More than 100 people, joined by their friends, family, clergy, and other supporters, filled the Cathedral of St. Philip on Dec. 7 to celebrate being confirmed, received, or reaffirmed.
They came from the Diocese of Atlanta’s 120 worshipping communities and 56,000 parishioners across Middle and North Georgia. Since December 2023, more than 700 people have been welcomed into The Diocese, received from other Christian traditions, or reaffirmed their ongoing walk with God as Episcopalians.
Their journeys to this milestone were highlighted in Bishop Rob Wright’s Advent 2 sermon focused on John the Baptist. In it, he mentioned “beautiful” 20 times and “beauty” 11 times.
“God is doing a beautiful thing in John, and that same stunning beauty is available to each of us right now,” the bishop said. “What’s your beauty regimen? Here’s John’s: worship, study, service. It’s the beauty of trusting your ultimate allegiance to God in the real world. It’s the beauty of saying your best yes to God, maybe today, maybe in this liturgy. It’s the beauty that St. Paul points to when he says, ‘Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’
“Long before John shows up, the prophet Zechariah said this: ‘How great is God’s goodness and how great is God’s beauty.’ And since that is true, God deserves more than just one John long ago. God deserves you and I — us — becoming newfangled Johns and Joans. The truth of John is that his faith has made him beautifully fearless.”
Eight Questions about Your Changed Mind and Life
John the Baptist’s journey, like those celebrated at this service, began with repentance, “a U-turn towards freedom and grace.”
“Knee deep in the muddy river, John is preaching a beautiful truth,” the bishop said. “So, one word sermon: John says, ‘Repent.’ Repentance is a lane for a U-turn. It’s a way out. It’s an unholy pattern interrupter. It’s a step towards freedom from whatever blocks you, whatever blinds you. It’s the embrace of grace and the systematizing of forgiveness.”
A changed mind leads to a changed life of serving others, seeking justice, and respecting dignity. Wright invited the entire audience to renew their baptismal vows by answering the eight questions of the baptismal covenant.
“The first three questions are about three beautiful truths, the truth of God, the truth of Jesus Christ, and the truth of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “That’s relatively easy. Here come the next part, the next five questions about how we will respond to those beautiful truths, how we will live our lives from this day forward, to stay curious about God, to give, live and receive strength from the community of faith, to resist evil, share the good news of Christ in the ways that we can share, to serve the neighbor, to strive for justice, to respect the dignity of every human being. Those are our responses. We will accomplish them with the healthy grace of God.”
“Just Say Yes”
Sally Ulrey, Canon for Congregational Vitality and Ministry Development presented the confirmands in groups after the bishop’s final words.
Each confirmand was publicly choosing “a changed life [which] is really the only evidence that exists that you’ve ever met God at all,” the bishop added.
“Today we get to choose if the Good News of the Gospel will be within us and will it go out from us. We get to choose. The Good News of the Gospel is that we can be alive, alive more than we can ask or imagine, alive not simply in terms of biology or sociology, alive, alive dwelling in time, space and flesh, but animated by a timeless and ultimate truth, not prisoners to biology or market economies or even the boundaries of nation states, but alive. Alive, not imprisoned by past failings, but alive to the ultimate, unlimited possibilities of faith in a trustworthy God.
“’Now,’ John said. ‘Now it’s here. Now, no longer search for what is already yours.’ Just say yes.”
The Rev. Remington Slone, rector of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Roswell, was the celebrant of the service.
The music for the service came from the Canterbury Choir of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, led by their Director of Music Stephen Frketic. Chase Loomer, Cathedral of St. Philip, accompanied the choir as organist.
Juliette Cervantes of St. Edward’s, Lawrenceville, and Litzy Gracia, St. David’s, served as lectors.
Customary photos were taken during and after the service, and Bishop Wright asked confirmands to post their images and stories on social media.
“If today is worth your picture taking, then today is what to share over your social media, about what God is doing in your life today,” he said before the final prayer:
“The Blessing of God Almighty, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is already with us. Go and live accordingly.”