emergent-us have an article in their latest email newsletter by Daniel B. Clendenin, PhD where he writes:

“The lectionary (Latin, lectio, to read) is simply a schedule of Bible readings that includes a passage from the Old Testament, the Psalms, an epistle, and then, in pride of place, the Gospels.  Believers who attend a daily mass or who live in monasteries follow a daily lectionary, but most churches follow a weekly lectionary.

I’ve come to love the lectionary for four reasons.

Liberation: Pastors who follow the lectionary are forever freed from  the onerous burden of dreaming up a sermon topic for every Sunday.  The weekly readings decide that for you.  Your creative energies are thus directed toward interacting with Scripture rather than wondering how or where to start.  With four readings every week, there is also flexibility that allows for one’s personal inclinations.

Discipline:  When you follow the lectionary you can’t “cheat” or cut corners by gravitating toward favorite passages, avoiding unpleasant texts, or choosing Scriptures that you consider more relevant or clear. Instead, you’re forced to deal with the “whole counsel of God” that, in my experience, we honor only with lip service—from John 3:16 to Hosea 13:16 and the butchering of babies and pregnant women.

Thoroughness: When you follow a three-year lectionary cycle you will read and grapple with almost the entire Bible.  Imagine what a lifetime of lectionary devotion might do to our churches or to our very own souls as we work through all Scripture every three years.

Community: Most Christians in the world follow the lectionary; those who do not find themselves in the minority.  I love identifying myself with the communion of saints around the world who are all studying the same Scriptures at the same time.  Together we read, meditate, and pray through the rhythm of the Christian year—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and all the so-called “ordinary time” in-between feast days.

I’ve experienced the lectionary as the safest, surest way to live in a genuinely and comprehensively “Biblical” manner.  I’m lovin’ the lectionary, and invite you to do the same.”

We use the lectionary at our blended congregation at Northern in a similar way – although we do move off the lectionary every now and then to explore themes that we wish too – such as our spiritual disciplines or core values etc.

In our forthcoming missional order at Northern the intention is to base the daily office around the lectionary for all of the reasons Daniel Clendenin lists here. I would add one advantage that Daniel doesn’t list and that is; the number of resources available for the lectionary. In fact there is so many resources in print and online that it can be overwheleming. I am compiling a list of the lectionary online resoirces that I have come across and I will post these up soon and together we may be be able to form a more more comprehensive list.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 3rd, 2006 at 8:42 am by phil and is filed under notes from northern, spirituality and prayers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.