If you come to our church regularly, you’ll notice that we always include 3-4 scripture readings as part of our worship service. Normally, this includes two readings from the Old Testament (a Psalm and another selection) as well as two readings from the New Testament (one from the epistles and one from the gospels).
The four texts normally have a common theme. We read all four during the service, but the sermon will focus on on one of them. Usually we read the Psalm responsively as part of the worship service.
In the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, most congregations follow the three-year lectionary published by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. You can see this https://www.lcms.org/worship/lectionary-series#three-year-lectionary.
While congregations in the LB are not required to follow the lectionary, there are several good reasons for doing so.
- The chosen texts relate to the seasons of the church year. For example, during the season of advent, you will hear the prophecies about Jesus’ birth. During lent, you will meditate on the life of Jesus. On the day of Pentecost, we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit by reading from the book of Acts. Over the course of a year, the worshipper who comes to church regularly thus gets to experience the entire story of salvation history from creation right through to Revelation.
- Certainly there is nothing wrong with doing a sermon series on a particular theme or working through an entire book of the Bible. However, use of the lectionary holds me accountable as a Pastor. Rather than cherry-picking my favorite topics, I have to preach from the entire counsel of God!
- Over the course of the three-year lectionary cycle, the congregation will hear sermons on all major topics of scripture.
- The inclusion of four readings in our worship service is grounded in our conviction that ALL scripture is God-breathed. We value the Old Testament as well as the New, recognizing that we need the full counsel of God.
- Using the lectionary unites us with historic church practice, and it ensures that we are not constantly reinventing the wheel.
With that said, there are some drawbacks to the lectionary.
- Because it only includes short sections, the lectionary interrupts the narrative flow of scripture. There is great value in studying and digesting large portions of scripture in context.
- Sometimes the lectionary skips over difficult parts of scripture.
Regarding the first, I note that we make up for this by having a mid-week Bible Study. There, we can go deeper into a particular book or theme.
As for the second issue, I address this by occasionally modifying the assigned readings. For example, if the lectionary skips over difficult or controversial verses, I usually include them anyway. As a pastor, I enjoy the challenge of explaining them to my congregation.
Overall, I love the lectionary and see it as a valuable tool. I hope you do too!
+ Pastor Tim
Christ Alone Lutheran Brethren Church 