Confirmation ‘25, April 27, 2025
New Covenant, Jeremiah 1:4-7, Isaiah 43:1-7 and Mark 10:13-16
“My Precious”
Traditionally, the Sunday after Easter Gospel reading is the story of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples without Thomas and a week later with Thomas present (John 20:19-31). But, we are celebrating the Rite of Confirmation this week at New Covenant with two young adults being confirmed. So, we take a detour from the traditional post-Easter readings.
In the 1st reading, God says to the prophet Jeremiah, “I knew you before you were born and I set you apart.” In the 2nd reading, God says to the people through the prophet Isaiah, “I created you. Don’t fear I know your name. You are mine. When you experience turbulent times, don’t worry, I am with you. You are precious. I love you. I created you. I formed you. I made you.”
Like the Lord of the Rings character, Gollum, who’s ring is precious to him, God says to every one of us, “You are my precious. I created you. I formed you. I made you. You are unique. You are special. I set you apart. There’s no one else like you. You are my precious.”
This is why Jesus gets so angry at the disciples for keeping the children away. He wants the children to know that they too are precious to God, that they are special to God, that they are loved by God. Jesus wants all of us to know that! That’s why he sits down and talks with the Samaritan woman at the well. That’s why he has dinner at the house of the tax collector Zacchaeus. He wants us all to know that no matter who we are or what we’ve done, God loves us. We are precious to God.
To our two confirmands, in 10 years, you probably won’t remember our classes on; the Trinity or worship or church history or world religions. Heck, maybe you’ve already forgotten those conversations. But, what I pray you’ll never forget is that you are special. God loves you. May you never forget that God knew you before you were born. That God set you apart. God made you unique and God says to you, “You are my precious.” Amen.
