Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made. You have made public profession of your faith. to live among God s faithful people,

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1 THE PROMISES OF CONFIRMATION (Affirmation of Baptism) Pastor: You have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in Holy Baptism: to live among God s faithful people, to hear his Word and share in his supper to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth? Confirmand: I do and I ask God to help and guide me. Confirmation (Affirmation of Baptism) Questions a Confirmand Should be Able to Answer College Lutheran Church Salem, Virginia

2 It is expected of those being confirmed at College Lutheran Church that they are able to answer each of the questions in this booklet. Answers to all the questions in this booklet can be found in one of two places: [#] = Luther s Small Catechism-Concordia Edition [A]= Appendix to these questions beginning on Page 7 of this booklet (the Appendix may lead you to Bible passages where the answer may be found) 11 MY NOTES 2

3 What are the essential components of worship? True worship should include: Confession and Forgiveness, Praise, and Proclamation of the Word. Why is preaching important? Preaching is important because this is one of the primary ways in which God s Word is proclaimed and people are brought to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. THE WORD OF GOD What is the Word of God? See John 1:1-14. The Word of God is Jesus Christ. The Word, therefore, is much more than just spoken words about God. The Word is God. How is the Word of God proclaimed? The Word of God is proclaimed in the reading of the Bible, preaching and the sacraments. The Word of God can also be proclaimed in conversation between Christians as they tell each other that they are forgiven because Jesus died for them. What is The Logos? Logos is a Greek word which means Word, and refers especially to Jesus Christ who is the Word of God. What does the Word of God call me to do? The Word of God calls each of us to confession, praise, proclamation, and service to others. Write out Ephesians 2:8-9 and explain why Lutherans think this is an especially important verse. See Ephesians 2:8-9. Lutherans think this is an especially important verse because it emphasizes that we are saved, not by what we do, but by what God has done in Christ THE BIBLE Who wrote the Bible? [48] What is the key to the Bible s true meaning? [49] List in order the books of the Old Testament. List in order the books of the New Testament. How are we to understand the Bible? [50] What are the two great doctrines of the Bible and what is the purpose of each? [51] THE TEN COMMANDMENTS What are the Ten Commandments? [53] Write out and explain the meaning of each of the Ten Commandments. [53-90] Who received the Ten Commandments from God and where did this take place? [A] What did Jesus say was the Greatest Commandment? [A] What is the summary of the First Table of the Law? [54] What is the summary of the Second Table of the Law? [54] What are the three purposes of The Law? [94-95] What does it mean to have other gods? [56] SIN What is sin? Explain your answer fully. [95-96] What does it mean to say that people are sinful by nature? [96] Why is the Gospel called Good News? [98] THE APOSTLES CREED What is a creed? [99] Where in the Bible can the Apostles Creed be found? Explain your answer. [A] Why is it called The Apostles Creed? [100]

4 Write out the First Article of the Apostles Creed. What does it mean when we say, I believe in God? [99-100] List at least five of God s attributes. [ ] Why do we call God creator or maker of heaven and earth? [106] Explain the connection between God s Word and creation. [A] Write out the Second Article of the Apostles Creed. Who is Jesus Christ? [119] Explain the meaning of the Christian symbol: ihs. [A] Why has Christ redeemed you? [ ] What are the two natures of Christ? [ ] Give a brief accounting of the main events that took place between Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. [A] Explain the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus and what that has to do with you. [ ] Write out the Third Article of the Apostles Creed. What is the work of the Holy Spirit? [ ] Briefly explain what happened on Pentecost. [A] What do we mean when we call God The Holy Trinity? What is the holy Christian church? [ ] What does the word catholic mean in the Apostles Creed? [A] Which church (denomination) is the true church? [A] What does our church teach about death and eternal life? [A] FORGIVENESS AND GRACE What do we mean when we say, I believe...in the forgiveness of sins? [ ] How do we receive the forgiveness of our sins? [162] What is cheap grace? [A] What does it mean to say we are both saint and sinner? [A] THE LORD S PRAYER What is prayer? [ ] What should we ask of God in our prayers? [171] 9 HOLY COMMUNION Why is Holy Communion sometimes called The Eucharist? Eucharist is a Greek word used in the Bible which means thanksgiving. Holy Communion is a wonderful and joyful thanksgiving to God for the love and forgiveness which comes to us through his Son, Jesus our Lord. WORSHIP What is worship? Worship is the gathering of the Christian community in which three very important things happen: 1) We confess our sins and receive God s forgiveness; 2) we praise God with liturgy and hymns; 3) we hear God s Word proclaimed through the reading of Scripture, preaching and Holy Communion. What does liturgy mean? Liturgy means the work of the people. In Lutheran worship, the congregation is not an audience, but is involved in the worship experience with many sung and spoken responses. What does it mean to say that we are a liturgical church? A liturgical church is one which has a liturgy and follows the seasons of the church year. Name the seasons of the church year in order and the color for each. Advent-Blue, Christmas-White, Epiphany-Green, Lent- Purple, Easter-White, Pentecost-Green Why do we worship together in church? Worship is an activity of the People of God gathered together as the Church. While church may refer to a building, its primary meaning is the People of God. 4

