Q & A

Despite having been informed recently that I no longer hold Reformed convictions* (probably news to the Calvinistic Baptists I've been harassing lately as it was to me), we're plugging our way through the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

When Frodo and Samwise were younger, we used the First Catechism with them, and were pretty pleased with what they were able to do. But then a friend gave us a copy of Westminster's Shortest Catechism (partial answers of the WSC so that younger kids can get a start on it without all the verbiage--saves them from learning more than one catechism), and we tried that with the Princess until we lost it and went awhile without really any catechism at all.

That didn't last too long and a couple of years ago we started the older three on the WSC--we're making decent progress on memorizing and understanding it--have backtracked a couple of times to focus on this or that, etc. But Arnold's been left out of the memorization thing entirely (would try to ask him a few basic related questions, tho). But recently we've had him at least echo me phrase by phrase using the answers that the others are memorizing. And, naturally, he's actually memorizing things!

Granted, he's still having some troubles with pronouncing some words, so it comes out:

Jus-ication an act of od's free grace, wherein he pardoneh all our sins, and accept us as ri-eous in his sigh, on-y for ri-eousness o Chris impew to us, and ceive by faith alone![he picked up on my stress of that idea and shouts the last three words]

instead of

Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

(and yes, Frodo, I typed that out from memory.)

Regardless of how he says it, it's a blessing to hear. Generally, his siblings will erupt in applause as he finishes his daily regimen of questions (while I appreciate the sentiment, and share it...the practice gets really old). Sure, he's got a long way to go before he really understands what he's saying beyond the phonetic level--and sometimes has a ways to go before he even gets that. But the neural pathways are being laid. The pattern is getting stuck in the recesses of his brain...and, by the grace of God, they'll stick there--and grow deeper and more permanent all the time.


* I haven't decided what kind of theology I now hold to...maybe I'll give the whole Emergent thing a try...get to drink coffee during services and cuss when I want.