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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Eccles: Revised Common Lectionary
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Autenrieth Road
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# 10509
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Posted
I'm interested in sharing experiences, opinions, and knowledge of the Revised Common Lectionary. Here is a brief explanation of the RCL.
Does your church use it? When did you start? Do you like it? Do you notice the difference?
The Sundays after Pentecost introduce a choice of semi-continuous or thematic OT readings. Which do you use? Do you choose different ways at different times?
Have you come on any issues of consistency or coordination? If so, how have you handled them?
What particularly helpful resources or links have you found? Does your denomination have resources for using the RCL?
Etc....?
[limbo title abbreviated]
[ 04. December 2009, 15:22: Message edited by: Belisarius ]
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Truth
Posts: 9559 | From: starlight | Registered: Oct 2005
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Extol
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# 11865
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Posted
No, we don't. We resent it, as it requires us to purchase an expensive new volume for the lectern, all manner of new Christian Ed modules, and other related items. It also takes us further down that slippery slope to a new US BCP, and no one wants to fight that battle. I'd rather my parish ask for dispensation to use the 1928 and dust off our old materials than give in to this expensive albatross. Feck you, 815.
Posts: 1287 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2006
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JAW
Apprentice
# 13458
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Does your church use it? When did you start? Do you like it? Do you notice the difference?
The Sundays after Pentecost introduce a choice of semi-continuous or thematic OT readings. Which do you use? Do you choose different ways at different times?
Have you come on any issues of consistency or coordination? If so, how have you handled them?
What particularly helpful resources or links have you found? Does your denomination have resources for using the RCL?
Etc....? [/QB]
Our parish began using it on the First Sunday of Advent of 2007, as all Episcopal Church parishes did. The bishop sent lectionary books to all churches in the diocese, to ease the cost of getting new books. They are softcover and large enough to put on the lectern.
As yet, I have no complaints and neither has the congregation. We made the change with little fuss, just switching out the books and bulletin inserts.
I favor the semi-continuous OT readings so that I can preach week by week on some of the longer narratives. It just opens up opportunities that don't come up with picking the OT passage nearest the Gospel.
My favorite site for lectionary material is TextWeek which finds references to the passages in Christian writers throughout history as well as contemporary sources.
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Autenrieth Road
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# 10509
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Posted
Oooh, AR, glad you asked.
(I'm putting my answers separate from the OP so as not to muddle up the OP's unusual-for-me concision!)
Let me point out, which you didn't emphasize in the OP, that the RCL is used by many denominations. This is a tat-free multi-denomination thread!
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Does your church use it? When did you start? Do you like it? Do you notice the difference?
We started Advent 2007. I haven't noticed the difference when just listening to it on Sunday. So I don't really have an opinion one way or the other. From what I know of it, it seems fine. Our new RCL lectionary book is NRSV, whereas our old BCP lectionary book was RSV, but I haven't registered the change in language.
quote:
The Sundays after Pentecost introduce a choice of semi-continuous or thematic OT readings. Which do you use? Do you choose different ways at different times?
Not having got there yet, the choice has not yet been made. The choirmaster has pointed out that he's choosing anthems for next fall already though, so the choice for the fall will be made sooner rather than later for his sake. Which doesn't rule out us using a different choice during the summer (when the choir doesn't sing)!
quote:
Have you come on any issues of consistency or coordination? If so, how have you handled them?
This thread arises because I'm doing some investigation to make sure that our Sunday resources all cite the same readings -- ministry schedule, bulletin, readings insert, BCP psalm verses, lectionary book, and Gospel book.
I'm also investigating so that I can clarify for our clergy and lectors the differences between the Standard RCL vs. the TEC-modified RCL, and between the Advent-to-Easter BCP Lectionary vs. the Advent-to-Easter RCL Lectionary. My personal interest is knowing what's changed between them just to know, but there's a brief practical requirement as well, which is to make people aware that although in most cases those lectionaries might agree, that they may not agree in all cases. So you have to be cautious in which one you use when scheduling the Sunday readings!
quote:
What particularly helpful resources or links have you found? Does your denomination have resources for using the RCL?
Gosh AR, I've found those two links in your OP really helpful. Coincidence? I don't think so! The first link gives tables of the standard RCL. Clicking on Resources and Free Downloads from the second link brings up a page that includes a table of the Episcopal RCL laid out like the BCP lectionary.
quote:
Etc....?
