Opening Litany based on Luther's small catechism

Pastor: We will serve no other gods

Congregation: we will fear, love, and trust God more than anything else.

Pastor: We will not misuse God’s Name.

Congregation: We will use God’s name to call upon God in prayer, praise and thanksgiving.

Pastor: We will honor sacred time

Congregation: We will not take the preaching and the studying of God's Word lightly, but consider it holy, participate in Holy time willingly, and learn and study the word of God.

Pastor: We will honor those in authority

Congregation: We will not look down on our parents, superiors or elected officials, but rather we will honor, serve, obey, love and value them and participate in making the system better.

Pastor: We will honor life

Congregation: We will neither harm nor hurt others, but rather, help them and care for them when they are ill and honor and respect their life decisions.

Pastor: We will honor our relationships

Congregation: In matters of sex our actions and words will be clean and respectful toward others and we will do all we can to encourage long term loving relationships.

Pastor: We will not steal.

Congregation: We will neither take another’s money or property, nor acquire them by fraud or by selling them poorly made products or by working the system to our advantage, but to the disadvantage of others.  Rather we will help others improve and protect their property and careers and support decent wage and benefits for all.   

Pastor: We will not tell lies about others.

Congregation: We will not deceive by lying, betraying, slandering or ruining our neighbor's reputation, but will defend others, say good things about them, and see and speak about the best side of everything they do.

Pastor: We will not desire anything that is someone else’s.

Congregation: We will not use trickery or stealth to try to get anything that belongs to someone else, rather we will work for the betterment of the community and help our neighbors keep and improve all they have individually and as a community.

All: This is most certainly true.