Dear friends in Christ at Peace and Grue,
“I must still read and study the Catechism daily, yet I cannot master it as I wish but must remain a child and pupil of the Catechism, and I do it gladly.” -Martin Luther
As I began thinking about this year’s confirmation class, I was reminded of Luther’s statement. The notion that it is important to get back to the basics is nothing new for Christians. A catechism is simply a guide for people in need of instruction-novices and veterans, the young and the old alike-in the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
Among Lutherans, the best known of these summaries of the Christian faith is the Small Catechism. As the events of the Protestant Reformation shook the Western Christian church to its foundations, Luther was quickly convinced of the need for a new catechism. He asked trusted colleagues to take on this project, and they agreed, but then lingered, putting it on the back burner. After his tour to inspect the churches of his German province, in which he was appalled by the ignorance of both the people and the pastors, Luther could wait no longer.
With characteristic energy and enthusiasm, Luther quickly prepared not one but two quite different catechisms simultaneously. The longer of the two was written for pastors as a teacher’s guide to the Christian faith. The other one, the one we know as the Small Catechism was written to be used by everyone as a basis for instruction, discussion, and worship in their own homes. In time, this cherished work became one of the official documents of the Lutheran churches.
As a Lutheran statement of faith, the Small Catechism has been used in a variety of ways. The best known is the preparation of young people for confirmation, sometimes called Affirmation of Baptism, in which they make public profession of their faith. It would, however, greatly sadden Luther to think that this association with confirmation has limited its use to the classroom, and young people, rather than around the kitchen table by fathers and mothers as well as children.
Like its author, the Small Catechism is intent on spreading the gospel. It sole purpose is to create trust in God and God’s Word at the core of the Christian faith. As such, Luther often said that no one outgrows the need to study the Catechism. Luther wrote of himself, “I do as a child who is being taught the Catechism. Every morning, and whenever else I have time, I read and recite word for word the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Psalms, etc.…” (BC 359.7-8).
In this spirit and in solidarity with our confirmands, I will over the next few months use my newsletter article to comment on the chief parts of the catechism. If you still have your catechisms, I encourage you, if necessary, to dig it out, dust it off, and get reacquainted with an old friend. If you have misplaced yours or don’t have one, let us know and the church will be happy to give you one.
Pastor Dan