Sunday, May 20, 2012 -- Confirmation Sunday

MUCH LESS EXCITING;
MUCH MORE IMPORTANT

Acts 9:26-31

   Exactly one year ago a minister by the name of Harold was making national news. Longtime radio preacher Harold Camping had gotten all kinds of media attention because he was predicting that the world would come to an end on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

   Perhaps you remember the billboards that he and his supporters put up in many cities, including the Columbus area, and other advertisements concerning their expected event. As these ads and other hype about Pastor Harold Camping increased, some people withdrew their life savings and gave everything they had to him in order to become part of his select congregation, which would be the one saved as the world came to its end.

   Well, in case you missed the follow-up story, the world did not end—at least not then. After that Saturday and Sunday had gone by, Pastor Camping was asked about what had—or hadn’t happened. His exact words—quoted by reporters—were, “It has been a really tough weekend.”

   “It has been a really tough weekend.” Actually, I thought it was a really good weekend, but no reporters called for a quote from me.

   Why are young adults not as active in their faith or as involved in churches as they were a generation ago? This is a question of great concern these days and one I have studied extensively. There are many possible reasons, but one of the strongest of all is that in recent years whenever a religious story makes the news it’s almost sure to be about someone like Harold Camping and that ridiculous story that made news a year ago. To make the news a religious story or character has to be bizarre enough to grab attention—for a least a little while.

   So it is that by the time many of the children and youth of our nation grow to adulthood, this is all they know about Christianity. The stories of those who do crazy things, or those who want to repress certain groups of people, or those who have amassed huge fortunes by swindling in the name of religion—these are the only impressions that a large portion of our young adults have received about the Christian church and the meaning of faith. Is it any wonder that many young people especially are choosing not to be part of such an institution?

   The book of Acts tells the story of how the Christian Church came into being from a small group of Jesus’ followers, and how it spread from those humble beginnings. The single most important convert to Christianity in those early years was a man named Saul of Tarsus, who had been a persecutor of the Christians. But in a dramatic, amazing story, Saul was converted to Christianity as he was blinded, heard the voice of Jesus, and then had his sight restored. As part of his change he would eventually change his name from Saul to Paul, and would come to be known as the Apostle Paul.

   Our Scripture lesson this morning comes right after this miraculous story. Understandably, many of the Christian leaders at first do not want to welcome this man into their midst. Saul has been their greatest enemy—and now they should trust him? Our story this morning tells about another leader, named Barnabas, who becomes a mentor to Paul and who convinces the other Christians that they can trust Paul, that his conversion and faith are real.

   This is hardly as exciting as the story of Paul’s conversion—and yet it is even more important—because it will allow everything that will follow to take place. With the guidance and support of Barnabas, Paul can begin his work—his travels and teaching and letter writing—that will enable the true message of Christianity to spread.

   Now we read the closing words of today’s passage, giving an assessment of where things stand at this point. “The church had peace,” the author writes, “and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” I have never heard this verse quoted in a news story or held up at a football game. It doesn’t sound that exciting.    And yet it is most important of all. It tells how people were being cared for, how Good News of God’s love was being spread, and how lives were being transformed through mission.

   I’ve been looking for the reporters and television cameras to be setting up here to cover our Confirmation service this morning—but the only cameras I see are ones being held by proud family members or by our church’s leaders who want to capture and remember this day.

   Today’s event of the confirming of eight teen-agers into membership into membership in this church of Jesus Christ may not seem exciting to some people, but it is the most important event there can be. This is true because these young people are pledging themselves to live as part of the peace and the building up of this church, to live in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Nothing could be more important than this.

   Today, with the nurturing love of their families that has led them to this point, with the guidance of many Sunday school teachers and other leaders of our church—particularly the support of their mentors—these eight outstanding teens claim the Christian faith as their own as they take their vows, make their promises, and become adult members of this church.

   What these eight young people are doing will not make the news. It isn’t exciting enough to those in the media. But it is the most important thing there can be. These young people are proclaiming a faith and joining a church that is not based in doing bizarre things to get attention, but based in caring for others. They are proclaiming a faith and joining a church that is not repressive of others, but welcoming of others. They are proclaiming a faith and joining a church that is transforming lives through mission. And so it is that they are part of living in peace and building up the body of Christ. “Not very exciting?”—maybe. “Most important?”—absolutely!

   Pastor Harold Camping got headlines a year ago that Pastor Harold Steindam never has gotten and never will. But I am not only “okay” with that—I am grateful for it—because while he was having a really tough weekend when his prediction did not come true, I was having a great weekend as part of the mission and ministry of this congregation. And today I don’t know what kind of weekend he is having, but I am having another great one—as we celebrate that these eight teens recognize what is most important—and that truly is also most exciting.

Rev. Harold Steindam
Westerville Community United Church of Christ
May 20, 2012
Confirmation Sunday

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Posted on Sun, May 13, 2012 by Harold Steindam