Did you know that thousands of churches around the globe are reading the same scripture as you every Sunday morning? How is it that an Episcopal Church in Orlando is reading the same scripture as a Roman Catholic Church in Canada? Simple we draw our scripture readings from our common lectionary!

A lectionary is simply a table designating the readings of scripture that should be read for a given day. Between pages 889-912 in the Book of Common Prayer(BCP) you can find the prescribed Sunday reading! The Lectionary runs in a three year cycle Year A (Gospel of Mathew), Year B (Gospel of Mark), and Year C (Gospel of Luke).

Sunday Service

Let’s say we are in Year C and we want to know what the readings are for this upcoming The Fifth Sunday in Lent. All we have to do is turn to Lectionary C section in our BCP and search until we find the date in this example page 914 that’s it!

If you don’t have a BCP handy we offer it fully online 1979 Book of Common Prayer! Choosing The Lectionary – Year C scrolling down to The Fifth Sunday in Lent we find the same readings to be the following.

• Old Testament: Isaiah 43:16-21
• Psalm: Psalm 126
• Epistle: Philippians 3:4b-14
• Gospel: John 12:1-8

Daily Office

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

We are called to engage with God’s word more than just during Sunday worship. One way in which we are able to do so is by reading the Daily Office, participating in Morning and Evening Prayer. The purpose of the Daily Office is to provide an easy to follow plan to help you draw closer to Christ in study and prayer.

The two primary services in the Daily Office are Morning and Evening prayer which come in two forms Rite One and Rite Two. If you prefer older english with Thees and Thoughts then you would prefer Rite One, otherwise for more modern language many prefer to use the updated Rite Two, however both are full valid options within the Episcopal Church! You can find the Daily Offices between pages 37 and 140 in the BCP.

• Daily Morning Prayer: Rite One
• Daily Evening Prayer: Rite One
• Daily Morning Prayer: Rite Two
• Daily Evening Prayer: Rite Two

While reading Morning or Evening prayer there will be parts that allow for the reading of the daily Psalm, Old Testament, and New Testaments readings. How do we know what scripture exactly are we supposed to read? Much like the Lectionary used for Sunday Worship we have a dedicated Daily Office Lectionary.

The Daily Office Lectionary runs on a two your cycle so we are either in Year One or Year Two. Knowing the year and season we are in we are able to look up the scriptures to be read for any given day. The Daily Office Lectionary can be found on BCP 936.

If we are in Year Two in Week 5 of Lent on a Friday the following would be the prescribed scriptural readings.

• Morning Prayer Psalms: 95 & 22
• Morning Prayer Old Testament: Exodus 9:13-35
• Morning Prayer New Testament: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12
• Evening Prayer Psalms: 141, 143-1-11(12)
• Evening Prayer New Testament: Mark 10:32-45

HINT: If you don’t know what week we are in the easiest way to find out is to check lectionarypage.net.

Closing

There are countless websites and mobile apps (ours included) that simply tell you what scripture is designated for a given day, but I hope you found this article helpful to know how to do it “OLD-SCHOOL” and provides you a backup in case you find yourself unable to access other resources. God Bless!

Have you ever noticed the difference in colors that Priests and Deacons wear throughout the year? How do we know that we wear Purple in Lent and Green in Pentecost… heck how do we even know when Pentecost begins?

Two Dates Rule Them All

There are two dates that our church calendar revolves around, Christmas and Easter. Christmas having a fixed date of December 25 and Easter a floating date being the first Sunday after the first full moon in spring.

Advent – Purple

Advents starts our church calendar beginning four Sundays before Christmas and goes until Christmas Eve. This season marks a time of reflection, remembrance, and anticipation in a season of Joy for our Savior who humbled himself to be born a baby living amongst those whom he would save. The color of the season in purple, signifying penitence and reflection.

For more consider reading Advent the light in a season of Darkness

Christmas – White

The Christmas season begins on December 25th and lasts for twelve days until January 5th. During Christmas we wear white as a symbolism of Jesus’ burial garments and christ’s purity. Typically music becomes more joyous and upbeat in tempo compared to Advent.

Fun Fact: Following the end of Christmas on Three Kings Day, it is common in hispanic culture to leave water and grass for the Wise Men’s camels, in exchange the Wise Men will leave gift for the children.

Epiphany – Green

Epiphany runs from January 6th until Ash Wednesday. This season is a time of celebration for Jesus Christ coming to his people on earth (see prior Three Kings Day celebration). On Epiphany we wear white, and then green for the rest of the season symbolizing the rejuvenation in vegetation and life.

Lent – Purple

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and is a season of repentance and remembrance commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. It is common for us to choose to give up something or take something on in order to draw closer to Christ during this somber time. Characteristics of the season tends to be more somber less energetic music, and not saying alleluia which is an expression of joy and thanks. During Lent the color of the season is Purple signifying penitence.

For more consider watching a sermon about the Season of Lent.

Holy Week – Red

Holy week begins on Palm Sunday the Sunday before Easter. Palms symbolize the story of Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. The color of the season is red, this color is used also on the Day of Pentecost and at ordinations.

Easter – White

On Easter we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter season lasts for fifty days until Pentecost. The color for Easter is the same as Christmas.

Pentecost – Green (except when its Red)

The First Sunday of Pentecost we celebrate Trinity Sunday where we celebrate the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit <insert joke about modalism>, on this day we wear red. For the rest of the season we wear Green celebrating the gifts of the Holy Spirit (much in the same as Epiphany).

