Devotionals Detail

John 20:19-31

The definition of confirm is “to establish the truth or correctness of something previously believed, suspected, or feared to be the case.” We confirm many things in our lives. We confirm upcoming doctor’s appointments on our calendars. We confirm coffee meetings with friends. From time to time, we are asked to confirm our identity with a driver’s license. This Sunday, we have nine youth who will be confirming their faith and officially joining our church as full members.

These youth have been part of a class together since September, where they have learned about our Christian heritage and history, studied the United Methodist Church, and asked hard questions about what a life of faith looks like. In each of our worship services this Sunday, we will celebrate and witness their confirmation of faith.

It is fitting to do this on the Sunday after Easter, as our scripture passage from the Gospel of John shows the journey the disciples took as their own faith was confirmed in Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus comes to the disciples through locked doors and later returns to help Thomas have a firsthand experience of the risen Christ. Jesus proclaims peace into their lives and invites them to receive the Holy Spirit. This moment of confirmation allows the disciples to live into the life of ministry and service to which God calls them.

In the same way, our youth will be confirming their faith as a way of proclaiming yes to God’s work in their lives. We know and celebrate that God has so much in store for these youth as they live out God’s call in our church and in the community beyond.

Yet Confirmation Sunday should not be just a spectator sport. While cheering and encouraging these youth is an important part of the commitment we made to each of them when they were baptized, God does not ask us to sit on our hands while doing it. We are called to join together with our newest full members. How can our youth’s confirmation of faith inspire us to more fully live into the call of ministry God has placed in each of our lives?

Just as Jesus proclaimed peace to the disciples and invited them to receive the Holy Spirit, we too receive that same word in our own lives. God’s Spirit draws us to serve alongside one another. Our church family—across all generations—is called to find its part in the work of God in this world. We begin with what we do together within the walls of our worship, but God desires the love we share to radiate into our surrounding community and world. In that way, we can help inspire others to confirm for their selves and come to know that “through believing” they may have “life in the name” of our risen Christ.