Funny, I can't think of any other questions at the moment.
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Truth
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Choirboy
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Posted
It all comes from letting the daily office slide, doesn't it. Now folks have never heard of King David. Sigh.
We've been commanded to use the RSV, certainly by 2010, but possibly we should have started this past Advent. I will start it after someone donates a new lectionary stand version of the new readings. No one in the congregation has volunteered to do so to date.
Would wreak a small amount of havoc with the minor propers, too.
If we were to use it, we would most certainly go for the thematic series in ordinary time.
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Knopwood
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# 11596
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Posted
What is meant by "BCP Lectionary"? In the BAS, the readings used to be from the old "Common Lectionary" but more recent printings include the RCL. Is the "BCP Lectionary" mentioned above the CL?
Posts: 6806 | From: Tio'tia:ke | Registered: Jun 2006
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Autenrieth Road
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# 10509
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Posted
Sorry, Liturgy Queen, I wasn't specific enough. I meant the Lectionary for Years A/B/C and Special Days given in the 1979 ECUSA BCP. Obviously the lectionary may very well differ yet again in other BCPs, BASs, ASBs, and other assorted liturgical resources. Or many of them may be the same. Not yet owning the good book recommended to me, I don't know how the 1979 ECUSA BCP lectionary relates exactly to other lectionaries.
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Truth
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Autenrieth Road
Shipmate
# 10509
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Posted
Has anybody looked at Scripture and Memory: The Ecumenical Hermeneutic of the Three-Year Lectionaries by Fritz West. Any good? Worth owning, or sufficient to just hunt down on interlibrary loan? Worth buying if it can't be found on ILL? (Yes, The Silent Acolyte, I'm going to buy Hatchett first!)
Does anyone know of any resources that in specific detail address the coordination and comparison questions I mentioned above? For example, exactly what TEC changed in the Standard RCL for Episcopal use? Which Gospel readings differ substantively in the TEC RCL from the 1979 ECUSA BCP?
The lectern book purchase wasn't an issue for us because we'd been wanting a new one for a long time in order to switch to the NRSV; so we were just waiting to make the purchase until the lectern book came out in TEC RCL form.
We may have an issue for our Gospel book though, which we already have in NRSV. That hasn't been purchased new yet despite the fact that the RCL vs. BCP gospel readings are not identical. (In passing I've only noticed small changes in precisely which verses to include, but avoiding reading one thing from the Gospel when people's readings leaflets say something entirely different is one thing my investigative project is for.)
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Truth
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Does your church use it? When did you start? Do you like it? Do you notice the difference?
Lutheran weighing in:
We as a denomination have used the RCL for quite some time. Can it possibly be more than a decade already? To use it, we gave up our Lutheran Book of Worship lectionary, which was roughly equivalent to your BCP79 lectionary in that both were combinations of past denominational resources and the Roman Catholic 3-year Lectionary for Mass.
Since our bulletin inserts and bulletin covers all use the RCL, so do most churches! It sounds ridiculous, but the publishing house has quite a bit of control in this regard. Whatever they publish is what we use.
Do I like it? Yes.
quote:
The Sundays after Pentecost introduce a choice of semi-continuous or thematic OT readings. Which do you use? Do you choose different ways at different times?
Our denomination in the US has deliberately chosen to use only the Thematic (Typological) series. We do not use the Semi-Continuous at all. The Canadian Lutheran denom (ELCIC) has deliberately chosen to use the Semi-Continuous. Our common publisher has chosen to make both tracks available in our hardcover Lectionary for Worship. Our bulletin inserts, however, are all Thematic. Thus the choice is made for us.
Being an Evangelical Lutheric of sorts, I prefer the Thematic series because that is what the RCs use!
quote:
Have you come on any issues of consistency or coordination? If so, how have you handled them?
What do you mean? I certainly wouldn't suggest flip-flopping from the semi- to the thematic all the time. Anglo-Catholic parishes should choose the thematic series, and "evangelical" parishes of the same ilk as The Falls Church would do well to choose the semi-.
quote:
What particularly helpful resources or links have you found? Does your denomination have resources for using the RCL?
