Lectionary To Lectio

Last summer I was in a cathedral in Spain on a Sunday morning, trying to make sense of the Spanish service, trying to worship, when I realized that the scriptures were from the Lectionary. That same evening, I worshipped via zoom with a church community in the US who were also using the same biblical passages. What a gift! The Lectionary provides a framework for the global Church to participate in worship together by connecting believers around the world who are reading and preaching the same scriptures each week. A practical tool, it directs us on a journey through Holy Scripture to anticipate and celebrate different parts of the life of Christ and the story of God’s kingdom throughout the church year.  

Yet even with the Lectionary I often feel inadequate, isolated as I attempt to interpret scripture. Such a daunting task!  Or perhaps better said, a daunting opportunity!?!  So I’m also deeply grateful for the resource of SPU’s Lectio – an accessible guided Bible reading tool, now linked each week to the lectionary framework, that provides the wisdom of scholars who not only have a deep faith and commitment to the church, but also a wealth of biblical knowledge and perspective on scripture.

Thanks be to God: by the Holy Spirit, we’re not alone as we worship, we’re not alone as we read and study scripture. May this linking of tools, “Lectionary to Lectio” connect us more fully to God’s word, to God’s communion of worshippers, and to God’s kingdom.  Check it out!

-Rev. Celeste M. Cranston, Director of the Center for Biblical and Theological Education