Wednesday, July 21, 2021

The Ten Commandments

John Stromgren

I grew up in the Lutheran church, and in confirmation class on Saturdays, when I was a young teen, we studied Luther’s Small Catechism. It explains the Ten Commandments, The Apostle’s Creed, and The Lord’s Prayer, in simple language that Luther offered to help children learn what it means to be a Christian.

You may have noticed that the panels at the front of the St. John’s chancel display these same three tenets of the faith, in gold script – a gift from Queen Caroline.

I recently came across a copy of the Small Catechism, and enjoyed reading it through – really! I’m at a point in my life when I appreciate simplicity and clarity. I have no particular interest in the imponderables of theology – I just have some basic needs. Tell me what I should do. Show me how to live. Luther’s approach to the Ten Commandments is helpful here, not by just reminding us what we shouldn’t do, but more importantly, I think, by showing us what we should do instead.

Here’s what he said about the First Commandment:

“I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.”

What does this mean for us? We are to fear, love, and trust God above anything else.

We all have something we trust – rely on – fear being without. Even atheists have gods. What do we count on most to get us through life? Money? Our good looks and charm? Coffee? Where your money is, there will your heart be also . . . the grass withers and the flower fades . . . and let’s not joke about coffee. What’s left when we recognize that most of what we rely on is transient and temporal – ultimately unreliable? Something above these things. Something greater.