What is the relationship between Confirmation, First Communion and Baptism? In the introduction to Lively Stones, his parish Catechetical program, Berthold von Schenk, 20th century pioneer of liturgical renewal, offers a spirited assessment of contemporary Lutheran catechetical practices and proposes a Baptismally based, sacramentally oriented approach:

Prior to the Reformation, the rite of confirmation was regarded as a Sacrament.  While the Church of the Reformation preserved the rite and form of Confirmation, it was no longer considered a Sacrament, nor was the emphasis on the "laying on of hands''.  The value of Confirmation as it was preserved consisted in the opportunity it gave to instruct the young.  One can understand that with this basic principle Confirmation has come to be regarded as a graduation instead of a beginning of full apostolic life in the church.  Religious education has become an end in itself rather than a means; a substitute for the religious apparatus which the Medieval Church had.  While the early church did not seem to need a rigidly ordered instruction, a Catechumen did no doubt receive religious training as is indicated in the one reference to an ordered education in the New Testament:  "Let us then stop discussing the rudiments of Christianity.  We ought not to be laying over again the foundation of faith in God and of repentance from the deadness of our former ways, by instruction about cleansing rites and laying on of hands, about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.  Instead, let us advance toward maturity; and so we shall, if God permits."  (Hebrews 6 - NEB)

The present emphasis on formal instruction was the result of a loss by the church of its religious apparatus, the Sacraments and a liturgical piety.  The church was the center of community life.  There were the daily Masses, processionals, pageants, feast days, frolics, and so on.  The homes had religious pictures and statues, and the whole of life was intertwined with the church.  The symbolism in the beautiful church buildings, the stained glass windows (the Bible of the poor) all contributed to a religious atmosphere and the religious experience of the Christian community.  The church did not intentionally endeavor to keep its people in ignorance.  Books were rare, available to only a privileged few.  Children, however, were instructed. They learned the Creed and the Lord's Prayer from their parents and sponsors. There was "The Exhortation to the Christian Laity" of the 9th. century. According to the Lateran Council, 1215, everyone was required to make confession at least once a year.  The priests were to inquire also regarding instruction and have the chief parts recited.  Since the middle of the 13th.century, the Creed, Lord's Prayer, the Benedicite, Gratias, Ave Maria, Psalms and other matters were taught also.  (Triglotta p. 65.)  The classical catechisms at the 15th and 16th centuries filled a great need.  The birth of Christian education in the Reformation period was due not only to a need of instruction, but also to the introduction of the printing press, and the changing character of Confirmation itself.  The instruction which preceded Confirmation began to assume, greater importance than the Laying on of Hands.

It should also be considered that the preservation of confirmation in the Lutheran Church was the result more of a compromise with the Anabaptists who insisted on adult baptism than the actual religious need for it at the time.  The best they could make of confirmation was the renewal of the baptismal vows, and for this instruction was necessary.

Another reason for Confirmation was the opportunity it provided for preparation for the First Communion.  Here we find an inconsistency on the part of the Lutherans who stressed the sola gratia.  One had to receive Holy Communion "worthily", and in order to receive it worthily the catechumen had to be instructed. In the early tradition of the Church, however, confirmation had no necessary connection with the First Communion at all. Even Martin Luther insisted that children receive their First Communion at the age of eight. (Triglotta, Introduction) Every baptized child has the right to receive the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is just as wrong to deny an eight or nine year old Holy Communion as it is to deny an infant Baptism, for both are gracious acts of God. Luther called infant baptism the greatest sermon on grace. Is a child at the agnostic age of 12 or 14 more worthy to receive the blessed sacrament than the 8 or 9 year old? The experience of those pastors who have practiced early communion bears out the truth that this early age is the age of faith. How old must one be to believe in the words, "Given and shed for you for the remission of sins"? The age of 14 is not only an agnostic period in the life of the child, but it is also a rationalistic period. This is also a good time to teach and to rationalize, but one must know that one cannot teach faith. "There can be no logical proof of the existence of God, for God is not the end term of a syllogism: He is the Axiom in whom all the axioms on which logic depends find their home. Likewise there can be no scientific proof, for God is not an object to be demonstrated. If He were He would be but another object, however huge, standing in the roster of objects, and not God. No, God is the eternal Subject. It is strange indeed, and evidence of the blindness of our generation, that it should demand of faith in Christ "proofs" that could never prove, and evidence that could never convince. If we treated love with such rational shabbiness, there would be no love." (Christ in History. George A. Butrick, Abington p. 41.)

