Preaching the Catechism

Here are some comments to help the readers understand how I arrived at my selection of the scripture readings and hymns for this part of the catechetical sermon series.

Baptismal Sermons

For each of the baptismal sermons I included in the readings the scriptural texts Luther used in his Catechism (Matt. 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-16; Titus 3:3-8; Romans 6:1-11).

For the first sermon the Old Testament and Epistle readings reflect the fact that circumcision is the Old Testament predecessor to Baptism, and that Baptism (the circumcision of Christ) can be administered to infants. Circumcision was administered to infants on the 8^th day (Genesis 17:9-13). The sermon text contrasts Jesus’ Baptism with our baptism – Jesus was baptized as an adult and did not need Baptism; most of us were baptized as infants and all of us needed Baptism to be brought to faith and to have sin forgiven. At His Baptism Jesus was declared to be God’s Son; at our Baptism we became God’s sons and daughters as we were brought from unbelief to faith in Christ. At Jesus’ Baptism He was anointed with the Holy Spirit for His messianic work; at our Baptism the Holy Spirit began to guide our spiritual lives. Jesus was baptized with the Baptism of John; we were baptized in the name of the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus was perfect and sinless so the Father was well pleased with Him; by faith in Christ, God the Father becomes well pleased with us even though we are both sinner and saint. The scripture readings also reflect the fact that Baptism gives faith, forgiveness and eternal life. These are my selections – the readers who will preach on the Catechism might find other scripture selections that better fit their circumstance. 

Hymn Suggestions

I have suggested that the congregation sing Luther’s baptismal hymn on only one Sunday (LSB 406/407, To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord). It can be sung more often if desired or could be sung on more than one Sunday since the hymn is probably not a familiar one. Luther’s hymn on the Ten Commandments (LSB 581) is long and probably unfamiliar to many as well. A choir could help lead the singing of this hymn (as well as lead the singing for Luther’s baptismal hymn). The Ten Commandments hymn is sung progressively in parts corresponding to each Commandment so that only two or three verses of the hymn are sung each Sunday. This will enable the congregation to become familiar with the hymn and to be able to sing it much more easily by the end of the sermon series on the Commandments.

Accessing the Baptism and Ten Commandments Series

To review or download the complete list of lectionary selections, sermon title and text, and hymn recommendations, click here. To contact Dr. Boehme, send an email to Rhoda@FormingLutherans.org, and she will forward your questions or comments to him.

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Banner Image: Baptism of Jesus, Chapel of the Holy Trinity, Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Michigan; photo by Rhoda Schuler, July 2024.

Preaching on the Catechism is not necessarily the norm in Lutheranism today. However, preaching on the Catechism is strongly encouraged by Luther. In his German Mass, Luther stated the desire for regular catechetical preaching to train the young in the Christian faith. [LW 53, 64-69, 78-80, 86-87]

Luther wrote that preaching the “Catechism is doctrine at its best. Therefore, it ought to be constantly preached.” [Ewald Plass, What Luther Says, Vol. 1 (CPH, 1959), 125.]

Luther also stated the need for preaching the Catechism in the preface to the Large Catechism which is part of the Lutheran Confessions. “However, it is not enough for them simply to learn and repeat these parts [of the Catechism] verbatim. The young people should also attend preaching, especially at the time designated for the Catechism, so that they may hear it explained and may learn the meaning of every part. Then they will also be able to repeat what they have heard, and give a good correct answer when they are questioned, and thus the preaching will not be without benefit and fruit. The reason we take such care to preach on the Catechism frequently is to impress it upon our youth, not in a lofty and learned manner, but briefly, and very simply, so that it may penetrate deeply into their minds and remain fixed in their memories.” [LC, Short Preface, 26 & 27.]

Luther did not just encourage the practice of preaching on the Catechism, he actually did it! He preached catechetical sermons in 1516, 1517, 1522 and 1523. By 1522 Lutherans had established the practice of preaching catechetical sermons four times a year. The catechetical sermons Luther preached in 1528 helped to form the text of the Large Catechism. [Charles Arand, That I May Be His Own: An Overview of Luther’s Catechisms (CPH, 2000), 57-63.] Even before he wrote the Small and Large Catechisms, Luther had written several catechetical works. [F. Bente, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (CPH, 1921), 76; LW 43, 3-45.] Having discovered this, I decided to engage in regular preaching on the Catechism. My approach took two paths.

The first path was a three-year series. The first year I would preach on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism in the Epiphany season, and the Ten Commandments starting in September when catechetical instruction began again. The second year I would preach on the Office of the Keys and the Apostles’ Creed in the same time frames. And the third year I would preach on the Sacrament of the Altar, and the Lord’s Prayer in those same time frames.

Occasionally I would preach a series of six catechetical sermons, one sermon on each of the Six Chief Parts of the Catechism.

In both of these approaches, the various parts of the Catechism that were being preached on would also be read and confessed by the congregation in the worship service. For instance, when the first part of Holy Baptism was being preached, the congregation would read/confess the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, Part I. Luther’s catechetical hymns should also be sung. Luther’s catechetical hymns helped to sing the Reformation Gospel of Jesus Christ into the hearts and minds of people. In the material that follows, Luther’s hymns are indicated by (ML). I had the selected parts of the Catechism read/confessed either at the beginning or end of the sermon, or at times before or after the creed.

If some of the readers of this blog have also preached on the Catechism, I would be interested in hearing how that was done. I will be happy to answer questions about my approaches to preaching the Catechism. To contact me, send an email to Rhoda@FormingLutherans.org, and she will forward your questions to me.

The desire of regular catechetical reaching is to strengthen the faith of all who hear them, and to help those hearing the sermons to love Christ as their Savior and have the blessings of eternal life.

Subsequent posts in this series will follow the approaches I took to catechetical preaching in the Sunday services (one post for each year of three-year cycle, and a final post on the six-week series on each of the chief parts of the Catechism). Each post will include suggested Scripture readings, sermon texts and titles, portions of the Catechism to be spoken during the worship service, hymn suggestions, and some theological and practical commentary about my lectionary and hymn choices.

If one is not regularly preaching on the Catechism I would encourage a continuous reading/confession of the Catechism in the Sunday morning church services. Such a practice helps people to recognize that the Catechism isn’t a book to lay aside after catechetical training is done. Such a practice helps to mitigate the “confirmation is graduation from the Bible and Catechism” syndrome, and helps the Catechism to be seen as a devotional tool to strengthen faith in Christ.