The Collected Christian Essentials: Catechism: A Guide to the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, and the Lord's Prayer

By Peter J. Leithart, Ben Myers and Wesley Hill

A life discipled by the catechism.

The Collected Christian Essentials: Catechism is perfect for daily devotions, personal study, and prayer with others.

• Let the catechism of the Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer guide your devotional life.
• Experience a simple liturgy of morning and evening prayer.
• Pray fresh prayers inspired by the catechism.
• Read Scripture with the church year.
• Understand the riches of the catechism with Peter J. Leithart, Ben Myers, and Wesley Hill.

The catechism— the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer—has sustained and nurtured every generation of believers, directing their faith, hope, and love. It helps Christians read, pray, and live God’s word. By giving Christians God’s word to give back to him, it plants seeds of his word and cultivates them to full growth. The Collected Christian Essentials: Catechism brings the church’s ancient catechism to a new generation.

The twenty-four catechism prayers were written by the Right Reverend Joey Royal, Suffragan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Arctic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Release date: Nov 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781683597551

Peter J. Leithart

Peter J. Leithart (PhD, University of Cambridge) is President of Theopolis Institute and serves as Teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. He is the author of several books, including?The Kingdom and the Power, Creator: A Theological Interpretation of Genesis 1,?Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom, and?Baptism: A Guide from Life to Death.

Book preview

The Collected

Christian Essentials

Catechism

A Guide to

the Ten Commandments,

the Apostles’ Creed,

and the Lord’s Prayer

Peter J. Leithart,

Ben Myers,

and Wesley Hill

General Editor, Todd R. Hains

Contents

A Life Discipled by the Catechism

An Introduction

An Order of Prayer

With Confession and Forgiveness

Bible References and History

Of the Order of Prayer

The Ten Commandments

Introduction

Father to Son

God spake all these words

Two Tables

Commandment I

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods before Me

Commandment II

Thou Shalt Not Make Thee Any Graven Image

Commandment III

Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain

Commandment IV

Remember the Sabbath Day

Commandment V

Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother

Commandment VI

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Commandment VII

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

Commandment VIII

Thou Shalt Not Steal

Commandment IX

Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness

Commandment X

Thou Shalt Not Covet

Endnotes

For The Ten Commandments

The Apostles’ Creed

Preface

Introduction

The Ancient Catechism

Article I

I

Believe

In God the Father

Almighty

Maker of heaven and earth

Article II

And in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

Born of the Virgin Mary

Suffered

Under Pontius Pilate

Was Crucified

Died, and Was Buried

He Descended into Hell; on the Third Day He Rose Again from the Dead

He Ascended into Heaven and Is Seated at the Right Hand of the Father

He Will Come to Judge the Living and the Dead

Article III

I Believe in the Holy Spirit

The Holy Catholic Church

The Communion of Saints

The Forgiveness of Sins

The Resurrection of the Body

And the Life Everlasting

Amen

Endnotes

For The Apostles’ Creed

The Lord’s Prayer

Introduction

Your Father in Secret

Invocation

Our Father in Heaven

Petition I

Hallowed Be Your Name

Petition II

Your Kingdom Come

Petition III

Your Will Be Done on Earth as in Heaven

Petition IV

Give Us Today Our Daily Bread

Petition V

Forgive Us Our Sins as We Forgive Those Who Sin against Us

Petition VI

Save Us from the Time of Trial

Petition VII

And Deliver Us from Evil

Doxology

For the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory Are Yours Now and Forever. Amen.

Coda

Praying the Lord’s Prayer with Rembrandt

Endnotes

For The Lord’s Prayer

Catechism Prayers

Or Collects

Daily Bible-Reading Plan

Or Lectionary

Permissions

A Life Discipled by the Catechism

An Introduction

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life, and I shall dwell

in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:6

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ described his word as a seed. A gardener plants a small, unassuming seed in the earth, and he goes to sleep. When he awakes, the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how (Mark 4:27). The seed did its work without any direction or manipulation by the gardener. In the same way God’s word is planted in the human heart. We might not feel any different. We might not appear any different. And yet the seed of God’s word is doing its work. It sprouts up and grows a harvest of faith, hope, and love.

But what does this harvest of faith, hope, and love look like? The church has defined faith, hope, and love according to the Bible. Faith is defined by the Apostles’ Creed, hope by the Lord’s Prayer, and love by the Ten Commandments. These three together are known as the catechism.¹ The catechism is filled with the seed of God’s word, which cultivates, catechizes, and interprets us.

The Word That Cultivates Disciples

Making disciples doesn’t mean manufacturing disciples; making disciples means cultivating disciples. It’s not efficient work. It’s not always straightforward work. And, as Jesus’ parable of the sower teaches, it isn’t our work. It belongs to God, and he’s entrusted this work to us by his word and Spirit.

