Catechizing Young People Should Be Educational AND Lively

I think of my friends at Higher Things when I read these paragraphs.

The heart of the matter is that we hold our catechizations in such a way that everyone who comes, even likes to come, participates in it with pleasure and joy. We must be careful that we do not, by the way we catechize, give people some sort of excuse for staying away from Christian instruction times. Our catechizations should always be very educational and lively. They should be educational. We usually call these services Christian instruction times. That is a very significant name. They should be Christian instruction times and Christian instruction times. Our catechizations should be set up in such a way that in these services all Christians, young and old, learn something, that they are properly encouraged and fortified in the knowledge of the truth. Our Christian instruction times are not there that we quiz our children only on the Catechism and see what they have retained. Catechization means instruction, instruction by means of question and answer. Our young people and all Christians should be led deeper and deeper into the understanding of the Catechism and thus of the Scriptures in these services, so that they penetrate deeper and deeper into the glorious content of the Catechism and thus better understand the doctrines of the Word of God. Whoever catechizes thus in such a right way will do his part to ensure that his congregation is well grounded in knowledge.

Our catechizations should also be truly lively and stimulating. It would take us too far afield to explain in more detail how this should happen. We would like briefly to point out two points. One should not talk too much. Long, sweeping arguments and exhortations are not appropriate especially in catechesis. One asks much more and asks his questions as briefly, accurately, and precisely as possible, so that children immediately recognize what the question is about. And then, to illustrate the truth and doctrine that one treats, examples are drawn wherever possible, examples mainly from biblical history, but also from everyday experience. If the catechist asks fresh and lively questions, then most children will soon be fresh and lively in answers.

Georg Mezger, The Pastor’s Care for the Confirmed Youth of His Congregation, translation mine. Errors in translation are mine.

No Programs, No Magic Bullets. Only Pastoral Care Will Do It.

When a pastor teaches and allures and appeals and warns in such a proper evangelical way [toward a proper and diligent use of the Lord’s Supper], and also does not forget to hand over this whole matter and every individual soul who is in danger to God in prayer, to petition again and again for the proper pastoral wisdom and prudence of the Great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, then God’s Word will bestow its power, and he will find out how many cheerfully and willingly again return and allure and compel themselves to appear at the table of grace of their Savior.

– Georg Mezger, “How Should A Pastor Exhort His Congregation and Individual Members Toward A Proper and Diligent Use of the Lord’s Supper?” Translated by DMJ

True Congregational Growth Is Tied to A Diligent Use of the Lord’s Supper

It’s a crying shame that many members of a congregation have become lazy and negligent in enjoying the Lord’s Supper, or that the congregation also perhaps tolerates such tranquility of those in their midst who goes on for a year or longer without coming to the Lord’s table. The Lord’s Supper is a means of grace as much as God’s Word, through which the Lord distributes His sure mercies to His Christians. This sacrament makes the forgiveness of sins especially, personally certain to individuals. It thus strengthens the faith of Christians in a particular way, sustains and strengthens their spiritual life and promotes the growth of the inner man. A Christian who diligently uses this sacrament in true faith will grow and increase in the knowledge of God’s will and evermore be complete in sanctification. A congregation in which a more faithful, more diligent use of this means of grace is in full swing, will therefore also internally grow and thrive and rightly build on their most holy faith. And on the other hand, if a congregation is poorly prepared in the proper and diligent use of this sacrament, then they thus deprive themselves of a great blessing that God has chosen for them. The inner growth of the congregation will no longer joyfully progress, but begins to stand still and regress, even if perhaps the congregation is still externally growing and increasing.

– Georg Mezger, “How Should A Pastor Exhort His Congregation and Individual Members Toward A Proper and Diligent Use of the Lord’s Supper?” Translated by DMJ.