by Karen Wilber, Confirmation Teacher
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. —Psalm 25:4-5
Confirmation Sunday is at hand. As part of our class journey this year, we talked about how to know if the church you’re joining is a good church. After all, confirmands are doing much more than just learning about Christianity. They’re joining our church. As one of the first big decisions they’ll make in life, we considered these 4 questions: Can I grow in God’s word at this church? Do I hear any false teaching? Is there a focus on prayer? Do the people in this church love God and love people?
As the song goes, I am the church; you are the church; we are the church together. Teaching with intention forces me to turn the questions back on myself. Am I growing in God’s word so that I can help others grow? Am I practicing discernment and acting like the Bereans did, examining the Scriptures, so that what I say and do truly reflects Jesus’s teachings? Do I pray at all times? Do I pray for others and with others? Do I demonstrate my love for God and others through my words and actions?
Lent is a season of reflection and examination. Lent is a season of preparation. As we individually prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter, let’s join in reflection and prayer, asking questions and striving in all ways to be a good church.