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Join us for worship services every Sunday at:
8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Childcare provided at each service. |
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| Small Catechism |
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Luther was a theologian, able and ready to tackle the theological issues of his day. Luther was also a pastor. When he had occasion to travel around Saxony in 1528 (he was under the protection of Frederick of Saxony), he was greatly disappointed by the state of basic religious knowledge and understanding.
He prepared a book of questions and answers about the basic of the faith that could be used in the home to instruct the family:
· The Ten Commandments
· The Apostles’ Creed
· The Lord’s Prayer
· Baptism
· Holy Communion
· Confession and Absolution
· Morning and Evening Prayer
· Grace at Table
· Household duties.
It was called the Small Catechism and we still use it today as the basis of our Confirmation classes.
The Large Catechism (1529)
Luther was not only disappointed by the lack of knowledge among the lay people, he was disappointed in the clergy as well; He says this in his introduction:
We see to our sorrow that many pastors and preachers are very negligent … some because of their great and lofty learning, others because of sheer laziness and gluttony, behave in this matter as if they pastors and preachers for their belly’s sake and had nothing to do but live off the fat of the land all their days (as they used to do under the papacy).
The Large Catechism was designed to “inspire” the pastors and preachers to be more diligent in matters of the faith. It expands on the topics covered in the Small Catechism. |