Lutheran Catechesis

For Christian congregations and schools, instruction in God’s Word is our priority. We gather regularly for instruction in the Word of God, not simply to learn knowledge about God, but that our faith in Jesus Christ might be strengthened and that we might live by that faith in our lives. We call this teaching “catechesis.” From the cradle to the grave, receiving our Lord’s teaching from the Holy Scriptures is a way of life for us, young and old alike. Our Lord is with us wherever His Word is faithfully taught and received. This does not begin in the fall and end in the spring but occurs daily in our schools, homes, and congregation.

Life in the Lord’s house, His church, is no different. Everything we think, say, and do in our life together at Beautiful Savior goes in two directions. It all begins when God leads, draws, and gathers us around Jesus’ gifts of life and salvation in Word and Sacraments in Divine Service. And, having received God’s gifts, He calls, sends, and directs us to go out into our daily vocations in life to love and serve others. Every congregation has rituals. A good question to ask ourselves is, “Does the ritual serve the Gospel, proclaim Jesus Crucified, and point us to his saving work, or does it point us to ourselves and our work?”

The entire administration of the Holy Communion occurs within the context of catechesis, that is, with the preaching and teaching of Christ the Crucified. The “remembrance” of Jesus and the proclamation of His death, until He comes are rooted in this preaching and administration. Every Holy Communion is administered with the catechesis of the Word of Christ, and the disciples of Jesus are brought to a worthy reception of that Sacrament (in faith) by that catechesis.

A parent’s first responsibility as Christians is for the catechization of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and selfless service to others are the rule. That’s because a Christian home is best suited for education in these virtues. This task requires parents to embrace self-denial, good judgment, and self-mastery—the preconditions of all true freedom. 

What is Catechesis? God’s way of teaching to convert sinners to the new life of faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Teaching the Word of God and passing on the language of our holy faith, so that the baptized learn how to receive God’s gifts in the Divine Service, how to pray, how … Read more

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Therefore, rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that marriage has only one meaning: the … Read more

Why is this happening? What is real? Who should I trust? How did we get so confused? Have we lost our collective minds? I keep asking these and similar questions. We are mixed up. We don’t know up from down. We can’t figure out who is telling the truth and who is lying. We’re back on our heels and disoriented. We are overwhelmed with information, misinformation, and disinformation.