Confirmation Questions - Week 6

Our lesson became a muddled effort at explaining law and gospel. Pastor explained how the law is "like when you ride your bike and run into a mailbox and get a scar." Of course this prompted my small group to a great 20-minute comparison of our best scars! I was so impressed because my two quietest kids couldn't wait to show off every death-defying injury they had ever inflicted upon themselves. The one boy who never talks was anxious to tell about five different stories of how he earned gravel in the sides of his legs, face, arms... you name it. Our group decided to name him "Skid," and he is very proud of the new nickname!

Betty and Dan lead the other small group and they have had a tough time lassoing the energy of those kids! While I have seven boys and two girls who need to have discussions pulled out of them with a plier, the other group just won't stop talking. Dan became very irate with the kids when they began talking over Betty. They seem to have an unfortunate grouping of the "popular" kids. There are a few self-proclaimed "Drama Queens," some "Skater Dudes," and then there are the boys who busy themselves trying to catch the attention of one young lady who simply needs to bat her eyes in their direction and they melt into a stuttering puddle. Betty and I suggested that perhaps come January (at the beginning of the new semester), we should try a two month stint of separating the boys and the girls for small group. That way there might not be the competition and attention-getting behavior, as well as the hope for questions and discussions that might not happen in the presence of potential embarrassment in front of the opposite sex.

The Confirmation "Question Ministry" is going very well and, strangely enough, Betty and Dan's group get into it even way more than my own group. Ironically, last week, they had not even discussed Halloween and it was strange and interesting how all of their questions related. Betty told me they were all completely silent when writing their questions on the paper scraps! We ended up having some helpful discussions about what the origins of the holiday were, how it was not intended for "devil worship" (but we did discuss Satanism), and there was also a good discussion about Wicca and pagan worship. I feel tremendously lucky that while I was in college I had a number of dear friends involved in Wicca. They were always open about answering questions and took a lot of the taboo and fear out of their tradition. Furthermore, they were and continue to be dependable, kind, contributing, and bright individuals, certainly not to be feared or avoided. As a result, the discussion we had with the kids was clearly not intended to develop a fear or disgust for those of alternative [pagan] traditions, but to draw up a clear delineation regarding faith and religious practice. The kids are not to be encouraged to practice witchcraft in any way and we pointed out why that is unacceptable in the Christian faith. However, we were also able to point out how those who are involved in Wicca are not to be feared as regarded as anyone less than friends we work or go to school with. Children need to have taboo and fear removed from other faith traditions, because taboo breeds a potent mixture of curiosity and contempt. The confirmation children will certainly meet those involved in pagan worship, whether with children who dabble in it in high school, certainly in college, and is the growing interest of bored housewives. They need to be aware that paganism is not the same tradition as satanism, and still have a clear understanding why Christians cannot participate in pagan ritual or belief because of distinct and opposing beliefs. If anyone is interested in the paperwork I drew up for the class, please let me know!

Here is the list of confirmation questions for Week 6:

1. What was the Garden of Eden?
2. Both on the same page:
- Why is St. Micheal called the Arch engle? [sic]
- Can I really ask anything I want, even if its not about chirch? [sic]
3. If God wants us to live a good, happy life, then why are we put under so much stress and
pain?
(from my dear boy who instigated the farting contest last week during group - but comes every week complaining about how difficult and exhausting school is for him.)
4. What is heaven like after you die?
5. If someone doesn't practice the same religion as you (say their Hindu), does that mean they go to hell?
6. If God created everything (heaven and earth) then where did the Devil come from? And if God created him, why would He?
7. What do you think was the greatest event in the Bible?
8. Where is chocolate in the Bible? Do you like hot cocoa and where did it come from?
(a very important question, don't you think??)
9. Why did you decide to become a pastor? (see candidacy essay for details...)
10. How much food can you eat? (huh?)
11. Is the Bible written in a sequence?

And I saved the three most interesting questions for last:

1. Was the things that people said in the Grate Awakening only to get people to confes there sins? [sic]
(Seriously, what kid asks something like that! What a brilliant question - he's in *8th* grade!)

2. As a kid, I really haven't had any "experiences" with God. What happened to yo uthat changed your outlook on Christianity?
(Whoa - deep question. I am really impressed with his honesty)

3. Why do you have to be so cool?
(I'm just going to assume he's not actually asking why *I* have to be so cool - because anyone who knows me knows I'm not! I'm thinking he's concerned about the pressure to be cool that surrounds him at school - and also follows him to confirmation. What do you out there in blogland think? You might be more in tune than I am.)


That's it for today, friends!