February 18 is the commemoration of Martin Luther, the Augustinian monk and Roman Catholic priest whose writings and sermons fueled the Protestant Reformation. During his lifetime, Martin Luther was a prolific preacher, teacher and writer, producing over 150 volumes of material. One of the most well known of his writings is a little book known as Luther’s Small Catechism. Completed in 1529, Luther’s catechism is still in use today, nearly 500 years later.
I think of all people, Martin Luther might find this last point the most surprising of all. I can imagine that since many pastors in Luther’s day wrote their own catechism or instruction in the faith, Luther would have expected others to come along and improve upon his version.
In Luther’s day catechisms followed a very similar “question and answer” form of teaching. The catechist or teacher of the faith would begin with a question and the students would repeat back the memorized answer. For 500 years we, Lutherans, essentially have been asking the same questions and giving the same answers to our students in faith formation.
But, you and I both know that the context of faith has changed. Our students, young and old, are asking questions of the faith that Luther never would have dreamed of asking, much less answering. So, maybe it’s well past time to ask new questions of the faith and explore more evolved answers.
Join me each of the 40 days of Lent as I raise contemporary questions and share contemporary conjectures in response. And who knows, if we’re radically faithful enough, maybe some form of a 21st century catechism will emerge.
________________________________
What questions are you asking of the faith today? What are your concerns regarding how to live faithfully upon the sacred grounds of your daily life? (I would be very interested in your answers to these questions. Feel free to send your faith questions and conjectures to me at emurray247@gmail.com
