New City Catechism

We've made it! We've reached the end of the New City Catechism. Well done if you have stuck with me, and kudos to those who have made a good go at learning the catechism too. I must admit, I started with good intentions, but haven't managed to commit these questions and answers to memory - not even the short (kids) answers! I shall rely on my book, app and blog going forward! The final question, speaks of our ultimate end - our eternal home. Q52. What hope does everlastin

Jesus has triumphed - what on earth will he do next? Well, he doesn't hang around for long - he ascends to heaven. He leaves his people, the church to carry out his mission. But don't worry, he makes sure we are perfectly equipped for this task. Q51. Of what advantage to us is Christ's ascension?Christ physically ascended on our behalf, just as he came down to earth physically on our account, and he is now advocating for us in the presence of his Father, preparing a place

Last time in the catechism, we considered how every moment of Jesus life has significance for us. We continue to explore the implications of this as we look at the resurrection. Q50. What does Christ's resurrection mean for us?A. Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected, so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Just as we will one day be resurrected, so this world will one day

Whenever you think of Jesus, how do you picture him? Do you think of his cross or empty tomb? Do you speak of the manger? Do you consider his teachings and miracles? Do you think on what he is doing now? What is the most important part of Jesus ministry? At Easter time, we think about the significance of Jesus death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. It is true that this was the highpoint of Jesus ministry, it was the very reason why he came. Yet, the dan

Today the activity of the church looks very different from it did just one month ago. In the middle of a lockdown due to COVID-19 churches are no longer able to gather together for worship, prayer and activities. As a result we have had to rethink what we do, with alot of activity moving online. The change has been sudden, and has caused us to ask - what is church? There is a lot of good that has come from the changes, new opportunities have opened up. Despite it's challe

It's true - you can't improve on perfection. Jesus death was perfect. It is complete. That's the truth that the next question in the catechism picks up on, as it also explains to us what we benefit from in the Lord's supper. Q47. Does the Lord's supper add anything to Christ's atoning work?A. No, Christ died once for all. The Lord's supper is a covenant meal celebrating Christ's atoning work; as it is also a means of strengthening our faith as we look to him, and a foret

When Jesus gave the sacraments to his church, he gave us pictures to go with the message of his life, death and resurrection along with all that means for us. As we come to think on the sacrament of communion, the catechism teaches us it has at least 4 dimensions! Q46. What is the Lord's supper?A. Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him and his death. The Lord's supper is a celebration of the presence of God in ou

When you walk along a path, there are two sides you can fall off... so it is good to be clear where both edges are. As we think more about baptism our eyes are directed to the other edge of the path. Q45. Is baptism with water the washing away of sin itself? A. No, only the blood of Christ and the renewal of the Holy Spirit can cleanse us from sin. In the previous question we learned how baptism is not a meaningless image. However we need to be clear, baptism itself does not

In any group of Christians, one topic that is sure to cause debate and / or confusion is baptism. One of the many questions that arise is should we baptise infants or not? The catechism doesn't answer that question, but the important thing to note is that what it teaches on baptism holds true however you answer that question. Q44. What is baptism?A. Baptism is the washing with water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; it signifies and seal our adoption i

As churches seek to facilitate worship during the COVID-19 outbreak many have provided services online. When doing so, the question arises - do we go MP3 and just use sound? Or should we go full video? Without entering that specific debate, our catechism question today shows us that Jesus gave his church sound and picture, in full HD. Q43. What are the sacraments or ordinances?A. The sacraments or ordinances given by God and instituted by Christ, namely baptism and the Lord

One of the first things we get taught in school is how to read, from then on we must read billions of words in a variety of contexts. From road signs to FB posts. There's newspapers, books, letters, blogs payslips, to government advice and updates on corona-virus. Each one we read differently. For some we pay attention to every word. Others, we skim over and flick through quickly. What about reading the bible? How should we read it? That's what the next question i

Our next question is really familiar - that makes it easy to learn, but no less valuable to ponder! Q41. What is the Lords prayer? A. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Lots of has been written on this prayer over the years, so here is just a coupl

Johannes Kepler, the 17th Century scientist, described science as 'thinking God's thoughts after him.' Our catechism question today describes prayer as 'speaking God's word back to Him'. Q40. What should we pray?A. The whole word of God directs and inspires us in what we should pray, including the prayer Jesus himself taught us. A few things to note: The whole word, means the whole word. It is tempting to turn to the Psalms, or the prayers of Paul, or a favourite passage i

I recently visited the home I grew up in. Last time I was there I was 11 years old, going back - everything looked smaller. The front drive, the hallway - all seemed smaller than I remembered... I took a glance out the the back window, thankfully the garden still looked big enough for a game of football! As you grow up, your perspective changes - not just on size, but on time and what is important in life. As your perspective changes, it affects how you act and react in va

We made it through the New City Catechism a while back in church, but I never finished blogging it all... so now that I have some sabbitical I am aiming to finish off the blog! We pick up at Q38 - on prayer. It is a really simple, clear and beautiful question and answer. It warms the heart, but must move us to action! Q38. What is prayer? A. Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving. Some points to note: Prayer has a dir

If you have ever done homework with kids, you'll know that there comes a time when they stretch the limits of your memory and ability. You might have been able to do those sums at one time, but now, you can't help them. With that in mind, let's consider the next question in the catechism which speaks of the help which the Holy Spirit brings to us. Q37. How does the Holy Spirit help us? A. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, comforts us, guides us, gives us spiritual gi

An ant can carry over 25 times it's body weight and run 800 times it's body length in a minute. Now I am not sure if it can do that at the same time - but such strength and speed are staggering. The truth expressed in our next catechism question is even more staggering. Q36. What do we believe about the Holy Spirit? A. That his is God, coeternal with the Father and the Son, and that God grants him irrevocably to all who believe. Some points to note: The Holy Spirit is a p

Victor Meldrew said 'I DON'T believe it!' but have you ever said - 'I just CAN'T believe it'? Perhaps someone has said it to you. You have told them about God's love. You have explained that we don't need to do anything to get into heaven. You have said, our good works don't matter at all. But they said - 'I don't believe it'. Surely, I have to do something. Surely, at least, I have to believe. That's true - but the amazing thing is, even your faith, is a gift from

Why? No matter how you answer - it never seems to satisfy a 3 year old. The catechism takes us to a why question today. Last time we learnt that we don't need to top up Jesus good works. In fact, if we do good works to earn salvation, we are denying all that Jesus has done for us. So why bother doing anything good? Q34. Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God's word? A. Yes, because Christ having redeemed us

I love a bargain, but I'm not a big fan of haggling. Offering someone less that the price they display, doesn't seem right. Of course, offering someone more than the price they display, doesn't seem right either! Why would you? Yet when it comes to salvation, we like to offer a little more. It's to that issue the catechism turns next. Q33. Should those who have faith in Christ seek their salvation through their own works or anywhere else? A. No, they should not, as