Confirmation Proclamation...

Confirmation... that liturgical, historical, and theological quandary. My request is that we simply recognize it for what it is, the Multipass of the sacraments. With all the inherent usefulness, and annoyance, that such a comparison inhabits. There is no need to tie it down to a singular purpose nor to think it is requisite for much of anything, with ordination being the one exception. That it be known for simply what it is, this sometimes annoying anachronism that many of us need to make our way about a life of faith. 

There are points in the life of some where they need to gather before the authority of the church and confirm their life of faith. There are a lot of reasons that a person might come to that point. When that point is discerned in the life of a person of faith, then we take up the work of the sacrament of confirmation as a community to recognize it. It is supposed to be a significant enough work by the church that it has a life long impact in the life of the individual. This is why proper discernment and instruction for those seeking such a moment, and the full effort of the community, is so important. Creating a singular event in the life of a person is no easy task.

So far all those points in a persons life, and all the routes they may take afterwards by plane, train, automobile, or intergalactic vortex... we need a multipass. A moment for individuals to come before the church and proclaim Christ Crucified from whatever context they are in and have that proclamation recognized by the full community and authority of the church. It is a point of mutual confirmation of life together, a life that is transforming the church and the individual.

What happens in the midst of confirmation is that the Episcopal Church, in the midst of our own norms and tribalism, recognize that what is the core of following the way of Christ is the proclamation of Christ Crucified from a variety of norms and tribes. Yes it is a point where an individual confirms that being part of the norms of the Episcopal church, joining the Episcoposse Tribe, is part of their life... but of equal, if not greater, importance, it is a point where the Church affirms the Proclamation of Christ Crucified from an individual as a force to change the nature of those norms and tribe. In that way it is the church's multipass into the byways and highways of cultures and norms outside ourselves. The way by which we move beyond our well beaten paths.

So confirmation is our multipass, the multipass of the church to norms and realities outside of ourselves, the multipass of individuals to go about those norms and realities affirmed by the church, the means by which we engage in a full and robust proclamation of christ crucified by the church.