Caring Connections, vol 13, no. 4, pp. 23-27, 2016
Description
The first paragraph: We are most accustom to think in terms of studying the Small Catechism or learning it by heart but rarely do we hear Luther's language of praying the Catechism. The Catechism functioned, for Luther, as a book of prayer. Albrecht Peters captures Luther's intention: "Praying the catechism is not merely for children and the simple; it is no less the duty and the joy of the mature Christian. Because the triune God Himself is the true teacher of the basic mysteries of the faith, all Christians are His pupils. Prayerful meditation on those basic central texts of our Christian faith draws our inner man into the dynamic of the Spirit of God. These texts and the light of faith from them pull us out of evil thoughts, still and diffuse unrest of our hearts, and form a sturdy protective barrier against demonic temptations." Such praying is serious business; it is not mindless meditation or wordless impulses to connect with a higher spiritual power. Prayer learns how to listen to the Word of the Lord and out of that listening to speak to Him. In so doing, prayer is the Christian's engagement in battle against the Satan. There is no neutrality here; one is either aligned with the Triune God or is positioned with the devil.
