Carol L. Veldman Rudie

This litany is but one idea for how to utilize the Heidelberg Catechism in worship. For more ideas see "Good for More Preaching".  I am the LORD your God,who brought you out of Egypt,out of the land of slavery.You shall have no other gods before me.I sincerely acknowledge the only true God, trust him alone, look to him for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love him, fear him, and honor him with all my heart.In short, I will give up anything rather than go against his will in any way.You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.We will in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he hascommanded in his Word.You shall not misuse the name of theLORD your God,for the LORD will not hold anyoneguiltlesswho misuses his name.We will use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may properly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in everything we do and say.Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.I will regularly attend the assembly of God's people to learn what God's Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor.Every day of my life I will rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit,and so begin in this life the eternal Sabbath.Honor your father and your mother.I will honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother. I will obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and punish me; and I will be patient with their failings—for through them God chooses to rule us.You shall not murder.I will not belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor—notby my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, andcertainly not by actual deeds—and I will not be party to this in others; rather, I will put away all desire for revenge. I will not harm or recklessly endanger myself either.You shall not commit adultery.God condemns all unchastity.We therefore thoroughly detest it and,married or single, will live decentand chaste lives.You shall not steal.I will do whatever I can for my neighbor's good,I will treat others as I would like them to treat me,and I will work faithfully so that I may share with those in need.You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.I will love the truth, speak it candidly, andopenly acknowledge it.And I will do what I can to guardand advance my neighbor's good name.You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.With all my heart I will always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right.

What a vision of peace the prophet Isaiah paints for God’s people in the southern kingdom of Judah! Invasions by the ruthless Assyrians came from the north, they were betrayed by their sister kingdom Israel, and inadequate kings of their own made the time perilous.

One of the unique things about this Good Friday service is the interweaving of Psalm 22 throughout the account of the crucifixion. By quoting the first verse of this psalm while he was dying on the cross, Jesus was really pointing to the message of the whole psalm. Notice the movement in the psalm from a cry of despair—“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”— to a proclamation of praise—“He has done it!” —JB Opening Greeting

The Lord’s Prayer has often been a source for structuring congregational prayers. This service is actually an extended prayer based on the Lord’s Prayer and the commentary on it in the Heidelberg Catechism (Q&A 120-129). It was designed as the conclusion to a preaching series on the Lord’s Prayer; each of those services also included sections of the Heidelberg Catechism.

What is the meaning of light in the Bible? This drama was prepared for the conclusion of a series of sermons our pastor preached between Epiphany and Lent that asked that question. Rather than using a narrative approach, I began with three scenes: creation, fall, and redemption. Using my concordance, I found relevant Scripture passages for each scene. (All Scripture is taken from the NRSV.) When I noticed that my original three-part structure didn’t satisfy, I added scenes 3 and 5.

What part, if any, does the Heidelberg Catechism play in your liturgy? If you are Presbyterian, probably none at all, since it is not part of the Scottish and English tradition. If your roots are Reformed and from the European continent, you are probably familiar with the Catechism as it is used in preaching.

Today's parents no longer assume that they know what family worship should be. Even those brought up with some sort of family prayer and Bible reading are often looking for a more meaningful way to worship at home with their families.