Catechetics
Winter, Lincoln. CATECHETICS: Fixing Confirmation. Wheatland, WY: Lulu Press, 2019. 466 Pages. Preview pdf received. Cloth, Paper, and Kindle available. https://teachthesethings.wordpress.com/ https://predigtamt.wordpress.com/
When this volume was initially about to appear in print I wrote:
Catechetics: Fixing Confirmation, is a necessary book. Recapitulating, updating, and improving upon the standard works on the topic, Catechetics explains how Confirmation in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod reached its current state, and how a distinctly Lutheran catechesis can begin the work of repair, patiently bearing fruit over the next generations. Lutheran parents, pastors, educators, and church and school leaders would benefit from a return to Lutheran catechesis, wider use of the Large and Small Catechisms of Martin Luther, and collectively reading this landmark volume. This book will be especially encouraging to classical Lutheran educators! Faithful, honest, frank, yet constructively helpful and practical, Catechetics: Fixing Confirmation deserves a wide distribution, readership, and application.
The Reverend Paul Cain, Pastor, Immanuel Lutheran Church & Headmaster, Martin Luther Grammar School, Sheridan, WY
To my surprise, the author shared my endorsement on the back cover of the volume!
Now that readers (largely pastors and interested parents) have lived with the book for almost two years, I thought it timely to expand upon my previous thoughts.
Why is the book necessary? I could list many reasons, but here are a few important ones. What passes for confirmation class does not always cover the Small Catechism of Martin Luther in some self-identified "Lutheran" congregations. Instruction in the catechisms usually focuses on memory work made into drudgery, uneven participation by young people, and inconsistent support from parents. Catechesis in the parish varies from year to year, pastor to pastor, and parish to parish. Most of our congregations do not have parish schools, and in those parish schools that do exist, they are often majority non-Lutheran by a count of each student body. Among the reasons the Saxon founders of the LCMS left Germany for America included the sad fact that the schools taught children things contrary to what they were taught at home and church. (And how are those American schools treating Christians today?)
Rev. Winter's research for this book included re-reading the standard works on Catechesis in the Lutheran Church:
Every work of theology is built on those which precede it. This work is no different. The thoughts and ideas contained herein are not in any sense original. They are a product of a study of the great minds of the church from all ages on the subject of catechesis.
In that sense, this book is merely an update of J. M. Reu's Catechetics, a sequel to William Thompson's Catechesis: The Quiet Crisis, an expansion of Alvin Barry's Catechesis in the Lutheran Church, the flip side of Arthur Repp's Confirmation in the Lutheran Church, the prolegomena to Peter Bender's Lutheran Catechesis, and indebted to many other fine works on the topic (Acknowledgments page immediately preceding the Table of Contents).
As a physician-of-the-soul, Rev. Winter diagnoses the condition of catechesis today and recommends a course of treatment for the maladies that afflict catechesis.
First, he has to explain how we got to where we are. He properly introduces the topic, defines "Catechesis", and lays out the history of catechesis before and during Luther's time.
An excursus proves that catechesis in the New Testament was not hurried!
There is a lot to be said about the Small Catechism of Martin Luther. It gets its own chapter, followed by one on the Small, Large, and "Synodical" Catechisms. I agree that the Large Catechism should be used in catechesis! Catechism explanations have their place, yet can give the impression that catechesis is mostly an academic exercise with a catechism as a textbook. Emphasizing the Small and Large Catechisms, especially using a beautiful edition like this, shows that catechesis helps one confess the faith and see the catechism as a lifelong prayerbook.
I was among many across the LCMS that raised questions and shared constructive feedback during the process that produced the 2017 edition of Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation. Rev. Winter's Addendum to Chapter 6 provides his thoughtful and detailed critique. If you use that edition, consider penciling in his wisdom as a theological and practical corrective.
There were reasons to make it the 2017 edition (Reformation 500) that are less important now than they were perceived to be then. My recommendations included a delay for a second round of feedback, and a student's suggestion that I shared to put the Question, then the Bible verses, and then the Answer. This book is 80 or so pages longer than its predecessor, its pages are taller, and much of the new content is related to the First and Sixth Commandments. We had been promised a catechism edition for adults. Is the 2017 the fulfillment of that (or shall we look for another)?
