ORDINARY TIME

Lectionary

The regular, sustained, and robust use of Scripture was a cornerstone of the English Reformation and remains central to Anglican worship and spirituality. We use the church's prescribed lectionary readings as our default Sunday morning texts, with occasional exceptions, especially during Ordinary Time, for several reasons. First, the exclusive use of topical teaching and thematic series places the onus of Scripture selection solely on the preacher. Over time, this tends to limit a congregations' diet of Scripture to preferred texts and topics. The lectionary ensures the people of God will receive broad exposure to the full counsel of Scripture. When used properly, a church parish will read almost every word of Scripture in three years. Second, the lectionary keeps us oriented to the church calendar. This is a temple the church has built in time with architecture that orients and reorients the people of God to the story of God, leading us into Advent themes of preparation for Christ's coming again in glory, Christmas themes of His incarnation, Easter themes of resurrection, and so on. Over time, the lectionary shapes us like water shapes rock, ensuring we are fed a steady diet of God's word in such a way that the Bible is understood to be one consistent and contiguous whole, rather than a confederation of unrelated episodes. Third, the lectionary enhances our connection to one another and our congregation’s connection to the wider Church as billions of other Christians hear the same texts read in churches all across the globe. We invite you to pray through the readings before arriving on Sunday, to use them devotionally throughout the week, and to discuss them with your fellow Adventers and small group members. For more on the Sunday Lectionary, visit https://anglicancompass.com/what-is-the-sunday-lectionary/

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