Walking with Jesus...through the Small Catechism

Five Immanuel members will help you to walk with Jesus through Martin Luther's Small Catechism. Through weekly reflections, beginning with the 10 Commandments, and then walking through the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, they will reflect on small passages of the Catechism and wrestle with the question “what does this have to do with my daily life?” Thanks to John Urbanski, Erin Heilman, Karen Heuchert, Jen Johnson and Rich Strosahl for sharing your faith!
Remember Jesus loves you! By Jennifer Johnson The Sacrament of Holy Communion This year, we have been reflecting on Luther’s Small Catechism and how it defines and helps us understand our relationship with Jesus. For this final video, I’ve been asked to think on The Sacrament of Holy Communion and answer the following: What does Martin Luther have to say about Holy Communion? And, what does Holy Communion mean to me? Luther reminds us that our Sacrament of Holy Communion begins with the Words of Institution. In these words, we are called to remember. In fact, the word “remembrance” is repeated three times. This is significant. So, what are we to remember? We are to remember to give thanks. God gave his only son for us. His Son lived among us and died for our sins. Through our belief in this gift, our sins are forgiven forever! We are to remember that Jesus’ body and blood have been given to us. We eat and we drink Jesus’ flesh and blood receiving life and salvation. We are to remember that we are called to believe. This is our part. Through our faith in God’s gift of Jesus, we are forgiven. That’s my take on Martin Luther’s explanation. So what’s my personal take on it all? I remember loving communion when I was a small child. I loved getting to leave the pew where one must sit so still and getting to walk up to the altar. Getting close to the front of the church, a place of such mystery, was intriguing to me. I loved being close to my parents while kneeling at the altar rail. I loved the blessings I received! The gentle touch on my head and hearing the words, “Remember Jesus loves you,” made me feel known and special. Everything about it felt like love. Fast forwarding just a bit, I remember receiving my first communion as a fifth grader. Communion seemed like such an abstract concept. I was excited and yet I felt guilty that I couldn’t comprehend the magnitude of this sacrament. I figured being excited about this new rite of passage was the wrong thinking and that feeling guilty would make me more worthy of forgiveness. I felt that if I understood the whole communion thing a bit better, I would feel that familiar, love-filled blessing that I received as a younger child. I find myself faced with the same feeling of guilt sometimes today. Do I really appreciate the Sacrament of Holy Communion? Do I really understand what this means? Do I believe enough? Am I sorry enough? As I reread Luther’s explanation of this sacrament, I am comforted. Communion is profound and yet simple. We are to remember. We are to remember to give thanks to God. We are to remember that this is Jesus’ body and blood, given to us. We are to believe that we are forgiven. Knowing these things is enough. It is everything. It is my prayer that as we receive the body and blood of Jesus, we remember Jesus loves us.
Walking Wet By Rich Strosahl Luther considered baptism a central and necessary practice for Christians. Some churches measure their size by citing the number of baptized members. I like to think that, through baptism, we become members of God’s family. We are all familiar with the baptism service, during which parents, sponsors and the congregation all pledge to support the baptized child in his/her life as a Christian. Here at Immanuel, the baptism service includes presentation of a candle to help families commemorate the anniversaries of their child’s baptism. We want them to remember their baptism. Those of us who were baptized as infants won’t remember the baptism service, but we remember what we were taught about baptism in confirmation: That it is a sacrament - a holy ordinance instituted by Christ Himself, in which through earthly means we receive heavenly gifts of grace. That Baptism is not simply water, but it is the water used according to God’s command and connected with God’s word I remember hearing that Luther defended himself from the Devil by shouting, “I am a baptized child of God. You have no part in me!” Well, those are not the words he used - he probably said it in German. But the point is, he believed that baptism:

• Works forgiveness of sins
  
• Delivers from death and the devil
  
• Gives everlasting salvation to all who believe, as the word and promise of God declare.

It would be good for us to remember this when we face temptations and trials. I have heard that Luther said we should remember our baptism, and give thanks for God’s grace in forgiving and sustaining us, every time we wash our face, or bathe, or step out into the rain. I guess that is what some call “walking wet.” I’ve heard that phrase several times in recent years but was not quite sure what it meant. So, I did some online research and found a couple sermons, a pastor’s blog, and our friend Martin’s eulogy for his dad. All of which contributed to my understanding of Walking Wet.
Praying with confidence By Erin Heilman For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. What does this mean? This means that I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; for He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and has promised to hear us. Amen. Amen means, “Yes, yes, it shall be so!” Before doing this reflection I had never really thought about what these last lines meant, other than to memorize them and Luther’s explanation when I was in Junior High. But now, reflecting on them as an adult a few things really stand out to me. Luther wanted us to know that God indeed does hear our prayers. There’s a great story recorded where Luther once told his barber:

You must always speak “Amen” firmly. Never doubt that God in his mercy will surely hear you and say “yes” to your prayers. Never think that you are kneeling or standing alone, rather think that the whole of Christendom, all devout Christians, are standing there beside you and you are standing among them in a common, united petition which God cannot disdain. Do not leave your prayer without having said or thought, "Very well, God has heard my prayer; this I know as a certainty and a truth." This is what Amen means.