One other point on the 2017: It is a new text. The heritage behind the 1991 is evident if you compare it to the 1943 and compare the 1943 to the 1912 and compare the 1912 to its German language predecessors. The 2017 is a new textual tradition that simply says things (in questions and answers both) differently.
What is the Goal of catechesis (Chapter 7)? Isn't that the question that deserves an answer? The rite of Confirmation then becomes an answer (Chapter 8). The meaning of that rite depends on a lot of factors. Rev. Winter comes to our rescue by reviewing the history, the theology, and the practice.
Catechesis takes place in home, school, and church (Chapter 10). Rev. Winter clearly covers the vocations of Catechist (10) and Catechumen (11).
I'm a pastor, a classical Lutheran school Headmaster, and a certified classical Lutheran Educator and Administrator. It has been an honor to serve on the Board of Directors for the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (www.ccle.org) for ten years. Catechetics will be appreciated as encouragement by classical Lutheran educators, especially Chapter 12!
He reviews dogmatics, ethics, and apologetics (and their limitations; Chapter 13), urging us to properly understand the Word and the example of the Luther and the Reformers.
Catechesis, properly done, is for life (Chapter 16) and is properly part of preaching (14) and the liturgy and its ceremony (15).
Bear fruit with patience. Chapter 17 may be the chapter you want to read first to see where the author is going. This is where Rev. Lincoln winter is at his most honest, frank, faithful, and helpful, if you're willing to listen. If not, then that's on you.
Appendices include a sample syllabus, catechism topics keyed to the Historic Lectionary, a list of essential works for the catechist, a Learn By Heart Program for the Small Catechism, and helps for meditating on the Small Catechism.
Now that we've expanded upon my initial comments with a fuller review, allow me to explain how the book has impacted our thinking and practice.
The purpose of our book reviews has been seen in the header of Lutheran Book Review and Liturgy, Hymnody, and Pulpit Quarterly Book Review for well over a decade:
Critical reviews (by Lutheran pastors, educators and church musicians) of books and other resources for Christian use from a perspective rooted in Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and good common sense. We ask, "Is it worth the money to buy, the time to read and study, the shelf space to store, and the effort to teach?"
This book gets my highest compliment. It is worth the effort to ponder, to use in self-reevaluation, to teach, and to put in to practice!
Much about "examination of the confirmands" feels like an inquisition. There is plenty of discomfort for everyone. For years I've mediated that environment by having the questioning in the same place that we have held our classes.
For my first eighteen confirmation classes, I used the same list of questions that I had been taught to use. I liked that elders and confirmands around the world used a similar list in different languages. My discomfort grew in recent years as the assessment didn't fit my catechesis, the questions overemphasized some topics and ignored others, and the unclear wording of the questions led to a variety of "correct" answers. Where was Jesus crucified? The answer by definition is "on a cross." We also heard "Jerusalem," "just outside of Jerusalem," "Golgotha," "Calvary," "the place of a skull," "between two thieves-and one repented," and even "on a hill far away." I was convinced that it was time to change.
Winter's Catechetics emboldened me and our assistant pastor and elders to compile a new list of questions. Yet, we didn't have to start from scratch. The Small Catechism's list of Twenty Questions was a great place to start. We even kept the numbering 1-20. Additional questions are my own after feedback from our elders and brother pastors. We supplemented from the memory work of the Six Chief Parts. And we addressed current and historic LCMS controversies.
Rev. Winter was brave enough to publish Catechetics: Fixing Confirmation based on his research, experience, and the counsel of the Scriptures. I'll share our list at the very end of this post. Here's a sample:
After confession and instruction in the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the pastor may ask, or Christians may ask themselves these questions:
1. Do you believe that you are a sinner?
Yes, I believe it. I am a sinner.
2. How do you know this?
From the Ten Commandments, which I have not kept.
2A. Do you know the Ten Commandments?
Yes.
2B. What are the Ten Commandments?
And we're just getting started! Yes, we expect our young people to know something. Yet, this is not a mere academic "regurgitation" exercise. We expect our young people to confess the faith once delivered to the saints. Do you understand that distinction? It is key to appreciating Rev. Winter's book.
