| Feature Article – June 2006 |
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First, what confirmation isn’t. It is not a graduation ceremony. Although the candidates undergo a period of instruction prior to the service, there is no examination other than the questions of the candidates asked by the bishop. Neither should it be looked upon as a “rite of passage” from childhood into adulthood. For too long it has been looked upon as a formality which should be undertaken around the ages of 13 or 14 yrs. Not so long ago it was liturgical practice that young people could not take Holy Communion until after Confirmation. It was seen as the rite to become a “full member” of the church. This too was wrong. We become full members of God’s family and the church when we are baptized, even if this is done as babes. When viewed in the light of any of these wrong concepts, it has often signified the time when young people “dropped out” of active participation in the church.
In the early church, adult baptism was the norm. It was preceded by a course of instruction which could be as long as three years. Candidates were baptized at one of the great festivals of the Church’s year, usually the Easter Vigil. This was immediately followed by the laying on of hands and reception of first Communion. With the advent of infant baptism it was felt necessary to have a rite when adults could make their own vows, During the Middle Ages, confirmation was accompanied by an anointing with oil.
In the sixteenth century when assembling the first Book of Common Prayer, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer borrowed from the medieval rite and removed the anointing. He was dismayed at the low level of religious teaching and understanding, among the clergy as well as the laity, and in his opening invocation spelled out the instructional requirements for confirmation
“. . . none hereafter shall be confirmed, but such as can say the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments; and can also answer to such other questions as in the short Catechism are contained”
For the following three centuries the observance of confirmation was lax, but interest was sparked in the nineteenth century. When the rubric of the service of confirmation was studied it was found that it made confirmation a pre-requisite for the reception of the Eucharist. This had sacramental implications. It led to a theology which saw confirmation as a completion of baptism.
In 1968 the bishops at the Lambeth conference asked for a review of the theology behind confirmation. The ecclesiastical wheels were set in motion and in 1991 at the Fourth International Anglican Liturgical Consultation, which was held in Toronto, several Principles of Christian Initiation were enunciated. Among them was the following
“Baptism is complete sacramental initiation and leads to participation in the Eucharist. Confirmation and other rites of affirmation have a continuing pastoral role in the renewal of faith among the baptized but are in no way to be seen as the completion of baptism or as necessary for the admission to communion.”
also
“the pastoral rite of confirmation may be delegated by the bishop to a presbyter.”
At the time of Confirmation the candidates take for themselves the vows which were made on their behalf at baptism and further profess their belief by the recitation of the Apostles Creed and state their commitment to strive to live the Christian life. As such, the time for confirmation varies according to individuals’ spiritual growth, not their chronological age.
The role of the instruction is not to produce a candidate who can recite parrot fashion the proper answers but to help deepen the understanding of the faith and to produce mature committed Christians. In some ways the old method has failed as many people stopped in their spiritual growth at that point.
A modern model is used in some churches which is perhaps more suited to this end. While the traditional teaching is not neglected, every candidate is assigned a mentor who is recognized by the congregation for his Christian commitment. Mentor and candidate meet regularly in the weeks before the service for bible study and prayer. This often results in a close relationship which lasts long after the service. The mentors present their candidates to the bishop. The candidates are encouraged to attend at least one vestry meeting and one sub-committee meeting of their choice to gain an understanding of the day to day functions of the church and have an understanding of the church finances. They are also expected to visit some venue of Christian outreach such as Samaritan house or Helping Hands.
Confirmation should not be seen as an ending but a beginning. It is a milestone along the journey of faith which should last a life time.