I love that Luther told this to his barber! There is amazing comfort to know that the God of all creation cares enough about each one of us to truly listen to each and every one of our prayers and petitions. However, even though God ALWAYS listens, God does not always answer our prayers in the way WE imagined. As I have gone through life it is amazing to think about how God chooses to answer our prayer. There’s a song about “how some of God’s greatest gifts, are unanswered prayers.” I think back on the concerns I had in high school, my fervent prayers to get into certain colleges, or later prayers to get into certain dorms with friends. Sometimes these prayers were answered, sometimes they were not. But looking back on different events when I see what has happened, I am truly blessed by the people God brought into my life. People, even my spouse, who I would never have met if I had had my prayers answered the way I thought they should be. Something that I have heard about lately, and am I trying to do this year, is to keep a prayer journal. A place where you write things you are praying about. The next step is the powerful part; after you record your prayers you go back later and reread your journal and see the outcome of things prayed for. A visual reminder that God DOES listen, and a neat way to see how God answers prayers. What an amazing, visual way to think about all that the Lord has done! I encourage you to try it with me--and stand firm knowing that God truly does hear our prayers and, as Luther would tell us, we should say with confidence... AMEN!
Hopeful living in an evil world By Karen Heuchert This week’s reflection is on the 7th petition of the Lord’s Prayer - And deliver us from evil. Luther explains this petition like this. We ask in this prayer, as in a summary, that our Father in heaven may deliver us from all kinds of evil – affecting body or soul, property or reputation – and at last, when our final hour comes, may grant us a blessed end and take us by grace from this valley of tears to himself in heaven. A valley of tears? Really? I know I don’t feel that life here on earth is a valley of tears, but there are days when I hear news about events that have occurred in the world, that I may feel that way momentarily. Luther wasn’t trying to be pessimistic, but instead realistic. It may not be something we want to think about, but in reality, evil is a part of our world and always has been. When you consider Luther’s explanation, there are many forms of evil that we encounter that can threaten our body or soul, our property and reputation. And that evil, may not always be directly from another person. Some people battle with addictions, unhealthy temptations, or struggle with dangerous thoughts of self-harm. As Christians, we try to live our lives with hope, serving others, sharing God’s love, and we look forward to eternal life in heaven, where there is no evil. But even if it doesn’t touch us personally on a regular basis, we know there is evil in this world. Luther didn’t want us to live our lives as pessimists, but rather to pray actively and guard ourselves against evil. We pray that those who are intent on hurting others, would have a change of heart. We pray that those who are the victims of evil, find healing, feel compassion from others, and can forgive. And we pray for ourselves, and those around us, that we can guard against hurtful thoughts and actions that would harm ourselves. So what can we do to diminish the forces of evil? Don’t live in pessimism. Pray for others, pray for ourselves. And treat everyone with kindness and compassion. For we never know what act of kindness will deter someone from an unkind or evil act towards themselves or someone else.
Guided by The Voice! By Jennifer Johnson The Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer: Save us from the time of trial. Martin Luther writes, “It is true that God tempts no one, but we ask in this prayer that God would preserve and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great and shameful sins. And that, although we may be attacked by them, we may finally prevail and gain the victory.” Here my thoughts on this: We know that our lives are filled with temptations. While we are called to live holy lives, it seems like a constant challenge to stay on the path of righteousness. The battle is real! I am a former first grade teacher. Every Monday morning at the school where I last taught, we gathered for a whole school convocation. At one such assembly, our director (aka principal) discussed how the behaviors at recess were becoming an issue. She reminded each of the students that we all have a little voice that calls us to do the right thing. She encouraged the students to ‘turn up the volume’ on these little voices so that they might make better choices. The director’s message was a secular one, but for me, the owner of that voice is much more. While our director didn’t refer to that little voice as the Holy Spirit, I believe that the still, small, quiet voice we hear in our minds is the voice of God, living in our hearts and guiding us along our way. We are somewhat equipped to deal with temptations but why is it still so hard to do what is right? I believe it is because we aren’t supposed to venture alone on this journey! We need to lean on God, our Savior. While we have been given free will to do the right (or wrong) thing, our existence is very much interconnected with God and we need His strength daily. In the Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we ask Our Father to save us from the time of trial. We ask for God’s help in turning away from temptation. We ask for God’s help in turning us away from despair, shame, lies, self-serving indulgences and disbelief. We ask for God to save us. To remind us that we belong to God! To remind us that there is hope in our faith. So pray. And believe. Believe that you are saved and that you are not alone in this walk of faith. God lives in us and all around us. Thanks be to God for this great truth!
Forgiving with Jesus in me By Rich Strosahl The fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. 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. I’ve been thinking about this for a few months now. Jesus talked a lot about forgiveness, He told a story about a servant who owed his master a large sum of money. When the master called for him to repay, he begged for more time. The master forgave his debt, but then the servant set out to collect what others owed him and showed no mercy. When the master got word of this, he sent the man to prison to be tortured (Matthew 18:21 - 35). Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:25, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. ” Luke 6:37, “Do not judge … Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” The Old testament also calls for us to forgive others. In Genesis, we have the example of Joseph who forgave his brothers, recognizing that God used their evil to bring about good. It seems to me that in our human nature (or what some might call the sinful nature of humans), we do not “truly want to forgive those who sin against us.“ As Luther explained in his dissertation on the third article of the Apostle’s Creed, the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlighten and makes holy the whole Christian church." That includes you and me. I view Jesus as the only human whose nature (in the image of God) was not sullied by self-will, and who did not fall to the temptations of the evil one. Modern day psychologists recognize the importance of forgiveness. Someone said that refusing to forgive is like taking poison and expecting the other person to get sick or die. When Jesus was explaining how hard it will be to enter the Kingdom of God. His disciples asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God. For God, all things are possible” (Mark 10:23-27). I remember when I was a young child in Sunday School, we would meet as a large group of all ages for opening announcements, awards, songs, prayers, etc. Then, when it was time to go to our age-group classes, we would sing a song inviting Jesus into our hearts, and into our class. To avoid copyright infringement, public embarassment, and damage to your eardrums, I won’t sing it now. The message of that song, inviting Jesus, the Holy Spirit/God into my heart, has become my life prayer.
