“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Jesus: Revelation 3:20
Saturday morning’s walk down by the Tar River was a little more picturesque than anticipated. With the water low and muddy and the foliage less than verdant due to the drought I wasn’t looking for any photo-ops.
But of course paying attention isn’t about getting exactly what I am looking for it’s about, well, paying attention.
Ditto when Max and I made it back to the house. I noticed activity down at the church then my friend Steve texted and asked if I could come by and take a group photograph.
I showed up to find the confirmation class getting ready and loading up for their weekend retreat over in Durham. It’s been a while since Howard Memorial had kids lined up for confirmation, so this group of seven teens represents enquirers all the way from 8th to the 12th grade.
“Enquirers” is what they called us when I was part of a group getting baptized back in 1970. “Would you like to join Mr. Pike’s enquirers class? they said. So me, my friends Tim and Jenny plus a young couple who had just moved to town all took the class together and we were baptized a few weeks later.
Seekers:
Confirmation is pretty much the same thing. These kids are in the process of making a decision to take their faith seriously. Neither confirmation nor baptism actually saves anybody – God took care of that already. But what is at stake is the critical decision to follow Jesus and to live as an intentional disciple.
I like the word “Seekers” to describe where these young people are. There is a whole lot going on in their worlds and they are looking for peace and meaning and direction. It is my firm belief that saying “yes” to the invitation Jesus offers is absolutely the best road forward.
It doesn’t matter if you are a 15-year-old high-school student, or launching life and family in your 20’s, or kind of retired like me and Rebekah, or 41 and 43 like our children – the future is more clear, more meaningful, more accessible, more confident, more possible and more beautiful walking with Jesus as friend and guide.
Seriously, friends, Jesus really is standing at the door and he is knocking. If we hear his voice (of course, first we have to listen), and then if we open the door, Jesus absolutely will come in and break bread with us. He will.
So what is at stake? It turns out pretty much everything – DEREK