6.     The purpose of the Word of God can be summarized as the death of the sinner (Law) and the resurrection of the saint (Gospel) in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:19-20

Catechism

A "catechism" is a brief summary or digest of the essential teachings of the Bible. The Small Catechism serves as a "user's guide" or "road map" to the Holy Scriptures. It is not a substitute for the Bible, but a summary of what the Bible teaches. The Catechism keeps us focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. It clearly and concisely summarizes what every Christian needs to know for his or her salvation. It is both a prayer book for the daily life of the Christian and a textbook for "how the head of the family is to teach his or her household" the Christian faith (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Luke 24:45-47).

They [the Small and Large Catechisms] are the "layman's Bible" and contain everything which Holy Scripture discusses at greater length and which a Christian must know for his salvation. (Epitome, Rule and Norm, 5; Tappert, 465)

The Lutheran Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther, the leader of the Lutheran Reformation in 1529. It was intended to teach uneducated parents the basics of the Christian faith so that they could teach their children. The Small Catechism is still widely used today as a basic teaching tool of the Christian faith. Because of its compactness, it can easily be memorized, discussed around the family table, and prayed devotionally in the home.

The Lutheran Catechism can be divided into three major parts:

The first part of the Catechism teaches the shape of the Christian life under the Law and the Gospel.

Repentance: The Ten Commandments (Law)

Faith: The Apostles' Creed (Gospel)

Prayer: The Our Father

The second part teaches how the forgiveness of sins won by Christ on the cross comes to us and how we receive it.

Holy Baptism

Holy Absolution

Holy Communion (Lord's Supper)

The third part guides the daily discipline of the baptized believer in Christ.

Daily Prayer

Table of Christian Responsibilities

The Hymnal

God's holy Word and Sacraments are the twin poles of Christian worship. God teaches us in his Word. He washes us in Holy Baptism. He forgives us in Holy Absolution. He feeds us in the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion. These are done within an ordered framework called the Liturgy.

The word "liturgy" comes from the Greek word leiturgia, meaning "public service for the benefit of the people." In the Liturgy, the crucified and risen Jesus Christ serves his people with the gifts of salvation that were won by his death on the cross - the forgiveness of sins, the renewal of life, and the certainty of eternal life.. That is why the Liturgy is called "Divine Service" or "Divine Liturgy." Liturgy is the Word of God in action among the people of God (Hebrews 8:1-2; Matthew 18:20).

The Liturgy has a distinctive rhythm of the Law and the Gospel. Under the Law, we are convicted of our sin by the Law and are led to despair of ourselves. Under the Gospel, we are forgiven our sin and brought to faith in Jesus Christ

The Liturgy also has the rhythm of sacrament and sacrifice. A sacrament is God's gracious action toward us through Christ Jesus - forgiving our sin, granting us eternal life, giving us faith and love. A sacrifice is our action toward God through Jesus Christ in prayer, praise, thanksgiving and in acts of love toward our neighbor.

Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise....Saying back to Him what He has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure. (Lutheran Worship, p. 6)

At the heart of the Liturgy is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the sin of the world. Jesus' death and resurrection are read from the Scriptures, proclaimed from the pulpit, poured out in the water of Holy Baptism, applied in the words of Holy Absolution, and eaten and drunk in the Lord's Supper. From the Divine Service we are sent out into the world with our Lord's blessing to fulfill our callings in the world, where the gifts we have received produce their fruits.

Music and art are pressed into God's service in the Liturgy. We are neither rigidly bound to the past nor are we enslaved to the contemporary. We gladly receive the praise that God's Word has prompted throughout the centuries before us, and we add to it the very best of our own. The Liturgy is a living heritage, as God's Word has its way with his people. Cloth, color, symbols, banners, architecture and all manner of art serve to adorn to the gifts of our gracious God and to teach us of his goodness.

Closing Prayer