This past spring, after 2 years in Chatham, we moved back to Carlinville. We bought a house on South Broad and right across the street is this great little Episcopal church built in the 1830's. Right away I felt like we should visit. It didn't take long for Cindy to agree and on Palm Sunday we attended our first service. Since that initial visit we have only missed a couple of Sunday's. We are now faithful attenders to the Morning Coffee and Context Bible study each Sunday as well as the Sunday morning service and coffee hour. Cindy and I help with the Altar Guild about 1 weekend per month.
In addition to attending services and helping with the alter we are both looking for other ways to get connected. Cindy has started a women's book club that has 3 or 4 people attend each month. We both took part in the hanging of the Greens this past Sunday to prepare for advent and Christmas. Most significantly we completed a 5 week course with Father Carter and now await a visit from the Bishop where we will go through the service to be accepted as members of the congregation.
Since the start of that 5 week class I have been spending 20 minutes each morning reading the Morning Prayer servicer from the Daily Office and then meditating for the balance of the time. Last week I began sitting for 15 minute around lunch to read the Noon Prayer from the Office, and then meditate. This week I plan to add the evening prayer between 4 and 4:30, before I go upstairs for dinner. I can already say the Office has become a daily practice for me but I think the inclusion of Noon and Evening prayers is going to deepen that practice a great deal.
Last week was Proper 29 , the 26th and final week after Pentecost, before Advent starts. Proper 29 is Christ the King Sunday, and the final week of the Church year. We just finished Lectionary Year B Track 2 and next week we will begin Lectionary Year C. I have had some experience with the lectionary growing up a Methodist, but it was just something in the background. The Lectionary did not play an obvious role in our services. I was aware that the scripture each week came from a source, but we didn't really discuss the Lectionary.
I have grown to have a real connection with the Lectionary and with the Daily office. The idea that many people around the world are reading the same passages and praying the same prays as I am each day is powerful. Likewise, the idea that pulpits around the world are being illuminated by different speakers making different point all around the same passage of God's work speaks to how significant and alive the word of God truly is. So I feel called to put grow even closer to the Lectionary in the year ahead.
My plan is to read and meditate on each upcoming reading and write a short 4 - 6 page article about each Sunday Lectionary for the entirety of this Church Year. I plan to write them in a way that I could easily stand up and preach them, not that I have any expectation to do so. I want to do this, because I want to challenge myself to dig into the word enough to not just think about it, but to be able to speak and write about it each and every week. There are 52 weeks in the lectionary year. So after 156 weeks I will have read and written on every Gospel passage that makes up the entire Lectionary. This is something I want to do.
I write this entry today just to set the tone for what is going to follow. Every Sunday morning at about 8:45 am I will post my article for that weeks Lectionary readings. Some weeks may be well presented articles, and some may be little more then scribbled notes, but I am committed to this process for the next 156 weeks. December 1, 2024 will be the beginning of my journey. However I did get some notes together for last week, which was Christ the King Sunday. I may post those this week, just as a primer to what lies ahead.
Thanks for Reading,
David
