And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew 28:18–20 (RSV)
Confirmation marks the completion of the congregation's program of confirmation ministry, a period of instruction in the Christian faith as confessed in the teachings of the Lutheran Church. Those who have completed this program were made members of the Church in Baptism. Confirmation includes public profession of the faith into which the candidates were baptized, thus underscoring God's action in their Baptism. Minister's Desk Edition - LBW page 324 Affirmation of Baptism.
I don't have accurate accounting, but my best guess is that I have taught over 1500 confirmation classes. I could probably total the number of students if I took a couple of weeks to dig through my records. Let's say somewhere around 800 seventh and eighth graders over forty-four years. I have taught my children, and this year my third grandchild, Gabriel Cummer, will begin confirmation.
If you grew up in the Lutheran Church, you took confirmation, as did your parents, grandparents and on back the days of Martin Luther. We all generally learned the same lessons, one year studying the Bible and exploring the Catechism. We will spend two years learning the basics of the Christian faith.
We do this in obedience to our Lord's command to go, make disciples, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them all that Jesus has commanded us to teach. Parents promise to see to this Christian education when they bring their children for baptism.
Our Lord desires that we all come to Him through faith that is His gift to us through the Holy Spirit. Faith does not depend on how well I understand what God has done through His Son. Faith trusts the promises of God.
We rejoice that even an infant becomes a believer through Holy Baptism. If an infant did not progress in learning to crawl, babble, stand, begin to talk, walk everywhere, and host other skills, we would be worried.
So it is with a newly baptized believer, we desire their growth in Christ. Confirmation is an essential step in that growth.
I have enjoyed teaching confirmation. I love helping our confirmands learn about their faith. I wish I could do more for them. Two years is only enough to make a beginning, as each class makes public affirmation of their faith, my joy for them is colored by sadness that there was so much more I could have taught them.
Even if you do not know who are confirmation students will be this year, remember them in prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to open their hearts that they might be filled with Jesus and His love.