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About the Household Faith Series
Calvary’s Household Faith Series is a collection of lessons on a series of important faith formation topics designed for parents to lead their children through as they teach them the faith. God has given every parent the gift of being the greatest influence on the faith life of their children. The church’s role is to partner with them as they pass on the faith to their children. This Series is an attempt to do that by equipping parents with the necessary resources and lessons.
The Household Faith Series includes
First Communion Preparation
Remembering Baptism
Reading the Bible
Learning to Pray
Confessing the Creed
Learning the Liturgy
About Remembering Baptism
Remembering Baptism consists of five lessons following the questions and answers Martin Luther puts forth on Baptism and the Apostles’ Creed in his Small Catechism.
These lessons seek to help parents whose children are baptized or who are preparing them for baptism learn what Holy Baptism is, what its benefits are, how Holy Baptism can do what it does, and what it means for the new life of the baptized. It also aims to teach them about various aspects surrounding Holy Baptism, like infant baptism and baptismal sponsors.
Each lesson makes use of readings from the Bible and Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, videos, important vocabulary words to know, and questions to reinforce and solidify learning.
In the end, we hope these lessons will help those who are baptized learn more about what happened at their baptism and help those preparing for baptism understand how God works through the water and word of Holy Baptism.
Lesson One: What is Holy Baptism?
Review the following before you begin Things you’ll need for this lesson:
Bibles for those going through the lesson
A copy of Luther’s Small Catechism. If you don’t have or can’t find a physical copy, you can download the Small Catechism app in your smart device’s app store or go to https://catechism.cph.org/ to view it online.
An electronic device that can play YouTube videos. We’ll be using videos from BibleProject.
A pen or pencil for recording your student’s answers at the end of the lesson
LEARNER GOAL: At the end of this lesson, students should know the basics of what Holy Baptism is, its biblical and historical background, who instituted it, and what it means to be baptized in God’s name.
Introduction
PARENTS SAY: Holy Baptism is a vital part of the life of a Christian and an important part of the church as a whole. It’s one of the three means of grace God uses to create faith in us, forgive our sins, and give us eternal life: the other two being Holy Communion, and God’s Word—the Bible.
Our worship service focuses on these means of grace. You can think of going through the worship service like climbing two mountains side by side. The first part of the worship service, or the first mountain, focuses on God’s spoken word. Its peak is the Gospel reading. There we hear of what Jesus did for us. Then, we hear the pastor’s sermon tell us about it again in a different way.
The second part of the service, the second mountain, focuses on God’s tangible word. Holy Communion is its peak. Holy Communion is God’s word of promise that we can touch with our hands, taste with our mouths, and even smell with our noses.
But from the service’s beginning to its end, we hear echoes of Holy Baptism, another tangible word from God, that is, his name combined with water. Through this life-giving water, God rescues us from sin and death, calls us his own, and makes us his children. Baptism is not a past event for the Christian, but a present reality in which we live loving God by loving and serving our neighbors. That’s what these lessons will teach you about.
Small Catechism Reading
Open your copy of Luther’s Small Catechism (or go to https://catechism.cph.org/) and turn to the fourth chief part entitled, “The Sacrament of Holy Baptism” and read the first main question, “What is Baptism?” and Luther’s answer. Then read its follow-up question, “Which is that word of God?” and Luther’s answer.
Review the vocabulary word below, then ask the following questions:
VOCABULARY: Institute, To start something that continues; (for example a holiday tradition)
What does Luther (the writer of the Small Catechism) say Holy Baptism is?
A: Water that is included in God’s command and combined with God’s word.
Who instituted it?
A: Our Lord, Jesus Christ
What words did Jesus say to baptize people in?
A: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Look again at the answer Luther gives to “Which is that word of God?” Do we hear these words anywhere else during the week?
A: During the worship service at church; we open our worship service with them in the invocation and the pastor speaks it in the absolution.
