Gospel: Matthew 7.7 / Mattæus 7.7
“Ask, and it will be given you,
search, and you will find.
knock, and the door will be opened for you.
Bed, så skal der gives jer; søg, så skal I finde;
bank på, så skal der lukkes op for jer.
Sermon:
Some of you of a certain age, will remember the song “Knock, knock, on heaven’s door.” Sun by bob Dylan and many other through time.
Todays Gospel is an encouragement to do exactly that: knock on heavens door in particular but even more on every door in general to be invited in, to discover what behind that door, to open locked closed doors, to create new open spaces and possible needed draft, - and not to be afraid to go and explore new places.
We do go through quite many different doors in our lives. The parents of our wonderful Confirmands at one point went through the door to a maternity ward and came out of the door as totally changed. Now parent for life.
You walked through the doors to church to carry or follow your beloved child to baptism; as you wanted the best for your child: God’s blessing and God’s presence in their lives.
Today: today you all went through the doors again to get to church, to find your assigned pews or to find your assigned reserved red chair of honor. And we welcome you all with the words of Christ when he spoke to the crows on the mountain: “Ask, seek and knock. For everyone who askes receive, the one who seeks will find and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Today is Confirmation Sunday. Today is also Reformation Sunday in our church season.
Today we remember the Reformation that swept through the church and the world like a wind of change in 1500. Our reformer Martin Luther asked many questions, search in the Bible and knocked on many doors to create change and let much needed draft in. The Reformation did not only change the Catholic Church and give birth to the Protestant Lutheran churches and denominations. The Reformation also changed the world. We, as the Danish Lutheran Church, a proud descendants of that Protestant Reformation with a focus on lifelong study and education, love for hymns and liturgy, call to interact with society and call out injustice – a constant call to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.
Reformation was about seeking, asking and knocking on doors.
Your confirmation is about seeking, asking and knocking on doors.
For most or our lives when we are growing up, our parents have been opening or closing doors for us, choosing which doors to open og which doors better to keep locked. Today’s confirmation marks a time in your young lives where you will have to knock on doors and go through doors on your own. Some doors will be hard to open, some will jump wide open and others will need at key.
So, keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.
There is a persistency about these words. A “never stop mentality” that seemed to drive the entire mission and vision of Jesus Christ. Through his entire life and ministry, Jesus kept asking: he asked the Pharisees about their practices and he questioned how life seemed to be held captive in old rigid rules and dusty traditions; he kept looking and seeking: for the lost, the confused, the outcast, the children, the women, the minorities, the sick and the forsaken: he looked and he saw. And he blessed.
Jesus kept knocking on doors that had been closed or locked up: he tore down walls and doors of judgmental rituals and unjust traditions. Jesus truly open doors: he was the door to openness, acceptance, tolerance, love and hope.
We may think that so many doors have been closed for us this past year of 2020. A year of worldwide pandemic, economic uncertainty, racial unrest and demonstration, raging wildfires here in California – and through it all we have been encouraged to stay home behind closed doors, to be social distant, to wear mask and avoid large crowds. The doors to schools, churches, sports venues, entertainment parks have been closed.
Keep, seeking, asking and knocking. - When one door closes another open, an old saying says.
Through this Pandemic and Lockdown, which still is our reality here in October 2020, we have opened doors to a Virtual Reality, a distant fellowship, a simpler daily life based in the families. This Pandemic has been a wakeup call for many and for our society. So, we are discussing how to live, how to return to normalcy, how to navigate in a new world. A reformation of some kind that is urging us to open new doors and daring to ask questions.
In a time and age like ours, with an information and disinformation overload, constant news, relentless updates, constant change and challenges, we truly need to keep on asking and pursuing the truth, the facts, the love, the grace and the justice. This is part of our human nature and our divine purpose: to be persistent, to be present and to be patient.
Our faith and our hope urge us to keep on. Keep, asking, keep seeking and keep knocking. Keep believing that reformation and change is part of living. Keep believing that forgiveness and love is part of faith.
So, keep on knocking on heaven’s door!
Amen.
Speech to Confirmands:
Finally! Finally, this day has come. Just think sometimes we can wait so long for something to happen, that you almost loose faith that it really will happen. But finally, this day has come: your confirmation day.
It is simply so nice to see you all here again. In real time and face to face. And somehow, I think you look better than I remember! All dressed up, hair combed and smiles bright. It is so nice to have you back and your so deserve to be seated in the red chairs of honor.
The world as we knew it suddenly changed in March – and as the world changed, we too had to change ,find new ways to be together and meet, open new virtual doors of interaction and learning, - and focus on our immediate family.
With the worldwide Pandemic and the lockdown of our societies, we suddenly realized how vulnerable, how connected, how dependent we are as humans: and how strong, considerate, and kind we can be in the face of unprecedented times.
Almost a year ago, in November 2019 – which sounds like soooo long ago, - we began to meet as a Confirmation Class an began to have these beautiful conversations about faith, hope and love. In February we were here for a Conf. Camp and you helped decorate the church for our festive Fastelavn. And then…. Mid-March things changed dramatically.
And we are still in the midst of the Pandemic along with the rest of the world, we are still cautious and protective, which is why this day of Confirmation and Celebration might look a bit different than planned. But no amount of social distance, masks, sanitizers can silence the joy and pride that you, confirmands, and your families feel today. The faith hope and love of this day cannot be curbed: in a sense it is even more present and intensified today, because we are finally here! This is your day!
Today is a day of hope. A hope for the future to come, your time when you grow up and will change the world, reform our ways and try to make this world a better place.
Hope has been a lot on my mind this year. So many dreams, so many plans and so many celebrations had to be packed away in a box labeled: “See you in 2021!”
But hope was not packed away. Hope has stayed among us, in our every breath, our prayers, our longing and our commitment. And in our faith.
Through our real time classes here and through our Virtual classes, we have had some conversation that I hope will stay with you.
Conversation about what it means to be a Christian in a time that is constantly changing and challenging us: conversations about our actions and their consequences; conversation about what matters most in life.
You are here today with your families – those who have been your closets from your first breath, and those you can depend on. Those you have tried to bring you up, instill courage and kindness in you and to prepare you for life.
Please look at them and be grateful for supportive families.
It has been so comforting and encouraging to been in conversation with you as you truly are a generation of young people with big bold dreams not only for yourselves but also for a better world. A generation who wants to focus on kindness, care, commitment and love.
This is your confirmation day. You confirm your faith and confirm that you to believe in God and goddess, in Jesus and joy and in the holy Spirit and hope. It matters what we believe in, it matters what we choose, and today you confirm your faith – and even more God confirms his faith in you: that you are indeed his blessed and beloved children.
You are truly blessed beloved children, of your parents, and of God. You have the right amount of courage, commitment, humor, compassion and intelligence to find your way and to find your path in life with the values to built on.
You have all chosen a confirmation word. A key sentence from the New Testament that is your word today and hopeful y will follow you in the years to come:
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.
- As you wish others would do to you, do so to them.
- Rejoice in hope and be constant in prayer
- Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
- Let your light shine before others.
Today you confirm your faith
Today God confirms his faith in you.
So be brave. Be humble, Be courageous.
Be kind. Be a good neighbor. Embrace life.
Show compassion, Extend grace. Love without fear.
And always let your light shine in a world that too often is filled with darkness.
Put your imprint on this church, this time, this world.
Go and be light in the world!
Congratulations! Tillykke! These beautiful young ones let them live long and strong!
Disse smukke unge menensker, gid de laenge leve maa. AMEN