8/1/18
Kolb, Robert. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000.
“The Morning Blessing” and following items, pp. 363-376.
After discussing the Sacrament of the Altar, Luther’s Small Catechism includes some addenda. There’s a brief prayer suggestion for morning and for evening (Kolb 2000, 363-364). There are suggested prayers before and after eating. We observe that in each instance, Luther recommends praying the Lord’s Prayer, making it a typical practice for the observant when rising, when eating, and when going to bed.
Then there follow a number of Bible passages which serve to encourage people in different walks of life to holiness and fulfillment of their vocations (Kolb 2000, 365-367). Then there is a simple booklet of pastoral practice in marriage (Kolb 2000, 367-371). This is followed by a brief explanation of how best to deal with the sacrament of baptism (Kolb 2000, 371-376). These elements are intended to assist the pastor who does not have much training in care for his congregation.