Ritual Edition Lectionary (Hardcover, easy to see, sense lines for better fluency)
Study Edition Lectionary (Softcover, lacks the artwork of the Ritual Edition, but adds pronunciation guides and notes about delivery in the footnotes)
Sundays and Seasons (comes out annually, gives the collects, reading citations, blurbs about each reading, sermon helps, hymn suggestions, additional music choices to go with the readings, and some seasonal liturgical materials)
Words for Worship (electronic resources)
Psalter for Worship (refrains and chant tones for the RCL Psalms, using the Psalm translation from our pew book of worship, which is an update of the BCP79 Psalter)
New Proclamation (Preaching helps)
Today's Readings
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Knopwood
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# 11596
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:
Anglo-Catholic parishes should choose the thematic series
Why? In the Anglican Church of Canada, the thematic series is not authorized.
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
For example, exactly what TEC changed in the Standard RCL for Episcopal use? Which Gospel readings differ substantively in the TEC RCL from the 1979 ECUSA BCP?
IIRC, most of the saintly days and non-Sunday occasions retain the BCP79 readings. I am not aware of a resource that breaks it down fully by verse, but I am not aware of a lot of things!
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Liturgy Queen:
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:
Anglo-Catholic parishes should choose the thematic series
Why? In the Anglican Church of Canada, the thematic series is not authorized.
It is more Romish in that the typological connection is made between OT and Gospel. This is the way the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass works.
The semi-continuous option helps to make the RCL appeal more to Bible-in-a-year lower Protestant parishes.
[ 03. March 2008, 21:04: Message edited by: Martin L ]
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Autenrieth Road
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# 10509
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Posted
I didn't know that some church bodies had chosen one or another (by fiat as in Liturgy Queen's case or by publisher's diktat as in Martin L's). I wonder if there are recommendations coming down within some individual dioceses here in the US.
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:
quote:
Have you come on any issues of consistency or coordination? If so, how have you handled them?
What do you mean? I certainly wouldn't suggest flip-flopping from the semi- to the thematic all the time. Anglo-Catholic parishes should choose the thematic series, and "evangelical" parishes of the same ilk as The Falls Church would do well to choose the semi-.
I was thinking more of the nitty-gritty "where can you look to be sure that all the Sunday resources are citing the same thing." But I'd be up for anyone's interpretations of what "issues" means for them.
For example, at St. Z it's been reported (but of course no one has any details or figured out the reason at the time) that the Psalm announced from the Lectern has occasionally been completely different from that in our inserts since we started with the RCL. (There's a list of possible reasons as long as your arm for that one, only some of which are due to the RCL.)
I understand that flip-flopping is discouraged. I wonder if any place switches maybe once during Ordinary Time, for example after finishing an OT book in semi-continuous, then going to thematic for the rest of Ordinary Time. Or vice-versa, starting semi-continuous partway through for a book deemed interesting enough.
[ 03. March 2008, 21:09: Message edited by: Autenrieth Road ]
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Truth
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
I was thinking more of the nitty-gritty "where can you look to be sure that all the Sunday resources are citing the same thing."
This handsome resource to which you obliquely linked earlier seems to make it clear which readings to use.
It also makes it clear that a congregation should pick one track and stick with it through ordinary time, changing only from one year to another. (Personally, I'd go as far as saying that one should stick through a whole 3-year cycle.)
Please note that the Psalm changes depending on which track one chooses.
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Mama Thomas
Shipmate
# 10170
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Posted
In the Church of Melanesia,the thematic (related) is used. The semi-continuous is not used, authorised or known.
We get enough of that at the Offices, and any COM Christian will be very familar with the Offices.
Was wondering what is the big difference between the Episcopal Church lectionary and the RCL, and even the RC.
I know that one big difference is the Sunday before Lent is Transfiguration in RCL, but Lent 2 in the RC.
Except for Divine Mercy Sunday, or Sacred Heart Sunday or whatever, the readings are almost identical.
Sometimes the psalm response or ever psalm verses might vary. The OT or Epistle might begin or end a verse or two before or after the other one.
It it hadn't been trumpted so loudly, I honestly don't think Mr. and Mrs. Worship-Goer would have noticed a thing.
