Pastor Clayton ~ May

At the end of April, fifteen of our brothers and sisters publicly professed their faith through the Rite of Confirmation. The day was full of so much joy as we reflected and celebrated the gifts God gives not only to our catechumens, but to us all. I’m sure you have memories of what your Confirmation day was like as you too publicly professed your faith and the gifts given to you in baptism.

Where did this practice come from though? Nowhere in Scripture do we find Peter donning a white robe or Paul sitting in catechism classes preparing to be questioned. While Confirmation is an ancient tradition it has changed constantly over its history. And so this month I want to take a moment to share some of that history as we begin to reimagine our approaches to growing in our faith.

The earliest records we have of something called confirmation dates back to the 5th century. At this point, it was part of the early baptismal services coming right after a person would be baptized and right before they would be given the Lord’s Supper. Confirmation here referred to a person being covered in oil, or chrism, after being washed with water. While today, we may think of these three parts (baptism, confirmation, and communion) as separate pieces, from their institution before the 5th century, they would all take place together. This means that confirmation was needed to complete baptism. However, this was primarily because baptism, confirmation, and communion were seen as one thing that took place at the same time.

Until they didn’t. At some point before the 13th century, the three parts were split into three rites that took place at different times. This change happened due to the hierarchy in the Church, where different classes in the clergy were permitted to do different things. The priests, who oversaw individual churches, baptized those new to the faith. However, confirmation was reserved for bishops. Bishops would have to travel great lengths to visit each church they oversaw, and due to the gaps between visits it was unreasonable to wait for months if not years to baptize individuals just so the bishop could be there to confirm them as well.

So, the rites were split into three. The priest would baptize when the time came, then the baptized would wait until the next time the bishop visited. At that point they would be confirmed and given their first communion. This pattern of baptisms, with a later confirmation and communion, is the start of an order we recognize. It is also how the structure would continue in the Church until the time of the Reformation.

Once the Reformation began in the 16th century, confirmation was one of the errors addressed and left behind. Martin Luther had a heap of issues with what confirmation was. At the forefront was this notion that confirmation completed baptisms. This idea takes from what baptism truly is and adds something that lacks, “both the command and the promise of the Lord.” Luther had no regard for this form of confirmation for these reasons, and is cited as “sometimes calling confirmation ‘monkey business’, other times ‘a fanciful deception’ or ‘mumbo-jumbo’”. He saw no use for what was there.

Luther instead turned his focus to education, and this shift would shape confirmation moving forward. When he visited churches, he saw how little the people had been taught and understood about the faith and so he spent time addressing this concern. This led to one of his best known writings, the Small Catechism, as well as to his work translating the Scriptures into the local German language. While Luther cared greatly for proper teaching of the faith, he never created or implemented any form of confirmation. Yes, his catechisms were meant to be used for teaching, especially in the setting of the home, but he never created a rite of confirmation like what we have today.

Others did though. Martin Bucer, another reformer, created the first rite of confirmation in 1538. Part of his rite included a confession of one’s faith and the promise to follow the teachings and authority of the Church. This should sound familiar to us. From here, this practice continued to grow and shift, giving a new form to confirmation that focused on what was important in the life of the baptized: learning and growing in the faith.

There were other influences on this form of confirmation as it continued throughout history, moving closer to our day. The first major influence was pietism. Pietism focuses heavily on the individual, being mainly concerned with the personal practice each person has. Our practices of having a public confession of faith is a reflection of this. The second major influence was rationalism. With the focus on logic and knowledge, rationalism raised the importance of understanding certain information and being able to recall it. There are, of course, other influences, even in the history of our congregation that has influenced the practices that take place here.

So that brings us to today and the opening question, “Where did confirmation come from?” It came from an ancient practice, but has changed in drastic ways. What was once a small piece of a larger rite, became separated from the other parts and took on dangerous implications. From there it was set aside, picked back up, and has now become a practice focused on education and faith formation. However, this isn’t the end.

C.F.W. Walther, one of the founding pastors of the LCMS, said that while confirmation is not commanded by God, “if used rightly, [it] can be accompanied by great blessing.” So where do we go from here? Confirmation should not be left behind for no reason, but we must also take time to consider our approach. Why do we do what we do? How are our practices forming new disciples? As changes are made, what will remain and what will be reimagined? And lastly, and most importantly, how do we as the Church live faithful to God’s Word together and pass on to future generations what has been given to us?

Over the next few years, we will be evaluating and reimaging our current practices around our confirmation process. As we do so, these questions and others will help guide our conversations. In our mind will always be how we best help others grow in their faith in Christ so that in the face of anything, even death, they hold steadfast to the One who is full of steadfast love for them.

Blessings,

Pastor Bryce

To keep up to date with Youth Group activities, scan this QR code or go to
immanuelrapids.com/youth-ministry/