Ideas that Work

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Started: 6/30/2008 3:21 PM

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Minick

The Daily Lectionary

From: "George Minick" (pastor.stpaul.sandhill@verizon.net)

I attended at workshop for the Book of Faith Initiative at our recent synod assembly (Lower Susquehanna) - and I thought it was great! From that discussion, I posed a question to the Augsburg/Fortress rep who was at the assembly and she encouraged me to bring my question to this site, so here goes:

Parishioners have come to me over the years and asked me for suggestions about a plan for reading the Bible. I have often directed them to the two year daily lectionary (LBW) as a starter. The problem with this idea was that there were no resources for them to turn to help them with the questions that would arise as they read.

Now, in ELW, there is a three year lectionary which is intended to encourage reflection on the assigned lessons for Sunday worship - which I think is a GREAT idea. My concern however remains about resources designed to work with the new lectionary. Is anyone working on this?

I simply do not understand why this has never been done before! For years we have had a ready made system to put into the hands of our people who want to become more familiar with the Bible, but done nothing to support it. Why bother to use the space in these worship books if they are essentially ignored?

We have seen the creation of all kinds of Bible study programs for a myriad of purposes, but there is nothing available to guide folks reading the Bibles in their homes using the two, or now three, year lectionary. I think the Book of Faith Initiative offers a great opportunity to make up for this lack. Among the possible applications for the three year lectionary, these materials would be ideal for the pastor who wants to lead a weekly bible study based on his or her exegesis for the upcoming Sunday and wants to encourage parishoners to read their Bibles in reflection on the preceding Sunday worship and in anticipation of the upcoming worship service. That is only one idea, I am sure there could be other uses.

So permit me, please, to repeat my original question: Does any one know if there are any plans to create support materials for the two or three year daily lectionaries?

Peace, in Christ

George Minick, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Hummelstown, PA

Posted: 7/1/2008 11:12 AM

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gkaufmann

George, A good suggestion to couple useful study materials with the lectionary. I'd like to encourage people to use Bread for the Day, which follows the three year lectionary, as a tool to prepare for each Sunday's readings. Unlike the Moravian Daily Texts, this does follow the lectionary. Greg

Posted: 7/1/2008 12:55 PM

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RevCrocker

George; The only caveat I'd offer on the lectionary is that it leaves out an enormous amount of Scripture, most often the "difficult" portions - which often lead people into a deeper and broader understanding of God. I have two comprehensive commentaries (Harper's and Jamieson/Fausset/Brown) which might serve the purpose alright, but they don't have the space to get real deep. I wonder if we pastor-types shouldn't offer ourselves to answer particular questions (as a regularly scheduled ministry) and point to particular resources for them, rather than laboring to find that one comprehensive study guide? BC

Posted: 7/2/2008 5:03 PM

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WilliamZima

Have you thought about partnering and meeting regularly with the people who want to dig more into scripture? I would do that with people with the understanding that they will one day do the same with someone else.

Blessings of peace,

Bill

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Posted: 7/9/2008 9:14 AM

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karenlynn

Since we want to encourage conversation as part of this initiative I would suggest a blog or website for the daily lectionary. Folks could go to this site to ask their questions about the daily reading and a team rotating daily responsibility would respond. It could also be a place for people to share insights. Ideally this type of conversation would happen face-to-face in a local setting as suggested in previous postings but another option would be this on-line opportunity.

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Posted: 7/17/2008 2:52 PM

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tbreashears

I think it's a great idea to help people read the Bible on a daily basis by making them aware of the daily lectionary. I wonder, instead of worrying too much about "the meaning" of particular passages, as if there were only one meaning, if we might help people with their reading by simply giving them a few questions which could be asked of any text:

The passage is read once and the reader asks: What word or phrase seems most significant for you and why?

The passage is read a second time and the reader asks: How does this passage speak to your life right now and why?

The passage is read a third time and the reader asks: What will I change or do this week in response to what I've heard?

The passage can be read a final time, as a prayer.

I like empowering people with these questions because it helps us see all the more that the Bible is living and active, speaking to us even now!

Pr. Tracey Breashears, synod advocate, Southwestern TX

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Posted: 8/11/2008 8:42 AM

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Warren Geier

George,

What I like about the ELW daily lectionary is the fact that it relates to the Sunday lessons and the readings are short enough that they are not overwhelming for someone trying to begin a daily discipline of Bible reading. We have been publishing the readings for the month in our monthly newsletters and a number of people have told me that they follow it and a couple have said it has shed light on the Sunday lessons. The downside of it is that while the daily readings connect thematically to the Sunday readings, other than that there is no context for them.

I agree that support materials could be helpful, perhaps in the form of devotional readings like the fourth readings in For All the Saints (ALPB)

Pastor Warren Geier, Synod Advocate, Northern Great Lakes Synod

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