Yesterday I had the honour and privilege of confirming Bennett M. at Skudesness Lutheran Church.
Bennett spoke of his confirmation project, which was the building of a faith chest, and what his faith means to him.
I presented Bennett with a Bible, and gave him his Bible verse, Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." This psalm also inspired our ancestor in the faith, Martin Luther, who based his most famous hymn on it: "A Mighty Fortress is our God." The congregation also presented Bennett with a Bible. So now he'll have plenty of opportunities to continue reading the Bible!
Bennett's parents (mom the auto harp, dad the 12-string guitar) accompanied the congregation for the hymns. Bennett's sister played the piano accompanying us for the liturgy.
The text for my sermon was a non-lectionary one: 1 Timothy 6:11-12, 20-21, words of encouragement and instruction: "But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you."
All-in-all, it was a wonderful, edifying, joyful, blessed day.
