I’m debating my church’s way in which they confirm us. They have us take notes on the sermon and they read them outloud! Plus we have to do 20+ hours of community service!
I remember one gospel verse that goes against things like this and am going to bring it up next time, i don’t know where it is located though, it goes something like this:
“Pray to yourself all alone and be one with God, do not be like the hippocrites and stand on the street corners shouting their beliefs”
Heaven forbid the church take confirmation so seriously as to actually make you work for it!
Just out of curiosity, what kind of church is it? I mean, the denomination? I’m not that big on sermon notes but I find the idea of required community service intriguing.
It’s Catholic. I’m not upset about the community service part, i think that should be a part of it, but i do not agree with the reading of our personal notes and such.
That verse plainly says not to show off your own piety. In other words, don’t be a self-promoter. It says nothing about someone else showing your private practices or being ordered to do so by someone with church authority, so that verse isn’t applicable.
You’ll have to find some other justification for not doing this.
I was a catechist for 7 years. We always required tons of community service for Confirmation. It was our way to get rid of all the “my grandma is making me” crowd.
And I have to agree with Amarinth. If you are in a confirmation prep course, you should be able to find quotes easily.
I don’t get the complaint, either. Are you saying that you share the notes on the sermon in your confirmation class? If you don’t like doing that, you’re going to be in a major shock in college and possibly even high school. It strikes me as a pretty good way to encourage discussion of something that you may not have been paying close attention to otherwise. Confirmation class isn’t, as far as I know, a prayer but rather a course in your church’s essential theological premises. The priest is obviously trying to get you and your classmates to examine those premises and evaluate the sermon, itself a weekly lesson in theology.
Right… though it didn’t use to be that way always and everywhere. I’m old enough that I got in under the old system in my hometown parish, where they’d just have the kids go through the various sacraments by rote whenever a window of opportunity opened up. (e.g. “Bishop’s visiting? Heck, how often does THAT happen… quick, round up everyone in grade and middle school and have him confirm 'em before his ride home shows up!” ) The new way seems better IMO – make 'em aware of what they’re getting into. (Of course, then again, when I DID start studying the theology in earnest… WAS the start of my becoming a dissident ) And if the issue is with sharing the notes, well… just don’t write “Jesus, Father Xavier is such a crashing bore! And do they really expect me to believe THAT?? Oh, puh-leeease :rolleyes: Hey, Mary Anne O’Doul is looking hot today” when you should be taking notes on Penance…
) And if the issue is with sharing the notes, well… just don’t write “Jesus, Father Xavier is such a crashing bore! And do they really expect me to believe THAT?? Oh, puh-leeease :rolleyes: Hey, Mary Anne O’Doul is looking hot today” when you should be taking notes on Penance…