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All hearts are open, all desires known
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Autenrieth Road
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# 10509
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Posted
Thanks Martin L for connecting the dots for me! I hadn't found that on Saturday when these questions first arose, and hadn't quite registered how many of my concerns it will answer.
I agree with you about the 3-year cycle making a lot of sense. It will be interesting to see what St. Z's does. Sticking with one thing consistently does not always seem to be our forte.
Our reading inserts come from Morehouse Publishing. I wonder if we will need to make a choice for which ones we order, or if they will contain the readings (and psalms) for both tracks. They're a division of Church Publishing, which is an Episcopalian press, so we're getting the Episcopal RCL rather than the Original RCL. (One puzzle from Saturday solved, one raised.)
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Truth
Posts: 9559 | From: starlight | Registered: Oct 2005
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Our reading inserts come from Morehouse Publishing. I wonder if we will need to make a choice for which ones we order, or if they will contain the readings (and psalms) for both tracks.
Autenrieth Road, The Morehouse webpage for bulletin inserts ( here) does not specify which track will be used, but it also does not specify that you have an option. This is one of those times when a phone call or e-mail will be in order. At least you still have some time to work it out. The readings should be the same until Eastertide is over. My guess is that by now Morehouse has already had to make the choice and start printing. I seriously doubt they will print both tracks on one bulletin insert.
Mama Thomas, there isn't a humongous difference between the RCL and the BCP79 lectionary. There are changes, and one could get rather nitpicky about them (See here for an interesting commentary). Overall, I don't think most Episcopalians will notice or care about the change.
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
Sorry to be so post-ful today, but I've got the time!
To make things a bit more clear for Ship's interested Episcopalians/Anglicans, here are the most useful current resources available from Church Publishing that correlate to the RCL:
Other Psalters exist as well:
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Choirboy
Shipmate
# 9659
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Does anyone know of any resources that in specific detail address the coordination and comparison questions I mentioned above? For example, exactly what TEC changed in the Standard RCL for Episcopal use? Which Gospel readings differ substantively in the TEC RCL from the 1979 ECUSA BCP?
I don't know which readings TEC has changed in it's version of the RCL (so much for the justification of adopting it...), but this excellent site has a link to a spreadsheet comparing many of the most prevalent lectionaries. Exactly which version of RCL it is using is hopefully detailed in the footnotes.
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Choirboy
Shipmate
# 9659
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
For example, exactly what TEC changed in the Standard RCL for Episcopal use? Which Gospel readings differ substantively in the TEC RCL from the 1979 ECUSA BCP?
IIRC, most of the saintly days and non-Sunday occasions retain the BCP79 readings. I am not aware of a resource that breaks it down fully by verse, but I am not aware of a lot of things!
I thought the RCL only had a Sunday Eucharistic lectionary?
Posts: 2994 | From: Minneapolis, Minnesota USA | Registered: Jun 2005
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
[Warning Autenrieth Road--Contains information about yet another lectionary. Read at your own risk.]
quote:
Originally posted by Choirboy:
I thought the RCL only had a Sunday Eucharistic lectionary?
Well, it has a lectionary for Sundays and Holy Days. Then, it has a supplementary daily lectionary, of which you are probably aware. It appears in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and I believe it was published by Augsburg Fortress as a separate resource called Daily Readings or something like that. The readings are geared toward the Sunday lectionary texts. Thursday through Saturday prepare one to hear the Sunday readings. Monday through Wednesday allow one to reflect upon the Sunday readings. [Math-phobes avert your eyes now] Two readings are appointed per day, to reflect on the three Sunday readings. One Psalm is appointed for the Preparation days, and another is appointed for the Reflection days.
Sometimes the readings are very overt in their preparation or reflection (i.e. they cover the verses immediately before and/or after the Sunday reading). Other times the weekday readings are similar to the Sunday readings (i.e. if the Sunday OT reading is the Exodus Deliverance through the Red Sea, one of the preparatory readings may be Noah's Ark).
What does one read at the offices on Sunday if one is using this daily lectionary?
(When you find out the answer, do let me know! ![[Razz]](tongue.gif) )
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Extol
Shipmate
# 11865
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Posted
Is there an RCL lectionary volume that employs the RSV rather than the NRSV?
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Oblatus
Shipmate
# 6278
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:
What does one read at the offices on Sunday if one is using this daily lectionary?
