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Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

Title:Discussions from a Christian Perspective
Notice:Prostitutes and tax collectors welcome!
Moderator:CSC32::J_CHRISTIE
Created:Mon Sep 17 1990
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1362
Total number of notes:61362

915.0. "Memories of Confirmation Class or Catechism" by CSC32::J_CHRISTIE (Copernicus 3:16) Sat May 07 1994 00:31

As the school year draws to a close, so do many confirmation classes.

For those who've never experienced it, confirmation class is for young
people, around the 8th grade or so (ages 12-14 usually), to instruct them
and provide them with a fuller understanding of the essentials of the
Christian faith and the meaning of membership in the church.

I understand the Roman Catholic counterpart is called catechism classes,
or just catechism for short.

I remember attending confirmation classes in a Congregationalist church
(Now UCC) a few years back.  Truthfully, quite a few years back.

What do I remember of it?  Well, I remember not getting many direct answers
to very direct questions.

I remember having to memorize the names of the books of the Bible.  I remember
having to list them all on the final test.  I remember having less than 66
titles on my answer sheet.  I remember thinking I probably flunked.

I remember the classes as less than lively, less than stimulating.

I remember my mother getting a call from my pastor asking if I was going to
be joining the church or not.  The question had been asked in writing on the
confirmation exam form, but I had filled in the blank with a question mark.
Yes, I joined on confirmation Sunday.

What, if any, are your memories of confirmation or catechism??

Shalom,
Richard

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
915.1early memories, and a tributeTNPUBS::PAINTERPlanet CrayonSun May 08 1994 02:1820
                                                                           
    I remember being 4 years old, going to a Baptist church just up the
    road with my grandfather, who was the treasurer for years.  It was a
    *real small* church too.  Everybody knew each other, and most were
    related.  Anyway, communion came around, and I took the grape juice. 
    Then the bread came around, and I said that I didn't like bread without
    peanut butter.  Everybody laughed.  (;^) 
    
    A few years later, I went to Sunday School in the basement of that
    *real small* church.  I saw my grandfather in the corner about halfway
    through the service, counting the money.  I asked him why he wasn't
    upstairs, and he said that he'd heard just about every sermon there
    was, and had sung all the songs many times over, and that he really 
    liked counting the money.  As for what I learned in Sunday School,
    that's anybody's guess.  (;^)
    
    My grandfather died in 1981.  I miss him still.  He would have made a
    great Unitarian Universalist.  (;^)  Definitely had the right attitude.
    
    Cindy
915.2JUPITR::HILDEBRANTI'm the NRAMon May 09 1994 10:2213
    My memories of confirmation class is similar to Richards. Just a
    dim memory.
    
    I remember the nuns telling me how "great" and "important" it was to
    have an actual Bishop visit and confirm us. When the Bishop came in,
    all the fancy hat/ring/clothes did is make me question *why* did the
    people of God wear such clothes when Jesus dressed so simple?
    
    Must have been the beginning of my rebellion!
    
    The whole thing didn't mean anything to me at the time.....sadly
    
    Marc H.
915.3CSC32::J_CHRISTIECopernicus 3:16Mon May 09 1994 14:0510
Note 915.2

>   *why* did the
>   people of God wear such clothes when Jesus dressed so simple?

Ah! :-)  Just the kind of question I asked!

Shalom,
Richard

915.4CVG::THOMPSONAn AlphaGeneration NoterMon May 16 1994 08:1816
    I remember it being the easiest class I ever took (before or since).
    Really it was largely pro forma for me. Others had to actually
    study and learn new things but I was raised with the Bible and
    was fairly well educated by that time.

    In the Methodist church kids didn't usually take Communion until
    after confirmation. I never did understand the Catholic church 
    having First Communion so young. I still really don't because
    most kids that young don't understand what it's all about. My father
    as pastor would interview children younger then confirmation age
    who wanted to take Communion. If they seemed to really understand
    what it was about he'd let them partake. A personal interview usually
    scared off those who just wanted to take Communion because it was "the
    thing to do."

    			Alfred
915.5was a Lonng Time Ago!MIMS::LANGDON_DEducation Cuts Never HealWed Jun 01 1994 14:5919
    I remember my brother finishing the two year course in our Lutheran
    church----two yrs of memorizing the Longer Chatechism!!
     I swore *I* wouldn't go through that,,,and my brother said he'd
    already forgotten the 1st year's stuff,anyway!!
     My folks visited the Presbyterian church (which was about 20% ex-
    Lutherans) and we joined shortly after the first visit.
     The confirmation class *I* attended was about 5 or 6 kids in size,and
    Al Jeandheur (the minister) opened it by asking *us* "What do you want
    to know about the church?"
     We spent six weeks (about 2 hrs a week) learning a great deal about
    our faith and the Presbyterian Church.
     At the end of that class,,,i *knew* why I wanted to be confirmed as a
    full member,,and felt it was *my* decision,,not just something that had
    to be done at age 12 or whenever.
    
     I still correspond with Al, and still value his thoughts..
    
    Doug_who's glad to find time to drop in here again!
    
915.6CSC32::J_CHRISTIEPacifist HellcatThu Jun 02 1994 02:067
    Hello, Doug!!
    
    	Drop by more often, y' hear?  ;-}
    
    Shalom,
    Richard