An attitude of gratitude! By Erin Heilman The Fourth Petition: Give us this day our daily bread. In Luther’s small catechism, What does this mean? God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. Luther interpreted daily bread as: Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like. As I reflected on the 4th petition of the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s interpretation of the meaning, “daily bread,” I realized Luther meant it to be VERY all-encompassing. When I think of “daily bread” I thought of the basics like a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes on my back …. And how much I can take these things for granted. These basic necessities are not basic for everyone. This line of the Lord’s Prayer is easy to say, and easy to take for granted.  Yet, Luther took it one step further, maybe because he knew how easy it is in our human nature to take things for granted. Luther included “daily bread” also as a devout spouse, children, workers, faithful rulers, good friends, good reputation, good weather, peace, and health. I think Luther included all these other things to remind us how much we have to be thankful for, and how important it is to slow down and take time to thank God for the blessings that we do have. Even in tough times, there are moments of amazing grace. When we slow down to appreciate what may seem like a small thing, it also opens our hearts to the big things. I love science and if you enjoy reading research, Google the brain research surrounding gratitude. Taking time to be grateful and acknowledging what you do have, actually has a lasting impact on your brain. Research also shows that being grateful helps with sleep, lessens symptoms of depression, increases your patience, improves your relationships with others, and increases your own self-esteem. And that’s just a few of the positive results on your body and mind that gratitude has. So the next time you say the Lord’s Prayer, or some time each day, think of three simple things, or things that happened that day, that you are grateful for. Take the time to praise God and be grateful and see how this attitude of gratitude will have a long term positive impact on your life.
God's way, my way or the way of evil? Thy will be done. By John Urbanski The 3rd petition of the Lord’s Prayer: Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. What does this mean? Luther writes: The good and gracious will of God is surely done without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may be done also among us. Did I read that right?!? Luther’s explanation gives me pause since he says that God’s will is done without our prayer. If that is true, then what’s the point? As Luther continues, he explains that it is about the will of God being done in and through us – that’s the point. We are to be part of God’s will being done here on earth! This petition of the Lord’s prayer may seem like we must choose between God’s will and our own will. And sometimes, we are not truly sure that we want God’s will. Why should I be faced with self-denial? Can’t I have what I want, because sometimes, what God wants can be a little difficult to swallow. For Martin Luther, this petition was not about the choice between God’s will and our will, but the choice between God’s will and the will of the devil. What do we want to be part of? Praying for God’s will to be done recognizes that there is a battle every day between the forces of good and evil. As these forces occur, we can be pulled one way or another, depending on circumstances in our lives. Some days we can be strong and stand up for what is right and just. Other days we may be vulnerable and not do our best since it is easier than standing up for what is good. But in the end, we want God’s will for goodness, justice and peace to win the battle and prevail in our world. The important part is that we need to take part in the battle for the winning side and make sure we are doing our part to make this world a better place. Luther explains that God’s will is done when He hinders and defeats every evil scheme and purpose of the devil, the world and our sinful self, which would prevent us from keeping his name holy and would oppose the coming of God’s kingdom. And God’s will is done when He strengthens our faith and keeps us firm in his Word as long as we live. This is His good and gracious will. God is not just the best solution, He is the ONLY solution worth pursuing. Let us not waste another moment of this precious life we have. We ask God to help us see where we have taken too much control and give us the strength and courage to turn over ALL to God. Dear Lord, work through us to build what will last for eternity!
Kingdom Enhancers: Your kingdom come By Karen Heuchert Today’s reflection is on the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer – Thy Kingdom Come. The word ‘Kingdom’ simply means ‘the reign of God’. Thy kingdom come - “What does this mean?” In fact, God’s kingdom comes on its own without our prayer, but we ask in this prayer that it may also come to us. When we mindfully pray the Lord’s Prayer, we recognize that we are asking for God to maintain that eternal kingdom we all hope for after our earthly life. But in addition, we are also asking God to bring his kingdom to us here on earth. The kingdom he provides for us is out of his gracious love for us. His kingdom is generous beyond our needs. When I think personally of all I’ve been given, how he’s provided for my every need, I know I’ve been blessed beyond my needs and desires. Luther reminds us that it is God who builds his kingdom and it is NOT something we or anyone can or should build here on earth. But we are to enhance his kingdom by reaching out to others, showing others the same love that Jesus has for all of us. We’re not solely to anticipate the wonderful eternal kingdom, but also strive to enhance his kingdom here on earth. We should immerse ourselves and others in words, actions, and love that would be honorable to the essence of God’s Kingdom. The life we live should be one that honors His earthly kingdom. We are reminded of God’s gracious generosity when we are mindful in our prayers and thankful for all he provides. How blessed are we! Thy kingdom come, today and for eternity.
Centered on the holiness of God: Hallowed be your name By Jennifer Johnson The First Petition of the The Lord’s Prayer:Hallowed be your name. What does this mean to me? How we address one another in our relationships is often an indicator of how we relate to one another. We use Mr./Mrs./Ms. in more formal situations or when we want to show respect. We use first names with those more familiar to us. We have nicknames of affection for family members and are bonded by the nicknames we give one another among friends and teammates. How we address one another says a lot about the relationship we share. In the Lord’s Prayer, we acknowledge the holiness of God when we say the words, ‘Hallowed be your name.’ In this way, we boldly and confidently address God our Father as holy. God does not need to be holy for his benefit. His holiness is a truth. God’s holiness is for us to recognize as active in and among us. We are created in God’s image and we are called to live holy lives. We need to recognize God’s holiness so that we remember who God is and who we are called to be. Jesus teaches us to pray in giving us The Lord’s Prayer. This is a primer on how we might begin a conversation with God. How we address God reminds us who he is to us and what he is actively doing in our lives. In the bible, we know God to be our Savior (John 3:16), our King of Kings (Revelations 19: 11, 16), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), our Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6), our Messiah (John 1: 41, 45) and our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). He is Abba, familiar to us but always Holy. There are many ways I begin my prayers. Some such ways are: Gracious God, Merciful Father, Creator of all, My Redeemer. The blessing of recognizing God’s holiness at the beginning of our prayers is the way it centers us. It focuses us on all that God is in our lives and at that moment. We are actively recognizing God’s holiness. In these thoughts, we are made holy in God’s name.
Conversations in the lap of God (The introduction to the Lord's Prayer) By Rich Strosahl The Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father who art in Heaven What does this mean? God thereby tenderly encourages us to believe that He is truly our Father, and that we are truly His Children, so that we may boldly and confidently come to Him in prayer, even as beloved children come to their dear father. Today we begin the third leg of our journey, Walking with Jesus through the Small Catechism. According to, By Heart, Conversations with Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, “the Ten Commandments tell us how to live in relation to God and our fellow humans. The Apostles’ Creed confesses God’s actions in creating, redeeming and making us holy. Now we learn how to talk with this God - and we learn to know God as the God who hears prayer.” The book By Heart, Conversations with Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, describes some prayer practices and beliefs that Luther confronted:

