The Reverend Dr. Lillian Daniel
May 3, 2009
Confirmation Sunday
First Congregational Church,
www.firstconge.org
630-469-3096
Scripture: John 10:11-18
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own
the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf
snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand
does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own
know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my
life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must
bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.
Sermon:
I’ve spent the last
couple of weeks immersed in eighth grade confirmation papers. It has taken me
back into that world where everything is possible, but not necessarily in a
good way.
I remember my own
confirmation year, and the devoted pastor who taught our class in the basement of
his parsonage every week, our little class of three people, two of whom were
brothers, in our small and wonderful church. The church was just down the block
from my house, and I had to walk by it every day to get to school or to the
little convenience store down the street where I did most of my adolescent fine
dining. It was as if the church had been deliberately placed there at the
bottom of our street, at the intersection of our boring, quiet, residential
hill and the big busy road that took us to everything exciting. It was as if I
couldn’t go anywhere where I could get into trouble without passing that little
church, and it always made me think twice about what I was off to do. The world
was big and out there for me to explore, but the church stood there at the
intersection, reminding me of the things that mattered.
My own family was
not happy during those confirmation years. My parents’ relationship was coming
to an end, and they had reached a point where they seemed never to talk to one
another. It was either frosty silence or angry fighting, but never a normal
conversation. I was young and an only child but I understood what pain looked
like, and I found myself eager for any opportunity to get out of my house.
So I liked that
walk down to the church for confirmation class. I loved the pastor taking the
time to talk to us like we were ready for adult spirituality. There were times
when I would go to church all by myself, but I never felt lonely there. In fact,
I felt at church what I missed at my home, an easy going and loving place.
Later, things would
improve in my family. Things don’t stay hard forever. But I will always connect
my confirmation, my adult membership in the church, with my growing understanding
that adult life in general would not be easy.
I came to trust in
a very deep way that whatever I was going through, there was this wonderful
divine presence that was looking out for me. God didn’t make life easy for me,
but I became sure that God was giving me, and would give me, the strength I
needed for the task at hand.
The day I was
confirmed, my mother gave me a beautiful cross that I wear today. My
grandmother sent me a Bible, marked with the date of my confirmation. Later
when I got ordained as a minister, on my ordination day, I decided to read from
that Bible, and realized that I was getting ordained at the age of 26 on
November 14, the same exact day that I had been confirmed at the age of 13,
which made confirmation the exact midpoint of my life at that time. None of
this was anything I had planned, but I know somebody did, and that was the
gentle shepherd who had carried me through those years.
So today, I want to continue in my annual
tradition of sharing with you what the eighth graders of our church are
thinking about life, about faith and about God. Some confirmands wrote papers,
some made beautiful scrapbooks and some made short movies in order to share
their spirituality. I love studying what they put together, and I give these projects
my total attention, because they deserve it. In fact, Pastor Seth and I write a
special, personalized blessing for each confirmand, based on their work.
Confirmation is not just a step that 25 eighth graders are taking. It is a step
that the whole church takes, where we receive these 25 young people into
official adult membership in the church. So I think we ought to know what they
are thinking.
One of the
questions that seemed to come through again and again in the confirmation
papers was this. Who can you count on these days? Where can you turn to find
direction?
The reading from
the gospel tells us that there is one good Shepherd, who will lay down his life
for his flock. That, of course, was Jesus. Our confirmands are pretty
fascinated by him. They have different ideas about who he was, whether he was
divine and the son of God, or simply a superior role model.
One of the things
you need to know about our confirmation program is this. The kids are not
expected to check off theological positions on a list. There is no check list.
We want them to be absolutely honest in their journey, so it’s ok to say you
have doubts, you have questions, you have times of disbelief. That’s allowed,
and not just for the eighth graders, right? Because if we’re to be an authentic
church, we have to be honest, and we have to accept that we’re not all going to
believe the same things at the same time.
So one said, “I
believe all the miracles he performed were real. He’s the son of God, why not?”
Another said of Jesus,
“He knew the heavenly creator or he may be the heavenly creator or he is
neither… Maybe we should all just stop and learn from him.”
In the church, we
call that kind of theological debate “Christology,” and let me tell you, the
Christology of First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn runs the gamut, if our
confirmands are any indication. Some people saw Christ as ruling on high, all
powerful and all knowing, while others seemed to be fascinated by Jesus, the
ordinary man, who by the power of God, did extraordinary things.
Some of them
wondered about his childhood. “What was he like as a kid?” one asked. “ Did he
just go through childhood like anyone else? Did he have a lot of friends?”
I did feel that
across the board, they either believe or want to believe that there is a good
shepherd looking out for them, whether they call the shepherd God or Jesus.
They seem to also
understand the rest of today’s scripture, that there are also some hired hands
out there who will let the sheep get picked off by the wolves. They get it that
you can not trust everybody, even the people in charge can let you down.
The confirmands
talk often in their papers about bullies. That comes up every year. And a number talked about standing up for the
people who get picked on. As if they want to be good shepherds themselves.