(When you find out the answer, do let me know! )
I have a feeling there is still plenty of room in the ELCA world for Pastor Pfatteicher's Daily Prayer of the Church, the rich breviary he compiled using Lutheran Book of Worship materials. I don't think Evangelical Lutheran Worship addresses the needs of those who are committed to daily liturgical prayer on their own; its daily-prayer materials focus on daily prayer in common, and I think it comes close to assuming this will not be on a large scale or widespread, but occasional. So wherever one dips into the new daily lectionary, one is at least somewhat connected to the Sunday readings.
I gather the assumption is that the main Sunday service will preclude use of any daily office on Sunday.
Or maybe there will be an ancillary ELW resource that will give more daily-prayer guidance than the "core resource," the cranberry hymnal, gives.
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Scott Knitter:
I have a feeling there is still plenty of room in the ELCA world for Pastor Pfatteicher's Daily Prayer of the Church, the rich breviary he compiled using Lutheran Book of Worship materials. I don't think Evangelical Lutheran Worship addresses the needs of those who are committed to daily liturgical prayer on their own; its daily-prayer materials focus on daily prayer in common, and I think it comes close to assuming this will not be on a large scale or widespread, but occasional. So wherever one dips into the new daily lectionary, one is at least somewhat connected to the Sunday readings.
I gather the assumption is that the main Sunday service will preclude use of any daily office on Sunday.
Or maybe there will be an ancillary ELW resource that will give more daily-prayer guidance than the "core resource," the cranberry hymnal, gives.
I agree. I've tried on more than one occasion to encourage the creation of a comprehensive breviary to be a "star" in the "constellation" of ELW resources, but the good folks involved with such things have been rather evasive.
The Daily Office fell victim to creativity in this case, and as you mention they are very attuned to corporate worship, to the detriment of home use. Lutheran Service Book is much more attuned to home use, but the offices are either the old TLH ones or the LBW ones.
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Extol
Shipmate
# 11865
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Martin L:
I've tried on more than one occasion to encourage the creation of a comprehensive breviary to be a "star" in the "constellation" of ELW resources
Forgive my ignorance. Would the Brotherhood Prayer Book put out by the folks at http://www.llpb.us/ fit the bill?
I have more questions about this volume but I will post them in one of the dedicated Daily Office threads.
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HenryT
Canadian Anglican
# 3722
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Posted
Canadian Anglican - we've been using RCL for quite a while. The Book of Alternative Services has a two-year lectionary, circa 1980, that isn't much used.
The parish I attend has lectionary inserts for bulletins (NRSV, alas), a full three-year set. They also have collects and prayer over the gifts, etc. for each Sunday. Sometimes these are rather good, sometimes a bit lame.
I've used Forward Day by Day, which is published in the US, for some time. Before the TEC switch to RCL, the first two and usually the first three readings (OT, Psalm, Epistle) were usually the same between Sunday RCL and TEC lectionary. Now, of course, they are always the same, plus or minus the optionals.
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"Perhaps an invincible attachment to the dearest rights of man may, in these refined, enlightened days, be deemed old-fashioned" P. Henry, 1788
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Autenrieth Road
Shipmate
# 10509
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Posted
Henry Troup, are you saying that it was frequently the Gospel that was different? I would have thought it would most often be the OT that was different.
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Truth
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Choirboy
Shipmate
# 9659
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Posted
The gospels do change a little bit but are far more consistent than the OT readings. And sometimes they are the same gospel readings but off a week or so from the BCP lectionary. So it's the same, but different.
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Anglican_Brat
Shipmate
# 12349
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Posted
The Gospel of John does get minimized in the RCL. John only pops up in Holy Week, and the rest of the year, pops up sporadically.
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It's Reformation Day! Do your part to promote Christian unity and brotherly love and hug a schismatic.
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BroJames
Shipmate
# 9636
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Posted
The Gospel of John gets more of a look in in Year B (Mark) because of the shortness of the principal gospel that year.
We have been using the CofE's lightly tweaked version of the RCL since 1997 (I think). The original RCL was mostly only a Sunday eucharistic lectionary and some of the CofE tweaking has been to provide material for second and third services on a Sunday. There is quite a helpful and affordable publication which lists the original RCL readings and gives some of the history and rationale. I believe that there is more detailed discussion and explanation of the choices made in a couple of articles in a scholarly journal somewhere. I once had a note of this information and no longer have it - if anyone can help I'd be interested to get hold of them.
