Youth transitions

Life in Christ, from Holy Baptism to the threshold of young adulthood

Last summer, St. Stephen’s Church introduced a new way to pause and acknowledge a momentous threshold in the life of our young people. We called the event “Sacred Pause.” But before saying more about it, I’m going to begin at the beginning of the journey that leads to that threshold.

At every Baptism, the child’s immediate family and Godparents vow to bring up the child “in the Christian faith and life.” Moments later, the congregation vows to “do all in [their] power to support these persons in their life in Christ.” The congregation then share in renewing their own baptismal convent alongside those making it for the first time (and those making it on their behalf). We then administer water three times in the Trinitarian formula, “in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” followed by the laying of hands on the candidate’s forehead, marking the sign of the cross with sanctified oil, and saying, “You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism, and marked as Christ’s own forever” (The Book of Common Prayer, Holy Baptism).

These vows are about intentionally orienting the life of our children into the life of Christ Jesus. The symbols and signs proclaim that through Christ, we are soaked in God’s love and named God’s own, God’s beloved, made children of God. From that point forward, as families in the community of the church, we strive to honor these vows to form and support our children in their life in Christ. The life of the church, therefore, is very much about remembering our true identity and supporting one another on the journey.

For our children, growing up is full-time formation. They are immersed day by day in the hands-on experience of learning how to become adult humans. Most of that formation happens by observing and absorbing the behaviors, attitudes, and habits of parents and other family. Their mind and body is trained in particular ways by schooling, but their character and personality grow primarily from daily life within the family, where the “how” of living continuously happens in real time and under real conditions. In essence, every day we show young people how to be… [fill in the blank]! How to love. How to care. How to trust. How to forgive. How to say yes or say no. How to be when in pain. How to listen and share. And while we may attend church with some regularity, the faith formation that matters most is absorbed and taught in the home. How to be faithful. How to pray. How to be compassionate, virtuous, kind. How to love. How to know and love Jesus Christ. How to serve. How to see others. How to speak to and of God. In short, how to be the people God created us to be.

By the Rev. John Jenkins

Last year’s ‘Sacred Pause’

All of this formation accumulates more rapidly than parents can believe! Suddenly, the child we baptized is graduating from high school. Many choose to pursue higher education and some choose other paths forward, but the end of secondary education for all is a monumental transition into a new phase of life: young adulthood. It is a time for the church to pause and mark as sacred this momentous threshold in young people’s journey to adulthood. It is a time for a sacred pause to mark the occasion in God’s presence, to pray together in thanksgiving, and as a community of believers to bestow on these young people God’s blessing and assurances.

Last summer’s Sacred Pause, we must recall, took place after the most irregular senior year in living memory. Prior to the event, seniors were invited to craft private prayers to bring with them. These prayers reflected on what needed to be said and offered to God in the midst of the pandemic. When we gathered outdoors for a special service of Celtic Eucharist, they placed their prayers on the altar as their offering. We burned the prayers and each graduate as well as parents and siblings were invited to add incense to the fire as the prayers burned and rose in fragrant smoke toward heaven. At the end of the service, after sharing Holy Communion, we spoke words of blessing for all our graduates, those present and absent, and sent them on their way with our love and the faith we proclaimed at their Baptism: remember always that you are God’s beloved and marked as Christ’s own forever.

We look forward to renewing this tradition with this year’s graduating seniors in May or June.

In the meantime, remember your vows to the Most High God, remember your true identity in Christ Jesus, and help one another along the journey of life, most especially our children and youth.

a turning point By the Rev. John Jenkins

Bishop Goff at Confirmation here at St. Stephen’s

The way we think about the rite of Confirmation continues to evolve. Maybe this is because it is a tradition of the church rather than a Scriptural mandate like Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. For youth, those who were baptized as infants or young children, the promises affirmed in the rite of Confirmation simply echo the vows made for them by their parents and godparents. There is, however, a valuable difference and distinction to be made about how the promises affirmed in the rite of Confirmation differ from those of Holy Baptism. Throughout the year leading up to the bishop’s visit, youth attend special presentations about key elements of the faith, and deepen their connection to our patterns of worship as well as connections with people in the parish community. This preparation is meant to equip them to consider the depth of the promises made in the Confirmation rite so that they may make a well-informed choice. As with all sacraments, we hold firmly to the maxim that all may, none must, some should. It is solely the young person’s decision whether to claim these promises for themselves. Doing so means taking a substantive step forward into young adulthood because it claims responsibility for one’s own spiritual life and practice and honoring vows made to God in the midst of the congregation. For youth, the rite of Confirmation shifts responsibility for the spiritual life from parents to the agency of the young person. In this way, it is also another turning point on the winding journey from childhood to adulthood.

We look forward to our bishop’s next visitation, the Rt. Rev. Susan Goff’s, and celebration of this sacred rite on Sunday, May 15.

Catechists come from various churches to take the training at St. Stephen’s.

Jay Paul

Training for catechists scheduled this summer

Adults act as companions and guides to children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

As this edition of Seasons of the Spirit was being prepared, plans were underway to offer training for adults who are interested in serving in one of our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd atria. For many years, we’ve provided this training not only for our own parishioners but for those from other churches and denominations. Sessions are led by Anna Hurdle, one of the most effective and well-regarded trainers available.

WHAT IS THE CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD?

The Catechesis (kat-i-KEE-seez) of the Good Shepherd is a religious formation approach for children ages 3 to 9. Based on scripture, liturgy and the educational and pedagogical principles of Dr. Maria Montessori, CGS began in Italy in 1954 under the guidance of noted theologians and educators Sofia Cavelletti and Gianna Gobbi. This manner of Christian education is not primarily academic but instead seeks to be a religious experience rooted in celebration, contemplation and joy.

Children, even from the earliest age, have an enormous capacity for wonder and a deep and vital desire to develop a conscious and intimate relationship with God. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd seeks to nourish what is already present and indwelling.

WHAT IS AN ATRIUM?

An atrium is a prepared, sacred space for children where they may meet and be grounded in the love of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep by name. We say that everything we do in the atrium is a prayer and, likewise, every material in the atrium is meant as a means for pondering the mysteries and riches of our faith; just as the life and work of a monk centers on prayer, so the child’s engagement and experience in an atrium is considered prayerful work. Among the work the children are invited to explore are models of church architecture, vessels, and garments. Other materials relate to the proclamations of our faith, our liturgy, and our communal sacramental life.

WHO IS THE CATECHIST?

The word catechesis means oral religious instruction and a catechist (KAT-i-kist) is the one who shares presentations and scripture with the children—parables and prophecies, geography, history, and the life of Christ. Importantly, the catechists are not teachers but cowonderers, listeners and facilitators who have prayerfully prepared the space and who have undergone extensive formation themselves in order to better understand ways that biblical and liturgical themes correspond to the developmental stages of children in their care. Catechists work under the assumption that Christ is the only “teacher.”

TRAINING FOR CATECHISTS

Training will be offered for Level 1 and Level 2; it begins at 9 a.m. and continues until 4:30 p.m. each day. Level 1, Part 2: July 25-July 29 Level 2, Part 1: August 1-August 5

Levels refer to the children’s age groups. Training for each level has two parts, and while both parts of a level are required to be certified as a catechist, they do not need to be taken consecutively. Level 1 should be completed before taking Level 2.

Space is limited and registration is required for these in-person sessions, all of which will be masked. Tuition for St. Stephen’s parishioners will be waived. In order to keep everyone safe, all participants will need to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, including boosters, and provide a negative COVID test taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival.

Registration will be available at ststephensRVA.org/levelone and ststephensRVA.org/leveltwo.