Mark 14:27-31 NIV
“You will all fall away.”
On the night in which he was betrayed, he predicted that all of his followers would fall away. Peter did not believe it. Yet, they did. Judas betrayed him. The rest stayed hidden in the background so as not to end up on trial and crucified like Jesus. Peter flat out denied knowing him.
How many times do we hide in the background? Afraid to speak the truth because someone might not want to hear the truth and ridicule you or ignore you or maybe just unfriend you? Maybe, they might start ugly rumors about you and your faith. They might even call you something like "fanatical Christian!"
One of the rites of the church that I do not appreciate fully is confirmation. It makes me most uncomfortable knowing that these young people (teens) affirm their faiths, and promise to, with the help of God, to serve Him in the church and in the world. I warn them, that they will fall away and that they should really work on avoiding that. I ask them to please not make the commitments asked of them at their affirmations (confirmations) if they already intend not to keep them. I ask them to, please, not attempt to lie to God. Yet, they insist (most of them) that they will not fall away. They are convinced (or try to convince me) that the commitments they will make will not fall by the wayside. In almost all cases they do fall away immediately following the rite of confirmation. Most fall away at least for a time, till they have children of their own and desire to have them baptized and confirmed. Some will return, long enough, for their children to be baptized and affirm those baptisms.
The disciples returned, too. But, they stayed. They did not show up for a rite here and there. They stayed and committed their whole lives to following in Jesus' footsteps. May God help all who have been baptized in Christ Jesus to continue to live with and in Him and if we have turned our backs on Him, help us to return.
God's Peace - Pr. J
“You will all fall away.”
On the night in which he was betrayed, he predicted that all of his followers would fall away. Peter did not believe it. Yet, they did. Judas betrayed him. The rest stayed hidden in the background so as not to end up on trial and crucified like Jesus. Peter flat out denied knowing him.
How many times do we hide in the background? Afraid to speak the truth because someone might not want to hear the truth and ridicule you or ignore you or maybe just unfriend you? Maybe, they might start ugly rumors about you and your faith. They might even call you something like "fanatical Christian!"
One of the rites of the church that I do not appreciate fully is confirmation. It makes me most uncomfortable knowing that these young people (teens) affirm their faiths, and promise to, with the help of God, to serve Him in the church and in the world. I warn them, that they will fall away and that they should really work on avoiding that. I ask them to please not make the commitments asked of them at their affirmations (confirmations) if they already intend not to keep them. I ask them to, please, not attempt to lie to God. Yet, they insist (most of them) that they will not fall away. They are convinced (or try to convince me) that the commitments they will make will not fall by the wayside. In almost all cases they do fall away immediately following the rite of confirmation. Most fall away at least for a time, till they have children of their own and desire to have them baptized and confirmed. Some will return, long enough, for their children to be baptized and affirm those baptisms.
The disciples returned, too. But, they stayed. They did not show up for a rite here and there. They stayed and committed their whole lives to following in Jesus' footsteps. May God help all who have been baptized in Christ Jesus to continue to live with and in Him and if we have turned our backs on Him, help us to return.
God's Peace - Pr. J
