In the Beginning was the Word . . .
The Episcopal Church and the Revised Common Lectionary
A Lectionary is a table of readings from Scripture appointed to be read at public worship. The association of particular texts with specific days began in the 4th century. The Lectionary [1969, revised 1981] developed by the Roman Catholic Church after Vatican II provided for a three-year cycle of Sunday readings. This Roman lectionary provided the basis for lectionary in The Book of Common Prayer 1979 as well as those developed by many other denominations.
The Common Lectionary, published in 1983, was an ecumenical project of several American and Canadian denominations, developed out of a concern for the unity of the Church and a desire for a common experience of Scripture. It was intended as a harmonization of the many different denominational approaches to the three-year lectionary. It has been in trial use in the Episcopal Church and among the member denominations since 1983.
The Revised Common Lectionary, published in 1992, takes into account constructive criticism of the Common Lectionary based on the evaluation of its trial use and like the current prayer-book lectionary is a three-year cycle of Sunday Eucharistic readings in which Matthew, Mark and Luke are read in successive years with some material from John read in each year.
The Revised Common Lectionary provides these new features:
- The option of semi-continuous reading of the great Old Testament narratives on the Sundays after Pentecost, to provide exciting new preaching opportunities, vacation Bible School ideas or informal summer story-telling for adults as well as children.
[Genesis through Judges in year A; the Davidic Covenant and Wisdom literature in Year B; the prophets – Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel and Habbakuk – in Year C.]
- The option of lections in thematic harmony with the Gospel of the day for the Sundays after Pentecost.
This follows the pattern of the present lectionary in which the readings from the Old Testament and the New Testament are chosen in relation to the Gospel.
- The Inclusion of women and their role in salvation history, offering texts about women never heard on Sunday before.
The most notable example is the account of the woman anointing Jesus at Bethany [Mark 14:3-9]. Jesus responded by saying “wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” This text, omitted in the present lectionary, is included in the Revised Common Lectionary as part of the Passion narrative read on Palm Sunday in Year B.
*The Revised Common Lectionary preserves around 90% of the Gospel readings in the Lectionary of The Book of Common Prayer 1979.
Why is the Revised Common Lectionary of value to the Episcopal Church?
- It is a truly ecumenical lectionary shared by most Protestant denominations and widely used throughout the Anglican Communion.
- It provides new opportunities for ecumenical Bible study and shared resources for teaching and preaching.
- It has improved the choice of appropriate texts for Sundays and Festivals.
- It incorporates most of the readings with which the church is familiar.
- Most new resources for preaching, teaching and the planning of worship are already being developed to support the Revised Common Lectionary.
Who is already using the Revised Common Lectionary?
American Baptist Churches in the USA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Anglican Church of Australia
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Anglican Church of Canada
Presbyterian Church in Canada
Christian Church [Disciples of Christ]
Presbyterian Church in the USA
Christian Reformed Church in North America
United Church of Canada
Church of England
United Church of Christ
Anglican Church in South Africa
United Methodist Church
*The Roman Catholic Church has not adopted the RCL. However, there are already many differences between the Episcopal and Roman Lectionaries, even though the Episcopal Lectionary was patterned after the Roman Lectionary.
General Convention: 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006
General Convention 1997
Called upon the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music to propose a resolution to the 73rd General Convention adopting the Revised Common Lectionary. The commission reviewed the lectionary and its trial use and proposed its adoption at the 73rd General Convention meeting in Denver.
General Convention 2000
Resolved, That the readings and psalms of the Revised Common Lectionary, as distinct from the rubrics, be authorized for continued trial use during the 2001-2003 triennium; and be it further
Resolved, That, for purposes of trial use, The Revised Common Lectionary be adapted in the following ways: . . . and be it further
Resolved, that Bishops be encouraged to designate several congregations in their dioceses to use the Sunday readings in Cycle C (Advent 2000 – Advent 2001) contained in the Revised Common Lectionary in order to enhance the effectiveness of trial use; and be it further
Resolved, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music develop a simple form to enable a diocese to make available to the Standing Commission the results of this trial use, and that these results be reported to the 74th General Convention.
326 congregations participated in the trial use project. In answer to the question of whether or not the lectionary should be adopted, 22.1% said Yes and 5.5% said no. 72.4% of the respondents chose not to answer the question.
The Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music did a major survey of congregational liturgical usage in the year 2000. 1145 congregations responded to the questionnaire, which asked, among other things, what lectionaries are in use on Sunday. 83% reported always using the Prayer Book Lectionary. 17% reported always using the RCL. 22% reported often using the RCL and 30% report occasional use of the RCL.
General Convention 2003
Resolution A103 proposed to the Minneapolis Convention, asked that
That this 74th General Convention authorize the Revised Common Lectionary, as amended in General Convention Resolution A063, affirmed by the 73rd General Convention, and be it further
Resolved That substitution of the Revised Common Lectionary for the table of readings currently printed in the Book of Common Prayer take effect on the first day of Advent in the year 2003, and be it further
Resolved, That the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music make available the table of readings and suggestions for its use to the congregations of the Episcopal Church.
The resolution failed, but it its place, this resolution was concurred.
that the 74th General Convention authorize the permissive use of the Revised Common Lectionary under the direction of the Bishop or Ecclesiastical authority.
Thus, while Convention was not prepared to substitute the RCL for the lectionary currently printed in the Book of Common Prayer, it recognized that congregations across the church are using the RCL and used this means to make that possible.
General Convention 2006
The General Convention meeting in Columbus concurred this resolution.
Resolved, That the 75th General Convention direct that the Revised Common Lectionary shall be the Lectionary of this Church, amending the Lectionary on pp. 889-921 of The Book of Common Prayer, effective the First Sunday of Advent, 2007; with the provision for continued use of the previous Lectionary for purposes of orderly transition, with the permission of the Ecclesiastical Authority, until the First Sunday of Advent 2010.
Prepared by the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music.
Questions about the Revised Common Lectionary to
Clay Morris in the Office for Liturgy and Music at the Episcopal Church Center
800-334-7626
