Many Christian churches use a schedule of Scripture readings set for each Sunday. It’s called a “lectionary.” These groups of readings are meant to cover the life of Jesus and his church in both the Old Testament and the New Testament throughout the year. The beginning of this schedule starts this week in the season of Advent.
Although it’s not necessary, following the lectionary readings helps congregations focus on the most important parts of the Bible and gives them a broad overview of its stories instead of relying on the pastor’s own preferences week in and week out. It also provides a connection between congregations across the world as well as creates a bridge to Christians in the past who have listened to and learned from these same readings on the same Sundays for centuries.
“A time is coming and now is here when the real worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for those are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
– John 4:23-24
These are the words of Jesus to the Samaritan woman he met at Jacob’s well. What he said then is true today: whether a congregation uses a lectionary or not, we should always be worshiping the Lord in the spirit of faith and through the truth of God’s Word. If our time together in God’s house revolves around the words he has had written down for us and preserved for thousands of years, that is God-pleasing worship. What a privilege it is to be able to praise our God in freedom and, at the same time, with an appreciation for the ways all those Christians who have gone before us have worshiped our God for centuries!
