LEARNING FROM THE LECTIONARY
http://divinity.lib.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/.
What does it mean to listen? We hear the Scriptures read each Sunday morning while we participate in worship. I often wonder what people hear during the singing of the hymns? What do they hear during the four Scripture Readings appointed for that day. Do they even know how those Readings were chosen for that particular Sunday? Who makes the decision regarding the Readings that are chosen. Is it the Bishop? Is it the Priest? Who decided what Scripture readings, two from the Old Testament, which includes a Psalm, and two from the New Testament, an Epistle and a Gospel, will be read in Church today?
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The Reading from the Book of Proverbs contains some pithy sayings that are short of enough to both hear and remember, such as this one: "Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all."
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The Epistle Reading, which is usually a letter, id take from the Letter of James, who reminds us about the dangers of favouritism, and that our actions must match our words. Faith that is not accompanied by actions is a dead faith.
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The Psalm reminds us that the Lord surrounds his people just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, and that those whose trust is in the Lord will not be shaken, even though evil surrounds them on every side. God is with us.
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The Gospel Reading is usually the Reading most preachers focus on as it is after all telling us and teaching us something about our Lord Jesus Christ. All the Readings call us to listen attentively, that is to be thoughtful as we invite God to speak to us through the words of Holy Scripture. There are two very interesting stories told in today’s Gospel. One concerns a mother who daughter is very ill. She is not Jewish, but a Gentile, and the remark Jesus made concerning the rightness of tossing the children’s bread to the dog’s has caused many preachers difficulty as it appears that Jesus does not hear this woman’s plea and seems to dismiss her, but also appears on the surface to insult her too.
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The next story concerns a man who was deaf and could not talk properly. Here we see the compassion of Jesus clearly at work. The people beg Jesus to lay his hands on this deaf man. First, Jesus takes the man away from the glare of the crowds. Next, in what some see as ‘sign’ language, Jesus put his fingers in the man’s ears, then touches his tongue, to perhaps let him know what he is about to do. Next, Jesus looked up to heaven perhaps to indicate to the deaf man just where Jesus’ received his power. Then Jesus spoke and the man was healed, he was able to hear and speak plainly. Both are powerful stories.
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To answer my own question, the Readings come from the Revised Common Lectionary that the Anglican, Roman Catholic and United Churches each use.
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M. PROVERBS 22:1-23 --THOUGHTS TO MEMORIZE
T. JAMES 2:1-17 -----------ABOUT FAVOURITISM
W. PSALM 125 -------------IN GOD WE TRUST.
T. MARK 7:24-30 --------JESUS, THE VERY THOUGHT OF THEE
F. MARK 7:31-34 ---------HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS SOUNDS
S. GENESIS 1:1-31 --------THOU WHOSE ALMIGHTY WORD.
.
The Reading from the Book of Proverbs contains some pithy sayings that are short of enough to both hear and remember, such as this one: "Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all."
.
The Epistle Reading, which is usually a letter, id take from the Letter of James, who reminds us about the dangers of favouritism, and that our actions must match our words. Faith that is not accompanied by actions is a dead faith.
.
The Psalm reminds us that the Lord surrounds his people just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, and that those whose trust is in the Lord will not be shaken, even though evil surrounds them on every side. God is with us.
.
The Gospel Reading is usually the Reading most preachers focus on as it is after all telling us and teaching us something about our Lord Jesus Christ. All the Readings call us to listen attentively, that is to be thoughtful as we invite God to speak to us through the words of Holy Scripture. There are two very interesting stories told in today’s Gospel. One concerns a mother who daughter is very ill. She is not Jewish, but a Gentile, and the remark Jesus made concerning the rightness of tossing the children’s bread to the dog’s has caused many preachers difficulty as it appears that Jesus does not hear this woman’s plea and seems to dismiss her, but also appears on the surface to insult her too.
.
The next story concerns a man who was deaf and could not talk properly. Here we see the compassion of Jesus clearly at work. The people beg Jesus to lay his hands on this deaf man. First, Jesus takes the man away from the glare of the crowds. Next, in what some see as ‘sign’ language, Jesus put his fingers in the man’s ears, then touches his tongue, to perhaps let him know what he is about to do. Next, Jesus looked up to heaven perhaps to indicate to the deaf man just where Jesus’ received his power. Then Jesus spoke and the man was healed, he was able to hear and speak plainly. Both are powerful stories.
.
To answer my own question, the Readings come from the Revised Common Lectionary that the Anglican, Roman Catholic and United Churches each use.
.
M. PROVERBS 22:1-23 --THOUGHTS TO MEMORIZE
T. JAMES 2:1-17 -----------ABOUT FAVOURITISM
W. PSALM 125 -------------IN GOD WE TRUST.
T. MARK 7:24-30 --------JESUS, THE VERY THOUGHT OF THEE
F. MARK 7:31-34 ---------HOW SWEET THE NAME OF JESUS SOUNDS
S. GENESIS 1:1-31 --------THOU WHOSE ALMIGHTY WORD.
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