Which is great, because we want to follow Jesus and emulate him.
In this scripture, Jesus is the shepherd, not us. If Jesus is the shepherd, then who are we? I have some bad news to break. We are the sheep.
If I were to pick any animal to be, especially on a confirmation Sunday, my mind would go to some of the more exciting animals, like an eagle or a lion. I’d like to be something that can fly or at least pounce. I imagine all of you would, too.
Next, failing that, we might consider the animals we already know and love, like cats and dogs, who seem to have pretty good lives. At least they do in my house. Judging by who gets the best seat on the sofa, the dogs are clearly in charge. The only thing they don’t get to do is hold the remote, and you know what, I think that’s coming.
But a sheep? Who wants to be a sheep? Then again, I don’t really know any sheep, of course. I have only seen them from a great distance, as I zoom by in my car. There was one slightly traumatic up close and personal experience I had at a petting zoo, and after that I swore off nature altogether. Admit it, sheep always seem to be milling around with their noses in the grass, doing nothing at all exciting.
Perhaps that’s what we look like from the perspective of heaven. At our worst, we just mill around the earth, with our noses pointed down, unaware of what’s going on around us. At our best, we have a shepherd, who nudges us, makes sure we are fed, and takes us to higher and better ground.
I may not want to be a sheep, but I am grateful that the Lord is my shepherd.
Throughout history, we have played with metaphors for God, because God is simply too great and too mysterious to be captured in one image. Our confirmands get this, with real sophistication.
One wrote, about being younger saying, “Before, I always thought of God as a human being, maybe an old man, friendly-looking. I also thought he would have some kind of glow, as weird as it sounds. Then, as I started getting older, I started disbelieving in God. I thought of him only as a person and didn’t think of the other possibilities… Then, during pre-confirmation in the seventh grade, I started think about the other possibilities. I thought God might be just a power or a force. Or that maybe God being a person was just a symbol. I wondered if other people thought that. When I got to confirmation classes, I found out that I’m not the only one who thinks these thoughts. The teacher said, “You guys know about the big boom and chemicals and atoms and everything, but the question is: ‘where did all those things start?’ I thought that was a really good question. Something or someone had to start that process, so that has to be the God who everyone worships. So God, I do believe in, but just in a different way now.”
Another young man wrote, “Our society has marked God as a man maybe because that’s how it is in the Bible or maybe someone just referred to God as a he and it stuck. God can neither be classified as a he or a she, but something greater than both…What I’ve always wondered was what does God do all day? Does he talk with the devil about such and such or does he just sit around and watch the earth with a crystal ball or something? I know no one can answer this question, but I can’t help but ask it.”
Another wrote, “I hate to refer to God as ‘he.’ God is bigger than gender.”
While another said, quite definitely, “I believe in our father named God.”
Another said, “I’m one of those countless teens who pass through confirmation class questioning God’s existence. I’m not going to keep it a secret though.”
When I read that, I was proud of the confirmand, but also proud of our church – that we have room for that honesty. Because some of us have a constant faith, but others of us have a faith that goes up and down, and all of us have a place in God’s church – because God can handle it. Apparently, our confirmation program can handle it, too.
There was also a fair amount of certainty about God in some quarters. I was particularly struck by this statement,” I believe in God and that Jesus was his son. I also believe that he has an extensive resume, including manipulating nature to heal sick people…I think that crying statues are God directly acting, but…seeing Jesus in grilled cheese are just people seeing what they would like.”
In the words of the 23rd psalm, sometimes God is a shepherd. I am grateful that God is the shepherd to the next generation of Christians, who at the tender age of 13 and 14 are about to be recognized as adult members of this church. They will do so, I assure you, with a rich sense of what it is they are joining.
The things they mention most? These papers over and over again talked about the importance of church as a community, a place where these young people are welcomed, appreciated and loved. From Crosswalk dinners, to Vacation Bible School, to junior high mission camps, to seeing a grandfather’s name listed in the prayer concerns, and receiving meals from the church when a parent is sick, sheltering the homeless – these kids notice it all. They know it is special.
It was also quite humbling to read about how carefully some of them listen to sermons, and the difference words can make. They spoke of our messages relating to their own real lives. They listen more carefully than many adults realize, and not just to sermons, but to the words of their sponsors, their teachers, not just this year but every year, and yes, even their parents. If you have ever worked with youth, you will see yourselves and your imprint on these papers and you will be proud.
They are also aware of our church’s witness to include those who have previously felt excluded by the church.
One wrote, “During confirmation, one of the things I have considered is how the UCC is different from other churches. The UCC encourages you to have your own opinion and I think that is important. They accept everyone. If you do not believe in God, but want to explore religion, you are welcome. If you want to change from one religion to the United Church of Christ you are welcome.”
The theme of an extravagant welcome for all people came through loud and clear. These young people have been following our discussions as a church around human sexuality. One wrote, “I think it is awesome how we are able to make our own decisions [as a church] like how we are discussing becoming open and affirming. The idea that all Christians are one body in Christ has helped me to accept all different kinds of people.”