But is this not what the church has been doing? We recall, pastors Who spent three full instruction periods on the doctrine, "Creator of heaven and earth". Now Genesis 1 is no doubt one of the great chapters of the Bible, but it is a mystery. It belongs in the realm of faith. It cannot be rationalized. The writer of this chapter also realized this. It is a hymn of praise, a poem to the greatness of God, the beginning and source of all life. '"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." This truth is stated as a fact. No one, at least not a child, finds any difficulty in understanding it in this way. This is something we believe. That's all. Here we should learn to distinguish as Luther did, the difference between knowing and understanding.

The object of religious education then, prior to Confirmation, is to teach and instruct a child to recognize what it is through Baptism. The child must know what baptism means and what he has become through Baptism. The object of religious education is primarily to help the child to understand what it means to be in a state of grace. Teaching is a great responsibility, not to inculcate knowledge as an end in itself, but in order to offer life. It should be factual, mystical and adventurous.

When a child is born in a country it becomes a citizen of that country. It is not asked what country it prefers to be born in. So also the child is born into the Kingdom of God through Baptism. It has no choice about it. We want our children to be good Americans and to appreciate the great American heritage, so also, because we are Christians we want them to appreciate who and what they are because of their Birth in Baptism into the New Life, in Christ. Instruction, therefore, should be designed to achieve an appreciation by the child of who and what it is — a child of God, a member of the continued Body of Christ, the Church, a king and a priest unto God.

The object of Confirmation instruction must be just that; the child must realize its nobility, belonging as it does to a chosen people, being a royal priest, belonging to a holy nation. This nobility, of course, obliges and a sense of responsibility must fallow.       

The child is baptized "into Christ". It participates and shares in the life of Christ which he so lovingly lived for us and for our salvation. The secret of Confirmation instruction is to bring about this appreciation of participation in the Christ Life.

In order to accomplish our salvation our Lord took upon himself the offices of prophet, priest and king. The prophetic office consisted in that he witnessed of the Father - The priestly office consisted in his sacrifice for the sins "of the world, and he became a king by serving. A prophet then must bear witness, a priest must sacrifice, a king must serve in order to rule.  (It is interesting to note that at the coronation of a king the Dalmatic was placed upon the new king. The Dalmatic is the liturgical vestment of the deacon, the servant, one who goes through the dust for his master.)

At our baptism into Christ we assumed the responsibility of continuing the three offices of Christ. We too are to witness to the love of the Father, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus; We must serve our fellowmen and God in order that we might rule with Him.

The secret of Christian life is full commitment. It is not, primarily, to be; well informed in the intricacies of traditional dogmas. When Jesus called his disciples at the beginning of his ministry he did not first instruct them. Actually, they knew very little about his person, his life or his work. He called upon them to follow him and this is just what they did. After we have followed him we find out what a wonderful Saviour he really is. As we follow him, listen to his words, are in union with him, abide in him we shall want to know mere about him. It is indeed desirable that every church member became a theologian, that he at least becomes an informed Christian, but never can we make his membership conditional upon his intellectual capacity or religious development.

The most important task of the baptized child of God is to be "in Christ'', "to grow”. Life is growth. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation. The Gospel, Word and Sacrament, sustains the child. The important function of the baptized child of God is therefore to "go to Church', to meet with the other children of God who have assembled in the presence of the risen Saviour. Since the child is a priest he must have his altar, he must do his Liturgy, for the church lives out of her Liturgy.

This sacramental, liturgical life may begin from the time of conception. The Christian mother who has conceived a child comes to the altar every Sunday and brings her unborn child into union with Christ. A pastor visited an expectant mother before she left for the hospital. He thought he should encourage her, for there is usually an element of fear at this time. The young woman said to the pastor: "I'm not afraid. I have taken my child to Holy Communion every Sunday for the past nine months. I have nothing to fear." What a Wonderful experience it is when such a mother presents her baby to the Lord in Holy Baptism and when later she kneels with the child at the altar.

It is but natural that she has a reverence for the child she has born, for it is a member of the Body of Christ, a royal priest.  She teaches the child to pray and from early years, she brings the child to the Church service.  She even brings the child to the altar when she receives so that the child may receive a blessing, that is, before it makes its First Communion.

