No names, no identifying details but in a Sunday School of mostly church kids the teacher asked “what is a Christian?” And answer came their none.
Which got me thinking – maybe we need a catechism.
That’s a fancy word for a teaching documnet – often in Q and A form.The word Catechism is from the Greek katechein, which means “to teach orally or to instruct by word of mouth”
Two of the most famous one come from the Westminster Confession of faith, a longer and a shorter one. the shorter catachism statrs with a famous first question “Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. 1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 11:36; Ps. 73:25-28.”
Presumably that would work for many children – still. A small update to make “humankind instead of man might be appreciated.,.”
But bass the even the shorter catechism gets a bit too complicated for young children with words like providence and repentance which are undefined.
But simpler versions exist such as The Children’s Catechism
“Q. 1. Who made you?
A. God.
“Q. 2. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.
“Q. 3. Why did God make you and all things ?
A. For his own glory.
“Q. 4. How can you glorify God?
A. By loving him and doing what he commands.
“Q. 5. Why ought you to glorify God?
A. Because he made me and takes care of me.”
And so on. It is 145 questions long and follows the Reformed thology you might expect from a Presbyterian teaching aide.
There are words in this one that will need to be explained such as “glorify” This catechism dates from 1840, and originally sounds a bit King james-ish.”
There are modern versions of this 145 questions produced by various denominations including a baptist one. Links to some of these are at a useful site I found by reformed mama, who also provides her own resources.
Here’s a shorter shorter one. And of course you might write one yourself. I would have “What is a Christian” as one of the first questions. In the time that all these catechisms are derived from this blunt question did not need to be asked from what i see.
The churches of the reformation, Anglican, Lutheran, Baptist and Reformed/Presbyterian all had catechisms. The Anglican church of North America, only ten years old, has produced their own with J I Packer on their team To be a christian but it starts with longer statements, and is for adults. But it starts with the gospel – a big advantage over some of the historical ones ISTM.
Author Tim Keller,was keen on catechisms and told this story in an intoduction for The New City Catechism – a widely used new catechism based on several historical reformed catechisms. “When my son Jonathan was a young child, my wife, Kathy, and I started teaching him a children’s catechism. In the beginning we worked on just the first three questions:
“Question 1. Who made you?
Answer. God
“Question 2. What else did God make?
Answer. God made all things.
“Question 3. Why did God make you and all things?
Answer. For his own glory.
“One day Kathy dropped Jonathan off at a babysitter’s. At one point the babysitter discovered Jonathan looking out the window. “What are you thinking about?” she asked him. “God,” he said. Surprised, she responded, “What are you thinking about God?” He looked at her and replied, “How he made all things for his own glory.” She thought she had a spiritual giant on her hands! A little boy looking out the window, contemplating the glory of God in creation!
“What had actually happened, obviously, was that her question had triggered the question/answer response in him. He answered with the catechism. He certainly did not have the slightest idea what the “glory of God” meant. But the concept was in his mind and heart, waiting to be connected with new insights, teaching, and experiences.”