I Will, with God's Help Leader's Guide: Episcopal Confirmation for Youth and Adults - Softcover

Wile, Mary Lee

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1889108731 ISBN 13: 9781889108735

Verlag: Church Publishing, 2000

Inhaltsangabe

This confirmation program, developed with the help of Episcopal educators, clergy and theologians across the country, encourages youth and adults to enter into a uniquely Episcopal―yet profoundly Christian―faith journey. The easily-adapted format works for a traditional six- to twelve-week program, at a contemporary Confirmation retreat or conference, or as a sacramental supplement to other two- to three-year programs.I Will, with God’s help, built entirely on the Baptismal Covenant from The Book of Common Prayer, offers seekers a solid reflection on Episcopal heritage and belief, together with the riches of Episcopal liturgy and prayer.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

The Rev. Mary Lee Wile is a high school teacher and a deacon in the diocese of Maine. She also leads Quiet Days and workshops on contemplative prayer. She has published religious and educational articles in The Living Church, The Witness, The Other Side, Education Week and Teacher Magazine. Mary Lee received a MTS from Bangor Theological Seminary with a focus on Congregational Life.

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I will with God's help

Episcopal Confirmation for Youth and Adults

By Mary Lee Wile

Church Publishing Incorporated

Copyright © 2010 Mary Lee Wile
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-889108-73-5

Contents

Acknowledgements, 4, 
Foreword, The Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, 6, 
Introduction, 7, 
I Believe: Living the Creed, 17, 
The Session, 22, 
Teaching, Fellowship, Bread and Prayers, 31, 
The Session, 36, 
Resist, Repent and Return, 47, 
The Session, 51, 
By Word and Example, 58, 
The Session, 61, 
Seek and Serve, 70, 
The Session, 74, 
Into the World in Witness, 84, 
The Session, 88, 
Epilogue, 94, 
Bibliography, 96, 

CHAPTER 1

I Believe: Living the Creed

PLAN THE SESSION

Celebrant: Do you believe in God the Father?

People: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Celebrant: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

People: I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Celebrant: Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

People: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

To Bring

• a floating candle (or a regular candle), a bowl for water and matches

• the opening line of a psalm, handwritten at the top of a piece of paper

• index cards

• copies of the Trinitarian intersecting circles (see p. 21)

• pens and pencils

• a Bible

• copies of The Book of Common Prayer (encourage participants to bring their own)

• copies of The Hymnal 1982 (if closing with a hymn rather than a canticle)

• approximately twice as many stones as there are participants

• a watch or clock

Optional:

• a second bowl for water and either cloth or paper towels Matters of Time

Matters of Time

Single session: If you have a single session to cover this chapter, use as an opening service one of the appropriate short Daily Devotions beginning on page 137 in The Book of Common Prayer. Try not to feel rushed. Don't give up the brief period of silence which follows the communal psalm.

Two sessions: If you have two sessions for this chapter, spend the first introducing the community-building activities, the second more specifically on the creed. (Put that bluntly, it sounds appalling to "cover" what one believes about the Trinity in one or two weeks; clearly this is the work of a lifetime.) If you have two sessions, consider using one of the complete Morning, Noonday or Evening Prayer services in The Book of Common Prayer rather than the shorter devotions.

The Session(s) at a Glance

Gather

• select stones

• light the candle

• optional: "wash" stones

• set the stones

• compose the communal psalm

• share the appropriate service from The Book of Common Prayer

• read the psalm

• maintain short silence

Activities

• focus on the Apostles' Creed from Baptismal Covenant

• pass out journals

Closing

• pray for participants

• sing chosen hymn or recite chosen canticle

• retrieve stones

• exchange peace

• blow out candle

Leader's Reflection

The Baptismal Covenant, on which this program is based, begins with the Apostles' Creed: "I believe ..." As you prepare for this first session, think about your own experience with both belief and doubt, with what has kept you not only in the Church, but willing to share your faith with this group of people who will soon become your own.

I'm reminded of the fox telling the Little Prince that we are responsible—forever—for what we have tamed. While you are neither "taming" nor even necessarily "training" the participants in your group, as you nurture their growth in faith and fellowship you will inevitably become part of one another's journeys. You will all become responsible one for the other.

Use the space below to record some of your most vivid memories of belief and doubt:

_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Of those memories, what do you feel most comfortable sharing with the participants in your program? What might be most helpful to people who are preparing to renew their Baptismal Covenants? What do you wish someone had shared with you when you undertook this same journey?

_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Be Tender to Yourself

Be sure to submit a prayer request asking the congregation to pray for you as well as for the participants in your program. (See the suggested prayer on page 15 of the Introduction.) Allow yourself to feel God's gratitude for this work you do. Remember that you are a child of God, infinitely loved and precious. No matter how each session goes, God is at work among you, and all will be well. Remember that you are working with people who have already been "sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own forever," who are already part of your own extended family of Christians.

What are your biggest fears or biggest hopes as you face this opening session? Write them below, and offer them to God.

_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Before the Session

Note: The suggestions below look frighteningly long. That's because it's your first session. Experience suggests that the most awkwardness you're likely to encounter in leading a group would come during a first session, when you run out of activities, but have plenty of time left on the clock! You'll have more to prepare and plan for this session than for following ones, but nothing here is complicated. Really. Most of the suggestions are designed to get participants involved, to help you retreat to the background.

First pick an appropriate hymn or canticle for closing the sessions. Since I'm so tone deaf that my own children wouldn't let me sing lullabies, being asked to choose a hymn always terrifies me. The prayer book has a lovely and extensive selection of canticles, seven of them between pages 47 and 53, with fourteen more on pages 85-95. If you, too, are musically challenged, either ask another volunteer to lead the closing hymn or pick a canticle to say rather than a hymn to sing.

Plan on using the same hymn or canticle for every session. This repetition helps establish a rhythm and ultimately a community.

Second prepare for the communal psalm that the participants...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Church Publishing
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2000
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1889108731
• ISBN 13: 9781889108735
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 98
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland