In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     Our first lesson from Acts for today begins, "When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them." When I was a young person being confirmed, we were convinced the formal, public examination of confirmands, either in front of the congregation, or in front of the church council, was directly related to this questioning of the first Christians, before the council of the Sanhedrin. Now, maybe some of our young people being confirmed today aren't aware of the fact that for generations, Lutheran teens, hoping to be confirmed, would be paraded before congregation or council for a public "examination". After two or three years of instruction, the candidates thought to be ready to affirm their faith in the Holy Trinity, were first required to answer questions, mainly about the Small Catechism and Lutheran doctrine, but in some churches, depending upon the pastor and the congregation, questioning might also include the Bible and Church History. It was a time of great anxiety for the confirmands, and I would suppose their parents. But usually, the candidates got through it, and it was seen as a necessary rite of passage. Kind of a trial by fire. And why subject confirmands to such a trial? On the one hand, it was surely the practical issue of wanting to see if these confirmands had learned their lessons. If they were now going to take the faith of the Church upon themselves, they must know the faith. But together with that, if they were going to take the faith of the Church upon themselves, they must be prepared to protect, defend and proclaim that faith, publicly, and without hesitation. That's why my confirmation class, at least, saw our examination as something of a latter day version of the questioning of the Christians before the council of elders described in Acts 5. Of course, there were differences-the council of the Sanhedrin were Jewish leaders, and the first Christians who were brought before them knew they were in danger of being put in jail, or worse, of being crucifed, as they has just witnessed their Lord Jesus killed by hanging him on a cross. We confirmands felt a similar heaviness hanging over our heads as we faced examination by the church council, but truly, we'd never heard of a confirmand being crucified for a wrong answer. But still, as we stood to be questioned, we felt we were, in a sense, standing with Peter and the apostles as witnesses to Jesus Christ crucified and risen, as our Lord and Savior. When we were publicly examined, we, too, believed we were showing ourselves prepared to protect, defend and confess the faith. And maybe, I saw the whole experience from a different perspective as my fellow confirmands. I realize I was considered something of an odd teenager, because already, I was experiencing the call to ministry. But I like to think those who were confirmed with me had a similar experience. I like to think we shared a strong sense that we were doing more than jumping through hoops to make our parents happy. I like to think we took seriously the Rite of Confirmation, and believed we were stepping up, ourselves, to be witnesses of the resurrection of our Lord. And I suppose each and every one of us who were put through that grueling ritual of examination before confirmation, wonder if we haven't lost something, when we ended that tradition. We wonder if confirmands now, if our confirmands today, are as prepared to stand up for the Truth of our Christian faith, as the generations of confirmands that came before?

     I was in that transition period, between the old pastors who firmly believed in the public examination, and the newer clergy who advocated a lessening of the ritual, to make it more pastoral, less-frightening, and well, a little gentler. I remember that during the transition, pastors would continue to use public examination as a threat, saying, "if you don't apply yourselves, we'll have a public examination, and let everyone see how you've been goofing off!" But my confirmation was at the end of examination as a customary practice, and from that point on, it was assumed all confirmands would be confirmed if they showed up at all, and made any effort. From that point on, confirmation was seen, not as preparation for the proclamation and defense of the faith, but as a "pastoral and educational ministry", as the new materials described it. And confirmation today, in most congregations, is indeed pastoral. We bend over backwards to be pastoral to our confirmands and their families-adjusting schedules and allowing home-study to those whose sports and after school schedules conflict with catechism classes. And we're happy to do so. Few in the church today want to add more stress and burden to our young people and their families. But how has this change effected our confirmands? Has this change effected our confirmands?