The Visitation Articles of the era of the Formula of Concord and the Visitation Articles of the Wyoming District of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod are designed for conversations between pastors and their ecclesiastical supervisors. If your District President and Circuit Visitors do not conduct triennial visitations of pastors, church workers, congregations, and schools in your District, as them to do so! Yet confirmands do not need a seminary-level Theological Interview. They need a proper questioning on what they have been taught from the Scriptures and the Small Catechism, and ideally, also the Large Catechism. They have been given to know these things. They have also been given to believe them and confess them!
In recent practice, even back to the German era of the LCMS, an "Explanation of the Small Catechism" has replaced use of Luther's own Large Catechism. I prioritize a reading of the Large Catechism, word-for-word, with our confirmation class during my final year with them. Our congregation expects that the Small Catechism "memory work" be in their memory by the time children are eight. I have my predecessor here to thank for that! An Elder specifically and only tasked with a two year review of the "with Explanation" of the previous Synodical catechism makes sure they hear the Word that is the source behind each part of the Six Chief Parts.
Faithful, honest, frank, yet constructively helpful and practical, Catechetics: Fixing Confirmation still deserves a wide distribution, readership, and application.
I bought the hardcover and urge you to do the same!
Rev. Paul J Cain is Senior Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, Secretary of the Wyoming District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a member of its Board of Directors, Wyoming District Education Chairman/NLSA Commissioner, and Editor of Lutheran Book Review. He has served as an LCMS Circuit Visitor, District Worship Chairman and District Evangelism Chairman. A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the Hymnal Companion hymn and liturgy volumes, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He is an occasional guest on KFUO radio. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. Rev. Cain is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.
Confirmation Questions
Based on https://catechism.cph.org/en/questions-answers.html
Questions numbered
1-20 are from Luther’s Small Catechism
© 2019 Concordia Publishing House, cph.org
Additional Questions
Added by Rev. Paul J Cain
Christian Questions with Their Answers
Prepared by Dr. Martin Luther for those who intend to go
to the Sacrament
After confession and instruction in the Ten Commandments,
the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s
Supper, the pastor may ask, or Christians may ask themselves these questions:
1. Do you believe that you are a sinner?
Yes, I believe it. I am a sinner.
2. How do you know this?
From the Ten Commandments, which I have not kept.
2A. Do you know the Ten Commandments?
Yes.
2B. What are the Ten Commandments?
The First Commandment: You shall have no other gods.
The Second Commandment: You shall not misuse the name of the
LORD your God.
The Third Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping
it holy.
The Fourth Commandment: Honor your father and your mother.
The Fifth Commandment: You shall not murder.
The Sixth Commandment: You shall not commit adultery.
The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal.
The Eighth Commandment: You shall not give false testimony
against your neighbor.
The Ninth Commandment: You shall not covet your neighbor’s
house.
The Tenth Commandment :You shall not covet your neighbor’s
wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that
belongs to your neighbor.
LSC. What does God say about all these commandments?
The Close of the Commandments
He says, “I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing
the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of
those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love
Me and keep My commandments.” (Ex. 20: 5–6)
What does this mean? God threatens to punish all who
break these commandments. Therefore, we should fear His wrath and not do
anything against them. But He promises grace and every blessing to all who keep
these commandments. Therefore, we should also love and trust in Him and gladly
do what He commands.
3. Are you sorry for your sins?
Yes, I am sorry that I have sinned against God.
4. What have you deserved from God because of your sins?
His wrath and displeasure, temporal death, and eternal
damnation. See Rom. 6:21, 23.
5. Do you hope to be saved?
Yes, that is my hope.
6. In whom then do you trust?
In my dear Lord Jesus Christ.
6B. Where do we read about Christ?
The Holy Scriptures. The Bible.
6C. Whose Word is every word of the Bible?
The Word of God.
6D. The Bible was originally written in three different
languages. What are they?
The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, with some
parts in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.
6E. What is “historical criticism” of the Bible and why
do we reject it?
It doubts, questions, or denies what the Bible says is true.
It doubts the existence of Adam and Eve, the account of Jonah, and the Virgin
Birth and Resurrection of Jesus.
6F. What practices popular in are culture are sins
according to Scripture?
Examples may include: abortion, so-called “mercy killing,”
same-sex marriage, living together without marriage, gossip, so-called “white
lies,” stealing by not giving a day’s work for a day’s pay, etc.
6G. What are the two main teachings of Holy Scripture and what do they teach?
