We have entered the season of Lent once again and that means that many congregations, pastors, parents and students are looking forward to the rite of Confirmation.
As Lutherans, we affirm that It is God who keeps and sustains us in the faith. But as Lutherans, we believe that God does so through means. We do not believe in a "me and Jesus" type of faith that is separate from the Word of God and the Sacraments.
During the solemn ceremony of confirmation, the confirmand is asked three questions about their intentions and plans with regard to hearing the Word, receiving the Sacraments, and generally persevering in the faith. In one sense, the rite is designed to be a "rite of passage" in which the confirmed will take responsibility for the things which God gives into our hands for our continued perseverance in the faith.
The three questions are:
- Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully?
- Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed, to remain true to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, even to death?
- Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?
Though the answer to this question has varied slightly with various revisions of the rite published in different hymnal revisions within the Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod, the thrust of the answer has always been maintained. When asked about their intentions, the confirmand states, "I do so intend by the grace of God." (Or, sometimes, "with the help of God," or something similar)
Closely related to these are the intention of parents and sponsors, with God's help, to bring the baptized child up in faith, support their ongoing faith development and encourage them toward the faithful and regular reception of God's gifts in Word and Sacrament. The prayerful response of the Church to such a stated intention is to ask God to enable them "both to will and to do this faithful and loving work and with His grace fulfill what we are unable to do."
Leaving aside the old aphorism about the road that is paved with "good intentions," there is something important to be seen in these answers. Namely, we are not placing our trust and reliance upon our own intentions, but on the help or grace of God. Our intentions, that is, our plan for future action, is based upon God's grace and help being available to us.
We rely upon God's grace and mercy because our own personal intentions do not really amount to much of anything. Every year on or about January 1, millions upon millions of people declare their "intention" to change something about their life. But more often than not, they do not make any substantive changes to their actions or behaviors in order to bring that about. "I intend to lose 20 pounds." "I intend to eat more healthy." "I intend to quit smoking." "I intend to ____. (fill in the blank)." Intentions without intentional and deliberate action is meaningless.
Here is where we see the genius in the answers given in the Rite of Baptism and the Rite of Confirmation. In each case, the response to the question about our intention is to appeal to God's help or grace to make it possible for us to accomplish our intentions. We claim that we are not reliant upon our own actions, but we will rely upon God to bring to completion the good work He has begun within us. In a sense, we place the ball back in God's court. The response we give can be understood as, "I will so structure my life in order to do these things if God makes it possible."
And here is where the old Adam rises up and tries to put a monkey wrench into the entire process.
"If God makes it possible, I will hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully." "If God makes it possible, I will raise my child in the faith, bring him to the services of God's house and set an example of faith and life for him." "If God makes it possible..." And thus, we leave it entirely up to God!
Then, Sunday morning comes, our alarm goes off, and a few minutes later, we get a text that Church is closed this morning because of bad weather and bad roads. God did not make it possible for me to attend the service. God did not make it possible for me to hear His Word. God did not make it possible for me to receive the Lord's Supper. I'm off the hook!
Or, again, Sunday morning comes, our alarm goes off, and we get a text that Church is closed because the pastor has come down with a violent illness in the night and cannot preside over the administration of God's gifts. Again, I'm off the hook! While we should be very concerned about the fact that God has done so, again in this case, God has held back His grace and his help and has not given me the ability or opportunity to hear His Word and receive the Supper.
Of course, life is often complicated. Sometimes employers impose on us the requirement to work. If we are unable to come to an arrangement with our boss and we are unable to find another job or another means to provide life's necessities for our family, or when circumstances like those listed above occur, then we must acknowledge that God has intervened and deprived us of His grace and favor for a time. We err if we give up too easily in such circumstances. But when God does not make it possible, there is no sin.
