Luther on catechsis

Is catechesis valuable today, or is it an antiquated relic? Should we care about it? What is "catechesis" anyway?

My interest in catechesis has grown for several years. I asked a pastor several years ago about it, suggesting the use of a catechism - any good catechism - in place of what was (or was not) being taught in Sunday school. His answer: "Sure, catechism would be good, and I'm glad you are doing it at home, but people here would not be interested."

After reading through a few catechisms, I am leading my family through the Heidelberg Catechism, to much benefit. 

This article in Modern Reformation magazine came to my attention; it quotes Martin Luther on the need for sound instruction in doctrine (basically the definition of "catechesis"). Amazing - five centuries removed, and still the same, valid concerns! 

 Given the statistics we regularly encounter, Luther's description of the desperate need for serious doctrinal instruction (catechesis) in his day sounds eerily relevant. In the preface to his Small Catechism, the Reformer explains,

'The deplorable, miserable condition which I discovered lately when I, too, was a visitor, has forced and urged me to prepare [publish] this Catechism, or Christian doctrine, in this small, plain, simple form. Mercy! Good God! what manifold misery I beheld! The common people, especially in the villages, have no knowledge whatever of Christian doctrine, and, alas! many pastors are altogether incapable and incompetent to teach. Nevertheless, all maintain that they are Christians, have been baptized and receive the holy Sacraments. Yet they do not understand and cannot even recite either the Lord's Prayer, or the Creed, or the Ten Commandments; they live like dumb brutes and irrational hogs; and yet, now that the Gospel has come, they have nicely learned to abuse all liberty like experts.… O ye bishops! to whom this charge has been committed by God, what will ye ever answer to Christ for having so shamefully neglected the people and never for a moment discharged your office?... 

Therefore look to it, ye pastors and preachers. Our office is now become a different thing from what it was under the Pope; it is now become serious and salutary. Accordingly, it now involves much more trouble and labor, danger and trials, and, in addition thereto, little reward and gratitude in the world. But Christ Himself will be our reward if we labor faithfully. To this end may the Father of all grace help us, to whom be praise and thanks forever through Christ, our Lord! Amen.'

Source:  Modern Reformation 

the making of a piano

Have you ever stopped to consider the amazing artistry behind a piano?  I recommend watching a documentary called Note by Note, which "follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand... from forest floor to concert hall."  The film can be found at several locations, including on Amazon.

Focus of western culture and the church

The impact of the "me" generation is bearing its fruit ... and it isn't good.  A "significant ecclesiastical threat" in today's church in America is:  "me".  Many forms the church takes follows the function of satisfying the desires and tastes of the individual.  The results appear to be devastating to the church.  However, we can thank God that He is not caught off-guard by the shifting winds of western culture.

Read more by Dr. Horton here, on Ligonier's website.  In brief, this threat is:

...an ecclesiology based on the individual’s decision for Christ, rather than God, from eternity past, making a blueprint for the church and executing it in His Son by His Spirit. And so it’s easy if the church is just sort of created by a collection of deciders and choosers, to turn the church into a market, into a shopping mall of consumers.

We wonder why, according to one study, eighty percent of those raised in evangelical churches leave the church, they don’t join a church, they don’t even go to church by the time they are sophomores in college. Well, you have to ask the question: are they really leaving the church, did they ever belong to it? How many Sundays did they actually spend with the communion of saints in public prayer, public reading of Scripture, public preaching, partaking of the sacraments—did they ever meet with an elder or pastor? If these things are not a part of the normal experiences of young people, they’re not really connected to the church. They might be connected to their circle of friends from the youth group. They might be connected to their campus ministry support network and their campus leader, but they’re not part of a church.

Data is power.Big data is big power.

Lest I wonder if my profession impacts the world, consider this article.  Both fascinating and frightening.  Technology is amoral: it is not intrinsically 'good' or 'bad', but can be applied to both ends.  May God help us, and may He one day save us from ourselves in the return of the King.

How Obama's data crunchers helped him win

In late spring, the backroom number crunchers who powered Barack Obama's campaign to victory noticed that George Clooney had an almost gravitational tug on West Coast females ages 40 to 49. The women were far and away the single demographic group most likely to hand over cash, for a chance to dine in Hollywood with Clooney — and Obama.

Diwali in America

An article recently appeared at the office.  I find it quite interesting - I am eager to learn about cultures, my colleagues, etc.  However, I also find this interesting in light of the increasing marginalization of our country's formerly dominant  religion, Christianity.  I have had comments made to me such as "You really shouldn't use the words Merry Christmas because it may offend some people." and now I see articles explaining Diwali.  Interesting.

Included is a portion of the article, edited as appropriate.

Diwali arrives next week Nov. 8, 2012 - Diwali is a festival celebrated in India and other countries. The date fluctuates depending on the luni-solar Hindu calendar. Those who celebrate it consider it one of the most important festivals of the year.  

The celebration of Diwali signifies "victory of good over evil." It refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality.

[One employee] shares some thoughts on the holiday.

Even after 16 years of living here in the U.S., a home away from home, we try to keep the Diwali memories alive and want our kids to follow the same traditions, hoping that this will be passed down the generations. Every year for Diwali we host a party inviting all our friends who are the only “family” here.

We dress up in new clothes and light up Diyas (small candle lights), decorative lights, and illuminate the home inside and out like a new bride, do the traditional Puja (prayer) and make delicious food and sweets to enjoy over the evening full of laughter and joy.

We burn a few flower pot-type fireworks, sparklers and less noisy crackers, so as to not to disturb the neighbors. We end the night by giving gifts to our friends. It is a small way of saying thanks and being grateful for having friends and hoping that the year ahead is as bright and festive as the occasion itself; removing all obstacles and darkness from the lives of our near and dear ones.

