CHAPTER 1
Session 1: I Believe
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 holy 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.
Celebrant: Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
People: I will, with God's Help.
Celebrant: Will you persevere in resisting evil, and whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
People: I will, with God's Help.
Celebrant: Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
People: I will, with God's Help.
Celebrant: Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
People: I will, with God's Help.
Celebrant: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
People: I will, with God's Help.
To Bring
• 2 Bibles
• 2 copies of The Book of Common Prayer
Matters of Time and Place
How much time you spend on each session can be flexible, depending on what you and the confirmand you will be mentoring have available, but aim for between 45 minutes and an hour and a half. Choose a meeting place that will be comfortable for both of you: a quiet room at church, the student's home, your home, a coffee shop or even somewhere outside if weather permits.
The Session at a Glance
• Welcome the student you will be mentoring.
• Get better acquainted.
• Pray the Baptismal Covenant responsively and offer background on the Creed.
• Share questions and conversation.
• Close with prayer.
Before the Session
• Select a meeting place.
• Extend a personal invitation to the confirmand you will be mentoring, either in person or by telephone.
• Have two copies of The Book of Common Prayer and two Bibles in hand.
• Read through the background information on the Apostles' Creed (p. 12), the suggested scripture passages, and the questions for conversation. Note your own responses to the questions.
THE SESSION
Gather
Welcome the student you are accompanying as mentor on his or Her journey of faith. If you do not know each other well, consider spending time getting acquainted by sharing such things as background and interests, talents and passions.
To initiate the Session, turn to page 304 in The Book of Common Prayer and pray the whole Baptismal Covenant, with the student as Celebrant and you as People.
This would be a good place to share some (or all) of the background information about the Apostles' Creed, on which the opening three questions of the Baptismal Covenant are based.
For each of the following "Focus" segments, read the selected scripture passages and consider the questions for conversation.
Focus: Communion of Saints and the Communal Nature of the Creeds
Discuss:
• What does it mean to be connected to those who lived before and after us and universally?
• The Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor (p. 71) says "When I say, 'We believe ...' I count on that to cover what I cannot believe on my own right now. When my faith limps, I lean on the faith of the church, letting 'our' faith suffice until mine returns. Later, when I am able to say, 'We believe ...' with renewed confidence, I know that I am filling in for others who are indisposed for the time being, as they filled in for me. My decision to say the creed at all is a decision to trust those who have gone before me, embracing the faith they have commended to me."
• "We" vs. "I" believe; can you name an occasion when you've stood as an individual in companionship/unity with others? Do you feel most comfortable speaking as an individual in a group or in the unity of one collective group? See The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), pages 326-8 where there is an option of using the plural vs. individual form of the Nicene Creed.
• What does God, One in Three, Three in One, encompass for you?
Focus: "Creed" as One's Deepest Belief
Discuss:
• Is there anything you believe in so much you would be willing to shout it in front of a crowded room?
• In the Gospel of Luke, there are statements of conviction that have been incorporated into our liturgies of Morning and Evening Prayer, called Canticles.
Read and discuss the following. Which passages do you like and why?
• Song of Mary/The Magnificat—Luke 1:46-55—BCP pages 91 (Canticle 15) and 119
• Zechariah's Prophecy—Luke 1:67-79—BCP page 92 (Canticle 16)
• Angel's Announcement/Gloria—Luke 2:14—BCP page 94 (Canticle 20)
• Simeon's Proclamation—Luke 2:29-32—BCP page 93 (Canticle 17)
• John the Baptist—Luke 3:4-6
• Jesus' Mission—Luke 4:16-19
• Declaration of Peter—Luke 9:18-20
Closing
Close your time together by praying the Lord's Prayer and/or the following selected stanzas from St. Patrick's Breastplate (The Hymnal 1982, #370):
I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in Hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
BACKGROUND ON THE APOSTLES' CREED
The first three questions of the Baptismal Covenant comprise the Apostle's Creed, which, as our oldest creed, has stood the test of time. Legend has it that this creed was written by the apostles of Jesus before they left Jerusalem to go spread the Good News to all corners of the earth. The truth is that the source remains unknown, but it does in fact predate all other Christian creeds, including the Nicene Creed, which was drafted during the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and completed at the next council (at Constantinople in 381 A.D.); the Nicene Creed was designed to set the boundaries of orthodox doctrine, standardizing the Christian set of beliefs (Young pp. 2-4). Each generation continues to examine their beliefs in the context of the creeds as an intricate part of both tradition and liturgy of the Church.
Creeds are declarations and summaries of the faith. In the early Church, creeds were used to teach the faith and to baptize new believers. At Baptism, a priest would ask the first question, the candidates for Baptism would answer it, and the priest would then baptize them in the name of God the Father. The priest proceeded to ask a second question, which the candidates again answered, after which they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. After the third question and answer, the priest then baptized them in the name of the Holy Spirit. Their answers provided a statement of faith, an understanding of the Trinity (Young, pp. 6-9). Past and present, around the world, down through all the ages, Christians are baptized with this Trinitarian formula: in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Since most first century folks did not read or write, the oral question and answer format became the established method of catechizing or "teaching" the summaries of the faith and gospels. We have records dating back to Hippolytus c.200 A.D. that attest to a question and answer process in the liturgy of Baptism. This format continued throughout the centuries as the primary process for catechism, or instruction in the Faith (see "An Outline of the Faith: commonly called the Catechism" in The Book of Common Prayer, pp. 843-62).