• Medieval people thought they had first to become worthy before God would hear them.
• Medieval people were taught to pray to the saints and to the Virgin Mary.
• Medieval Christianity regarded prayer as a good work.
• Medieval Christianity emphasized repetition of prayers.
• Medieval Christianity thought prayer was primarily a work for the clergy.

It seems to me that, to a great degree, those practices and beliefs continue today. I admit that I am a litle uncomfortable with praying in public. In his many writings on prayer, Luther emphasized God’s command to pray and His promise to hear our prayers. Luther encouraged regular prayer. He said it would be a good thing if prayer was the first thing one does in the morning and the last thing at night. He viewed prayer as “the communion of our heart with God, our dear heavenly Father.” Luther recognized that prayer needs to be taught. The need to pray comes naturally, but the words to pray may not come easily. He taught prayer in many ways - prayer books, catechism, sermons, biblical commentaries, letters. As I think about the words “our Father,” I imagine crawling up on my daddy’s lap to thank him for a great day, to apologize and beg forgiveness for something I did or failed to do, and to ask him for something special. When I add the phrase, “who art in Heaven,” I realize that this Heavenly Father of mine has infinite glory and power, through which He can do far more than I ask.
No Strings Attached! Third Article of the Apostles' Creed Reflection by Erin Heilman Apostles’ Creed, Third Article: 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. Luther’s explanation, What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true. I remember learning and memorizing this as a middle-school aged confirmation student. What really struck me as a teenager, and still strikes me today, is here is someone like Martin Luther, a giant of faith, a former Monk, a leader in the church, acknowledging that even he CANNOT come to faith by his own strength. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to enlighten and sanctify, or make us holy, so that we can have a relationship with Christ. It’s hard to ask for help. It is hard to receive help, or even compliments, at times. Yet Luther states we HAVE to have help to truly believe and come to Christ. When you think about it, believing that we can be truly forgiven and live forever is a crazy, illogical idea. It goes against human reason. I mean, c’mon, really? I can do a ton of stuff wrong, say I’m sorry, be forgiven and all I have to do is believe in Christ and I’ll go to heaven and live forever? In our humanness we feel like there has to be a catch. Like, I must need to do lots of good stuff, and be practically perfect, and pray a lot. Yep...that will earn my place in eternity. But it’s NOT like that at all. God knew that in our humanity we would feel like we need to earn it. Yet Christ freely forgives all our sins and gives us eternal life. NO STRINGS ATTACHED. That is radical thinking. At the time when Luther shared these philosophies with the common people it flew in the face of the practice of Indulgences, or people essentially thinking they could buy their way into heaven. Luther wanted us to realize that in our own humanity we mess things up. That is why God gives us the Holy Spirit to call, gather, enlighten and sanctify us, daily, over and over with NO strings and NOTHING we can do or comprehend. Salvation is a free and loving gift. This is most certainly true!
Walking in Jesus' Steps - The Second Article of the Apostles' Creed Reflection by John Urbanski The 2nd Article of the Creed of the Apostles' Creed I believe in Jesus Christ God’s only Son our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. These are familiar words for those of us that were raised in a Christian tradition. Yet, how often do we say them during worship services without thinking about them? Let’s take this time to slow down and consider this section of the creed. The second article points out the critical importance for Christians – Jesus Christ! Jesus is truly God, truly human, truly love. For me, the trip to the Holy Land with other Immanuel members to see the places where Jesus lived was very moving. One could say we actually walked through the second article of the creed! We traveled to Bethlehem to see the church of the Nativity and the sight were Jesus was born and the River Jordan where he was baptized by John. We visited the Sea of Galilee and the nearby site where Jesus fed the 5,000. We walked down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane were Jesus prayed to God the Father. Continuing through the streets of Jerusalem, we walked the same path Jesus did, facing Pilate, carrying his cross to Golgotha, the place where he was crucified. We finished with a communion worship service at the site of his tomb, the place where the stone was rolled away and Jesus was raised from the dead to save and redeem us. It was all so real, so incredibly moving. This is where our Lord and Savior Jesus was, right where I stood! Luther writes: I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, son of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. At great cost, he has saved and redeemed me, a lost and condemned person. He has freed me from sin, death and the power of the devil; not with silver or gold, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. All this he has done that I may be His own, live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, and lives and rules eternally. This is most certainly true. We are freed by faith in Jesus Christ, who is our sacred gift of redemption, grace and forgiveness. We trust in his promises and we are empowered to serve our neighbors freely as Christ served us, and we thereby belong to Christ. Thanks be to God!
