One more picture from Chickadee’s confirmation!

Of all the thing that have been different in this last year, I think perhaps today, Chickadee’s Confirmation Day, was the most bittersweet. Everything about this process has been just weird. She had a full year of catechesis, not in person like she began it, but through Zoom meetings. She did a great job, but like so many other things, it just wasn’t the same. And her confirmation wasn’t the same either, because it was at a different church, (the church we’ve been attending since July, and the church we’ll soon be joining as members), and on a different day…usually, Confirmation Day is on Palm Sunday. It was nice that the church was already decorated for it, though:
We were fortunate to have her godfather as well as pastors from both our old and new churches at the private service this morning (another weird thing, since this service is designed to be a public confirmation of faith), which meant a lot to us.
She (and only she, because COVID-19), was able to receive her first communion from a beautiful, historic chalice. (She was also introduced to some other cool church traditions while we were there!)
And we finally got to take a family picture for the first time in I can’t remember how long!
We didn’t get to have a party, but she did still receive some gifts, including a study Bible:
And even though we weren’t expecting a crowd, I made our traditional Confirmation Day punch (a half batch), and ordered a cake from Dierbergs (but just a quarter sheet), as is our custom:
Normally, we probably would have gone out to dinner at Reb Robin, so Chickadee asked me to make burgers as a stand-in. I even found Reb Robin brand fries, and dusted them with extra Red Robin seasoning!
In the end, because it was so unusual, I think this day will be extra memorable, even though it certainly wasn’t what we were planning or expecting!
Exactly six years ago today, Chickadee became a member of God’s family through the Sacrament of Baptism, and Turkey and Bunny were confirmed and received the Sacrament of the Altar for the first time. That year, April 1 was Palm Sunday, which was exciting, but it’s even more exciting to celebrate those anniversaries today on Easter Sunday!
I couldn’t not think of this exchange from Gilmore Girls this morning in church while Moose was being confirmed. I was pretty close to blubbering!
Sookie St. James: Not crying, right?
Lorelai Gilmore: Not crying. Keeping our cool so we don’t miss anything.
Sookie St. James: Tears get in your eyes.
Lorelai Gilmore: And you miss things.
Sookie St. James: So we’re not crying.
Lorelai Gilmore: Not crying.
Sookie St. James: [to Jackson] Not crying.
Jackson Belleville: Not crying.
Jackson Belleville: [to Luke] Not crying.
Luke Danes: What?
Lorelai Gilmore: No crying.
Luke Danes: I’m not crying.
Sookie St. James: Uh, oh …
Lorelai Gilmore: Hang in there.
Sookie St. James: Not crying.
Lorelai Gilmore: Crying a little.
Sookie St. James: Crying a little, but not blubbering. That’s what we meant when we said no crying. No blubbering.
Sookie St. James: On the verge of blubbering here.
Jackson Belleville: Not doing too well myself.
Lorelai Gilmore: [to Luke] Not you, too.
Luke Danes: I’m blubbering. You’re freaks!
Today was Moose’s Confirmation Day. He has worked so hard on memory work and sermon reports for the last two years, and has attended class faithfully every Thursday after school. We are so proud of him, and it was very exciting to see him confirm the faith that was given to him in his baptism, and receive the Sacrament of the Altar for the first time this morning!
In addition to being Confirmation Day, it was also World Autism Awareness Day. We made sure to have plenty of blue at our party, from the cake to the table runner, and even the plates and napkins. Many of our friends and family were able to join us, and it was a very fun time!
Moose was child number four to be confirmed…we’ll only celebrate this particular milestone one more time!
Moose’s Confirmation Day is rapidly approaching. I only wish that everyone in our congregation could know how hard he has worked to make it to this point.
I have some experience in the confirmation department, starting with the fact that I remember how much work my own confirmation classes, even though they were over 20 years ago now, were. I remember the sermon reports and memory work and service projects and classes…and I remember how much we complained about doing it all.
I have taught confirmation to two different grade levels at two different churches, as well. I got to hear the complaints about how much work it was, and how unfair it was that I expected so much, from the teacher’s point-of-view.
And more recently, I’ve helped four of my five children work their ways through a two-year catechesis program at our church. I have seen them each work, and sometimes struggle, and occasionally complain themselves as they went through the process.
I have never seen a student work as hard as Moose has.
When Turkey and Bunny began catechesis in 2010, at ages seven-and-a-half and six, respectively, it wasn’t without its challenges, mostly in the form of sermon reports. Their work was all over the place, literally and figuratively, and every week, I would sit down with them after church, and help them untangle their notes so they could turn in a completed sermon report that was both legible and coherent. Catechesis with children of such a young age is an adventure, but extra rewarding in its own way.