Law and Gospel. The Law of God shows me my sin and can be
used by the Holy Spirit as a curb, mirror, and guide. The Gospel shows me my
Savior, Jesus Christ, and tells me who He is and what He has done for my
salvation in His death and resurrection.
7. Who is Christ?
The Son of God, true God and man.
8. How many Gods are there?
Only one, but there are three persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit.
8A. Do you know the Apostles’ Creed?
Yes.
8B. How is the Apostles’ Creed Confessed?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third
day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right
hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living
and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the
communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and
the life everlasting. Amen.
8C. Why are the teachings of Creation and Evolution
incompatible with one another?
Creation confesses that God made all things, the heavens and
the earth and all that is in them. Evolution claims that impersonal forces
changed simpler life into more complex life by random chance or adaptation.
Both cannot be true. They cannot be combined without compromising Scripture.
Such a combination would demand death of creatures before Adam and Eve’s Fall
into sin. I believe Genesis.
8D. Why is it inappropriate for a Christian to be a
member of a Lodge?
Members of Lodges like the Elks, Eagles, Moose, Shriners,
and Masonic Lodge accept members of all different world religions and ask them
to swear on their holy book. They only ask that you believe in a higher power,
saying that they believe all religions are all paths to God. This is not true. This
ignores our only Savior, Christ. At the funeral for a Lodge member, salvation
is attributed to believing in a generic “god” and being a member of that Lodge,
again ignoring Christ.
8E. What do the words “unionism” and “syncretism” mean
and why do we avoid these in our practice?
These words refer to inappropriate joining together or
mixing of the beliefs and practices of denominations or religions without
actual agreement. We avoid doing this to be faithful to Christ and His Word,
especially the First Commandment and Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we
must be saved.”
9. What has Christ done for you that you trust in Him?
He died for me and shed His blood for me on the cross for
the forgiveness of sins.
10. Did the Father also die for you?
He did not. The Father is God only, as is the Holy Spirit;
but the Son is both true God and true man. He died for me and shed His blood
for me.
11. How do you know this?
From the holy Gospel, from the words instituting the
Sacrament, and by His body and blood given me as a pledge in the Sacrament.
12. What are the words of institution [for the Sacrament
of the Altar]?
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed,
took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the
disciples and said: “Take eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do
in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when
He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this
cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness
of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
13. Do you believe, then, that the true body and blood of
Christ are in the Sacrament?
Yes, I believe it.
14. What convinces you to believe this?
The word of Christ: Take, eat, this is My body; drink of it,
all of you, this is My blood.
15. What should we do when we eat His body and drink His
blood, and in this way receive His pledge?
We should remember and proclaim His death and the shedding
of His blood, as He taught us: This do, as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of Me.
16. Why should we remember and proclaim His death?
First, so that we may learn to believe that no creature
could make satisfaction for our sins. Only Christ, true God and man, could do that.
Second, so we may learn to be horrified by our sins, and to regard them as very
serious. Third, so we may find joy and comfort in Christ alone, and through
faith in Him be saved.
17. What motivated Christ to die and make full payment
for your sins?
His great love for His Father and for me and other sinners,
as it is written in John 14; Romans 5; Galatians 2; and Ephesians 5.
18. Finally, why do you wish to go to the Sacrament?
That I may learn to believe that Christ, out of great love,
died for my sin, and also learn from Him to love God and my neighbor.
19. What should admonish and encourage a Christian to
receive the Sacrament frequently?
First, both the command and the promise of Christ the Lord.
Second, his own pressing need, because of which the command, encouragement, and
promise are given.
20. But what should you do if you are not aware of this
need and have no hunger and thirst for the Sacrament?
To such a person no better advice can be given than this:
first, he should touch his body to see if he still has flesh and blood. Then he
should believe what the Scriptures say of it (in Galatians 5 and Romans 7).
Second, he should look around to see whether he is still in the world, and
remember that there will be no lack of sin and trouble, as the Scriptures say (in
John 15–16 and in 1 John 2 and 5).
Third, he will certainly have the devil also around him, who
with his lying and murdering day and night will let him have no peace, within
or without, as the Scriptures picture him (in John 8 and 16; 1 Peter 5;
Ephesians 6; and 2 Timothy 2).
