# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_M rz 1857_S66
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

66    Instruction for Catechism Sermons.

...adopted since the third century, have regard, namely to the beginners,
to those advancing, and to those who have grown mature — indeed, more
to the latter in the sermon, and to the two former classes in the
examination. Young and old alike get, in the sermon, the opportunity to
exercise themselves in retaining; but in the examination, in answering
— the former in answering aloud, the latter in answering silently — and
this is confirmed and corrected by that.

2. The Importance of Catechism Sermons.

In the German Mass of the year 1526, Dr. Luther orders that two days in
every week shall maintain and strengthen the Catechism in its right
understanding. Indeed, in his Table Talk he says: "I would that it were
preached daily and read simply out of the book" — which, according to
the church orders, has indeed happened for a long time every Sunday
after the sermon. Dr. Luther himself was a zealous catechism preacher,
especially at the beginning of the Reformation, when he still had no
helpers at all for such work, or at most only a few. Thus, in the years
1516 and '17, he first expounded the Ten Commandments; in the Lenten
season of the last-mentioned year, the Lord's Prayer; in the [15]20s,
again the Ten Commandments; in the year 1533, at Torgau, the Second
Article; at the Convent in Schmalkalden, the whole Second Chief Part.
Indeed, are not all his sermons and expositions directed toward the
Catechism? For he himself testifies: "I claim this for myself in all my
sermons, that it is the foremost and best doctrine."

Catechism sermons become ever dearer to diligent preachers and hearers.
Much that one knows more by the letter becomes ever clearer the longer
one lives with it. The whole structure of doctrine builds itself ever
further and firmer; in particular, one learns to value and use the
individual precious building-stones in the Large Catechism ever more,
one pays closer attention to individual sentences and expressions, to
their connection with one another, etc. That which is already known
impresses itself ever more deeply with each repetition; one rejoices to
hear the earlier material again, just as one rejoices at the voice of a
returning friend; one feels ever more at home in such sermons; the
memories of earlier blessing are renewed, to which each time a new
blessing is added. And because the Catechism is an extract from the
whole Bible, one thereby gains more insight into the whole Bible and
into its entirety, from the beginning of the world up to eternal glory,
and thereby one also comes to a right wholeness in Christianity, in
faith, in hope, and in love.

Through nothing do preachers learn better to bring out the main points,
to express themselves briefly, and to preach simply and yet
instructively. In doing so they exercise themselves especially in the
great art of "claiming the Catechism for themselves, after Luther's
example, in all their sermons," in that they do not merely quote words
out of it, but on every occasion lead into the understanding of the
words