Part of our church’s extravagant welcome is that a number of confirmands are relatively new to our church. They’ve already been on an extensive faith journey, and have made an adult decision to land here for this momentous event.
One confirmand
described her faith journey in different churches, where her questions in
Sunday school were considered either sacrilegious or stupid. She quit in third
grade, writing” I thought that the point of a teacher was to answer questions
and if God – teachers didn’t do that, I didn’t want to have anything to do with
God. At such an impressionable young age, I mistakenly thought all churches
were the same.” After being invited to our church by a friend, she was
surprised at our openness. “I actually got answers to the questions I had been
wondering about for years. And I finally felt that I would be able to mend my
broken friendship with God.”
I’m always touched
by the confirmands who get to our church on their own, because they remind me
of myself. Even though I was raised in the church, there were many times when I
got myself there. It just mattered to me but it’s not an easy position to be
in. I am always impressed by how seriously some of you take your faith, and how
much they long to know God.
When I was an eighth
grader, I questioned everything, and our current crop of eighth graders is no
different. But what may be different for them is that they feel no shame in
having questions.
Many of them talk about
how they don’t take the Bible literally, but they do take it seriously. They hold it up against the culture of the
day and ask questions of the text. At the same time, one wrote, “I like how our
church approaches the Bible. It teaches us that the Bible is God’s word, and
all of the stories in it have a great message, but we are not required to take
all the stories literally, like we were at my old church.” This class understands
that you don’t need to leave your brain on the sidewalk outside the church
door.
So, it’s natural that the activities of pre-confirmation and confirmation are to visit a number of other Christian communities, as well as communities of their faiths. We do this because we want to teach our new members that we are not exclusive, and that we believe that God works through many religions, not just ours. But in visiting, many of the confirmands were reinforced that our church is where they belong. One said something that many others said in other words, “Our church is the best one I’ve been to and I want to stay there forever.”
One wrote, “Travelling to other churches and learning about other religions has made me appreciate the UCC even more. I’m not being stubborn, but I have to say that out of all the churches I’ve been to, First Congregational is my favorite. For starters, I love how everyone and anyone can come to a UCC. I don’t like people being singled out in any way, even religion. For example, if they were Catholic before coming to the UCC, no one will hold that detail against them in any way.” Which should come as a relief to about 40% of you sitting here today.
She continues, “The people who come to any UCC either believe or want to learn more about God, that’s only what matters. It doesn’t matter what anyone’s done in their past or what they’re going to do in the future, they are welcome as they are and that just makes me feel good. I also like how everyone is appreciated at our church. For example, another church we went to had a choir, and after the choir sang nobody clapped or showed gratitude at all. I personally found that a little too proper and rude as well. If I was in that choir, I would’ve felt unwanted and useless. But at the UCC, everyone shows respect for everyone, even if the performance is terrible.”
Here I have to say, that while I never reveal the identity of any of our quoted confirmands, this one was up there performing a Bon Jovi song last week, to thunderous applause.
Of course not every
confirmand is that passionate. One confirmand admitted, with refreshing
honesty, “I would choose almost any sport over church.” I am always touched by
the confirmands who say things like that because, despite that preference, you
have made it to this point. You did it – and the sports world has somehow
survived your occasional absence.
Volunteering was a big theme in these papers, although many of the eighth graders wished they had done more of it, and would like to do more in the future. For those of you who are parents, your kids are observing exactly how much time you give to service, and anytime you do something as a family to volunteer, your kids remember it. I heard about unpacking blankets for PADS, and how good it felt to do that as a family.
One wrote, about
volunteering, “I feel like we have so little time in the world. But a lot of
people don’t really try to change the world. For me, it’s not just words. I really
want to change the world. Is that the Holy Spirit?”
These confirmands want to be doers of the word, and not just hearers. They take sin seriously. They know that while there is a good shepherd, there are also wolves out there. They worry about the effect that evil has in the world, and they worry that evil can sneak up on us with dire results. One said, “The end of the world will be more like a high tech Holocaust than Hell engulfing the earth.”
Another wrote, “I make mistakes just like every other person in the world. I don’t just hope that God forgives me, I hope the world forgives me.”
So our confirmands, our newest 25 members of the church will not be the kind of sheep who graze around with noses to the ground, doing whatever they are told, and allowing others to tell them what they have to believe. No, we want to be the kind of sheep who graze happily, who live attentively, taking in the whole world and all its possibilities, confident because the Lord is our shepherd, and we shall not want. Knowing we have a shepherd, we are free to roam, to explore, to always be learning.
As one wrote, “Even though I am in confirmation, it is still just the beginning.”
Finally one more confirmand’s closing thought, “When it comes to Christianity in general…my only problem is that Jesus chose to be born and resurrected in the winter. Then God must have forgot and delivered the Pilgrims to America in the winter too. That puts Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving all in the winter, which means three trips through blizzards driving five miles per hour to O’Hare every year. Other than that, Christianity is great.”
And to that, let’s all say, Amen.