The Lectionary.
A lectionary is a list of readings. As a spiritual discipline, a person may simply open The Bible at the beginning, and start reading. They might read a chapter or more each day. The weakness of this kind of reading is that it is the reading style of our time, the method for reading a novel, or even a text book. It assumes a narrative thread from beginning to end. However, a text book is often not read from cover to cover. It may be designed as a resource with discrete sections to be consulted at appropriate times.
The Bible is even less novel-like. With 39 "books" in the Hebrew Scriptures, and 27 in the Christian Scriptures, there are multiple authors, times, geographic locations, and theological perspectives represented. This considers only the main collection (Canon) of the books common to most Christian traditions. There are also the books not present in the Hebrew Scriptures or "Old Testament" which are often known as the deutero-canonical books. How does one read all this and make sense of it?
Christian groups have traditionally created lists of texts that are considered important to read. They sketch out some of the key planks of that group's tradition, and its understanding of the Christian faith.
One well known modern lectionary is the Revised Common Lectionary, which is used by many churches world wide. It divides the bible over a three year period, based around the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The readings are chosen to reflect the cycle of church year as it progresses from the hope for a Messiah (Advent), through Christmas, and on to Easter. Each week also has a reading from the Hebrew Scriptures, the Psalms, and from the letters of the New Testament. The Gospel of John is used in each year around the times of the major festivals. There are often readings assigned for special days which do not occur on a Sunday.
Many ministers preach from a lectionary. It provides a discipline which works against the temptation to avoid uncomfortable subjects and concentrate on favourite themes.
A lectionary provides an overview of the Christian tradition. Unfortunately, it also represents a particular theological and historical outlook. Some people point out, for example, that women's stories, often already marginalised in Scripture are further submerged by the RCL . The lectionary is also constructed of short readings, excerpts from the whole, so that some parts of the bible will never be read in public worship under this scheme. It also means that the wider flow of a narrative is interrupted, and perhaps divided in ways never anticipated by the authors. In their own devotions, many people will at least read from the end of the previous week's readings to the end of the designated readings of the current week, in some attempt to overcome this disintegration of the narrative.
Easter Great Prayer
In this service there has been a cross lying at the entrance to the area where we celebrate communion. This was placed there on Good Friday. Stones and thorns and rose petals were laid at the cross during the service On Easter morning the cross is gone, and a large grave stone lies in its place. People will walk over or around these objects to come to the Communion Table.
Call to Communion:
On the night on which Jesus was betrayed,
he sat at supper with his disciples.
While they were there eating,
he took a piece of bread,
said a blessing, broke it and gave it to them with the words,
"This is my body
It is broken for you
Do this to remember me"
Later on he took a cup of wine, saying,
"This cup is God's new covenant,
sealed with my blood,
Drink from it, all of you, to remember me."
It is Easter Day.
Come to the table of the Lord.
Walk over the place where the symbols of death are lying.
Walk past the place where we have left the hard things of life.
Walk beyond the stone
that has been rolled away from the tomb,
and find that he is risen.
Begin life again this Easter morning.
Come and eat the meal of a new day and a new life,
where we discover that Christ is risen indeed.
The People come forward.
Let us pray.
We are descended from the people of Israel.
Abraham and Sarah are our forbears.
We are among those who loved God, and were faithful
Ruth, the mother of Jesse is our mother.
We are among those who left the way of God behind
Too often we have hardened our hearts and become
children of Pharaoh.
We are among those who held the faith through long suffering
Job is our father
and we are among the lost
who seek a path back to the ways of God
We are prodigal, faith-less and faith-full.
In Jesus the Christ the path of life
has been re-laid before us.
God has given to us the pioneer of our faith.
There is a way to follow
a person to copy
a freedom to grasp
forgiveness to be known
and life to receive.
Dear God…
Unknown beyond all we can conceive…
Deepest longing in our small and fragile hearts…
More than we dare hope for…
Gentle beyond all we deserve…
Generous without measure…
We thank you for the gift of the Christ
whom we find in our hearts
and in living out our love for each other.
We thank you that in him
we find you…
and life, meaning, and salvation.
In gratitude for our lives
in wonder at your love
we eat his meal together. Amen
Fraction and Elevation
The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ
The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ
These are the gifts of God for you and for me
the people of God.
Distribution
Prayer after Communion
Surprising God
Renewing God
Fill us with courage
to go out and live your good news in all the world.
Amen.
Andrew Prior
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