Posts from the Blog of an (un)Tamed Cynic
There was a time, not so long ago, when confirmation within mainline Protestant churches was a primarily dogmatic exercise. Students were expected to memorize and recite creeds and catechisms. These catechisms defined faith by asking questions and providing answers, answers that are scripted and learned by catechumens or confirmands. While there was surely some attention [...]
Today I am beginning the series of one-on-one meetings I have each year with confirmands during the two weeks leading up to our confirmation Sunday. I love this time with our young people, asking them big questions about faith and hearing how they respond in their own unique ways. I’ve written before about the series [...]
Along with a lot of other Christians, Presbyterians are too damn in love with words. Though celebrating the life of the mind as a way of faith is one of the things that drew me to Presbyterianism, I’m realizing now that sometimes we let ourselves get carried away. And, of course, we’re not alone. Think [...]
Like the majority of Presbyterians—and perhaps the majority of all mainline Protestants—our church offers confirmation for youth who are in 8th grade. The church I served previously did confirmation in 9th grade, so I’ve always reflected on the difference between the two. At first, my thinking mostly involved differences in maturity. Having done 5 classes [...]
I spent several enjoyable days in Orlando last week. Sure, the hours of fun at theme parks with my wife, children, and parents was priceless. But I was officially there for the annual gathering of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators. This was my first time at APCE and it was great to finally experience [...]
