Small Catechism

Reformation 500 Resources: The Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer for Adults

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In honor of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation this October, we will be studying the three major parts of the Catechism for the fall months.  All children and youth will receive their own copy of Luther’s Small Catechism:  Study Edition, and adults may purchase them for themselves through the church.  May God bless our time of study as we return to our Lutheran roots during this Pentecost fall season of growth!

The Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer
Forgive us our trespasses
​as we forgive those who trespass against us.
What is this?  or  What does this mean?
We ask in this prayer that our heavenly Father would not regard our sins nor deny these petitions on their account, for we are worthy of nothing for which we ask, nor have we earned it. Instead we ask that God would give us all things by grace, for we daily sin much and indeed deserve only punishment. So, on the other hand, we, too, truly want to forgive heartily and to do good gladly to those who sin against us.  (Luther’s Small Catechism: Study Edition pg. 39)

Devotional Questions from the ELCA’s Book of Faith Initiative:
What scares, confuses, or challenges me about this petition and its meaning?  What do I have questions about?  It is the second part of this petition that challenges me.  We ask for forgiveness, contingent on our ability to forgive others?  This seems like a recipe for disaster.  In “The Freedom of a Christian,” Martin Luther describes faithful Christian people as those “prepared for willing service to the neighbor, which takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude, praise or blame, profit or loss” (page 524).  In other words, when we are acting from Christ’s point of view, we are free to do good to others, to forgive, to be scandalously generous to all people whether they deserve it or not.  Forgiven people are forgiving people, and this is a challenge as I strive to live into my Christian identity here on earth, as a sinner among sinful people.

What delights me about this petition and its meaning?  What do I like about it?  What is the good news here?  The word of forgiveness here is truly mind blowing to me.  Have you ever been forgiven of something major?  You might have a taste of what full, true, complete forgiveness feels like.  The fact that God loves me so much that I continue to be forgiven, day after day, week after week, year after year (not to mention hour after hour), is some of the best news that I have ever heard.  And yet, I continue to need to hear it.  Over and over again.  Like a broken record that I never get tired of hearing:  I forgive you.  I forgive you.  I forgive you.

What stories or memories does this petition and its meaning stir up in me?  You might remember a time when you felt truly forgiven, or were able to reach out in forgiveness toward someone else, for example.
At this point in my life, I am the mother of three young children.  They are, for me, the greatest examples of giving and receiving forgiveness.  When I mess up and ask for their forgiveness, there is nothing sweeter in this world than have them leap into my arms and cover me with kisses.  I am washed clean by their sticky enthusiasm and willingness to forgive and forget.  As I struggle with forgiveness in other relationships, I look to the example of my children to lead the way.

What is God up to in this petition and its meaning?  What is God calling you to do or to be because of this?  In this petition, we are acknowledging the position of God and others in our lives.  God gives us undeserved forgiveness and empowers us to reach out in forgiveness to all of the other forgiven sinners that we are in relationship with (that is, all of them).  In this prayer, we accept it as our Christian mission to be agents of forgiveness, just as we have first been forgiven.

This is our last month of our Reformation 500 celebration, and I am looking forward to delving even more deeply into the Small Catechism with you as the weeks draw to a close.  Thanking you for continuing to walk with me as we seek out God’s mission for us, here and now and in this place.

In Christ,
Pastor Breen

Reformation 500 Resources: The Fifth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer for Youth

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What does this mean?
Look up the petition and its meaning in your Study Edition of Luther’s Small Catechism, page 39.

Don’t have one?  You can get your own copy here:  https://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/22231/Luther-Small-Catechism-Anniversary-Study-Edition

Or download the free app here:  https://www.augsburgfortress.org/store/product/22879/Luther-Small-Catechism-App

Questions to Ponder:

Underline or circle any words or phrases that you don’t understand.  Write the words and their definitions in the margins of your catechism.

What questions do you have about this section?

What is your favorite part of this section?  Why?

For what do you need to ask God for forgiveness?  (You make black out this answer once you have written it, if you wish)

Who do you need to forgive in your life?  How will you go about doing this?

What is God up to in this section?

Teach Us to Pray:
You can Pray in Color with the illustration on pg. 39 of your Small Catechism.
You may also conclude your study by praying the Lord’s Prayer with motions:

Reformation 500 Resources: The Third Article of the Creed for Adults

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In honor of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation this October, we will be studying the three major parts of the Catechism for the fall months.  All children and youth will receive their own copy of Luther’s Small Catechism:  Study Edition, and adults may purchase them for themselves through the church.  May God bless our time of study as we return to our Lutheran roots during this Pentecost fall season of growth!

The Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed: On Being Made Holy

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

What is this?  or  What does this mean?

I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith. Daily in this Christian church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all sins—mine and those of all believers. On the last day the Holy Spirit will raise me and all the dead and will give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.  (Luther’s Small Catechism: Study Edition pg. 31)

Devotional Questions from the ELCA’s Book of Faith Initiative:

What scares, confuses, or challenges me about this article and its meaning?  What do I have questions about?

One aspect about this article and its meaning that challenges me is that I cannot believe on my own.  There is nothing that I can do that makes me more believing, or more faithful, or more holy in God’s eyes.  That’s the work of the Spirit.  I would love to think that all my hard work at being good gets me somewhere, but it just doesn’t.  It is God’s work in and through me, and not mine at all.  Another part that challenges me is when I am in grumpy mode.  I am happy to believe that the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives me, but all believers?  Even the ones who I don’t like, who don’t seem to care about the world, that I don’t know?  Even them?  It’s a good thing that God is the one doing the forgiving; I wouldn’t be very good at that job at all.

What delights me about this article and its meaning?  What do I like about it?

I always think that Sunday morning is a miracle.  All these different people, from all these different homes and families and work places, gathered all together to sing, and pray, and learn, and grow.  Only the Spirit could bring that to pass, and I thank God every Sunday for the great privilege to lead our assembly.  I am also reminded that worship on Sunday morning isn’t the only place we gather.  This month, we will gather for service projects on Mission Festival Sunday.  We will continue to learn and grow together through Sunday School and Bible Study.  And we will serve in the various capacities that God has given us, as farmers and electricians, mothers and fathers, teachers and students.  And the Holy Spirit will go there with us, too.

What stories or memories does this article and its meaning stir up in me?  You might remember a time when you felt called, gathered, enlightened, made holy, or sent, for example.

I am looking forward to the Nebraska Synod’s gathering of Rostered Leaders in Lincoln this month.  We will be altogether in one place for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  It is an event that I imagine that I will be telling future generations about for as long as I live, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.

What is God up to in this article and its meaning?  What is God calling you to do or to be because of this?

This is my favorite article of the Apostles’ Creed because it tells us all the ways and places in which God has promised to show up.  It is sometimes hard to believe, simply because we cannot see.  However, when we look to “the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,” we find concrete places where we can be sure to encounter God.  That is a great source of comfort and hope for me, especially in a world that is often neither comforting nor hopeful.

As always, I look forward to great conversations with you about this article, and whatever else the Spirit puts on your heart, this month.  May the Spirit accompany us into all of the places where we have been sent to share God’s love.

In Christ,

Pastor Breen