Dear Members and Friends of Our Saviour's,
In June, we began a journey through the Ten Commandments with our Wednesday evening
worship services. We have enjoyed a wonderful group seeking to grow in the faith. One of our
members, when she realized we would be taking a week off because I would be at convention,
said, "Oh, I am really going to miss it this week. I look forward to each Wednesday evening."
I look forward to each Wednesday because I am growing in my own faith as we walk through the
covenant of God in the Ten Commandments. My goal in this worship series is to grow in our
catechism faith. In preparing for this summer, I came across a small book, The Picture Catechism
Explained, by Theodore J. Hartwig. Professor Hartwig writes these words about the Ten
Commandments in the second chapter of his book: "God began his series of commands and
promises to Moses on Sinai (Exodus 20) with the words, 'I am the Lord your God.'" To believers in
the Old Testament, this meant that God was their Creator, their Preserver, and the Lord who had
made a covenant that He would save them. To Christians of the New Testament, this word
declares, fruthermore, that God had saved them through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. With
these opening words, God therefore teaches His people the right understanding of the Ten
Commandments as His gracious guide for the holy and God-pleasing life. When this word is kept
at the head of the Ten Commandments, Luther's statement in the Large Catechism comes into
clearer focus: 'Whoever has mastered the Ten Commandments thoroughly and completely will
have mastered the entire Scripture" (LC, Preface, 17).
We may not master the Ten Commandments this summer, nor will we master the entire Scripture.
We could study His Commandments the rest of our earthly lives and still not master the
commands nor all of Scripture. But we can grow in knowledge of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Have you been too busy to join us Wednesday evenings? Why not rearrange your calendar and
join us to work on mastering the commands of our God.
God's blessing this July and the rest of the summer,
Pastor Brad Homan