Diwali marks the end of the harvest season in most of India. Farmers give thanks for the bounty of the year gone by, and pray for a good harvest for the year to come. Some businesses make the holiday their fiscal year end and close their accounts for the year.

...Facts you may not know

- India is the second-most populous country after China. It is the seventh-largest country by area.

- With 1.2 billion people governed by a parliamentary republic, it is the most populous democracy in the world.

- The primary official language is Hindi with English used extensively in business. Many other languages make India heavily multilingual. 

inept fathers in popular children's literature

For some time I have had misgivings on a few stories we have for our children, namely the Berenstain Bears.  While I do not sit down to analyze and critique these stories, they struck me, independently of one another, as belittling of the father figure.  When I heard my children reading this story again, I did a quick search, and realized that I am not alone in my concern.  Consider this article.

Yep, the Berenstain Bears are a set of books that will be retired from our personal library.

Reasons to communicate via writing

Several years ago, Pastor John Piper wrote a blog entry - ironically enough - giving six reasons pastors should blog.  While I cannot legitimately be called a "pastor" (yet), I do ministry to people, and may one day be called into full time, vocational ministry.  So to continue to prepare, a well as minister now, I need the self-discipline of blogging.

See Dr. Piper's entry here.

Life, from a "what if" perspective

Friends from Outstretched Hands recently produced this video:  http://www.handsofromania.org/oh_weby/newsletter.jsp?nid=49&vc=NzU2   (turn on closed caption to see English subtitles)

Abortion in Romania is legal, cheap, and accessible; it is commonly promoted and accepted as a form of birth control. The combination of the elimination of foreign adoption, general poverty, plus other factors, contributes to the extremely high abortion rate in Romania: somewhere between 50-75% of pregnancies.

May this video help awaken people in America.

amazing musicians - 5 guys and a rhythmic piano

These guys are pretty amazing.  I don't know what "mastering" or other production work has gone into this video.  I also read that only one of these guys actually plays piano, and only two or three really play instruments.  Regardless, this is an amazing performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VqTwnAuHws

amazing musicians - 4-handed guitar

An amazing performance of teamwork on classical guitar - one guitar, two people, four hands.  This synchronization is very amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcsSPzr7ays 

Blindspots in our "ideal" of homeschooling

I have shared or mentioned this article with several people over the past year.  A dose of honest, constructive self-evaluation in the homeschool arena is healthy medicine.  Yes, I have witnessed several of these trends in others.  The question:  am I aware enough to lead my family through the mine field?

Lord, help me through my imperfections and failures, and raise my children to maturity in You despite my failures.

http://www.joshharris.com/2011/09/homeschool_blindspots.php

Spoiled Rotten

Good insights from another perspective on a significant, long-term problem in our culture.

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2012/07/02/120702crbo_books_kolbert

Sacred cows

A very brief presentation by respected, conservative, Reformed, Christian leaders who were not afraid to state positions outside the "party lines".  Refreshing and liberating - perhaps we can have a meaningful conversation on the topic without immediate accusation of "heresy!"

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/horton-meyer-sproul-sproul-jr-and-tackett-apologetics-education-young-or-old-earth-and-more/

Charismatic Reformed

Ah ... if only this could be lived out in the context of a community, near our home.  Matt Chandler presents some interesting ideas.

http://vimeo.com/11720167

I see similar concepts in the Household of Faith Fellowship of Churches.

http://www.hofcc.org/HOFFC-Distinctives

What is the "Great Commission"?

Consider this perspective in answer to the question.

http://wscal.edu/resource-center/resource/what-is-the-great-commission

Missional Communities

A presentation by Jeff Vanderstelt of Soma Communities at the 2011 Desiring God National Conference on the importance of Missional Communities and Their Importance in Church Planting.  I would expand that to say, such community is important for the growth and sustenance of any church.

"Missional" has a bad connotation in some circles; do not throw the baby out with the bath water.  It is an important aspect of being human, and assembling together as a body / family in Christ.

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/missional-communities-and-their-role-in-church-planting

Application in Sermons: a tendency toward "law"

This was a good reminder from Out of the Horse's Mouth about preaching, and the "application" part of a sermon.

So when people clamor for more application in preaching, they are usually asking for more “law.” That is not necessarily wrong. It may well be that the preaching they hear is ignoring biblical exhortations or restricting the use of the law to its first use. Yet in other cases, it may be a reflection of the fact that by nature we gravitate toward the law rather than the gospel.

http://www.whitehorseinn.org/blog/2012/02/15/application-in-sermons/

Back in the saddle again...

Hello world!

Here we are - to borrow a phrase - "back in the saddle again."  I am really sensing a need / desire / call to write.  The purpose is multi-faceted (hey, a good thing for MULTIPLE Strands, right?)

First, as a manner for me to journal non-personal information.  More and more I read articles, see news, etc. and need to comment.  I've tried Twitter; it works just fine.  However, the character limit is very constraining, and the concept of Twitter is for very quick, brief, sound-bite type publication.  I want to expound further than the 140 characters (or whatever it is).

Second, I want to publish for a broader audience.  I have no delusion of grandeur; I do not expect hundreds, much less thousands or millions of readers.  However, even publishing to a dozen people will fall in bounds of this blog.

Thirdly, it can serve as a self-discipline of writing and organizing thoughts - which is always a good thing.

Finally, this blog can serve as a record of past thoughts, and a way for me to find those tidbits of information I remember, but cannot put my finger upon in terms of reference.

So ... here goes.   back in the saddle again.