What a thrill it is when this Christian mother encourages the child, at an early age, to make the First Communion.  It may not be able to write a learned dissertation on the Lord's Supper and its relationship to Baptism, but the child has learned to live the life in Christ.  It has known nothing else but this.  The child knows that in the Host Jesus is; in the chalice Jesus is.

That First Communion is a great experience for the child, for it knows that it ''belongs”.  A newly born child is, of course, a completely dependent creature.  It is completely dependent for its growth to maturity physically, intellectually and spiritually upon its parents.  Its physical dependence is apparent as is its intellectual dependence.  Everyone realizes that a child whose physical or intellectual needs are neglected will die, or at least be retarded.  Its spiritual development is just as important.  We are told that "our God is a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Father upon the sons to the third and fourth generations of those that hate him".  This does not mean that our Father would arbitrarily punish children for the sins of their father.  But it does call our attention to the inevitable consequence of a parent's failure to accept its responsibility for the spiritual development of the child.  Nobody will question the fact that if we fail to feed our children, or if we let them play in a busy highway that the consequences could be disastrous.  We should be able to discern too, that neglect of a child's spiritual growth to maturity can lead to the same kind of tragedy, spiritual death.

The child should receive the First Communion at the age of eight or nine.  Since our children are less mature than they were when Luther suggested the age of eight, this ninth year finds the child in the most receptive spirit.  We have instructed such children for the past 20 years and have found this age the ideal age for the thrilling experience of First Communion.  We made a great deal of this event so that it was not only a great experience for the child but also far the family and the whole congregation.

It is during these early years that the child learns how to participate in the Liturgy and begins to develop a liturgical piety.  Reverencing before the altar, making the sign of the cross, etc. are important parts of the child's devotional exercises.  These ceremonies in the liturgy are nothing else but God's good table manners.  No one will question the wisdom of teaching a child good manners, not only in human relationships, but also in the church service.

Confirmation and Baptism are not related, unless one considers the former a seal of Baptism as well as a renewing of the baptismal vow, but this is not the importance of  Confirmation.  The First Communion, however, is definitely related to Baptism.  We agree with the Reformation theory that Confirmation necessitates a period of instruction.

The period of adolescence is a critical period in the life of the child. Hans Gross, in his great book, which was written many years ago (Kriminal Psychoiogie) and which still deserves a place of honor in the library of every educator, stresses that it is in this age that criminal tendencies are developed.  The Confirmation instructions serve a great purpose during this formative period. Children who have made their First Communion years before are also better material for instruction.  There is a security that comes to the child at the altar.  One can then work with better material during the confirmation instructional year.

The child is now ready for confirmation, the Laying-on-of-hands. When a Jewish lad makes his Bar Mitzvah he announces to his parents and friends, “Today I am a man".  When the author was a lad most of the children who made their confirmation went to work, to the mills, on the day after confirmation.  This is still the practice in Germany for those who do not expect to attend a more advanced school.

This practice has had its evil results, however.  Confirmation is graduation to many - "no more pencils, no more books".  This is the evil fruit of the principle that confirmation is nothing more than an opportunity for instruction and intellectual development.  Tragically confirmation has come to be graduation from Church, rather than preparation for life in the Church. If the child realizes that through the Laying-on-of-hands he has entered the full apostolic life of the church and that he is now a responsible member of the congregation, his Confirmation will be a truly eventful and thrilling experience.

The confirmation instruction must serve this purpose.  It must tend to raise the dignity of the catechumen and his self-respect.  It must be done with a spirit of great reverence for the adolescent child and to help him to realize his dignity as a ''royal priest”. In the pre-confirmation classes the catechism should be drilled, Bible history and memorizing of Bible verse, Psalms-and hymns will be of value.

Not only should the confirmation instruction have the goal of preparing the child for his function as a priest, but the instruction must be carefully planned to achieve the desired end.  This should not be a drill period, but a great adventure into the meaning of church-membership.  The classroom should be a conference room and open for discussion.  Luther's Catechism starts with the Law, continues with the Creed, the Prayer of the Lord, the Sacrament of Baptism, The Office of the Ministry and Confession and the Lord's Supper.  All of these chief parts are important and the value of teaching them should not be underestimated, even in confirmation instruction, but the value of this order of instruction can be questioned.  The old-fashioned Christenlehre was a great institution in the church.  This could still be maintained in church society meetings, from youth groups, Ladies’ Auxiliaries, voters meetings, etc.  It will give these societies a program. Lively Stones, my confirmation program, starts with Baptism and in logical sequence ends with the “Behavior of the Church member".  The historical Jesus and the Jesus of faith is central and the foundation of all we believe, but is meaningless without the Church and its Life, for Jesus and. His church cannot be separated.

