Holy Week: Encountering the Lectionary


This week is Holy Week, a time in Christian tradition where we focus on the final week of Jesus' life as portrayed in scripture. I grew up in the Southern Baptist faith tradition. As a Southern Baptist, we really didn't observe much of greater catholic (little "c") liturgy. Every few years we would get the liturgical bug and observe some form of Advent, but even that was a stretch. More often than not, the celebration of Advent stemmed from some Lifeway or Southern Baptist Convention material. It wasn't until I got to college that I first encountered the Lectionary.

Even then, my early encounters with the Lectionary were purely speculative, as the churches I attended, much like while growing up, did not follow or use the Lectionary in weekly spiritual life. Much like other liturgical practices, my being Baptist at the core (something I've only recently come to accept) kept me from engaging the Lectionary purely by accident and circumstance.

It wasn't until I became a member of my current church that I began to see what the Lectionary really meant for the greater, global church. Much like the celebrations of communion and baptism connect us in spirit and practice to churches across the world, using the Lectionary does the same. The Lectionary provides scripture passages that every Christian may engage in reading throughout the different liturgical seasons.

Holy Week is the last week of the season of Lent. For many of us, Lent has always been associated with giving up chocolate or soft drinks. That's just what you do during Lent when you don't worship in a very liturgical tradition. But these verses included in the Lectionary help the church focus on how different areas of scripture inform the different seasons.

One of today's readings came from Psalm 71:1-14. The fifth and sixth verses of this reading really resonated with my soul:


"For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of you."


As I have reflected lately on my upbringing and the transformation that I have gone through while discovering my own faith, I have realized that God has not changed from when I was little. I have just encountered different facets of the Holy. I worship the same God I always have, but I have learned new ways of worship and new ways that God speaks into my life. All of this from two verses provided through the Lectionary.

I encourage you to give the Lectionary a try. You don't have to read every passage provided. Yet, as you read any of the passages, let your mind and heart dwell on the fact that you are joining millions of others around the world in worshiping through reading the same scripture. You are becoming connected to an even greater representation of the body of Christ.

The Lectionary resource I use the most is provided through Vanderbilt University. You may access it HERE.

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