Church Colors

• WHITE, the color of Jesus’ burial garments, for Christmas, Easter, and other ‘feasts’ or festival days, as well as marriages and funerals.
• PURPLE/VIOLET for Advent (or ROYAL BLUE) & Lent (or UNBLEACHED LINEN).
• RED is used in Holy Week, the Day of Pentecost, and at ordinations.
• GREEN is used during Epiphany and the ‘Ordinary Time’ after Pentecost.

Source: Episcopal Church Liturgical Colors

And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

Happy Father’s Day to all the Fathers out there this blessed Sunday both old and young alike. What Father’s day means to each family will vary but I pray that at the end it is centered around a love for those who have made a positive impact on your life. This Father’s Day June 20, 2021, is the first day I’m blessed to not only spent time with my Father but sharing the same day with my newborn son Noah as a father myself. In the enjoyment of all holidays, I pray that we take a moment to pray and reflect on why we gather and celebrate these days, and from that how we can tailor our hearts and our lives as is pleasing to the Lord. Today I prayerfully hold Ephesian 6:4 “And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” that I may live and raise my son in a household of love not just for each other but raising him up as a disciple of the Lord.

Commentary on Matthew 2:1-12 

The Story of Epiphany

The story of Epiphany – the story of the three wise men who come to visit and honor the Christ child – is an unusual one full of sharp contrasts.  These men were priests and scholars of their day with access to the Persian emperor.  

They traveled a great distance, wanting to see for themselves if the child born in Bethlehem was the one whose birth was foretold because, like the Jews, these Zoroastrian priests were looking forward to the birth of the true Savior. 

They followed a star in the East in search of this child.  On their travels, they inquired of the king of the land, Herod, if he knew where they could find the “new king.”  

(Imagine that conversation!  Travelers from afar show up at the palace of an egotistical, insecure, Godless man, asking where they can find the “real” king – foretold in Scripture and promised by God.  No better way to say to Herod, “we know you’re not THE one, but could you show us how to find the one who is?”  Nice conversation-starter!)

By the way, the King Herod in this part of Scripture is the father of the King Herod who crucified Jesus.  So father King Herod attempts to kill Jesus, the child.  And son, King Herod kills Jesus the man. Hateful family!  (It seems they found a name they liked – Herod – and then used it time and again, as there were several King Herods in the Bible.)

In his Gospel, Matthew tells us that the Three Kings looked for the Messiah in Bethlehem, not in Rome, where kings lived. The Magi – who were Gentiles – recognized the child’s divinity and his kingship. And so, the King of the Jews first meets the Jews in a stable in Bethlehem.  Soon after he is introduced to the rest of the world – the Gentiles – who recognize this new baby as the one born to fulfill a prophecy.

These men brought the child gifts of great value; they offered what was precious to themselves and knelt and worshipped him as the true Savior. And in so doing, God in the Christ Child was revealed to all the world.

The story of Epiphany is the story of 3 men, priests from a Persian religion, astrologers, who traveled a long way to find the true Savior, promised by God.  They find him not in a church, but in an un-kingly setting.  They give their most precious and highly-valued gifts and fall down to worship him as the Son of God in the most unlikely of places.  And after they meet Jesus, the Bible tells us that they go home by a different route to avoid Herod who was looking for Jesus to kill him, in a likely affirmation that after you meet Jesus, your path changes.  

The story of Epiphany is a story of the passionate pursuit of things believed in, the faith and confidence in the promises of God, the acceptance of His blessings and gifts to us, where and when He gives them.  Most importantly, it is a story of gift-giving, of giving the things that are precious to ourselves in offering to God, as we ask Christ to come into our lives as our Lord and Savior. And the acknowledgement that after we meet Jesus, our life’s journey will surely take a different road! 

Offered by Laurie Anderson

Happy New Year! At least liturgically speaking of course. This year has been challenging for all of us in our own unique ways as we grapple with our daily duties in the midst of a global pandemic. For many in our church, this has been isolation from our friends, families, and co-workers to protect each other and reduce the spread of COVID-19. While we are blessed to live in a modern time where we can video call our loved ones and live-stream church from the safety and comfort of our homes, it just isn’t the same as in-person community. In these times of isolation, it’s okay for us to recognize the stress this can cause inside us.

Hope in a Season of Sadness

While we all hope for a return to a sense of normalcy in our lives I challenge us to change what it is we are hoping for in this season to help heal the sadness of the time. We the church looking back in celebration of Christ’s birth and looking forward and hope for the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns. This is the season of Advent.

1 O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.

Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.

2 O come, O Wisdom from on high,
who ordered all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show
and teach us in its ways to go. Refrain

3 O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
in ancient times did give the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain

4 O come, O Branch of Jesse’s stem,
unto your own and rescue them!
From depths of hell your people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave. Refrain

5 O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death’s abode. Refrain

6 O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light. Refrain

7 O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace. Refrain 

O come O come Emmanuel in remembrance and anticipation of God’s kingdom in our hurting world. Much like the season of Lent where we fast in remembrance and preparation for Easter.

How to Prepare

There is nothing wrong with decorating for the holidays, buying presents for our loved ones, or listening to Christmas music all season long. Echoing a challenge repeated from the past… instead of preparation for Christmas we prepare ourselves for the coming of God’s kingdom here on earth. Amongst holiday shopping, and decorating; make room for God first in our lives. Pray more, forgive more, and ask forgiveness from others.

God Bless and we too shall overcome this.

Resources

What is Advent?

Episcopal Glossary – Advent

The True Meaning of Christmas