About suffering.catechize.ing

suffering.catechize.ing is a web edition of Catechism of Suffering: The God Who Comforts and Conforms, by Matthew Statler. It presents the catechism as a searchable, browsable question-and-answer reference so the material is easier to read, teach, review, and revisit.

From the author's introduction

“Thank you for choosing this booklet. Christians throughout the centuries have used catechisms as a tool to strengthen their faith and grow in their knowledge of God. The practice of question-and-answer helps anchor the heart in the truths that sustain us through every season of life.

I have designed this catechism primarily for myself. As a pastor and a fellow sufferer, I need to often rehearse these truths to myself. They remind me that the path of suffering is not wasted, random, or meaningless. Suffering is governed by a wise and loving Father who uses affliction to conform His children to the image of His Son.”

How to use this catechism

“Suffering has a way of disorienting the soul. Pain clouds what once was clear when it was calm. The truths we confessed in strength can feel distant when sorrow comes. This catechism is written to steady your heart by retraining your mind, to lead you back again and again to the unshakable foundation of God's Word. In a sense, it is a training manual for your heart.

The form is simple: question and answer. It is meant to help you think biblically about affliction. To speak truth to your soul and to find enduring comfort in the character of God. These brief statements are not a substitute for Scripture; they are a doorway back into it.”

• Read one or two questions at a time. Maybe a section a week.
• Look up the Scripture proofs and linger over them.
• Pray the truths back to God in your own words.
• Return to them often, especially in times of suffering.
• Use the added space for your own notes and reminders.

“You may use this catechism privately, as a family, or in the context of counseling. However it is used, let the questions serve as gentle companions in your suffering, guiding you toward the God who draws near to the brokenhearted and who sanctifies His people through every trial. If you find this tool helpful, please pass it on to another sufferer who might benefit from these reminders in their hour of need.

May this small work teach you to say with quiet confidence, even in the darkest hour:”

“I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.”

— Psalm 119:75

Soli Deo Gloria,
Matthew Statler

About this edition

This site presents all sixty questions in the author's six sections, with the Scripture proofs kept under every answer.

Credit is due to Matthew Statler for writing the Catechism of Suffering, and to Michael Coughlin for providing the website this edition is built on.

The complete booklet is free to read online or download as a PDF from books.freely.giving.