The First Article of the Apostles' Creed Reflection by Karen Heuchert We’ve wrapped up our reflection on the ten commandments, and now we move on to the Apostles' Creed. A Creed is a statement of belief. The first article of the Apostles Creed says, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” For many of us, it may be an automatic statement to say I believe in God and not think any further about what it means. After all, we’ve been saying it since we first learned the Apostles Creed as a child. But as we think about the words, the Father Almighty, we have to marvel at all he has done, created, and still continues to do today. A truly Almighty Father, so powerful to have created the earth and heavens, and all the beings that exist. We may appreciate a beautiful sunrise or sunset and miracle of the birth of a healthy child, and thank God for those things. But in each and every day, he is sustaining us with breath, the faculties of our mind, the home we are blessed to live in, the friends and family that surround us. Do we take those things for granted? Or are we mindful of how all those things came to be, and continue to be with us daily. We want to be mindful everyday that God has given us numerous gifts and our purpose should be to use those gifts to glorify him. Are we sharing our time, our talents, and our treasure with others to glorify God? These are gifts from the Father Almighty. A father – one who loves and cares for us despite our shortcomings, despite our sins. When we consider the creating, the sustaining and the love he has for us, Luther reminds us that - All this is done out of pure, fatherly and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at all. How mighty is this God? How loving is this Father? How blessed are we? How are we showing him how grateful we are? While it is important to profess our beliefs, it’s as important to live our beliefs.
The 9th & 10th Commandments: Coveting Reflection by Jennifer Johnson The ninth and tenth commandments are as follows: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. What does this mean for us today? The key theme in these commandments is coveting. This word is old enough that the spell check on my phone kicked in every time I tried to type it. It isn’t a term we use often today. We know it’s meaning well enough, though. When we covet, we are longing to have what belongs to others. The first three commandments reveal to us how we are to live in relationship with God. The remaining seven commandments define how we are to live in relationship with one another. Coveting, wanting what others have, gets in the way of loving one another. If we have envy in our hearts, there is little room for anything else. Living with envy changes our view of the world. We are captive to selfish desires and no longer see the world as God would have us see it. God calls us to give thanks in all circumstances. God wants us to see Him, one another and all of the blessings God pours out for us. Longing for what others have is so easy to do. It is an internal sin that we can keep hidden from others. Our thoughts become our actions, however. Thoughts become our motivations, our intentions. God gives us this commandment to remind us to guard our hearts so that we remain open to receive and offer love. Longing for what others have gets in the way of living in peace. When we focus on what we wish we had instead of the gifts we’ve been given, it shrinks the potential for receiving God’s abundant blessings. Living a life with an open and grateful heart is a mindset. It is a choice. Braden and I went to Lomas de San Isidro, Mexico in 2013. When we visited this community of 60,000+, we witnessed families living without water and electricity. We were there to serve but were personally transformed when we saw that joy remains and flourishes, with or without what we consider the essentials for living. The strength of faith and hope in their community demonstrated to Braden and I that living abundantly has more to do with living rich in Spirit than in material goods. This knowledge does not change our desire to want a better quality of life for everyone but it reminded us to give thanks and see the blessings. God calls us to live without envy. God calls us to live in longing for Him and for the love of one another.
The 8th Commandment: The whole truth and nothing but the truth Reflection by Rich Strosahl As I have been thinking about and preparing for this assignment, I’ve realized that I don’t have many original thoughts. So, what you hear from me has probably been said before by someone. Of course, some of my thoughts today come from Dr. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation, 1939 Revised Edition, copyright and published by Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island, Illinois. The eighth commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not belie, betray, backbite, nor slander our neighbor, but apologize for him, speak well of him, and put the most charitable construction on all that he does. The commandment puts me in mind of a court of law, where we promise “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” In that circumstance, we must be careful that we don’t allow our opinions or prejudices to affect our testimony. Luther’s explanation addresses our everyday conversations. The edition of the Catechism that I used includes additional questions and answers (with Bible verse references) to further explain: What does God forbid in the eighth commandment? God forbids us to injure the good name and reputation of our neighbor:

