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Congregational Support & Development |
| Questions & Answers... Why Do We Read So Much Scripture? Visitors and worshipers at Spirit of Peace Church sometimes comment that "we read a lot of scripture" during worship. We often read three scripture lessons and one psalm during the Service of the Word portion of our worship - much more than in many other Protestant churches. Why do we do that? First, it should be pointed out that the "Word" in the Service of the Word actually refers to the Word of God that we encounter in scripture - and not to the sermon. The sermon is a comment on, an exposition of, or an elaboration of the written word. So, the focus of the Service of the Word should be on the scriptures more than on the sermon. Next, at Spirit of Peace Church, we have decided to follow the Revised Common Lectionary, a schedule of readings created and adopted by a large number of Protestant denominations. As an ecumenical church, our use of the Common Lectionary expresses a sense of unity with all the other congregations around the world who are reading the same scriptures on the very same Sunday. The Common Lectionary is a three-year cycle of readings for each Sunday of the church year, and it usually includes a Hebrew scripture reading (Old Testament), an epistle reading, and a Gospel reading. Over the three-year period, a regular worshiper will hear most of the major portions of the Bible. The Psalm, sometimes thought to be a reading, is really a response to the Hebrew scripture reading. During the season of Easter, the Hebrew scripture is replaced by a reading from Acts - to represent God's work in human history through the people of God in the church. The Lectionary readings are carefully coordinated to emphasize a theme related to the seasons of the church year. For instance, during Easter, the readings highlight the new life in Christ, reconciliation with God through Christ, and the continuation of Jesus' ministry through the church. During the next Service of the Word, try to listen for the intended theme, or even a theme that speaks to you individually. As a postscript to this article, it is interesting to remember what our pastor, Reverend Rita Wilbur, says about using the Lectionary. "It forces me to address 'the hard' passages in the Bible - one's I probably would not otherwise choose to comment upon in a sermon." Likewise, it forces those of us in the congregation to look at the Bible as a whole rather than proof-texting those parts that agree with our predetermined ideas about the sacred scriptures. submitted
by Douglas |