New life and hope to you in the breath of the Holy Spirit!

This coming Sunday a small but determined group of eighth grade confirmands are going to do something revolutionary. They are going to stand up and publicly confess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Messiah and commit to a particular way of life. I will ask them, "Do you intend to continue in the covenant that God made with you in Holy Baptism:

to live among God's faithful people;

to hear the Word of God and share in the Lord's supper;

to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed;

to serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ; and,

to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?"

To this question, they will each respond: "I do, and I ask God to help and guide me."

This is revolutionary. It is revolutionary because it is not the kind of public witness that is the norm in these parts. Most of their peers who participate in some kind of church speak about "getting saved." Their understanding is that the ultimate role of faith is to be sure that one's destiny is secured after one dies. Once that destiny is secured by "being saved," which involves making a public decision for Jesus, then one has fundamentally done what one needs to do. This is not to say that our kids' peers do not get admonishments to live moral lives and to serve others, but the main admonishment is to spread the word so that others can be saved. What a horrible burden to know that you could have saved somebody from an eternity in hell if you had only tried harder.

But the six young people who will stand up on Sunday are revolutionary because they do not buy into this "getting saved" and avoiding hell kind of faith one minute. They know that it is not their decision that finally matters about what they can hope for but God's. Our amazingly gracious and loving God has already made a decision, and the six know that God will finally save everybody. That's right - EVERYBODY. All means ALL. In the buckle of the Bible Belt, this really is revolutionary.

The second aspect of the public statement these young people are going to make is that the life to which they are committing themselves is just not practiced to any great extent. The Jesus-life is truly revolutionary. This does not mean that people do not say that they are followers of Jesus and believe in working for justice and peace and such things, but the reality is this: If the vast majority of congregations and people were accused of being followers of Jesus, there would not be enough evidence to convict them.

I have walked with these six: Madison, Caroline, Andrew, Robert, Zach, and Fernanda. I could not be more proud of them. I also have been inspired by them. I have great respect for the mentoring and formation they have received from their guides, Tim and Erin Murphy. I am convinced that these six say what they mean and mean what they say. Are they crazy? By today's standards, yes. But they are choosing not the world's pattern of life but God's. They are choosing life.

Epiphany says that we are forming young people who will change the world. Sunday is "Exhibit A" that we do what we say.

I'll see you Sunday!