For Children's work we have been using Roots on the web. The Oremus hymnal offers suggestions for hymns Sunday by Sunday from a fairly traditional range. I tend to start with the RSCM's Sunday by Sunday.
Downloadable files for various organisers and PDAs are also available. I wouldn't be surprised to see similar resources appearing for TEC.
We had been using a two year thematic Sunday Lectionary for nearly 20 years by the time the new lectionary was introduced, so IMHO it was something of a breath of fresh air. It's not perfect but it is pretty good. The Gospel reading 'leads' and the thematic OT reading follows. The other NT reading is only themed on certain special Sundays, though sometimes the NT book chosen for a season has a general thematic relevance. One of the hardest things (coming from the two year thematic lectionary) has been weaning some preachers from the idea that it is appropriate - or even possible - to preach a sermon which encompasses all the readings. They don't necessarily have a common theme.
There is not as yet AFAIK an 'official' weekday or daily office provision from the same source.
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Jengie jon
Semper Reformanda
# 273
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Posted
More resources:
If you are preaching then looking at Exploring XXX Gospel by Leslie Francis and Peter Atkins are worth having alongside your more traditional commentaries and they are divided up according to the RCL readings.
Here is another set of suggested hymns and then there are resources like URC prayer book that use the RCL in its preparation. We used to have all three readings but now only one around the devotion.
There are plenty of resources out there.
Jengie
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"To violate a persons ability to distinguish fact from fantasy is the epistemological equivalent of rape." Noretta Koertge
Back to my blog
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Alan Cresswell
Mad Scientist 先生
# 31
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Posted
As far as I'm aware, we've been using the RCL since before I joined my current church 12 years ago. At least, if the lectionary was changed it happened without discussion at the Church Meeting.
Not that many people at the church would notice what lectionary was used. Those of us who occasionally prepare parts of the service may be aware that the RCL is used (for example, as we don't use the Psalm I tend to use that to structure prayers, which requires me to go to textweek or somewhere to find out what the Psalm is). But, for the congregation they're simply what's read during the service and what the sermon's preached on.
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Don't cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.
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Barefoot Friar
Ship's Shoeless Brother
# 13100
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Posted
According to a recent survey done by the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, about 50% of all United Methodist churches use the RCL. I don't have hard numbers about where they are, or how large they are.
I have been preaching the RCL off-and-on since the beginning of Advent. I used it for all four weeks of Advent, the Baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration Sunday, and Lent. I'm leaving it again during Easter, then coming back on Pentecost and Trinity. I won't see it again until Christ the King in November. I'm probably going to preach it all year long next year, though.
I don't remember being given the choice between thematic and semi-continuous here in the UMC. From what I'm looking at in the Book of Worship, it's semi-continuous.
Like someone else said, I use Textweek every week. It's much handier than pulling out the UMBOW every time I need to find the readings for the week.
My gripe with the RCL is the lack of daily readings. For those, I use the 1928 BCP and, more recently, a book by +Bishop Rueben P. Job that guides prayer and Scripture readings to fill in the gaps between Sundays and Holy Days.
That's my Methodist two cents, anyhow.
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Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. -- Desmond Tutu
Posts: 1621 | From: Warrior Mountains | Registered: Oct 2007
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dj_ordinaire
Host
# 4643
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Posted
Some years we use the Continuous OT readings for Ordinary Time, other years the thematic (you're allowed to switch between the two, although it is not recommended to do during the course of the year).
It is widely used by Anglicans of every kind, and by many other churches as well. It is therefore admirable of itself as well as being admirable for its ecumenical importance.
So good all round!
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Flinging wide the gates...
Posts: 10335 | From: Hanging in the balance of the reality of man | Registered: Jun 2003
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Knopwood
Shipmate
# 11596
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Henry Troup:
The Book of Alternative Services has a two-year lectionary, circa 1980, that isn't much used.
Which lectionary is this? My understanding is that there are three lectionaries in the BAS.
1) The Common Lectionary (in older printings) or the Revised Common Lectionary (in newer printings). Both, I believe, three years.