Ladybug had her own struggles when she began catechesis at age seven-and-a-half, again in the area of sermon reports. This time, the difficulty was mostly due to her dyslexia, and while her thoughts were fairly well-organized, her handwriting and spelling, especially at the beginning, were rough, although she worked really, really hard at it.
Moose actually tried to start catechesis with Ladybug in 2014, but he just wasn’t ready. So instead, he began his first year of class in 2015, just before he turned 10. He has had to fight every step of the way. The memory work, that came so easily to my other children, has been a major struggle for him. I think this is partly because I have always required the memorization of Bible verses, hymns, and poems in my homeschool, so the concept of memorizing the catechism was nothing new to his siblings. Moose, however, has never been required to do any memorization like that at his school, so it does not come naturally. And for someone who has struggled with speech, ever since he learned to speak, the physical act of saying the memory work has also been a huge challenge. He is determined, though, and has kept at it every week, even when it frustrated him (and to be honest, me as well, sometimes),  and has faithfully said it every Thursday.
Sermon reports have been challenging for him in ways that were different from how they challenged his siblings. The physical act of writing isn’t easy for Moose, even though he has very nice handwriting and excellent spelling, and trying to keep up with a sermon is very difficult for him. Staying focused on one thing for so long, when there is so much else to look at in church, is also a huge challenge. Our pastor very kindly found a new kind of sermon report form partway through catechesis that made keeping up with them much easier for Moose, and he works very hard to fill one out most Sundays, but it still isn’t easy for him.
Even the act of attending catechesis has sometimes been a huge challenge. Neurotypical children struggle with paying attention to one more thing in the afternoon or evening following a long, often exhausting, day of school. Multiply that by, I don’t know, a zillion, and you can begin to understand how it has been for Moose. School can be an overwhelming place…bright, oftentimes loud, and draining socially. And then to go almost immediately to catechesis, where he has to continue to focus, and especially on days where he has things like book reports and standardized tests hanging over his head…I really wish there was a way for people to understand how draining that has been for him, but how diligent he has been in spite of it. There have been days where I’m not really sure he’s been paying attention in class (although he almost always is), and days where I’m sure he’d rather be anywhere else, but he has never complained about going. In fact, he always wants to make sure we get to church early, because he can’t stand the thought of being late to class.
So I wish that when he stands up there on April 2, in front of our congregation, and confirms his faith, and receives the Sacrament of the Altar for the first time, everyone in the church could know how hard he’s worked; how much harder it has been for him than for any other child I’ve ever known. I wish they could appreciate his dedication to studying the Catechism, and to doing all the things he needed to do. I want them to know how important doing this has been to him…he simply wouldn’t have done it at all if it wasn’t.
Confirmation Day, on April 2, falls on World Autism Awareness Day. This is a departure from our church’s regular Confirmation Day on Palm Sunday. There were scheduling conflicts that pushed it up a week, and I can only assume that God had a hand in that, and did it for Moose…allowing his Confirmation Day to fall on his day, a day where we already celebrate who he is because of and in spite of autism.
In addition to being Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion of Christ, today was also Confirmation Sunday, and it was Ladybug’s turn to be confirmed and receive the Sacrament of the Altar for the first time! She has worked very hard on memory work and sermon reports for the last two years, and we’re very proud of her!
After church, we came home and got ready for her party. We had candles in her favorite color (purple), her favorite punch, and even more cake. It’s all cake all the time in the Markel household this month! She was thrilled that so many members of our church family were able to stop by and celebrate with her!
This was a big milestone, and a very exciting day for our little Ladybug!
Let me be Thine forever,
My faithful God and Lord;
Let me forsake Thee never
Nor wander from Thy Word,
Lord, do not let me waver,
But give me steadfastness,
And for such grace forever
Thy holy name I’ll bless.Lord Jesus, my salvation,
My light, my life divine,
My only consolation,
O make me wholly Thine!
For Thou hast dearly bought me
With blood and bitter pain.
Let me, since Thou hast sought me,
Eternal life obtain.And Thou, O Holy Spirit,
My comforter and guide,
Grant that in Jesus’ merit
I always may confide,
Him to the end confessing
Whom I have known by faith.
Give me Thy constant blessing
And grant a Christian death. Lutheran Service Book #689
Turkey and Bunny recently began catechesis at our church. Watching their reactions to this process has caused me to reflect on my own confirmation experience, and I have to say, I like the way they’re doing it better. In fact, I’m coming to believe that younger catechesis, perhaps beginning somewhere between second and fourth grade, is better overall. I really like that our church, catechesis isn’t age-based; it’s on an individual basis, when the pastor, parents and child think the time is right. But I realize that not every church (especially larger congregations) can do everything on a one-on-one level, so I think it would be beneficial for more congregations to look into starting the catechesis process at an earlier age, for several reasons.