Introducing the new Lectionary

The Church of Wales has published new service books. A new Lectionary (The Revised Common Lectionary) has already been published and is authorised for use. (A 'Lectionary' is the system of Bible readings appointed to be read at services on each Sunday and Feast Day of the year.)

At St. Michael's the DCC has agreed the use of the New Lectionary, the relevant readings, in full, are supplied on the weekly service sheet. (There is no change to the readings at the 10.00 am Communion on Wednesdays and the Book of Common Prayer - the 'Green Book' will continue to be used.)

Why we have changed?

The two main reasons for the change are:

• to ensure that the Church is in step with other Christians.
• to increase the range of Bible readings that we hear in church.

When the ASB Lectionary was drawn up twenty years ago, it was in line with most of the non-Roman churches in Britain and with much of the Anglican Communion. It seemed, at that stage, to make ecumenical sense. However since then, almost all of these other churches have abandoned this particular format and opted for the Roman Catholic Common Lectionary, in use since 1969.

So that's one reason for the change; to be at one with our partner churches. The more fundamental reason is to enable us to hear a much broader range of scripture readings. Lots of the most well known Old Testament stories are never heard. Snippets of Epistles and Gospels are pulled out of context and we never hear the whole. The readings are chosen to fit a 'theme' for the week, which in some ways is helpful, but again has narrowed the choice of readings - and there must be more to say about the vast array of Holy Scripture than can be encapsulated in 52 themes!

The NEW Lectionary (the Revised Common Lectionary is its official title) redresses most of these problems. It covers 3 years, Years A,B, & C. Different readings are provided for up to 3 services a day. This in itself widens the scope enormously. But there is a different approach entirely as to how these readings are chosen. Themes are 'out'. Continuous readings are 'in'.

In each of the 3 years a different Gospel is read continuously, Sunday to Sunday; Matthew in Year A, Mark in Year B, Luke in Year C. This gives us the chance to hear the whole story, to get inside the mind of that particular Gospel writer. St John's Gospel is used at particular important seasons of the year, so each year we receive some of the riches of his writing, scattered in among the others.

In some seasons of the year the Old and New Testament readings are related to the Gospel. At other times these too, are read continuously, so that for instance, we might spend a few weeks reading through the Letter to the Philippians, or a few months reading through the Letter to the Romans or the Book of Jeremiah or Exodus. Think of all those times when you've heard a passage from the Old Testament and thought 'what was all that about?' or 'well, what happened next?'. Continuous readings should help us to make more sense of scripture.

During the Advent and Christmas seasons the readings are only subtly different, but traditional themes obviously are the same. It is during the 'ordinary' time of year - the long 'green' season of Trinity - that the changes are most noticeable. Incidentally, many are delighted that the long season, is reverting back to Sundays after 'Trinity', rather than Sundays after 'Pentecost'. New weekly Post-Communion Prayer and Collects are provided, and these collects draw heavily on the BCP Collects, for many a much-loved part of the Anglican spiritual tradition.

This is not just change for change's sake. The new lectionary enables us to encounter the scriptures in helpful and transforming ways.