Pentecost b - conclusion

This Sunday we will celebrate the rite of confirmation at Calvary. The Spirit poured out on our young women and men invites them into the vision of the future by their promising to live the dream of what in Christ can be so that the world will anticipate and live more fully what because of Christ will be. That’s asking a lot of eighth graders. We know that they, like all those who in the past made promises to be faithful, will do better or worse or the same as previous generations, although those who depend on the faithful for their livelihood fret that this generation will not be committed enough to pay our pensions. And maybe that is as it should be. For too long the structure of the church has been confused with the mission of the church. The disciples changed the world because they believed the promise and were willing to bet their lives on the life of Jesus. I hope and pray our young women and men who say yes to what was done to them at the baptismal font years ago will bet their lives on what they’ve learned so that they continue to live among God’s faithful people where the Word is heard and the meal is shared, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ by what they say and do and serve all people working for justice and peace in all the earth. If that also means support for church wide offices and missions and bishops and bishop assistants and pastors and lay professionals – great - but even if they don’t it won’t matter for the church began without budgets and changed the world –that is until the world took note and changed the church.