Video - Yahweh — Lord
Watch the Yahweh - LORD video on the BibleProject Youtube page (https://youtu.be/eLrGM26pmM0). This video will cover the meaning of God’s personal name and the journey behind all the different names Jews and Christians have referred to their creator throughout the centuries.
Discuss what you saw in the video. If you need to, you can use some of the following questions:
Who asked for God’s name?
What does the Hebrew word ehyeh mean?
What was something new that you learned?
Parents, feel free to share something you learned
Was there anything in the video that was weird, confusing, or that you didn’t understand?
Parents, don’t hesitate to share something that was weird or confusing to you or that you didn’t understand.
Also, feel free to write down these questions and try to find the answers throughout the week.
Bible Reading - Exodus 3:1-17
Grab your Bibles and turn to Exodus 3:1-17. Read it aloud (consider taking turns with those with you); then, discuss what you read. Use some of the following questions:
What questions does Moses ask God?
What does God say in response to Moses’s questions?
The Hebrew word ehyeh (which God gives as his name) is often translated in English Bibles as I AM WHO I AM, but it could just as rightfully be translated, I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE. Where else does God say he will be in this Bible reading? (Hint: check out verse 12)
How might God’s two answers to Moses be related to God’s name combined with water to make baptism?
Video - Gospel
Watch the Gospel video on the BibleProject YouTube page (https://youtu.be/HT41M013X3A). This video covers one of the most common words in a Christian’s vocabulary and what it meant in the original languages of the Bible.
Discuss what you saw in the video. If you need to you can use some of the following questions.
According to the video, what did Jesus claim?
What good news (euagelion) did Jesus tell his followers to spread?
What did Jesus say living in God’s kingdom meant?
What things are different in Jesus’s kingdom?
What was something new that you learned?
Again, feel free to share something you learned
Was there anything in the video that was weird, confusing, or that you didn’t understand?
Again, don’t hesitate to share something that was weird or confusing to you or that you didn’t understand.
Also, feel free to write down these questions too and try to find the answers throughout the week.
Bible Reading - Matthew 28:16-20
Grab your Bibles again. This time turn to Matthew 28:16-20. Read it aloud (consider taking turns with those with you). Then, review the vocabulary word below and discuss what you read. Use some of the following questions:
VOCABULARY: Disciple, Student, one who learns; Christian disciples are those who listen and learn the way of life from Jesus
What did Jesus says was given to him (and who do you think gave it to him)?
See verse 18
What did Jesus tell his disciples to do?
See verses 19-20
What name did Jesus tell them to baptize people in?
See verse 19
What promise does Jesus make?
See verse 20
PARENTS SAY: God shows that he does not intend to be a god who simply exists somewhere far off. He isn’t just milling about, twiddling his thumbs, waiting for us to call on him or for things to get bad enough to intervene. He is not the God who turns away from us. He is the God who is with his people.
This is the Gospel, the good news of God’s name: that he is the God who draws near to us. So near that he is as much in us as he is next to us. This he does by putting his name on us in the waters of Holy Baptism. Martin Luther wrote in his Large Catechism, “To be baptized in God’s name is to be baptized not by men, but by God himself.”
God’s name is a word of promise to us. “I will be who I will be, that is, I will be with you.” He sent the living, breathing embodiment of his promise, Jesus, to fulfill and continue this promise to us. And, Jesus calls us to announce this promise, this good news, this gospel, to others and baptize them in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this way, God unites us to Jesus, forgives our sins, makes us his children, and gives us new life.
Some questions to see what you learned
Review the following questions with your child to see what they learned and reinforce the information; grab a pen or pencil to record their answers
What is Holy Baptism and who instituted it?
What does God’s name (I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE) which he gave to Moses say about him?
What do the words “institute” and “disciple” mean?
What promises do God and Jesus make in the Bible readings for this lesson?
In whose name does Jesus tell us to baptize and why that name?
Closing Prayer
Close your time of study with the following prayer:
Heavenly Father, we give you thanks with our whole hearts because you have shown us your grace and mercy by giving us your hoy name and promising to always be with us. Amen.