The six months starting in June and going through the end of November are known as “ordinary time” for the lessons in the lectionary. It will seem that the three lessons do not have much of a connection with each other - no intended theme. When we read and hear the lessons from the Hebrew Scriptures we will be hearing about the covenant with David and the ancestors because the Gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus as the descendant. The Gospel of Mark is the primary source in Year B with a few readings here and there from the Gospel of John. As we read and hear Mark’s lessons we will tour with Jesus through the ancient countryside as Jesus is doing the ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing.
In the Reformed Tradition of the UCC we use the three-year cycle of readings so you may have heard these lessons many times, but there is always a new way to consider what God is saying to the church in the scriptures. Open your heart to have God inspire a new question, or be renewed or strengthened in your journey.
One major strength gained from using the lectionary is that we can avoid the danger of skimming lightly across a text instead of digging deeply. It is also a way to avoid picking texts that are easy to read and understand as the basis for the weekly message from the pulpit. We are transformed as a congregation when we hear and use the Word of God with integrity to hear what “more truth and light break forth from the Word”. The lessons after Pentecost encourage us to live our lives as disciples and reflect the image of God.