5 your account: The Last Supper, The Betrayal of Judas Iscariot, The Arrest in Gethsemene, Jesus before Pilate, The Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. Briefly explain what happened on Pentecost. See Acts 2. What does the word catholic mean in the Apostles Creed? When catholic is spelled with a small c, it means the universal church, that is, all Christians on earth. When it is spelled with a capital C, it refers to the Roman Catholic Church. Which church (denomination) is the true church? The true church is the church which teaches that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that we are saved by grace through faith. Lutherans accept many denominations as being part of the true church. What does our church teach about death and eternal life? Our church teaches that we who have been baptized and accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior are assured of eternal life. FORGIVENESS AND GRACE What is cheap grace? Cheap grace refers to the idea that it doesn t really matter if we sin because God will forgive us anyway. We must remember that Jesus died so we can be forgiven; therefore, God s grace is costly, not cheap. What does it mean to say we are both saint and sinner? Even though God forgives us for our sins, making us his saints, we still continue to sin and must return daily to God to ask his forgiveness. In this way, we are both saints and sinners. 5 What do we believe about how God answers our prayers? [172] How should we pray? [171] What do we mean when we pray, Thy kingdom come. [ ] What is God s will for people on earth? [ ] What does daily bread mean? [ ] Explain the meaning of: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. [ ] HOLY BAPTISM What is a sacrament and how many sacraments are there? [ ] What is Baptism? [ ] Who is to be baptized? [201] Why are babies baptized? [ ] What are the blessings of Baptism? [ ] How does Baptism bring forgiveness? [ ] CONFESSION What is Confession? [ ] How should we understand the words of forgiveness spoken by the pastor? [216] What is the Office of the Keys? [220] HOLY COMMUNION What is Holy Communion or The Sacrament of the Altar? [ ] What does Christ give us in this sacrament? [229] How can bread and wine also be Body and Blood? [231] Why should we receive Holy Communion often? [ ] Why is Holy Communion sometimes called The Eucharist? [A] 8

6 WORSHIP What is worship? [A] What does liturgy mean? [A] What does it mean to say that we are a liturgical church? [A] Name the seasons of the church year in order and the color for each. [A] Why do we worship together in church? [A] What are the essential components of worship? [A] Why is preaching important? [A] THE WORD OF GOD What is the Word of God? [A] How is the Word of God proclaimed? [A] What is The Logos? [A] What does the Word of God call me to do? [A] Write out Ephesians 2:8-9 and explain why Lutherans think this is an especially important verse. [A] MY QUESTIONS! 7 Appendix THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Who received the Ten Commandments from God and where did this take place? See Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment? See Matthew 22:36-40 Why does Luther call the The Law a mirror? Luther calls The Law a mirror because The Law shows us to ourselves as we really are, people who are sinful. THE APOSTLES CREED Where in the Bible can the Apostles Creed be found? Explain your answer. The Apostle s Creed is not found in the Bible. Rather, it was developed by the early church as a statement of the faith based on what the Bible tells us about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Explain the connection between God s Word and creation. See Genesis 1. Explain the meaning of the Christian symbol: ihs. IHS is a symbol found in many churches including our own. It stands for the Latin words: in hac sacram, which may be translated as in this sacrifice or in this cross. The symbol is used to remind us that our salvation comes through Jesus death in our place. Give a brief accounting of the main events that took place between Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. See Mark Include at least the following events in 6