2) The Daily Office Lectionary. Two years.
3) The Weekday Eucharistic Lectionary. Two years.
Posts: 6806 | From: Tio'tia:ke | Registered: Jun 2006
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Jengie jon
Semper Reformanda
# 273
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Posted
The two year lectionary might well be a form of the JLG Lectionary or JLG 1. This was replaced with JLG2 which is a four year lectionary. You can read more about the Joint Liturgical Group on their website.
Jengie
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"To violate a persons ability to distinguish fact from fantasy is the epistemological equivalent of rape." Noretta Koertge
Back to my blog
Posts: 20894 | From: city of steel, butterflies and rainbows | Registered: May 2001
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Circuit Rider
Ship's Itinerant
# 13088
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by The Padre:
... I don't remember being given the choice between thematic and semi-continuous here in the UMC. From what I'm looking at in the Book of Worship, it's semi-continuous.
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My gripe with the RCL is the lack of daily readings. For those, I use the 1928 BCP and, more recently, a book by +Bishop Rueben P. Job that guides prayer and Scripture readings to fill in the gaps between Sundays and Holy Days.
This book will solve both of your problems, Padre. It has both semi-continuous and thematic readings for Ordinary Time after Pentecost and it has daily readings. ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
[ 04. March 2008, 14:54: Message edited by: Circuit Rider ]
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I felt my heart strangely warmed ... and realised I had spilt hot coffee all over myself.
Posts: 715 | From: Somewhere in the Heart of Dixie | Registered: Oct 2007
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Circuit Rider
Ship's Itinerant
# 13088
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Posted
Now to address the OP:
The UMC has adopted the RCL (semi-continuous) and encourages its pastors to use it, but we are under no obligation.
Personally I adopted the RCL for Year C beginning at Advent 2006 and it has been a wonderful experience. I have preached the Gospel text every Sunday to focus on the life and ministry of Jesus with my congregations. It has been life-changing for me.
In Ordinary Time I use the thematic lectionary, because I really think it helps for all elements of worship to go in the same direction. Our people are bombarded with too many messages all at once as it is. It helps if everything coordinates -- Scriptures, hymns, colors, etc., to drive home the point of what you are trying to say.
For many years I avoided the lectionary like the plague, but now I am a committed lectionary preacher. I will deviate if need and circumstance dictate, but so far that has occurred rarely. The texts have been amazingly timely from week to week.
The book I recommended to The Padre is a Godsend -- I highly recommend it.
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I felt my heart strangely warmed ... and realised I had spilt hot coffee all over myself.
Posts: 715 | From: Somewhere in the Heart of Dixie | Registered: Oct 2007
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scribbler
Shipmate
# 12268
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by lukacs:
It also takes us further down that slippery slope to a new US BCP, and no one wants to fight that battle.
I keep hoping that the Second Coming will make the otherwise inevitable BCP wars unnecessary, but it hasn't happened yet. ![[Hot and Hormonal]](icon_redface.gif)
As far as the actual RCL goes, I like it. Not so much for the readings themselves, but because it provides continuity when I visit churches of other denominations--and a slightly less divided Body.
Posts: 309 | From: U.S.A. | Registered: Jan 2007
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Choirboy
Shipmate
# 9659
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Posted
If we really want to reunite the bulk of Christians under a common lectionary, it appears we all ought to adopt the Roman Catholic lectionary.
Posts: 2994 | From: Minneapolis, Minnesota USA | Registered: Jun 2005
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Extol
Shipmate
# 11865
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Posted
Or, the traditional one-year lectionary, around which all manner of antiphonaries, breviaries, missals, etc. have been produced.
Posts: 1287 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2006
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Choirboy
Shipmate
# 9659
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Posted
Well possibly, but it doesn't seem very many Christian bodies actually use it anymore.
Posts: 2994 | From: Minneapolis, Minnesota USA | Registered: Jun 2005
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LostinChelsea
Shipmate
# 5305
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Posted
We use the RCL and I've chosen to use the semi-continuous OT readings. I can let one story go a few weeks, preaching on the Gospel all the while, and then do a sermon on the Old Testament; if folks have been in church, they'll have been following the story. That works for me.