Jesus often asked questions as a means of entering into a teachable moment. "Who do you say that I am?" Take a moment to look up Peter's response to this question in Luke 9:18-20. Another time, Jesus asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "I believe, Lord," was the response of the Healed beggar in John 9:35, 38. Thus, "I believe" continues to be the proclamation of personal belief.
God's love created the world; God's love became incarnate in Christ Jesus so love could dwell among us and be our example and God's love continues in the Holy Spirit to guide us today. The Apostles' Creed is the backbone of the Baptismal Covenant; the 1979 Book of Common Prayer restored the Creed to the question and answer format in both our Baptism and Confirmation liturgies.
CHAPTER 2
Session 2: Teaching and Fellowship, Bread and Prayers
PLAN THE SESSION
Celebrant: Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
People: I will, with God's Help.
To Bring
• 2 Bibles
• 2 copies of The Book of Common Prayer
Optional:
• Anglican prayer beads
• bread (or other baked goods) to share
Matters of Time and Place
How much time you spend on each Session can be flexible, depending on what you and the confirmand you are mentoring have available, but aim for between 45 minutes and an hour and a half.
This second session covers a wealth of scripture readings and includes a variety of questions which may extend your conversation (although quieter students may be done sooner—hence the need for flexibility).
Choose a meeting place that will be comfortable for both of you: a quiet room at church, the student's home, your home, a coffee shop, or even somewhere outside if weather permits.
The Session at a Glance
• Welcome the student you are mentoring; do a check-in to see how you both have been faring since your previous Session.
• Pray the appropriate vow from the Baptismal Covenant responsively.
• Optional: share bread or other baked goods.
• Share questions and conversation.
• Optional: explore the use of Anglican prayer beads.
• Close with prayer.
Before the Session
• Select a meeting place.
• Extend an e-mail or phone invitation to the confirmand you are mentoring.
• Have two copies of The Book of Common Prayer and two Bibles in hand, and (if desired) the bread and beads.
• Read through the suggested scripture passages and the questions for conversation. Note your own responses to the questions.
THE SESSION
Gather
Welcome the student you are accompanying as mentor on his or Her journey of faith. Take time to check in with each other about any important events, experiences or ideas you have each encountered since you last met.
To initiate the Session, turn to page 304 in The Book of Common Prayer and pray the appropriate vow from the Baptismal Covenant together, with the student as Celebrant and you as People.
Optional: Share the bread or baked goods; talk about table fellowship, shared meals, favorite memories of food, etc.
For each of the following "Focus" segments, read the selected scripture passages and consider the questions for conversation.
Focus: Teaching—What Are the "Teachings" of the Kingdom?
Year A—Matthew
• Beatitudes—Matthew 5:3-11
• Golden Rule—Matthew 7:12
• Parables—Sower: Matthew 13:1-9; Banquet: Matthew 22:1-14
• Healings—Leper: Matthew 8:1-4; Demons: Matthew 8:28-34
Year B—Mark
• Parables—Sower: Mark 4:1-12; Banquet: Luke 14:15-24
• Healings—Leper: Mark 1:40-45; Demons: Mark 5:1-20
Year C—Luke
• Parables—Sower: Luke 8:4-15; Banquet: Luke 14:15-24
• Healings—Paralytic: Luke 5:12-26; Demons: Luke 8:26-39
Discuss:
• What do you think is essential to pass down to the next generation?
Focus: Fellowship
• Jesus as a Boy Stayed Behind in the Temple—Luke 2:41-52
Discuss:
• Do you feel at home in church? Why or why not?
• Where do we find community in our lives?
Focus: Breaking of Bread—Last Supper and Post Resurrection
Year A—Matthew
• Matthew 26:26-30
• Matthew 28:5-20
Year B—Mark
• Mark 14:22-26
• Mark 16:1-20
Year C—Luke
• Luke 22:7-30
• Luke 24:13-49
Discuss:
• Where does the Eucharist come from?
• How is Christ revealed today?
Focus: Prayers
Year A—Matthew
• Come to Me: Matthew 11:25-30
• The Lord's Prayer: Matthew 6:5-15
Year B—Mark
• Garden of Gethsemane (Thy will be done): Mark 14:32-42
Year C—Luke
• The Lord's Prayer: Luke 11:1-23
Discuss:
• The Book of Common Prayer has two versions of the Lord's Prayer. With which do you feel most comfortable? (See pp. 97, 121 or 364.)
• Why is a "formula" like the Lord's Prayer a perfect example of prayer?
• Is there a prayer that has special meaning for you?
Optional: All world religions have prayer beads as aids to Help us in prayer. Many find solace in the Anglican prayer beads. You may want to explore this avenue of prayer.
Closing
Close by saying the Lord's Prayer together. If you have spent time with the Anglican prayer beads, you might consider praying with them.
