Colossians 2:6-7
“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”
As confirmation approaches this weekend, I am reminded of when I went through confirmation as a youth at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Memphis, TN. I remember being so excited to officially join the Episcopal church. This was my first big step into growing into who I am today. While I honestly don’t remember everything we learned in our confirmation class, I do remember the feeling of how important this step was in my journey through life.
Confirmation meant I was committing my life to the teachings of Christ. I had chosen to do this, not because I was forced to or felt pressured to. I was wanting to do this for myself. I felt a yearning to grow in my spirituality.
Fast forward to my sophomore year of high school, I had an even bigger desire to be a part of the Episcopal church. I wanted to learn more, do more, and be as active as I possibly could. I switched over to Holy Communion Episcopal Church in Memphis on my own, while my family still attended Grace-St. Luke’s. I got involved with EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) and DOY (Division of Youth) events, such as Happening and Bishop’s Bash. It was there that I made my closest friends. I had prayed for many years to have friendships like the ones I made at Holy Communion.
Skip ahead a few more years to January 2016, I began my job as Director of Youth Ministries at the Chapel of the Cross. I learned in January that I would be on the other side of confirmation and would actually be teaching the class to the youth.
It is a unique experience to be on the other side of table. This weekend, I will be watching a handful of youth commit themselves to Christ’s teachings. It is a very rewarding experience to be able to see these young men and women grow in their spirituality. Each week, I am blessed to watch the youth at this church cultivate lasting friendship, grow in community together, spend time growing in their own faith, and becoming the men and women they are called to be.