The Sacramental Life: Confirmation
In Confirmation, a baptized Christian makes "a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop." (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 857)
One can be confirmed whenever he or she is ready to accept the promises made on their behalf at their baptism. This usually happens during the teen years, but adults of any age may be confirmed in the church. One must be baptised before being confirmed. Confirmation expresses not only a desire to live as an adult Christian, it also indicates a desire to do so in the Episcopal Church and the world-wide Anglican Communion. The sacrament of Confirmation is something that only a bishop can perform, so our confirmations are scheduled around the times when the bishop will visit our parish. Typically, confirmation follows a period of preparation, examination, and exploration into all aspects of the Christian life. This period of time may last several months. Reception into the Episcopal Church While it is not a sacrament of the Church, the rite of reception is available for those who have been baptized and confirmed by a bishop in another Christian church (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, or Eastern Orthodox for example), but who wish to formally recognize their new membership in the Episcopal Church. Receptions take place during confirmation services and require study akin to that of adult confirmation. Read the text of the rite. |