This past Sunday the affirmation of faith that was used in our worship services was written by our sixth graders as part of their preparation for confirmation. This creed is a compilation of their individual thoughts and beliefs. Each year as I assist these young minds to articulate their beliefs, I find myself reviewing those things that name my faith. This year my thoughts seem to focus on the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit and how this allows me to face the challenges of each day. Realizing how important this exercise can be, I think that we should probably encourage all church members to periodically examine their personal beliefs and to bear witness to them much like the confirmation experience. As we tell the youth, confirmation does not conclude the faith journey. It is just one stop along the way as we move toward the Christian Perfection as known by John Wesley.
to be continued
1 comment:
Methopedia" is a relatively new tool for me, but I borrowed the following from it:
As United Methodists, we have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, the living reality at the center of the Church’s life and witness. To fulfill this obligation, we reflect critically on our biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the witness we make in our own time.
Two considerations are central to this endeavor: the sources from which we derive our theological affirmations and the criteria by which we assess the adequacy of our understanding and witness.
Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.
I think that we are sometimes led away from the "confirmed by reason" principle because we confuse "thinking" with "rationalization". Thinking reasonably is always a good Methodist method of problem solving. Please don't abandon thinking.
Tom
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