• “A good name is rather to be chosen than silver and gold“. Proverbs 22:1
• “Lie not one to another.” Colossians 3:9
• “He that goeth about as a falsebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth a matter.” Proverbs 11:13.

Is it wrong to talk about our neighbor’s faults even when what we say is true? Yes, it is wrong if we do so from an unkind heart, either to injure our neighbor or from our love of gossip:

• “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1
• “And I sayunto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” Mathew 12:36.

What does God command in the eighth commandment? God commands us to speak well of our neighbor, to put the best construction on all his actions, and always to speak the truth:

• “Putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor; for we are members one of another.” Ephesians 4:25

Some thoughts are from childhood memories: I remember my mother reminding me often, “If you can‘t say something nice, don‘t say anything at all!” “Don’t be a tattle tale!” “Put yourself in his or her shoes. What would you have said or done under the circumstances?” I also drew some of my thoughts from a book Immanuel provided each of us to help us prepare, By Heart, Conversations with Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, copyright and published by Augsburg Fortress in 2017. The discussion of the eighth commandment in that book reminded me of the saying I often used when my feelings were hurt by something someone said - “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” Words may not have caused physical pain, but I lied when I said they didn’t hurt. Other participants in Walking with Jesus through the Small Catechism contributed to my thought process. Both Karen Heuchert, in her discussion of the fifth commandment, and Erin Heilman on the seventh commandment, pointed out the damage words can do. Whether the words are false or true, they can kill a person’s spirit, or damage their reputation, especially when we share them on social media. So, “what does this have to do with my life today?” Sometimes I fail, but my intent is that before I speak or reach for the keyboard, I take time to think and to pray for God’s guidance that my words may be uplifting and useful to the hearer or reader - especially the person who may be the subject of conversation.
The 7th Commandment: Building up our Neighbors Reflection by Erin Heilman As I was reflecting on the 7th commandment, I remember memorizing this Luther’s Small Catechism explanation and the conversation my confirmation group had about this as a young teenager. Here’s what Luther has to say: The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal. What does this mean? We should fear and love God, so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or goods, nor get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his goods and means of making a living. In looking back on the conversation my confirmation class had, in hindsight it is pretty ironic, and yet has become even more relevant today. You see at the time, there was this relatively “NEW” technology of the internet, and we as teenagers had to commonly use a fancy technology called a “floppy disk” to store the work we did on computers. My confirmation class at the time, naively speculated what technology would be when we were adults, and how this would impact business and people’s livelihoods, and how that would impact theft or stealing. What if someone stole your floppy disk!?! Sure, we all know not to go and steal money out of someone’s purse or wallet. We may even teach our children to always ask permission before you play with someone else’s toy. Yet, there are far more subtle ways that stealing can occur. Fast forward to being an adult, and now thinking of my own kids, now more than ever it is important that we discuss how modern day technology can be used for identity theft. There are far more subtle ways we can “steal” someone’s identity, reputation and impact their livelihood. False or gossipy posts or accusations on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and other social media outlets can also negatively impact someone and their long term livelihood. We need to think about...model...and teach our children about intellectual property and protecting our neighbor. We need to make sure we are building up our neighbors on social media platforms. And if you do have a concern with someone, consider privately addressing these concerns to help our neighbors, as Luther would say, to not only “improve and preserve their property”, but also to “ensure that their condition is improved.” Stealing is so much more than just taking someone’s money, and we all need to think about how our words and actions impact others.
The 6th Commandment: Living & loving others faithfully
Reflection by John Urbanski This is my second opportunity to review and discuss Martin Luther’s Small Catechism and wrestle with the question “What does this mean to me today?” The Sixth Commandment: You shall not commit adultery. Wait, how am I the lucky one to get the 6th commandment? Can I trade with someone? I’ll take the 7th and 8th commandments in exchange for this one. Anyone? Well… This is one of those commandments that we often skip over as one that you are in the free and clear. Kind of like the 5th commandment – You shall not kill. Nope, not today, on to the rest of the list. Adultery? Nope not today, What’s next? Let’s hold on for a minute. As usual there is more to the commandment than those five words. Martin Luther writes: We are to fear and love God so that in matters of sex our words and conduct are pure and honorable, and husband and wife love and respect each other. To me, this commandment deals with the intimate relationship a couple has when they choose to be together. When we begin a relationship, there is so much love and excitement, it is very easy to show that love and respect to each other. What a joyous time as two people love and care for each other, seeking out the best in one another. However, over time, that is not so easy. We might do a few less things for the other person. We begin to put ourselves ahead of our partner. We might begin to “adulterate” our relationship by not giving our full self to our partner, or, using them for our own means or our own benefit. Take them for granted. We begin to make ourselves god over the other. Then, one thing can lead to another, and before you know it, you are down the path to an adulterous act. In the Bible, King David exhibited this behavior when he looks out over the city and sees Bathsheba. He is king! He wants what he sees, and he acts to get it. He serves himself when he claims Bathsheba as his own. The challenge for us is to always remember to see others as God sees them – the baptized, beloved, blessed children of God that they are. We are to give our whole selves in our relationships to them, and by doing so, we are serving God and God’s people. But no one is perfect. When we fall short and realize our sinfulness, we must not hide from God but, like King David, come to God and plead for forgiveness with the words of Psalm 51:

Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free spirit.

