Lectionary

A lectionary is a collection of readings or selections from the Scriptures, arranged and intended for proclamation during the worship of the people of God.

The Diocese of Perth strongly encourages use of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), a collection of readings from the Bible arranged and intended for proclamation during the worship of the people of God.

The RCL is a production of the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), which originated in the mid-1960′s as a forum for consultation on worship renewal among many Christian churches in the United States and Canada.  Read more about the history of the CCT or its member church bodies.

Why use a lectionary?

A lectionary provides whole churches or denominations with a uniform and common pattern of biblical proclamation.

  • A lectionary serves as a guide for clergy, preachers, church members, musicians, and Sunday school teachers that shows them which texts are to be read on a given Sunday.
  • A lectionary provides a guide and resource for clergy from different local churches who wish to work and pray together as they share their resources and insights while preparing for their preaching.
  • A lectionary serves as a resource for those who produce ecumenical preaching aids, commentaries, Sunday school curricula, and other devotional aids.
  • A lectionary provides a guide to individuals and groups who wish to read, study, and pray the Bible in tune with the church’s prayer and preaching.  Some local churches print the references to the following Sunday’s readings in their bulletins and encourage people to come prepared for the next week’s celebration.
  • A lectionary also shows us the relationship of the readings of one Sunday with those that come before it and after it.  Within each of the major seasons of Lent, Easter, Advent, and Christmas-Epiphany, the flow of the season is reflected in all the Scripture texts, taken together as a set for each Sunday.

           (Taken from the CCL website – www.commontexts.org/rcl)

St Johns Books is the distributor for the Diocese of Perth. For more information about purchasing please contact books@stjohnsbooks.com.au 

The Reims Statement: Praying with one voice

In 2011, the English Language Liturgical Consultation held a Colloquium in Reims, France the outcome of which is the ‘Reims Statement’ on Comon Texts and Lectionary in the life of the Churches.

Reims Statement