Proclaimer Blog
2012 Catechisms
This year, my boys and I are trying to memorise a catechism each. My sons are six and five, and I’ve started using with them Carine Mackenzie’s excellent little book My First Book of Questions. It is very simple – 117 questions and answers that teach the Christian faith. We’re having a go at doing 2 questions and answers each week, thereby covering it in one year. We’re helped by Ann Benton’s excellent little book called Ferdinand which is all about a train that goes off the rails which is based around the catechism questions. I simply take five to ten minutes on a Sunday morning before church with each of my sons. First we read Ferdinand, and then I read the question and they learn the answers. My oldest son writes out the 2 questions and answers with the Bible references and we pin it up in the kitchen to help us remember them. At the end we pray and I give them some sweets!
Carine Mackenzie’s book is largely based on The Westminster Shorter Catechism, available for only 0.77p on kindle. So I am having a go at learning that this year. It has 107 questions and answers, so again, I am trying to learn 2 a week. Cycling to work this morning I learnt question 4: “Q. What is God? A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.” Reformed Christianity is the hope for the world. These catechisms are a great way of getting it into the blood stream of young and old alike.