The danger comes when we have choices to make. Very often, the choices we make reveal the true intentions of our heart and reveal the lies we tell ourselves about how good and virtuous we are because we "intend" to be. Certainly in a world that operates at a frenetic pace 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there are times when, in order to love and serve our neighbor, it will be necessary to deprive ourselves of an opportunity to receive God's gifts. Or, illness strikes us or a car does not start or other events happen that prevent us from receiving God's good gifts.
But more often than not, if we are honest with ourselves, we will see that we do not actually intend to do what we said in our Confirmation or at the baptism of our child. Sadder still, we often willingly choose to undertake an activity or obligate ourselves to do something that we know in advance will make it difficult or impossible for us to fulfill our stated intentions even when alternatives are available.
Take for example the following scenario: It's Sunday morning, our alarm goes off, we wake up to a bright sunny day with clear roads, a functioning car, and as we are drying off from the shower, we receive a reminder text that services start in an hour. God has given us the grace and ability and capacity. God's grace is clearly evident. A friend calls as we are getting ready and offers an invitation. Then, instead of going to Church, we put on our bathing suit and head to the beach.
Here we need to pause and think carefully. In what way was the help and grace of God withheld? The service was held, you had the time to attend and the means to be transported. Yet, you cast aside your stated "intention" and chose to do something else. This is the sort of behavior that causes many to say that a certain road, "is paved with 'good intentions.'"
Our hearts are fickle. Our feelings fleeting. This is why, in answer to the questions posed to us as confirrmands and parents, we do not say, "I do so intend if I feel like it." or, "I do so intend if I have the inclination." Instead, we base our response on God's action. "If God provides the opportunity, I will seek to restructure my life to make it possible." Notice how it depends on God's grace and help. See how it is a faithful response to God's love for us by making the means for our continuance in the faith available to us and not taking them away from us.
When we use our lips to utter a lie in the presence of God and take His Name and issue an oath and promise using it, it shows utter contempt toward God. Then to blame Him for our lack of follow through is nothing short of blasphemous. The stated intention and promise is that, so long as God provides aid and ability, we will do those things we promise. The promise follows the pattern given to us in the Epistle of James where the Holy Spirit declares:
...you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.â€
Then, the Holy Spirit points the accusing finger of the law at us and states, "Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
The right thing to do is uphold our oath and our vow. Not to do so is sin. It is a sin for which our Lord and Savior invites us to repent and exert effort and, if necessary, restructure parts of our lives in order to make it possible for the promised "intention" to be fulfilled so far as it depends upon us.
Indeed, much does depend on God making sure that His grace is available and helping us deal with our life in such a way that we are able to take advantage of it. But to refuse to receive that grace and to push back against the help that He gives is a dangerous and soul-killing error.
Fortunately, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Standish, Michigan, there are many opportunities to hear God's Word and receive His gifts and we are not restricted to a single hour on Sunday morning. God, in His grace, offers help several times per week with regularly scheduled services on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, Bible Study on Tuesday and Sunday, and a daily service of Matins Monday through Friday!
What is more, out of His abundant grace and mercy, He does not strike us down immediately, but He holds back His wrath against sin. Instead of cutting us off and giving us no opportunity to return to Him in repentance, He offers to us His forgiveness and mercy. He sends forth His word to reach us. He calls us to turn back to Him and gives us His Spirit to urge us and encourage us to redouble our efforts to fulfill our intentions "by His grace" and 'with His help."
This is the blessing of "repentance" which is a concept that features prominently in our Lenten preparation as we look to the Cross and the death of Jesus whose blood covers over our sins and await the great celebration of our Lord's resurrection.
So long as we have breath and God has given us time, He promises the mercy of forgiveness won for us by Christ's death in our place. In Him we even have forgiveness for treating his name with contempt and not fulfilling our stated "intentions," despite the grace and help He has offered in providing us ample opportunity to receive His gifts in Word, Sacrament and Study.
"Rend your hearts and not your garments.†Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster. - Joel 2:13