How easily the faith is lost. Visiting Germany this month reinforced this truth for me. The home of the Lutheran Reformation is hardly Lutheran. Less than ten percent of the people of Wittenberg consider themselves Lutheran! There are no earthly guarantees, not even for those who live in the birthplace of the Reformation. What does this mean? It means that our faith has to be appropriated in every generation. It is not some automatic thing that if we are Lutherans our children will be Lutherans, or even Christians. It is pretty simple. If you want well-mannered children, you teach your children good manners (and exhibit them). If you want Lutheran children, teach them the catechism (and live like you, too, believe it). We must keep on confessing. Paul encourages us, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1Timothy 6:12).