Church Publishing, as others have pointed out, have published materials. We're currently using a large, inexpensive lectionary in soft cover. I don't like it, as it doesn't have the psalm text and won't repeat readings. That is, on a particular reading it may say "See Lent 3, Year A, page 47" or somesuch. Not much more useful than marking a Bible.
I've just purchased a lectern edition from [QUOTE] http://www.episcopal-ks.org/shepherd/smpress.html [/QUOTE. Everything's in order with full text. We're already using a Gospel book from them.
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Best when taken in moderation.
Posts: 237 | From: Deep South USA | Registered: Dec 2003
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Autenrieth Road
Shipmate
# 10509
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Posted
The Padre, why do you leave the RCL for some seasons? What guides your choice of readings during those seasons?
I am just floored by the wealth of wonderful resources and uses people have shared. I hope this is as useful to other new adopters of the RCL as it is for me. Thank you, thank you.
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Truth
Posts: 9559 | From: starlight | Registered: Oct 2005
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Olaf
Shipmate
# 11804
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Posted
Some lower Protestant Shipmates have appeared on-thread since I was last here, so allow me to suggest another link:
Liturgies Online
It comes from the Uniting Church tradition in Australia. This is a great resource for those churches that like to have a different Call to Worship dialogue and Confession of Sin every single week.
Posts: 8953 | From: Ad Midwestem | Registered: Sep 2006
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PataLeBon
Shipmate
# 5452
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Posted
We switched over before Advent, so we have been trying it out for awhile.
The only difficulty was with Children's Chapel, which uses a curriculum that was not in line with the RCL. It is now, so we are humming along in line with what is going on in church.
Although we didn't notice that much of a difference before, so it wasn't a big issue.
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That's between you and your god. Oh, wait a minute. You are your god. That's a problem. - Jack O'Neill (Stargate SG1)
Posts: 1907 | From: Texas | Registered: Jan 2004
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beachpsalms
Shipmate
# 4979
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Posted
We use the RCL as well, and our hymnbook has an lectionary index in the back for worship planning.
Another RCL scripture reflection site is Out in Scripture . The reflections are focused on ministry with gay/lesbian communities, but I find it useful reflection (for rural ministry) in the mix with everything else.
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"You willing to die for that belief?"
"I am. 'Course, that ain't exactly Plan A."
Posts: 826 | From: a hamster's cheek-pouch full of raisins | Registered: Sep 2003
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Barefoot Friar
Ship's Shoeless Brother
# 13100
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
The Padre, why do you leave the RCL for some seasons? What guides your choice of readings during those seasons?
I am my father's son. Because of that, I, too, avoided the RCL like the plague. However, since coming to the Ship, I have become much more open minded about it, to the point that I am probably going completely RCL beginning in Advent '08. This year, however, I wanted to explore the "I AM" statements of Christ during the Easter season, the Holy Ghost during the weeks after Pentecost, a four-week look at water (during a mission project to raise money to build a water system for an African village), and Christ's teachings on the Kingdom of God this fall. I felt like God was leading me to go in these directions. Starting with Christ the King, I'll be 100% RCL for all of year B, and probably for quite a while thereafter.
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Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. -- Desmond Tutu
Posts: 1621 | From: Warrior Mountains | Registered: Oct 2007
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Extol
Shipmate
# 11865
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by lukacs:
Is there an RCL lectionary volume that employs the RSV rather than the NRSV?
Posts: 1287 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Sep 2006
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ken
Ship's Roundhead
# 2460
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Posted
Being Anglicans, we use it in its slightly tarted-up Common Worship form. But we also diverge from it if the service as some theme that seems to want a different reading - and in the last few years we've been diverging more and more.
Also we have occasional series of sermons on one book of the Bible or one passage, which RCL is very bad on - it darts around a lot and most of its readings are very short. We are haveing a mildy intermittent series on Nehemiah in one of our churches at the moment, and last year we had a series on the fruits of the spirit in our evening service.
What I don't like so much about the way we are doing things now is the increasing tendency to drop the readings that aren't being preached on. I want a Psalm and an Old Testament reading as well as the Gospel! It used to be the high church lot who just read the Gospel, you could rely on the evangelicals. But as we get ever fluffier, the Old Testament gets overlooked sometimes ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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Ken
L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.
Posts: 39579 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2002
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