Amen
The 5th Commandment: Spirit Building
Reflection by Karen Heuchert I want to talk to you today about the 5th Commandment. You shall not murder. As a child, I remember learning this commandment specifically as 'Thou shalt not kill'. It didn't seem like a difficult commandment to keep and that I wouldn't really have to work too hard not to kill someone. But when we look at Luther's explanation, what does this mean? we learn, "We are to fear and love God, so that we neither endanger nor harm the lives of our neighbors, but instead help and support them in all of life's needs." And as we explore Luther's explanation, God is asking more of us than to simply not murder. But as we think about how our world looks like today, I think there's more to it that simply not taking a life. Are we doing all we can to not kill someone's spirit? There are many opportunities in our daily life, people we meet in passing or engage with on social media to say hurtful or harmful things. Things that aren't beneficial, uplifting, things that may hurt. Or maybe, we say nothing at all. And in doing so, are we carelessly killing their spirit? I believe if we're not doing all we can to mindfully and purposefully lift someone up, lift up everyone that we encounter daily, and give them hope, bring a smile to their face, joy to their day, hope for tomorrow, then we may very well be killing their spirit. And I don't believe that's what God wants us to do. I believe He wants us to intentionally raise up everyone who is hurting. Physical pain, emotional pain, hunger, poverty, any type of pain that they may be dealing with. We never know when some of those things may kill our spirit, kill our drive, kill our hope, kill our dreams. Just as important is to stand up to those who we witness hurting others. As we think about this, what do we need to do? What do we need to do to reach out? To be more present and more mindful to pay more attention to those around us to see where we can actually lift them up, rather than just not kill them, but help them bring back their spirit. Give them hope, give them encouragement, give them peace.... So that they are not inclined to hurt someone else or themselves. Life is a precious gift given by God. And it's only for him to take away. With anyone we encounter, stranger, friend, enemy, co-worker, family, I believe it's our privilege, our responsibility to do what we can to lift them up so as to not kill their spirit.
The 4th Commandment: Honoring father and mother
Reflection by Jennifer Johnson The Fourth Commandment calls us to Honor your father and your mother. Martin Luther asks the question, what does this mean? His response is that we are to fear and love God, so that we neither despise nor anger our parents and others in authority, but instead honor, serve, obey, love, and respect them. I have been blessed by wonderful parents and grandparents who have lovingly guided me all my life. The deep faith that all of them know and live out has made it possible for me to live in loving relationship with others. I grew up knowing what it means to respect authority and the blessings of serving one another. ‘Life is wrinkly’ as I say, and our family, like every family, has had its ups and downs but there is forgiveness and grace. There is always the understanding that I am their beloved child forever. Thank you God for that! I find it interesting that Martin Luther’s explanation begins not with how we are to relate to our parents but how we are to relate to God. We are to fear and love God. For me personally, fear of God does not mean I should be afraid but instead, be in awe and wonder of God’s presence in my life. When God is at our center and we recognize the Holy Spirit that dwells in and through us, that changes every dynamic in every relationship. Instead of wanting to hold a grudge, I am called to honor the relationship and offer grace. It doesn’t mean I have to tolerate certain behaviors, but I’m called to pray for my own heart in dealing with the hurt. Letting go, and letting God do his will has changed many outcomes in my life and lifted many burdens from me. For the past 16 years, I have been a parent myself. While I continue to be called to honor my own mother and father, I am very aware that I am also called to live in a way that is worthy of my own children’s love and respect. Parenting could not be more humbling. I have never known how much I could love, worry or rejoice! My faith has also grown. I am keenly aware of how much God must love, worry and rejoice over me! The blessing of a shared faith in our family is felt when I see how the Holy Spirit works in mighty and gentle ways in one another. God gives us courage and strength. God calls on me to be patient when I’d rather be anything but. I am called to forgive when I’d rather stew and stay frustrated. I am called to share and receive grace that is given freely from God. What is the consequence of not growing up in a home that recognizes this commandment? This is a question my own kids have posed to me in some form or another over the years. I’ve been asked, “Why am I getting in trouble for this? Why is this a problem?” The response could justifiably be, “Because I said so”, but Martin Luther’s own teaching in the catechism offers more. When we understand authority and our relationship to it, we are no longer the center of the universe. We are called to honor, serve, obey, love and respect. These actions remind us that life is not about ‘us.’ I am not the most important person. I am called to live in relationship with God and one another. This is good stuff to know and understand! No one really likes to be around folks who value themselves above everyone else and justify their actions without consequence. God has been clear that we are to understand that we are to live in RELATIONSHIP with one another. We are to recognize authority and live worthy of it as well.
The 3rd Commandment: Keeping the Sabbath Holy
