Outward Sign, Inward Grace

This Sunday our bishop, Keith Andrews, will be with us. Remember that we will have a combined service at 9:00 a.m., followed by coffee time and an adult forum with Bishop Keith, at which he will share about life in the diocese and the ACNA.

During the worship service, the bishop will be confirming several people in their faith. What is Confirmation? Historically, Confirmation has been understood as a Sacrament, yet distinct from the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, which are “dominical” (Latin for “of the Lord”) Sacraments, or Sacraments specifically commanded by Jesus. While Confirmation wasn’t commanded by Jesus, in the New Testament we do see examples of the apostles laying their hands on believers, praying for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 19:6; 2 Timothy 1:6-7), and, over time, the tradition developed of bishops, who are understood as having an apostolic ministry, laying hands on believers to confirm their faith, praying for a deeper sharing of the Spirit’s gifts (cf. Romans 1:11).

The most common working definition of a Sacrament comes from St. Augustine, who referred to Sacraments as “outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual graces.” In Confirmation, then, the outward and visible sign is the laying on of hands, and the inward and spiritual grace is a deeper release of the Holy Spirit.

The practical consequence of the outward sign is visible identification with and incorporation into the church, the body of Christ. Now, theologically, we believe that Baptism is the means by which one is brought into the visible church. However, we understand Confirmation as necessary to official membership in our local congregation. So, whether the candidate for Confirmation is a teen desiring to make a public profession of faith for the first time, or a mature Christian desiring to become part of the Anglican Communion generally, and Christ Church specifically, the outward sign of the laying on of hands visibly incorporates an individual Christian into the life of our congregation.

Ideally, the practical consequence of the inward grace is a deeper experience of the presence and power of the Spirit, equipping the individual for faithful service to Christ and his kingdom in new, fresh ways. Again, the Holy Spirit is much bigger, and much more free, than the bishop’s hands, so many who come for Confirmation already experience the Spirit in deep, meaningful ways, from which the congregation can learn. However, I believe that if we come expectantly, there is always more for us, as God is a giver, in the same way, to use Miroslav Volf’s memorable image, that “a duck is a quacker.” Giving good things to his children is simply God’s nature.

There is certainly much more that could be said about Confirmation, but I hope that, as we prepare for Bishop Keith’s visit on Sunday, that we will celebrate the visible incorporation of several brothers and sisters into our congregation, and anticipate good things from the One whose nature is abundant, generous love.

Peace,

Chris