Check out the details of confirmation in the newsletter or speak to the Rector, Jonathan, or me.
Rev Sarah.
Collect
Almighty God, send down upon your Church the riches of your Spirit, and kindle in all who minister the gospel your countless gifts of grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
We continue to pray for:
Clemmie, Michael Palmer, Ellen Chapman, Kris Tippen and Debbie
And those who have recently died and their loved ones:
Jacqueline Wetter and Joan Deverell
If you know of anyone who needs our prayers or would appreciate a visit, please let the Rector or the Parish Administrator know.
Should you wish to contact the Rector his mobile number is 07538 011579.
Services for this weekend
8.00 BCP Holy Communion at West Wittering and Itchenor
At Little Jimmies at Birdham (9.00) Susan Monks’ sermon theme will be“The Mustard Seed” and at Birdham (9.30am) John Kemp, Diocesan Finance and Stewardship Advisor will be preaching on “Giving”. At West Wittering (10.00) Sarah Manouch’s sermon theme will be ‘To do or to be, that is the question’.
There will be Evensong at West Wittering at 6.00 and Susan Monks’ theme will be “Am I a fool?”
Sunday 21st July
Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Morning
Genesis 18. 1-10a; Colossians 1. 15-28; Luke 10. 38-end
BCP
1 Peter 3. 8-15a; Luke 5. 1-11
Evensong
Genesis 41. 1-16; 25-37; 1 Corinthians 4. 8-13
Sunday 28th July
Commemoration of St James
Morning
Acts 11. 27-12.2; 2 Corinthians 4. 7-15; Matthew 20. 20-28
BCP – 6th Sunday after Trinity
Romans 6. 3-11; Matthew 5. 20-26