Note: These questions and answers are no child’s
play, but are drawn up with great earnestness of purpose by the venerable and
devout Dr. Luther for both young and old. Let each one pay attention and
consider it a serious matter; for St. Paul writes to the Galatians in chapter
six: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.”
20A. What is Closed Communion and why is a loving
practice?
Closed Communion restricts reception of the Lord’s Supper at
the altar of a congregation to those who are repentant, have been properly
taught, and are a member of the congregation or a sister congregation. It is a
loving practice because it helps to prevent someone communing to their harm.
All who commune together should believe and confess the same thing. Not all
teach that Jesus gives His true body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.
There are those who teach error. We should work and pray for unity in the Word
of God. The practice of Open Communion shows a lack of understanding of the
seriousness of the harm that threatens one who does not discern the body and
blood of Christ, one who doubts, or one who is not repentant.
20B. Where is Closed Communion taught in Holy Scripture?
1 Corinthians 11:27-3]0. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread
or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning
the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat
of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without
discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of
you are weak and ill, and some have died.
21. Do you know the Lord’s Prayer?
Yes.
21A. Please pray the Lord’s Prayer for us.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy
kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For
Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
21B. Why do Christians gather together for corporate
worship?
We gather to hear the comfort of the Gospel of Christ in
Word and Sacrament, usually accompanied by music as a servant to the text, and
prayer.
Hebrews 10:24-25 say: and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love
and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of
some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day
drawing near.
Acts 2:42 says: And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
21C. What is the chief service of Word and Sacrament
called in our hymnal?
Divine Service.
21D. What does “Divine Service” mean?
It means that God, the Divine One, serves us with His Word
and Sacrament. The word comes from the German word Gottesdienst.
21E. What are the benefits of using a hymnal for Lutheran
worship?
A hymnal helps us walk together with brother pastors and
sister congregations and faithful Christians of the past. We can pray Scripture
back to the Lord who first spoke to us. We do this with liturgy, psalms, hymns,
prayers, and spiritual songs (canticles). Having common service and hymn
repertoire helps the young, the elderly, visitors, and new members of the
congregation. Our concern with so-called “contemporary worship” is not
necessarily the instruments used but the significant changes in the songs sung,
the theology of that song, and how worship is changed to look like
entertainment and performance.
22. Jesus institutes Holy Baptism Himself. Have you been
baptized?
Yes.
22A. Complete this Bible section from Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19)
22B. Finish this Bible verse from Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes
and is baptized will be saved,
but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark
16:16)
22C. Do you know your baptismal birthday?
(Yes or No. If yes, ask, “When is it?” “How do you celebrate
that day?”
23. You have been taught about Confession and Absolution.
Are your sins forgiven?
Yes.
23A. Complete this Bible section from John 20:22-23, The
Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you
forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John
20:22–23)
23B. Who speaks “in the stead and by the command” of
Christ?
Pastors, called and ordained men, speak proclaim the
forgiveness of Christ to repentant sinners.
23C. According to Scripture, what persons are qualified to
serve as pastors?
“Our churches teach that no one should publicly teach in the
Church, or administer the Sacraments without a rightly ordered call” (Augsburg
Confession XIV). Men who meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3. Not all adult
males meet those qualifications.
24. What is the name of our congregation?
Immanuel (Evangelical) Lutheran Church
24A. What is the full name of this congregation’s
national church body?
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
24B. What four letters represent the common abbreviation
of our national church body’s name?
LCMS.
24C. What is a Synod?
A synod could mean a church body or the convention of a
church body. We usually use the first meaning. The word itself can be defined
as “walking together.” We want sister congregations and brother pastors to
agree with Scripture.
24D. What church bodies should be in altar and pulpit
fellowship?
It is enough to agree concerning the doctrine of the Gospel
and the administration of the Sacraments.
24E. When pastors are ordained and installed, they make
the confessions in the Book of Concord their own because they are in
accord wit the Word of God. Please list the Luther confessions of the book also
known as Concordia.
The Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed,
the Augsburg Confession, the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald
Articles, the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope, the Small
Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Formula of Concord.
25. Do you intend to continue attending church, hearing
the Word, receiving the Sacrament of the Altar, living a Christian life, and
supporting the Lord’s work at our congregation and our sister congregations
after you are confirmed?
Yes, with the help of God.
26. Do you have any questions of us as your pastors,
elders, parents, and friends in Christ?
