With the spring 2014 release of Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Theologies of Confirmation for the 21st Century, I’ve been making a lot of presentations about the rite of Confirmation in the Episcopal Church and helping people think about what their own “theology” about this rite that always seems to be in search of a meaning. This past week I was privileged to offer a workshop (twice) at the Episcopal Youth Event (#EYE14) held on the Villanova campus outside Philadelphia.

It was great to have conversations in which high school youth and adults (lay leaders, clergy and bishops) were present to discuss each of our experiences of confirmation. And the experiences are varied. After some time travel reviewing where the rites of baptism, first communion, and confirmation came from we can begin to understand how our own history and experience fits in the big picture. And why parents may feel the way they do about having their teen “done” before it’s “too late.”

View my presentation slides, EYEConfirmationWorkshop to get a taste of the history and reflection questions for group conversations. More details of the history can be read in Signed, Sealed, Delivered (Morehouse, 2014).

If you’re interested in what Episcopal resources are available for using in preparation of youth or adults to renew their Baptismal Covenant, here is my EYE2014ConfirmationWorkshopHandout, along with some links to a few dioceses that have guidelines for confirmation.

Add your thoughts on Facebook at Confirming Episcopalians!

There is also a Lily Foundation funded study underway with the Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church, Methodist Church, and Evangelical Church of the USA. Learn more at The Confirmation Project.

It’s a conversation we should ALL be having!