Luther's Small Catechism is one of the most beloved gifts of the Church used through the centuries since the Reformation to pass down the Christian faith. For all too many, it is a tool used during Confirmation class and then tossed aside to gather dust. Luther didn't intend for it to be used this way. Generations of faithful Lutherans before us continued to use the Catechism during family worship and devotions. Unfortunately, this is not the case today.

The intent of this series of blog posts is to explore the Catechism and its value as a devotional tool for our life-long journey of walking with Christ. It is not mere child's play, as Luther would remind us, but contains the foundation of the Christian faith upon which all else is built.

My intent is not to focus primarily on an explanation of the Catechism for its own sake. The explanations included in many editions of the Catechism do exactly that. Additionally, Luther's Large Catechism serves as an expansion and exposition of the former. Instead, my focus will be on the practicality of the Catechism, of living out the faith described within in the daily muck and madness of life.