Heidelberg Catechism-The Next Generation

Last week, we looked at how the Heidelberg Catechism is used. We ended our post talking about the goal of the catechism. Let’s do a quick recap, and then we will look more at the next generation.

The Goal of the Catechism

The goal of the Catechism is not to superimpose itself on the Bible. The goal of the Catechism is to be able to provide an instruction manual, a curriculum, a template whereby there can be uniform instruction that is rooted in the truths of Scripture. The goal of the Catechism is that we pass on the truths of the Catechism to the next generation. Now, I need to qualify that just a little bit. We're not just interested in passing on the Catechism because that's what we grew up learning. We're interested in passing on the Catechism because we believe it summarily and accurately brings out the truth of God's Word. It demonstrates and exposes and brings to light in an instructive question and answer format doctrines that are plain as day throughout the Scriptures.

That's why we care so much about the Catechism. It's not because this is an old document from a long time ago. We teach the Catechism because our mission, is to know Jesus and then to make Him known. The Catechism is a historic, tried and true curriculum by which many have learned who Jesus is and why He matters. It's a wonderful way by which many who have come to know who Jesus is, have then been strengthened and instructed in the life of faith following Christ Jesus. So the recommendation is that we use the Catechism regularly for instruction among new attenders, longtime members, children, and adults.

I don't know about any of you, but I can remember sitting in chairs and we playing Rolling Boulder growing up. You're sitting there and you just know, he asked question four to the person three away from me, so that means five, six, seven. Okay, I need to remember what's question seven today, right? We don't just want to pass this on as rote memorization just because. We want to pass this on because this is about our great God and this is a wonderful mechanism that is tried and true. It's been used throughout history, across multiple languages, multiple continents, multiple people groups, multiple attention spans. God has chosen to use this as a mechanism whereby which faithful biblical instruction takes place, rooted always in the truth of the scriptures.

I'm so thankful we have mechanisms in the Christian Reformed Church of North America to say, here's something in the catechism that doesn't seem to line up with the whole rest of scripture, and we can actually go to the whole rest of our body of brothers and sisters in the church and say, brothers and sisters, we actually think this isn't accurate for scripture, and then we move together to make decisions as we seek and as we study and as we pursue God's Word. So again, this is not a replacement for God's Word. This is a helpful manner for instruction for all ages.

What Are We Passing On?

The counterpoint to this, the flip side of this coin, another way of presenting the same statement, is that if we do not pass on the contents of the truth of God's Word as summarized by the catechism, the question then is, what are we passing on? What are we handing down? What is the legacy of learning that we are leaving behind? Who is the Lord that we are bringing people to, and who is the Lord that we are leaving people with?

Thankfully, I think the Heidelberg Catechism, is something that we've benefited from. I want to tell a couple stories here. There have been multiple times as a pastor where I've gotten to sit with people in the hospital as they are getting ready to go and meet the Lord. What comes to mind? Some of you have sat with people as they are getting ready to go meet the Lord. What is it that they're clinging to? What is it that they're remembering? What is it as the pain keeps coming and they say to the nurse, can you give me something else? What is it that people cling to? What is it that they're placing their hope in? At least for me, when I get to chat with folks, a lot of the times the catechism comes back up, and the catechism comes back up as a reference point, not because the catechism is their hope, but because the Jesus Christ who is exposited and spoken of in the scriptures and summarily talked about in the catechism, that's where their hope is. Their hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ who died, who rose, and who's presently reigning.

There are little ones, little tiny children, who sometimes I get to go and visit. And as you visit with these little tiny children, sometimes there are scary things that happen even to little kids. What do they hold on to? As they're in their mom and dad's arms, as they're there getting ready to go, what are they looking forward to? Are they looking forward, or are they only scared because they don't know what's next? Are we passing on to the next generation the Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever? Are we passing on that same reality, that same truth? What we have received, what we've been taught, are we passing that on? The catechism is a wonderful way to do it and if we don't pass it on, what will they hold on to?

I also get to sit with folks who are not believers as they're getting ready to go. It's a vastly different experience. The look in their eyes is different. The tears on their cheeks are different. Every breath that they take is different. They're getting ready to go somewhere, but they don't know where. There's not much hope. There's not much certainty. Now, the good news is we get to go and still talk to them. They're still breathing, and so there's still hope.We can talk to them about who Jesus is and why He matters, even in the last moments. So we encourage unbelievers to reach out to Him.The catechism is so helpful. If you've got three minutes with somebody and they don't know the Lord, you can just ask them, what is your hope? What's your comfort for what's coming next? Well, I don't have any. Well, I think I've been good. Well, I know that my mom passed and she was a Christian. I know that my dad went out and he believed in God. Catechism is a beautiful, helpful tool and summary way of sharing who Jesus is and why He matters with somebody at their bedside, as they're getting ready to go into eternity. There are some unbelievers who you'll sit with and they're angry. They want no one to be with them. They would like entertainment, their lusts, their greed, their desires fulfilled. They're coming to the end of their life and they're recognizing they're not going to have any of that anymore.

So I want to encourage us, what are we going to leave and what are we going to teach? What are we going to share? I would make the argument that the Heidelberg Catechism is the best curriculum that we could use.