It’s hard, faithful work. Patiently we establish a habit of reading and praying God’s word, for God’s word and prayer make all things holy (1 Tim 4:5). In happiness and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, in rest and in labor, we bring our questions and fears and joys to God’s word, and we seed our worries and woes, our thoughts and prayers with God’s word. And we wait, we sleep, we work. All the while, we keep bringing ourselves to God’s word. We don’t know how, but the seed of God’s word sprouts up and grows: He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him (Ps 126:6).

The Word That Catechizes Disciples

The catechism is a word of God that helps us pray the word of God, read the word of God, and live the word of God. This book is meant to help you make disciples using the catechism, whether that means discipling yourself or discipling others. There are four parts to this book: an order of prayer (p. xvii), guides to each part of the catechism (pp. 1–363), individual prayers (or collects) based on each part of the catechism (p. 367), and a daily Bible-reading plan (or lectionary; p. 377). Each part will help you plant the seed of the catechism in your life—in thought, word, and deed.

The great catechists of the church promote a classical method of learning the catechism.² First, learn the words of the catechism: memorize the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. Second, learn what the words mean. Third, find new ways and words to state the content of the catechism. Fourth, do it all over again!

Although I’m indeed an old doctor, the great advocate of the catechism Martin Luther said, I never move on from the childish doctrine of the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. I still daily learn and pray them with my little Hans and my little Lena.³ He had just as much to learn from the catechism as his children. There’s a lifetime of learning packed into the catechism.

The Word That Interprets Disciples

The word of God interprets itself, the world, and us. It shows what we really look like, who we really are, and what we’ve really done. We are wounded people in need of healing. We are sinners in need of forgiveness. We are lost sheep in need of finding.

Thank God that the word of God does what it says. It confronts and comforts. It tears down and builds up. It kills and brings to life. It plants, sprouts, and grows an imperishable and eternal seed in us: Jesus, with all his gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and life everlasting. And God’s word never returns empty:

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

(Isa 55:10–11)

The Lord our God—maker of heaven and earth—has given the flowers of the field and the trees of the wood beauty. And yet their beauty does not last. The grass withers, the flower fades (Isa 40:7). But the seed of God’s word bears a crop that does not wither and fade. The word of our God remains forever (Isa 40:8).

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1. Not to be confused with commentaries on the catechism—like Luther’s Small Catechism or the Heidelberg Catechism or the Catechism of the Catholic Church—all of which comment on the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer as well as the sacraments.

2. For example, see Martin Luther’s preface to the Small Catechism.

3. Martin Luther, No. 81, in vol. 1 of D. Martin Luthers Werke, kritische Gesamtausgabe: Tischreden (Hermann Böhlaus Nachfolger, 1912), 30.26–27, 31.1–2.

An Order

of Prayer

With Confession and Forgiveness

Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls;

all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,

and at night his song is with me,

a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:7–8

When we’ve run out of words —whether because of sorrow or happiness—God gives us his own words, because God’s word interprets us, our lives, our worries, and our joys. The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom 8:26). And so, since ancient times, Christian worship has been defined as receiving God’s word and speaking God’s word back to him. This order and logic undergirds the Daily Office: the twin services of Morning and Evening Prayer (also called Matins and Vespers).

This Order of Prayer is a simplified version of the Daily Office. The English version of the Daily Office is mediated through the Book of Common Prayer. The sixteenth-century English Reformer Thomas Cranmer streamlined the eight prayer offices of the medieval church into two and rendered them in common English for common Christians.¹ Thanks to Cranmer, all are now welcome to enjoy the hallowed tradition of praying psalms and verses.

This simplified Order of Prayer shows the basic structure and logic of the Daily Office. Once you’re used to this Order, you should be comfortable with any edition of the Book of Common Prayer (and there are many!) or any of the various traditional prayer offices. If you want to further explore the tradition of the Daily Office, there’s a list of prayer books and prayer book resources at the end of the notes section, Bible References and History of the Order of Prayer, below.

This order of prayer has five parts: (1) Invocation, (2) Confession and Forgiveness, (3) the Service of the Word, (4) Prayer and Thanksgiving, and (5) Benediction. These five parts invite us into God’s word, which brings God present with all his gifts of forgiveness, salvation, and life, and they send us out into the world with words of faith, hope, and love.

Prayer begins with the Invocation, the speaking of God’s name, because God promises to be present in his name and word.

In Confession and Forgiveness, we tell the truth: we have fallen short of God’s law by sinning against him and our neighbors; and we hear God’s promise of forgiveness and the declaration of forgiveness.

