Having a Plan

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always done better at being consistent with Bible reading when I have a plan. Typically, it’s a devotional guide, and most recently I’ve enjoyed the “Pray as You Go” app, which has a daily meditation on a particular passage of scripture. Left to my own devices, I’m often not sure where to begin, or I become haphazard in my approach, just randomly opening scripture and reading a little bit here and there. Although I was not raised in a liturgical church, I’ve known about the Lectionary for years. But I’m embarrassed to say, I’ve never used it as a tool for engaging with scripture until now. I knew it consisted of several different scripture passages, but until I used it in preparation for a sermon, I had no idea how intentionally woven together these passages are, and how the themes tie together so beautifully and inform one another. It was fascinating to see an Old Testament passage illuminate my understanding of another passage in the New Testament. It also is encouraging to notice the consistency of God’s word from start to finish, and how these words draw us into worship. As we’ve been crafting our Sunday morning worship services, we’ve tried to use several of the different lectionary passages in worship. The passages from the Psalms have frequently become our call to worship or have been used to help frame a time in prayer.

When I preached a few weeks ago on John 3, which emphasized God’s love, I was struck by how the earlier passages in the Lectionary from Isaiah and Psalms focused on the holiness of God. It reminded me of the importance of seeing both God’s holiness and his love as going hand in hand when we think about God’s character. In fact, emphasizing God’s holiness, reminds us of how truly remarkable it is that a holy God “gave his one and only Son” for you and for me, to demonstrate his incredible love for us.

I love knowing that these same scriptures are tethering together Christians not only in our congregation, but those worshiping in various places around the world. Together we are allowing these words to nourish our souls. I hope whether you are joining us on Sunday mornings or reading the Scriptures from the beach this summer that you will find opportunities to be tethered to these words and experience for yourselves how God’s word draws us into worship.

– Miriam