Confirmation: Vows on Mission and Service
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance… For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” (Matt 25:34-36)
You are warmly welcome! As we look forward to hosting the Diocesan Bishop next Sunday, we continue to reflect on vows made at Confirmation; this is for the benefit of all Christians, especially our dear confirmation candidates.
Listen carefully, consider and ponder on these five important questions on witnessing, ministry, hospitality, social and environmental justice: Will you be willing to tell your neighbours about salvation through Jesus Christ? Will you intercede for and support the Church, the Bishops, Clergy and all other Church workers? Will you endeavor to feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, welcome strangers in your home, cloth the naked, care for the sick, visit the prisoners, pray and support the lonely, the orphans, the widows and the voiceless? Will you pursue justice, truth and the reconciliation of God’s people? Will you endeavor to be a good steward of God’s creation and care for environment?
To the above questions, Christians must answer in the affirmative as taught by the Word of God. Making these commitments actively and loudly is essential because we have around us strong forces pulling to the opposite direction. The architect of the theory of evolution Charles Darwin heavily criticized care for the sick and the handicapped, vaccinations, and welfare programs for the poor, because they methodically undermine natural selection’s “process of elimination”. Uncouth ideas about ethics and morality have been promoted by Darwinists who claim that ethical precepts and moral beliefs evolve over time, based on their survival value in various times and places; holding onto unguided evolution, they see no evidence of any permanent, transcendent standards of good and evil. But we are not Darwinists!
Our God is alive and He cares. He acknowledged Cornelius’ piety and generosity, and visited him; the fellowship surprised even the Apostles; the Holy Spirit was poured out to Cornelius and the believing Gentiles with him. Jesus Christ taught that our hospitality and social justice will be appreciated as if he was the actual beneficiary. He sent out his disciples to be witnesses, showing that we who believe must accept both the faith and the commissioning to tell others about Him. All assistance to His ministers contributes to this gospel work, and is therefore appreciated as well. Dear believer, you have something to offer; you are a useful vessel in God’s kingdom. Go back to those five questions and now read and answer as you refresh your commitment to serve. God bless you all.