In The Service of the Word, we hear God’s word. God’s word calls us to worship, instructs us, comforts us, and gives us hope; we respond in thanksgiving for God’s word with God’s word.

In Prayer and Thanksgiving, we ask our merciful God for his mercy; we confess who he is and what he has done and continues to do, and we pray as he taught us.

In the Benediction, we praise and thank God, blessing those present with God’s name.

This order of prayer can be prayed individually; just read all the text as if you were reading a book. It can also be used by a group—with a leader speaking the plain text, and the group responding with the words in bold. The psalms and songs can be read in unison or in response—with a leader reading up to the asterisk and the group reading the line after the asterisk.

An Order of Prayer

Invocation

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

who made heaven and earth. Psalm 124:8

I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5

Confession & Forgiveness

The Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins to God:

Most merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,

have mercy on us and forgive us;

that we may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

The Forgiveness of Sin

Almighty God have mercy on us,

forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ,

strengthen us in all goodness,

and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life.

Amen.

The Service of the Word

Psalm of Praise

O come, let us sing to the Lord; *

let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *

and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God *

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth, *

and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, for he made it; *

and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down *

and kneel before the Lord our maker.

For he is the Lord our God, *

and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Psalm 95:1–7

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Prayer for Hearing the Word

Blessed Lord, you have caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading of the Word

Here at least one Bible passage is read; see page 377 for a Bible-reading plan.

After a psalm:

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

After other readings:

The word of the Lord:

Thanks be to God!

Response to the Word

In the Morning

Zechariah’s Song, or The Benedictus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, *

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old *

that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear, *

holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation *

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in

darkness and the shadow of death, *

and to guide our feet

into the way of peace.

Luke 1:68–79

In the Evening

Mary’s Song, or The Magnificat

My soul magnifies the Lord, *

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

For he has regarded *

the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth *

all generations will call me blessed.

For he who is mighty has done great things for me, *

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is on those who fear him *

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm. *

He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones *

and has exalted the humble and meek.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel

in remembrance of his mercy, *

as he promised to our fathers, Abraham and his seed forever.

Luke 1:46–55

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed

God has made us his people through our baptism into Christ.

Living together in trust and hope, we confess our faith:

I believe in God the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord:

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge

the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

hell: Some English versions of the Apostles’ Creed translate this line, He descended to the dead.

catholic church: The phrase catholic church means all Christians throughout time and space who confess the Christian faith.

Prayer & Thanksgiving

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us. Matthew 9:27; Psalm 123:3

The Lord’s Prayer

Lord, remember us in your kingdom,

and teach us to pray: Luke 24:42; Luke 11:1

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven;

give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:9–13

For thine is the kingdom and the power

and the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

The Petitions

O Lord, show us your steadfast love,

and grant us your salvation. Psalm 85:7

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,

and let your saints shout for joy. Psalm 132:9

O Lord, save your people,

and bless your heritage! Psalm 28:9

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry come to you! Psalm 102:1

Prayers of the Heart

God is our loving Father.

He wants to hear our questions, fears, and joys.

Here we offer prayers and thanksgivings

for others and ourselves.

After each prayer:

Thy will be done:

on earth as it is in heaven.

Prayer for the Day

Pray at least one of the following prayers.

One person or all in unison may pray.

Prayer for Anytime

Almighty God, only you can order our unruly wills and desires. Grant to your people that we may love what you command and desire what you promise, that among the many changes and chances of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer for the Morning

Our heavenly Father, we give you thanks through your dear Son Jesus Christ that you have kept us this night from all harm and danger. We ask you to keep us this day also, from all sin and evil, that all our thoughts, words, and deeds may please you. Into your hands we commend ourselves, our bodies and souls, and all things. Let your holy angels be with us, that the evil foe may have no power over us.

Amen.

Prayer for the Evening

Our heavenly Father, we give you thanks through your dear Son Jesus Christ that you have graciously kept us this day. We ask you to forgive us all our sins and the wrongs that we have done and to graciously keep us this night. Into your hands we commend ourselves, our bodies and souls, and all things. Let your holy angels be with us, that the evil foe may have no power over us.

Amen.

Benediction

Let us bless the Lord. Psalm 103:1

Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all.

2 Corinthians 13:14

Amen.

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1. The Use of Sarum—the order of services at the Salisbury Cathedral—is surprisingly ecumenical. This Roman Catholic rite structures Anglican rites, and it is approved for use among the Eastern Orthodox. When American Lutherans began to worship in English, they blended elements of Sarum from the Book of Common Prayer with a slightly different continental tradition (for example, compare the collects, or prayers, of the day during the season of Advent).