This is most certainly true

For the week of July 31st through August 6th

For the meditations for this week, I thought it would be good to look at Luther’s small Catechism and his comments on the Ten Commandments. Often we see them as a list of what not to do. Luther sees them as a list of what to do. For me this opens up the way scripture is to be used. Not as a tool to see what someone else is doing wrong, but a tool to help us improve our lives. Some of the translations are from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. While it might not be Lutheran, it is a very good translation so I have chosen to use it. The meditation is not set up by day this week, that is ok, I am sure you can handle it. Enjoy, think and ponder.

Pastor Dan

The Small Catechism of Martin LutherPart One: The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, is found at Exodus 20:1-20 and Deuteronomy 5:1-22.
The Lutheran numbering of the Decalogue differs somewhat from other systems. Often the Second Commandment is You shall not make for yourself any idol, which is not to be found in the Lutheran reckoning. The remainder of the Commandments are shifted by one. Commandments 9 and 10 (Lutheran) are often joined as You shall not covet.
Three translations of the commandments are given below. BCP refers to the Episcopal (USA) Book of Common Prayer.

The First Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt have none other gods but me.
BCP Contemporary: You shall have no other gods but me.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect, love, and trust God more than anything else.

The Second Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
BCP Contemporary: You shall not invoke with malice the Name of the Lord your God.
Alternative: You must not misuse your God's name.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not use God's name to curse, swear, cast a spell, lie or deceive, but will use it to call upon God, pray to God, praise and thank God in all times of trouble.

The Third Commandment
Traditional: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.Or: Thou shalt sanctify the Holy Day.
BCP Traditional: Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
BCP Contemporary: Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not look down on preaching or God's Word, but consider it holy, listen to it willingly, and learn it.

The Fourth Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
BCP Traditional: Honor thy father and thy mother.
BCP Contemporary: Honor your father and your mother.
Alternative: You must honor your father and mother [so that things will go well for you and you will live long on earth].

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will neither look down on our parents or superiors nor irritate them, but will honor them, serve them, obey them, love them, and value them.

The Fifth Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt not kill.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt do no murder.
BCP Contemporary: You shall not commit murder.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will neither harm nor hurt our neighbors' bodies, but help our neighbors and care for them when they are ill.

The Sixth Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
BCP Contemporary: You shall not commit adultery.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that our words and actions will be clean and decent and so that everyone will love and honor their spouses.

The Seventh Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt not steal.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt not steal.
BCP Contemporary: You shall not steal.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will neither take our neighbors' money or property, nor acquire it by fraud or by selling them poorly made products, but will help them improve and protect their property and career.

The Eighth Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
BCP Contemporary: You shall not be a false witness.
Alternative: You must not tell lies about your neighbor.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not deceive by lying, betraying, slandering or ruining our neighbors' reputations, but will defend them, say good things about them, and see the best side of everything they do.

The Ninth Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt not covet.
BCP Contemporary: You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Alternative: You must not desire your neighbor's house.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not attempt to trick our neighbors out of their inheritance or house, take it by pretending to have a right to it, etc., but help them to keep and improve it.

The Tenth Commandment
Traditional: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
BCP Traditional: Thou shalt not covet.
BCP Contemporary: You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Alternative: You must not desire your neighbor's spouse, servant, maid, animals or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Q. What does this mean?
A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not release our neighbors' cattle, take their employees from them or seduce their spouses, but urge them to stay and do what they ought to do.