I Will, with God's Help Leader's Guide

Episcopal Confirmation for Youth and Adults

Mary Lee Wile

• Publisher: Church Publishing
• Year: 2000
• Print ISBN: 9781889108735
• eBook ISBN: 9781606741641
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

This confirmation program, developed with the help of Episcopal educators, clergy and theologians across the country, encourages youth and adults to enter into a uniquely Episcopal—yet profoundly Christian—faith journey. The easily-adapted format works for a traditional six- to twelve-week program, at a contemporary Confirmation retreat or conference, or as a sacramental supplement to other two- to three-year programs. I Will, with God's help, built entirely on the Baptismal Covenant from The Book of Common Prayer, offers seekers a solid reflection on Episcopal heritage and belief, together with the riches of Episcopal liturgy and prayer.

Teaching, Fellowship, Bread and Prayers

PLAN THE SESSION

Celebrant:	“Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?”
People:	“I will, with God’s help.”

To Bring

• a candle and matches

• the communal psalm composed at the first session

• advertisements from magazines, newspapers and junk mail

• index cards

• pens and pencils

• extra Bibles

• prayer books (encourage participants to bring their own)

• the left-over stones from the first session

• a watch (if no clock is visible)

• bread to share

Optional:

• Gospel films: Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Franco Zeffirelli; The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini (black and white with subtitles); A Dramatic Presentation of the Gospel of Mark by David Rhoads; or even Jesus Christ Superstar or Godspell.

• bread-based items for pot luck (such as bagels or sweet rolls for breakfast, sandwiches or pizza for lunch or supper)

• butter, cream cheese or peanut butter

• napkins or paper towels

Matters of Time

Single session: This question in the Baptismal Covenant embraces the whole formation of Christian identity. If you have only a single session to cover this chapter, use as your service the appropriate short Daily Devotions beginning on page 137 in The Book of Common Prayer, and assign more of Luke to be read at home, reminding the participants that reading scripture is always a communal act, even when done in solitude. Do not give up the brief period of silence. Do not feel rushed. Omit all the optional items.

Two sessions: If you have two sessions for this chapter, spend the first on “teaching and fellowship,” and the second on “bread and prayer.” Wait for the second session to bring the optional items. Consider using one of the complete Morning, Noonday or Evening Prayer services in The Book of Common Prayer.

Longer/retreat session: The material in this chapter could also be done in a day-long (or overnight) retreat, with all of Luke read aloud, built-in time for contemplative prayer, longer story-telling sessions, one of the suggested films and several shared meals. In such a setting, it would be appropriate to gather throughout the day for Morning, Noonday and Evening Prayer services.

If a “movie session” seems feasible (for you as well as for the participants), but doesn’t fit into a weekend schedule, the movie(s) could be shown at a separate time and place, with snacks during the movie and conversation afterwards to consider what this particular telling of the story says about Jesus Christ.

The Session(s) at a Glance

Gather

• light the candle

• set the stones

• read together the communal psalm

• maintain short silence

• share the appropriate service from The Book of Common Prayer

Activities

• focus on apostles’ teaching:

— explore the Apostles’ Creed

— begin Luke

— optional: In a longer/retreat setting, this would also be the appropriate time for the film.

• focus on fellowship:

— community-building through story-telling

— prayer cards

— optional: retreat suggestions

• focus on breaking bread:

— share the bread (If you are sharing a pot luck bread-based meal, this would be the time for it.)

— bread of scripture

• focus on prayer:

— overview of The Book of Common Prayer

Closing

• sing chosen hymn or recite chosen canticle

• retrieve stones

• remind group members to use their journals between sessions

• exchange peace

• blow out candle

Leader’s Reflection

In the Australian prayer book, just before the blessing at the end of Confirmation, comes this injunction: “All who have been baptized and confirmed are called to study the Bible, to take part in the life of the Church, to share in the Holy Communion and to pray faithfully and regularly” (93).

This is the answer to today’s question from the Baptismal Covenant: “Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?” This is what each baptized Christian is called to do, with God’s help.

As you prepare to present this chapter, consider your own experiences. What are some of your most vivid memories, some of your most important moments of Christian study, fellowship, Eucharist and prayer?

Of those memories and moments, what do you feel most compelled to share with the participants in your program? What would be most helpful as you direct them to consider their own Christian formation? What do you wish someone had told you?

Be Tender to Yourself

Continue to ask the congregation’s prayers for yourself as well as for the participants in your program, and allow yourself to feel God’s gratitude for this work you do. Remember that you are a child of God, infinitely loved and precious. No matter how each session goes, God is at work among you all, and all will be well.

What are your biggest fears or biggest hopes for this session? Write them below, and offer them to God.

Before the Session

In the space on the next page, copy down or tape to the page the communal psalm that the participants composed at the first session. Sometime during the week, type up this psalm and print or photocopy enough for the group. (If you have no time for making copies, you can simply read your handwritten version at the appropriate time. The best option, of course, would be to enlist help from a member of the parish for the typing and photocopying.)

Based on how often you are meeting, determine how many chapters of Luke participants should read between each session. Since Luke has 24 chapters, if you have only four more meetings after this one, that would balance out to six chapters between sessions. With eight more meetings, participants would need to read three chapters between the sessions.

Before the participants arrive put a table in the middle of the room. On the table, place a candle, a Bible, The Book of Common Prayer and whatever bread you brought. As in the first session(s), this can be a big seminar table that everyone can fit around, or a small table just for this centering focus. Be sure to leave space around the candle for participants to place the stones they chose at the first session. (If some have forgotten or lost their stones, let them choose new ones from the leftovers.)

Have chairs grouped around the table. If participants don’t have their own copies of The Book of Common Prayer, place one on or beside each chair.

Communal Psalm

THE SESSION

Gather

Once everyone has arrived, gather in a circle around the table. Tell the participants that once you have lit the candle, they should step forward one at a time to place their stones around it, speaking their names as they do so. After you light the candle, place your own stone nearby on the table, say your name, then step back.

Once the participants have all arranged their stones and named themselves, ask them to sit down while you pass out copies of the communal psalm they composed. Explain that just as they brought their separate stones to help “build” the altar, so they brought their own words to help write this psalm. Tell them that once you have all read the psalm in unison, there will be a brief period of silence (2-5 minutes, depending on what feels comfortable to you as you continue to assess your group). Ask them to find a comfortable position in their chairs and to breathe deeply. During the silence, they can focus on a line from the psalm, on the name of Jesus or on their own rhythmic breathing. Encourage them simply to rest in the presence of God.

Remaining seated, lead the participants in reciting their psalm, or read the psalm aloud to them, if you have only one copy. Then time the silence; it’s easy to quit too soon, so be sure to allow at least two full minutes.

End the silence by praying the Lord’s Prayer together. Then lead the group in whatever service you have selected ahead of time from The Book of Common Prayer.

Focus: The Apostles’ Teaching

Explore the Creed

In ancient Hebrew and early Christian culture, communal reading of scripture was a shared experience, a joyful encounter with the Living God. Roger Ferlo says that after the Reformation, Christian reading of scripture became less playful, more “individualistic and isolating” (72). This is your chance to bring some of that joy back, to make the Bible more user-friendly, accessible and inviting for your participants.

After the service, ask participants to turn to page 304 in the prayer book and point out the question for this session. Read it to them, having them give the appr...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword, The Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen
• Introduction
• I Believe: Living the Creed
• Teaching, Fellowship, Bread and Prayers
• Resist, Repent and Return
• By Word and Example
• Seek and Serve
• Into the World in Witness
• Epilogue
• Bibliography