providence

One of the slightly random things about my childhood (believe me, there are a few) was that I grew up learning the Heidelberg Catechism... For about three years (age 11-13ish), I had to meet on Tuesday afternoons and discuss reformed theology and church history with a few other students from the reformed tradition and recite off our catechism answers... it was mostly with dutch reformed missionary kids. I guess it was as close to presbyterian as my parents could find in nigeria! I have to say I’m not sure if I appreciated it at the time; looking back though, I wish I had maybe paid more attention. I’ve forgotten most of the answers now, except the classic Q/A 1 which I love.... But I like this one too...

Q & A 27
Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?
A. Providence is
the almighty and ever present power of God^1
by which he upholds, as with his hand,
heaven
and earth
and all creatures,^2
and so rules them that
leaf and blade,
rain and drought,
fruitful and lean years,
food and drink,
health and sickness,
prosperity and poverty—^3
all things, in fact, come to us
not by chance^4
but from his fatherly hand.^5

^1 Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 17:24-28 ^2 Heb. 1:3
^3 Jer. 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; John 9:3; Prov. 22:2 ^4 Prov. 16:33 ^5 Matt. 10:29

I wonder if the catechism tradition is gone from churches or is it just that the church I’m at now probably never had that tradition in the first place, and certainly not the heidelberg...