Approaching the Lectionary

[Mike Schutz]

As you plan your preaching schedule, all things being equal, (which they never are), what do you consider in choosing your primary preaching passage from the lectionary?

[Jon Twitchell]

Last Sunday I completed my 10th year as pastor in Cape Elizabeth.

When I'm preaching the lectionary, one of the first things I do is to look to see what I did the last couple of cycles through.

(I don't ALWAYS preach the lectionary... sometimes I'll take a break for a season to do a series... I've done series on The Lord's Prayer, The Twelve Prophets, The Sermon on the Mount, and right now we're using E100 - a 20-week series of congregational reading, small groups, preaching, and daily devotions.)

After looking to what I did the last couple of times, usually look at the trajectory of the lectionary... for instance, if I can do a series on a book that we haven't done before, I'll do that... sometimes I'll shift the lectionary around a week or two in order to accommodate that... or add in a set of readings that would help round out a series.

In other words, I rarely sit down on Monday and decide which of the four passages I'll preach on the following Sunday... I'm more likely to pick a set of lessons for a particular series or season. I don't treat them as stand-alone sets of lessons, but part of a larger movement.

In terms of picking which movement... I'll try to balance my preaching from the OT, Gospels, and NT... weighted a little heavily toward the Gospels. In the course of a year, I hope to spend several weeks in the Gospels... with smaller series in the OT or NT.

[John Reilly]

Jon, Congratulations on ten years in beautiful Cape Elizabeth Maine. Coming up on August 4, I will celebrate 13 years in Keene, NH. When I first arrived and for a few years I would preach through a book of the Bible, 1,2 Cor., Ephesians, Joshua, Malachi, Matthew. Then I turned to the lectionary. I have been using three scritpures form the lectionary for opening scripture and prayer, the worship team usually reads a Psalm as part of the music package, and I preach from one of the lectionary text. Currently I have been preaching the 2 Cor text. This week, July 8, 2 Cor. 12, "God's Sufficient Grace" and next week, July 15, "The Ark of the Lord" from 2 Samuel 6. I find the lectionary provides providentially appointed scriptures. I also use "Feasting the Word" as a resource.

[Kazimiera Fraley]

So sometime during the Summer I plan the next lectionary year. I do as Jon does, I look and see what I have preached before. I then look at see what books the lectionary is focusing on which I have perhaps not covered. I then look at the major seasons (Advent, Lent, Easter) and using the information I gleaned by looking at the first two criteria decide what I want to focus on in those seasons. Once I have the major seasons down, I look to common time and try to find series I can do in common time that will move us through that period (last year I spent 16 some odd weeks in Romans , this year I am following the David narratives through the Samuels) I then look and see if I am spending fair time in OT, Gospels and Epistles. And try to make sure that as I cover the weeks left that I am pulling from the whole of scripture not just all OT or all Epistles. In then end I look at the whole year. I look at the themes I trace, name series I am doing and again check to be sure I am not spending all my time in one part of scripture. Then I go back through take notes on each passage, suggest a sermon title for each week, so that I have some idea of what I was thinking last August when I come to the passage in May.

[Rich Schmidt]

I don't use the lectionary much, so it's helpful to hear how you who do use it approach your planning. Thanks.

Most of my nearly-13 years' worth of messages here at Living Hope have been in series of varying lengths. So the idea of using the lectionary to plan those series is interesting. I know I've done it here and there in the past (especially during seasons like Lent or Advent, including Ashes to Fire this year). Maybe I'll go back to it again in the future.

[Ken Tidwell]

Not growing up with the lectionary, nor using it at all in my initial ministry positions (Baptist), it took me a little while to get into the lectionary. Roger Hahn, Doug Hardy, Chris Fosback and a few others introduced me to it. Now I follow the lectionary from Advent to Pentecost. I look back over the previous cycles and try to balance it. The rest of the time I might follow it, but I often take the Summer and Fall to preach series that address a specific issue, doctrine, or theme.

Jeren Rowell gave us a nifty sermon planning chart when I was in KCD that I have used for the past few years. So I just pull out the previous year's and do a scan to see which texts I used them and so on.

[David Graham]

As the senior Minister overseeing four other preachers, I preach mainly from the lectionary and encourage the others to do the same because it both provides continuity for the other preachers regarding lectionary themes and offers fewer opportunities for preaching on "pet subjects" which the particular preacher (myself included) might want to pursue.

And to assist in this process the lectionary readings for the coming week are always printed in each week's pew bulletins.

From the feed back I get, everyone chooses their preaching texts from one of the four (or more) lectionary readings on offer.

I still feel that I get enormous freedom to preach about a wide range of subjects though, even though my style is more exergetical.

(BTW, we have 8 preaching places in our parish across four churches..... so I get to preach at least once each week.)

[John Kennedy]

Some years back I worked with the Associate Minister/Music Director in worship planning. We would have about 3 services in differnt stages of planning: putting the finishing touches on the upcoming Sunday, filling in more of the details for the following Sunday, and beginning work on the Sunday two weeks away.
We used the Free Methodist version of the Common lectionary. Each service would include a Psalm (read responsively or sung to a familiar hymn tune) and another Old or New Testament lesson. Since the minister didn't usually follow the lectionary we would use a hymn before and following the sermon to reinforce his message.
We found the Psalm and Scripture Lesson/s furnished a very good thematic structure for the earlier part of the service and the music served to 'bridge' to the sermon even if its emphasis was somewhat different. It would have probably been more ideal if the minister had followed the lectionary, but we felt that a good blend was achieved.

[Eric Frey]

The first thing I look for is a common thread. If there is a common thread I preach the common thread. If there is not a common thread, then I choose a passage to preach. Some of the questions I ask myself (in no particular order): Have I preached any of these texts recently? Does one of the texts really address a need in our congregation's life? Is the Spirit drawing me toward any of the passages? Is any of the passages something no one has likely heard preached before?

[Roy Richardson]

The first thing I look for is a common thread. If there is a common thread I preach the common thread. If there is not a common thread, then I choose a passage to preach. Some of the questions I ask myself (in no particular order): Have I preached any of these texts recently? Does one of the texts really address a need in our congregation's life? Is the Spirit drawing me toward any of the passages? Is any of the passages something no one has likely heard preached before?

That is essentially my approach. How do the passages tie together? For example, Year C 1st Sunday of Advent has a connection that is thinner than some others I have seen. The linkage between the Jeremiah passage and the Luke passage - 1st advent, 2nd Advent, is where I will spend my time on Sunday.

[Mike Schutz]

Meeting with my minister of worship arts this week to coordinate Epiphany through Easter based upon the lectionary passages. The themes of "possessing the land" and "true repentance" will be our focus through Lent.