Confirmation

Today, several of us from the Lausanne church are starting the Passion reading with John 11.55-12.11.

For Palm Sunday we will read Luke 19.29-44.

One of Wife’s best friends and a wonderful neighbor is celebrating the confirmation of her oldest daughter at the local Reformed Protestant Evangelical Church, Canton of Vaud (our State church). Wife helped her with the shopping and transport and heard all about the plans. The neighbor’s family is taking this seriously, but I’m not so sure about the State church.

Confirmation is deeply rooted in Swiss Protestant tradition. It originally confirmed infant baptism. Today it is a Palm Sunday ceremony where the candidate stands up and expresses his/her convictions, doubts, beliefs or lack of beliefs in front of the congregation.

The change was made recently because less and less youth were confirming. The process was seen as archaic at best, hypocritical at worst. Supposedly, adolescents were confirming for cash and presents. Integrity was being sacrificed for material benefit.

Many in the clergy were against the confirmation celebration because it made a distinction between believer and unbeliever and, for them, no distinction should be made. (Go figure.)

I haven’t asked neighbor’s daughter what she’s confirming… doubt or belief. I’m praying it’s belief.