In our church, some of our Sunday school classes (particularly the teens and young adults) have used catechisms in recent years for lesson structure and format, guiding both teachers and students in knowing and learning important theology and how to implement meaningful knowledge of Christ and the scriptures into our daily lives. Unfortunately, many in the church (universal) today either have not heard of the word, think its some kind of catholic thingamajig, or can’t be bothered with it because of preconceived ideas about it. My purpose in this brief article is to help more people understand what it is and how to use it effectively in their own lives. I won’t bore you with too much etymology of the word, but know that it comes from Latin and Greek and generally means to teach orally. Catechisms have been used for hundreds of years by the Church in some form or other, although the commonly used format today was widely popularized by Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. What is that format? It is using a series of questions and answers that are structured systematically in order to teach students through memorization of these questions and answers. The Shorter Westminster Catechism (used by the Church of England) begins with this example. Question: What is the chief end of man? Answer: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! Use of catechisms have been widespread including Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern Orthodox. It’s central usage has normally been to train new converts to the faith so that they will know truly what they believe and why. In using a catechism, teachers and parents can instruct students and children on important doctrines and beliefs. To use our example above, a teacher may begin a conversation on the purpose of humanity, the fulfilling joy of knowing God, finding meaning in life, and exploring the relationship between God and man in meaningful ways. Many pastors within the protestant faith have used and written catechisms for parents and heads of households to instruct their children in the faith. This is where a catechism really begins to shine as a tool for discipleship: it enables parents to effectively teach about their faith to their children without needing a seminary degree. Children most desperately need to be discipled in their own homes, as a few hours a week at church is not enough. In fact, those few hours a week with the congregation is not enough for adults either! Discipleship and growth in the Lord must also take place in the home! Whether that be through reading of scriptures together, praying, or even doing a catechism together, discipleship was always intended to be a family activity. Maybe you question your ability to teach on faith in the home, but I will wager that you teach your children effectively how to clean up after themselves, how to be respectful of others, and many other basic human functions. If you are a professing Christian, why is discipleship left so low on the priority list? This is where catechisms become so immensely helpful. In more recent years, the New City Catechism was written by the Gospel Coalitian and Redeemer Presbyterian Church in 2017. It was purposefully written in way to be accessible and functional for modern Christians as a tool for discipleship. Because of this, our church has begun to implement it in meaningful ways as curriculum in order to better understand Scripture and engage collectively with important doctrines. It contains 52 questions and answers for each week of the year, and is broken down into three sections so that the Gospel is on full display. While a catechism mind sound archaic and out of touch, the reality is that New City Catechism has effectively brought an old tool into modern use by faithfully examining scriptures and applying these fundamental teachings of the Christian Faith in a way that even very young children can understand and work with. Better yet, they have even produced a free smart phone app that allows users to go into greater depth with commentary and supporting scripture as we go about our lives. With all that being said, why haven’t we taken advantage of catechism in modern years? I haven't the faintest idea... |
Pastor MorganMorgan has been writing since middle school and worked for a year writing professionally as a news journalist for the Daily Tribune in Gallipolis. This blog is a chance for him to express his love for the Lord and all church related things through writing. Archives
December 2019
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