Did Frodo Give a Profession of Faith?

A few weeks ago I attended the Rethinking Confirmation conference at Luther seminary. One of the keynote speakers, Lisa Kimball, talked about profession of faith as a catalyst for change. And she’s right that there is something incredibly powerful about young people guided by mentors in discussion of the nature of God and the purpose of life. To explain the gravity that these conversations possess, she used the example of the Council of Elrond in the Lord of the Rings.

Now, my fellow nerds will probably know exactly what I’m talking about, but in case you haven’t read the books or seen the movies a trillion times or if, like me, you want a reason to watch them again, check out this clip.

In this scene, Elrond names the evil that they face and explains the task set before them: the destruction of the ring. Frodo commits to the task saying, “I will take the ring to Mordor. Though, I do not know the way.” In response to his commitment and his need, the community comes around Frodo and vows to help him.

Is this a good parallel to profession of faith? Is it the process of putting everything out on the table, the good and bad, the evil we face and the loving God we serve, then in that place of knowing and understanding, making a commitment of faith and receiving support from our communities?

I wonder, Is there something we would add? Is there something we would remove? I am most curious: how can our profession of faith programs serve as a radical call to action for both the person professing faith and the community surrounding her?