Reflection by Rich Strosahl I am glad that we are "Walking with Jesus!" Without His guidance I could not and would not do this. I was honored and humbled when Pastor Susan invited me to contribute to this series of reflections on the Small Catechism. When I saw that I was assigned the third commandment, I wondered if this was random, or if it might be what I call a GMC, a God Made Coincidence. My first inclination was to explore the meaning and uses of key words of the commandment - REMEMBER, SABBATH, KEEP, HOLY - in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. Then, I remembered that Pastor Susan cautioned us about getting too "scholarly." I searched out the copy of Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation I received when I started Confirmation class. I think that was in 1954. It has been a long time since I really studied the Catechism. Let's take a look at the commandment and Luther's explanation to the 3rd Commandment, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise His Word and the preaching of the same, but deem it holy and gladly hear and learn it. Now, the question is, "What does this have to do with my life today?" I am glad that Luther focuses on "keep it holy" by using the day to hear and learn God's word and to worship Him. The Pharisees of Jesus' day, and many people today insist that the Sabbath day should be a day of rest, on which we should do no work. There are reports in the Gospels of the Pharisees' claiming that Jesus and His disciples were not properly honoring the Sabbath. Jesus' response on at least one occasion was that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. I think it would be very difficult for me (perhaps for anyone) to live up to the expectations of the Pharisees in our present environment especially with the Pharisees' interpretation of what constituted "work." During the time that I was retired, I might have considered any day a Sabbbath day of rest, but now that I'm working at a retail store, I take my "day of rest" when I am not scheduled to work. Luther's explanation makes me feel much better about this commandment. For most of my life, I have tried to honor the Sabbath by attending and participating in weekly worship. In the past several years, I have also participated in additional Bible studies. I know though, that I cannot do this by my own strength. God is with me on the journey, and I pray that God will continue to lead me and strengthen me.
The 2nd Commandment: Respectful use of a powerful name
Reflection by Erin Heilman In reflecting on the 2nd commandment, I definitely had lots of memories of growing up memorizing the verses and Luther’s Small Catechism explanations. My dad is a Lutheran pastor, it was always “fun” to get to recite all this from memory...in front of everyone, and my dad. So, the 2nd commandment…. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. And what does this mean? We are to fear and love God, so that we do not use His name superstitiously, or to curse , swear, lie or deceive. But to call upon Him in prayer, praise and thanksgiving. Looking into all the commandments in the Bible, it is interesting to note that only one commandment has a consequence and only one commandment has a direct blessing, and that’s the 4th commandment which another church member will talk more about in a few weeks. But the 2nd commandment is the only one that comes with a warning or direct consequence. In Exodus 20, verse 7 it says: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain”…. And here’s the rest of it, “for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” In reflecting on this personally, I think how often I do not treat the name of God with respect. How often do we sadly use it as a mere explicative, like, “Oh God,” or, “Oh Jeez.” Sure, as parents we will jump all over kids if we catch them saying a swear word, but how often do we hear our kids, or we ourselves say “oh God!” and think nothing of it. We are essentially just using his name as an expression, and not really giving God’s name the respect and reverence is should have. As a parent, I remember we spent so much time thinking about what to name our children,what that name’s meaning was, the history or significance of the name so that it would be just right for our kids. We know names have power and significance. So where did we lose the importance of the Lord’s name? But here’s the rest of what Luther said, "...we are to call upon Him with prayer, praise and thanksgiving." When God came to us in human form, He gave us direct access to Him, and one of the names we use is Jesus. And we have the opportunity to call on Him, and use His name in prayer. Philippians chapter 2:10-11 says, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” His very NAME has this immense power, and we can call on HIM in prayer, anytime anywhere. So, after reflecting on the 2nd commandment I know I will be much more mindful how I use His name, and will consciously try to use it more for prayer, praise and thanksgiving....and not just an expression.
The 1st Commandment: Who's in control?
Reflection by John Urbanski As we begin our journey through Luther’s writings in the small catechism about the Ten Commandments, we will look at what he wrote while also wrestling with the question: What does this mean to me today? The First Commandment: I am the Lord your God, You shall have no other gods. What does this mean for us? Luther writes: We are to fear, love, and trust God above anything else. Growing up Catholic, we practiced the ritual of individual confession. When I was young, it was an obligation that came around every month or so. At that time, when I entered the confessional, the sins to confess were usually something like “I was mean to my brother or sister”, or “I took God’s name in vain” or “I cheated on homework”. Never do I recall confessing that I had other gods. Today, this commandment has new meaning for me. It is common to fall into the trap of having other gods that become more important than loving our Creator God. Not golden calves or other mystical deities. But things in real life that pull us away from God:

• Working long hours and many years to earn that next title and promotion, causing hurt in relationships with family and friends
• Trying to keep up with what society says we should be keeping up with, cash, cars, castles, cabins, cruises, while ignoring our neighbors in need
• Paying more attention to sporting activities than devoting time to God in worship or silent devotion

Luther wrote that your god is that thing or being in which you place your ultimate trust. The thing that you fear losing. Consider the recent hurricanes and the stories of people unwilling to evacuate to safety. Why are they staying in the face of danger? To protect their stuff? Their worldly possessions? The fear of losing control? We value our “in-controlness” as we try to become god ourselves. I can do this on my own. Until we can’t. Most often, when we try to take control of our lives, that is exactly when things get most out of control. As I examine this first commandment, I remember that it is God that has chosen us, and he has great plans for us, plans for our welfare and good. He longs for a loving relationship with each of us, to be our welcome companion. Let us remember this and strive to praise and worship God as the one, awesome, generous God that loves us! Introduction to Walking with Jesus through the Small Catechism