     Some might argue that confirmands today, rather than having the resolve and boldness of Peter standing before the Sanhedrin, or Luther, standing before Emperor Charles V, at the diet of Worms, might be more Thomas-full of doubts and uncertainty regarding Jesus. After teaching confirmation for 25 years, and teaching and confirming my own two kids, I think that might be more the case. In fact, haven't we come through a time when questioning and doubting and uncertainty is more respected, than firmness, certainty and faith without a doubt?! Many of our college campuses today have Lutheran chapels named for St. Thomas the Apostle-affirming the fact that hey, it's okay for young people to doubt and question.that's the model for higher education in the U.S. today-doubt, and question everything-challenge authority-don't take anything on faith! It's no surprise, then, that our confirmands and our teenage youth also revel in their doubting and questioning-and yes, their challenging of authority. But then, are we raising up, at all, disciples who will be willing to stand and affirm the faith, when challenged? Are we so nurturing young people in our churches that they will be faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ, the way, the truth and the life-or just young people who say, what's right for you, may not be right for me-besides, all religious expressions are equally valid and meaningful? Are we confirming young people who see their confirmation as simply a means to satisfy their parents-or will our confirmands, today, be ready to stand up, stand up for Jesus, as soldiers of the cross?

     Before we answer those questions, let's look somewhat honestly at ourselves-we who are adult members of this congregation. In one of the Eucharistic Prayers we use-the one we are using during the season of Easter, we pray to the Father, saying, "in Jesus Christ, your Son, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death, into life." But, is that our reality? Are we living our lives, committed to the Truth of the Gospel, or are we mired in and confused by error? Do we have righteousness as our goal in life, or are we all too comfortable in our sin and disobedience? Are we living the resurrection, or are we living like we're dying? Would you and I be prepared to stand, with Peter, before a jury or a tribunal, and confess the faith, regardless the consequences, even unto death-or would we bend and break, doing whatever was necessary to save our own skin-assuming, the Lord Jesus Christ would understand our weakness? Have we, with Thomas, been reassured by Christ's Risen presence among us, such that we can now confess, "My Lord and my God!", or are we stuck in our questions and doubts, unwilling to say with confidence, "Christ is Risen, He is risen, indeed"? These are hard questions, but they're questions we adult Christians need to answer, before we begin to challenge the faith of our confirmands, and the youth of our congregation.

     But isn't confirmation Sunday a good time for us to challenge ourselves, to re-affirm our faith in Jesus Christ? Isn't confirmation Sunday a good time for each of us, to re-examine our faith, to renew our faith, and decide, for ourselves, whether we are prepared to stand up, stand up for Jesus, as soldiers of the cross-not wavering, not doubting, but standing firm on the Truth of the Gospel-believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing, you may have life in his name. It's not that having questions and doubts is unfaithful, or sinful-but like Thomas, Jesus appears among us as our Risen Lord to bring us from fear, to faith; to confront our doubts and questions with His sure and certain presence, that we may believe-and that believing, we will also be His witnesses. And what are we, who are full of doubts and questions to do? How do we move from fear, to faith, from uncertainty to peace in Christ?

     It's no simple greeting that Jesus speaks to his disciples, not once, but three times in our gospel lesson, as He says to his gathered followers, "peace be with you". And then, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. In that moment, the gift of the Holy Spirit was for, the forgiving and retaining of sins. But all in all, the presence of Jesus and the giving of the Spirit, was to bring faith, and power, and yes, peace. And Jesus continues to give us, His presence, and the Holy Spirit, for faith, and power, and peace. And it is His presence, and His Holy Spirit, that we rely on-as we strive to be faithful and true witnesses. It is His presence and His Holy Spirit that are at work in us, to make of us, faithful and true witnesses.each of us.not just confirmands.but all of us, who are called to be Jesus' witnesses, here, and to the ends of the earth. And we are, indeed, all called to be Jesus' witnesses! You and I, and each of our young persons being confirmed today-together with Peter, and Paul, and Luther, are called to be witnesses to the power and the presence of Jesus Christ, because as He was dead, He is also now risen, and alive with us! So let us be His witnesses! In the power of His Risen presence among us, let us testify to one another and to the world, that Jesus Christ is Risen-He is risen, indeed!