"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." ... Psalm 122:1

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." ... Matthew 7:7 (my confirmation verse)

On Sunday, June 6, 2004 - Trinity Sunday this year - I will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of my Confirmation. It was the day I received Holy Communion for the first time and became an adult in the eyes of the Lutheran Church. My friends and I took this event very seriously. It meant that we would now take charge of our own religious lives, and " confirm" the promise made by our parents and godparents upon our baptism as infants.

We had prepared for this day for two years of weekly classes, and most of us had gone to Sunday School and been involved in the church since we were very small. Many of us sang in the Jr. Choir. We had studied - and memorized - the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the creeds. This is most certainly true! We reviewed the history of the Lutheran Church and were taught about the different worship services and the cycle and colors of the church year. It was during this course of study that the first Martin Luther film was made, and we were thrilled to be able to leave school early to go to the old Grove Theater to see it. In addition to our weekly confirmation classes, we attended Sunday School and worshiped together each Sunday morning. Luther League was a combination of fun, fellowship, and discussions for the twenty of us. We actually had such a good time we would hate to miss any of it. We endured the fear of the " public examination" when the congregation could ask any question of any member of the class. When the big day came, we were all very nervous. My best friend actually fainted. (Many years later, she went to seminary and became an ordained Lutheran - she obviously conquered her fear of speaking in public.)

The Lutheran church has always been a major part of my life, from singing "Jesus loves the little children" in nursery class through Confirmation, and, soon after, to teaching my first Sunday School class and continuing to do so all the way through high school.

Early in our married life when we came to New Jersey, we were part of the formation of Abiding Presence at Lanning School. Our children were baptized here, and grew up as part of the Abiding Presence family, although very few of the current members remember them. Our first daughter was married in the old sanctuary, the very last wedding before the organ was sent out for restoration. Friendships were formed, some which continue "long distance" as people move away. The membership rolls have expanded and contracted many times over the years. There have been good times and bad, financially lean times and times of prosperity. Church leaders and pastors come and go. The building has been expanded and refurbished. We've been part of three different church-wide bodies, have sung from hymnals of a variety of colors, worshiped with revised wording of the Liturgy, and experienced the changing methods and age of receiving Holy Communion.

But one thing has remained constant throughout my lifetime: The love of the Father, the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God!

The father in Heaven, for Jesus' sake, renew and increase in thee the gift of the Holy Ghost, to they strengthening in faith, to thy growth in grace, to they patience in suffering, and to the blessed hope of everlasting life. Amen
Confirmation blessing,
Common Service Book with Hymnal, 1918 Edition)

Contributed by Rosemary S.
Published Sunday May 9, 2004
Week 24 of Liturgical Year C