What is the Lectionary?

The revised common lectionary (RCL) is a three year cycle of weekly readings from scripture used by the mainline Churches in the United States and Canada, built around the seasons of the church year.  Just as the Christian liturgical calendar reflects the life of Christ, so the RCL readings follow the same pattern usually centered on the Gospel reading with additional readings from the Old Testament, Psalms, Apocrypha and New Testament thematically related.  In Ordinary Time, the RCL follows an emphasis, the Patriarchs and Exodus (year A) the Monarchy (year B), and the Prophets (year C).  The gospels follow the pattern of Matthew (year A), Mark (year B), Luke (year C) and John interspersed.  There are several advantages to using the lectionary both in worship and for personal use.  Using the lecationary encourages churches to be in sync with each other, so churches throughout the country will be focused on the same readings, it allows parishioners to know prior to Sunday what scripture will be used in worship (in reading and preaching).  Sunday schools, small groups, and Bible studies can all use it as well for reading and study.  It also introduces congregations to some passages that a pastor may not otherwise chose to preach on, and of course, it emphasizes the Christian year and the richness inherent to the Christian calendar.  There are several on-line sources that publish the RCL in various forms, below are some lectionary resources available on line.  The site at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library is especially useful as it includes a FAQ and numerous other related topics and resources to the lectionary including its history, information about its composition and editorial board, and printable formats.

Lectionary site at Vanderbilt Divinity Library

Lectionary page of Presbyterian Church USA

Lectionary site of Episcopal Church

Lectionary page of ELCA

Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass

Orthodox Lectionary for 2016

Training site for lectors and readers