For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
It’s the verse that goes with the first question of the New
City Catechism (www.newcitycatechism.com).
The New Year is a time to initiate new resolutions, efforts, & commitments.
There are a number of new things PCC is initiating this year; none I am more
excited about than introducing the New City Catechism. It’s not a program. It’s
a bold new commitment I’d like us to make together… a commitment to work toward
a deeper comprehension of the faith we claim… a commitment to the 2nd part of
our purpose statement… “To produce growing disciples who serve Christ.” Growing
disciples must know what they believe. I fear that we don’t know the gospel and
foundational truths it is built upon very well. The NCC is a tool that will
help us grow as disciples of Jesus Christ; it’s a tool we can use both at church
and at home.
NCC is a free internet catechism comprised of 52 questions
and answers, one for each week of the year divided into 3 parts:
PART 1 = God, creation and fall, law (20 questions);PART 2 = Christ, redemption, grace (15 questions);
PART 3 = Spirit, restoration, growing in grace (17 questions)
Questions #1 and the answer: “What is our only hope in life
and death?”
Answer: “That we are not our own but belong, body and soul,
both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus.”
The same questions are asked of both children and adults;
the children's answer is always part of the adult answer. A Bible verse
accompanies each question and answer. In addition, there is a short commentary
& a prayer. Each Sunday this year our call to worship will introduce the
next question & answer from the NCC and the corresponding Scripture.
The practice of catechesis takes truth deep into our hearts,
so we find ourselves thinking biblically. When death intrudes upon your family
as it inevitably will and your children wonder, you wonder: “What is our only
hope in life and death?”
Don’t you want their thinking & yours to go to that
glorious answer of the gospel: “We are not our own but belong, body and soul,
both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus.”
Is this a church or family thing? YES! We’ll introduce the Q
& A for each week at church. Our SS teachers will be reinforcing the
answers in SS class. But this is 1st and foremost a family spiritual education
tool. Make this a regular part of your family.
Are we supposed to memorize the answers? YES! The discipline
of memorization drives concepts deeper into the heart and holds us more
accountable to master the material. Be creative with it. Make flashcards, quiz
one another, and review in the car, at breakfast, at bedtime. The idea is to
build a biblical mindset. Don’t get too legalistic about the memorizing. Do the
best you can… 2014 will be our review year.
What if I don’t agree with the answer? If you or someone in
the family questions the answer given, let that be the catalyst for discussion.
Let the discussion push you back to the Bible for more information. Encourage
the kids express their doubts and questions. But learn the answers given. I
hope the process will stimulate family discussions about the faith.
Will learning the NCC guarantee that my children will remain
committed Christians when they grow up? No. But, Princeton theologian Archibald
Alexander said, it is like firewood in a fireplace. Without the fire—the Spirit
of God—firewood will not in itself produce a warming flame. But without fuel
there can be no fire either, and that is what catechetical instruction is.
My prayer is that everyone connected to Pflugerville
Community Church will share this new resolution to learn the NCC. It will take
perseverance and patience and some hard work, but at the end of 2013 we will
have strengthened the foundation of our faith. Not sure if this is right for
you and/or your family? Go to website and check it out for yourself. www.newcitycatechism.com
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