Confirmation Class Reflections - "Story, Ceremony, Community"

"Story, Ceremony, Community"

Confirmation Class Reflections

Jillian Dillow, Confirmand

I am going to start off with the question, “What did I learn from confirmation class?”

We had check in periods where we were asked what we learned, or what we remembered, and a recurring theme that I and others noticed is that humans just aren’t that good at living as God wants us to.

In the book we read, Manna and Mercy, a certain group would be chosen by God to go to wilderness school. Then after wilderness school, the people would go live the way God wants them, or us, to. However, every time the “partner people,” as they were called in the book, achieved “manna society,” they would eventually go back to the times before wilderness school, where people would hold their wealth and power over that of others to make themselves feel important and everyone else fell little.

And this happened a lot in the book. The partner people would be misguided, go to wilderness school, live as manna society for a little while, then go back to the misguided ways. We discussed this recurring theme a lot, and how it compared to today’s world.

Currently, one could say that we aren’t really living as God wants us to, right? We’re in the dark ages, the part of the cycle before wilderness school. But last service, when I was thinking about this, I noticed something. The mission trip last week held at least one lesson from wilderness school close to heart, “Work is helping God distribute manna, the gift God promises all.”

As I was thinking on that, I realized that a lot the church does embodies different lessons from wilderness school. Obviously, there is a long way to go to be truly living as partner people with God, but I eventually came to the understanding that it’s okay if we can’t stay as manna society. Maybe the rise and fall of the partner people is a needed cycle, and we can’t live as only manna society. We have to go through all the stages continuously, more than once.

“Manna society” isn’t a noun. It isn’t the end goal. It is part of the journey to figure out what God wants from us and how we can best provide that.

If we fall, we fall. Everyone gets lost sometimes. But being manna society, being partner people, means we keep trying to find our way back to God’s way of life every time.

Sophia Tuzzio, Confirmand and Baptismal Candidate

I was not looking forward to confirmation class. I figured it was a waste of my Sunday afternoon but I am happy I was forced into it.

We got a book called Manna and Mercy which sums up the Bible pretty well. The book had pictures explaining what the words said.

We would get homework or prep work to do before class to make us think about what we read.

I remember Pastor Gusti asking who had been baptized and I had to text my mom to figure it out. I wasn’t.

I think that because I was in a class at school with lots of people in the youth group it made me more comfortable around them.

My favorite thing was arguing about what we wanted the questions about if you want to join the church.

I was also happy to be in person and not stuck behind a screen.

I learned a lot (like how Jesus was almost thrown off a cliff) from class and I think it was really helpful in making the decision to join the church.

Debbie Romano, Adult Leader

There is so much to say about this Confirmation class. The conversations around the text were rich and full. The discernment around their choice to join the church was thoughtful and wise.

I’ll offer my summery of our time together by sharing something that happened during one of our gatherings in the fellowship hall:

We had a lunch of pizza and the discovery was made—of Hershey Bars! When they were sure they could claim them, a multitude of angels descended upon the bars of chocolate. Returning to their seats, they realized there were 6 candy bars and 8 were present.

Questions and answers volleyed back and forth: “Do you have one, want mine, here take It”—was followed with No, its ok, we’re good, go ahead.”

A blessing was offered using these words: “Somebody do the math!”

The room got loud while wrappers were torn, calculations made, numbers crunched.

Then the elements were broken. And passed along—one to the next, to the next, to the next, until all received an equal share.

And for a few quiet moments, the youth finished the meal, in community, at the table.
There is enough for all to be fed. With Manna and Mercy. NO BIG DEAL!

Our newest members get it. And do it.

This is a blessing of hope and healing as the story continues, in the Kingdom of God.