Over the past nine months, twenty confirmands and mentors have gathered multiple times each month to have conversation and dialogues about the Christian faith. Their conversations come from a curriculum we have adapted called Way To Live: Christian Practices for Teenagers. The goal of our time is to learn to be more aware of God’s presence in all of our everyday lives, and clarify our beliefs that direct how we are to live in our everyday life.
Here are some of these beliefs as they have been clarified over the past year, from the confirmands themselves. Enjoy the variety of places our young disciples stand in their journey of faith. Learn from them. Have hope in our mutual future that God is working through them and us as we all seek to refine the way in which we live in this world together.
Want to read more? Each complete faith statement is printed and is posted on a bulletin board on the bridge. Please feel free to read them.
Beliefs about God-
I believe that God is the highest being in all the universe. God is in the people I love, God is love, and God presents through the people who are always here for me.
I believe in a loving, welcoming, and forgiving God. I also think that God leads me through life but lets me make my own decisions in life.
Beliefs about Jesus-
Through different religions, Jesus is not consistently named by name but in variations of the name Jesus, which makes me have faith and certainty that God could be real. Depicted through different religious texts I can see that there is a God who died for all man kind’s sins regardless of race, age, gender, or identity.
Life is a gift given out of love
from He who comes down as a dove.
It is a gift second only to one other…
the ability for us to love one another.
Beliefs about the Holy Spirit-
I believe the Holy Spirit is this feeling you get when you feel connected to God. A feeling of immense joy, curiosity, warmth, love, and kindness. I feel the Holy Spirit at times I am especially close with God, like in prayer, reading the bible, and through Christian songs on the radio.
And The Holy Spirit is a love lasting forever. A love that Is unbiased toward one person or another but is seen differently by all of us.
Beliefs about the Church-
The church is there for one another and does not abandon you when you are alone and lost.
I affirm the United Church of Christ's commitment to inclusivity and diversity, and I seek to live out this commitment in my relationships and actions. I pledge to support the United Church of Christ in its mission to transform the world through the power of love, and to be a faithful and active member of this community of faith.
Other Beliefs-
I believe that God and science can coexist and complement each other, as they both reveal different aspects of reality. I strive to integrate my faith and scientific understanding to deepen my appreciation for the wonder and complexity of the world, and to live a meaningful and responsible life.
The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Church.
A parent, a friend, a warm embrace, a home.
So, what would your faith statement include beyond God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Church? What other beliefs or concepts might be important to define and include? What would you leave out? Where can you stand firm in a specific belief and where might you be unsure and have doubt?
It has been a privilege leading this confirmation group once again and I praise God for all our mentors, parents, and congregational support that made it happen!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Nick