Fr. Howie is writing a series of “Praying Shapes Believing” articles that appear in our weekly Sunday worship bulletins. Whether it is your first time, or your thousandth, reading, reciting, and praying the traditional Rite II worship from the Book of Common Prayer, it is worthwhile to ask why. We will examine some of our prayers and collects to help us find more meaning and connection in the ritual. See all topics in the Praying Shapes Believing series.
The Lectionary – In most cases, we read one lesson each from the Old Testament, the letters and other documents of the New Testament, and the Gospels. During the Easter season, the Old Testament lesson is replaced by one from the Acts of the Apostles.
What is it? The public reading of portions of the Bible comes to Christian worship from the synagogue service of Judaism. The three-year cycle of readings that we follow covers much of the four Gospels and writings of St. Paul and others, but only touches on a few significant stories in the Old Testament.
Why do we do it? Scripture is our library of the history of God’s relationship with humankind. Reading it week by week reminds us of God’s past actions and shines a light on our lives today. The combination of story, poetry, wisdom, and visionary dreaming shows us something new even after many years of hearing.
What it says about God – God speaks truth to us in many ways.It is a paradox that God is both mysterious and wishes to be known.
Messages for how we live – Every aspect, every emotion of our lives is part of God’s story.Daily contact with God’s story blesses and changes our own.
For more – Read a Bible story and think about who you are in it.