How do we know there is a God? How do we find God?
What does it mean to have faith? What
can we expect from God? What should God expect from us? Why do we pray? How do
we know God hears us when we pray? Why
does it seem that God sometimes doesn’t answer prayers?
These are just a few of the questions that are part
of the conversation Mary Langley and I have each year with the students in our
Confirmation Class. Some questions come from us, but most of the questions come
from the students. Year after year, our Confirmands are eager to question,
ponder, probe, wonder, and think.
Why do we go to church and worship? How do we know
what is the “right” way or “best” way to worship? Why do other people/churches
worship so differently? What happens when we die? Do we really believe that we
will live for all eternity? What is the purpose/meaning of our life before we
die?
Are money and success a sign that God is blessing
us and happy with us? Is poverty and
struggle a sign that God is not happy with us?
Is God absent where there is war, crime, disease, poverty, hunger, &
suffering?
How do we know that God knows us and cares about
us? How do we know whether we are doing things “right” in our lives? What is it
that Jesus wants us to learn from him and his life?
These are not just questions we ask in 9th
grade; they are questions we seek answers to over our lifetimes. It is one of
the answers to the question of why we go to church: to inquire, to ponder, to
dig — to explore our faith and our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
What we learn as we ask our questions is that there
will be times in our lives when we’ll feel disconnected, detached, and even
uninterested. But the flame of faith is always there, and we know that we can find
our way back to God. We learn as well that God’s words spoken through Isaiah
are so true and so comforting: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have
called you by name, you are mine….you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” (Isaiah
43)
The goal of Confirmation Class has never been to
shape emerging Presbyterians; rather, we want to our young folks to understand
that it is okay to ask questions and even express doubts and concerns and they
live their faith. The apostle Thomas may have expressed his doubt, but Jesus
loved him no less for it.
We want our young folks to learn that life is
challenging, messy, and can often seem profoundly unfair. God can often seem
absent, as though God has traveled to the farthest end of the Universe, and left
a message on his e-mail: “Out of the Office for a time known only to Me.
Checking e-mail daily (but remember that for Me one day is like a thousand years.”
But, as we question and learn and grow in faith,
even in the most difficult times, we can still sing “Hallelujah Anyway”, as the
title of Anne Lamott’s most recent book reminds us. For the promise is sure, that underneath us
always are the “everlasting arms”.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Skip