Lively Sontes has a respect for the confirmand. It urges original work discussion and research. It doesn't merely wrap a package and insist that it be taken home by the child. It involves a child in a learning experience designed to lead him into a close relationship with the Father. One very satisfying experience in the teaching of this course, by the author, happened when a student was to write a theme on Jesus. She wrote two compositions: one was headed by the remark: “This is what I am supposed to write”, the other “This is what I personally think''. The Jesus of history was a problem to her. She could see it as a valuable myth, but could not accept the literalness of it. She received an "A" for both compositions which were read to the class. There followed interesting and instructive discussions. This is the type of growing experience that finally led the same student to serve the Church as a full time worker.

The name, "Lively Stones" is taken from 1. Peter: "Let yourself be built, as living stones, into; a spiritual temple: become a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (NEB 1. Pet. 2:5) This verse is basic for the instruction course. Through Baptism we are "lively stones''' built into the Church, the glorious Temple of God. Those who have been baptized are members of the continuing Body and Life of our Lord. They are a "priestcraft". Their most important function is to offer spiritual sacrifices. This can be done particularly in the Liturgy of Word and Sacrament. This coming together of the saints, "about the Holy", is the center of the life of the; church. This is the Communion of Saints, and in a special sense, the Church, those who are called out of their daily life to perform a public function.

It is important, therefore, that we know why we come together and what we do when we are the Church, the functional Body of Christ. Sts Peter states the goal of the catechumen:

"Be holy in all your behavior." 1:15

"Feel sincere affection toward your brother Christians."

"Love one another whole heartedly."

“You must crave the pure milk (Spiritual milk) so that you may thrive upon it to your soul's health."

"Taste that the Lord is Good."

"Come to him, our Living Stone."

"Let yourself be built, as living stones, into the spiritual temple."

“Become a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God."

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people that you should show forth the virtues of Jesus which you have learned."

This develops when the saints meet about the Holy and when they function in their Liturgy. Here the Lively stones are built up into the church. This is where the members of the Body of Christ function together. When the saints meet about the Holy One it is God who confronts them. It is the "Thou and I" and "I and Thou". It is a Holy Place, because here we are confronted by the Word of God and, at the Altar, the risen Lord. Those present are purified.

There can be no greater burden on the part of the pastor than that he convince his confirmands that they must never neglect to be present at their Liturgy. They cannot be functional members of the Body of Christ, unless they function as members of  His Body in the Liturgy; they cannot be "living stones'' in the spiritual temple unless they are "built in", that is, are present.  Nor should we forget the great gifts bestowed upon those who function in the Body of Christ.  St. Paul calls our attention to this in 1 Corinthians. Love, the greatest of the gifts of grace, is bestowed in this assembly.  This meeting is the source of faith and love, of prayer and service to our fellowman.

This course presupposes that the Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday, preferably at the morning services; and that it is the Service, the official meeting of the Church.  Every service on Sunday morning should be the balanced service Word and Sacrament.  What right has the pastor who is the ''steward of the mysteries at God', to celebrate merely the  synagogue service, the Mass of the Catechumens, with no excuse other than that his members do not want the Holy Communion at every Sunday service because “it takes too long"?   Is the Holy Communion an appendix to the service which can be omitted at will?  Is the congregation The Church if it merely gathers for a religious meeting of hymns, versicles and a sermon?

To meet in the name of Jesus does not just mean to talk about Jesus. The meeting "in his name" means that he is the present one.  He is not only present because the "two or three are gathered", but because they are gathered "in his name". The Real Presence is assured when the Word is preached and when, in the sacrament, bread and wine become the Body and Blood.

The young people who are to be confirmed must realize that failure to be present at their Liturgy is a denial of their Baptism.  The pastor too, who out of weakness or ignorance, fails to offer the full means of grace shows that he really does not believe in Baptism.

Berthold von Schenk was a 20^th century pioneer in Lutheran Liturgical and Sacramental renewal. He served pastorates in Hoboken, New Jersey and the Bronx, New York. Lively Stones, his catechetical program, was first used at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in the Bronx in 1951.  This essay is taken from the introduction to the third edition of Lively Stones.