Fourth Wednesday of Easter
Perhaps today's title might stir a bit of controversy, provoke some responses. I'm get so few responses to the blog that I might be ready for negative responses. So, let me know what you think.
First, let me give a disclaimer. I love Justin Coleman. As pastor, preacher, friend, and in my case spiritual director, I think Justin is top-notch. I think Justin preached a very fine sermon on the Prodigal Son last Sunday. But I'm on overload with the Prodigal Son. I have heard what seems like hundreds of sermons on the Prodigal Son. It has been preached to death. I've heard good sermons on it, more bad sermons on it. What I haven't heard in many years is something really new, an utterly different way of looking at it. Right now I'm so worn out with the story that I might not like it, even if I did hear something new.
So here is the larger issue: sermon series versus the lectionary. We used to follow the lectionary always for sermons here. Now we do mostly series. My preference is the lectionary. Here's why.
Here's what the lectionary is: a series of scripture readings for ever Sunday of the church year. There are four readings for each Sunday: (1) an Old Testament reading, (2) a Psalm (often sung by the choir or read responsively, (3) a Gospel reading, (4) an epistle reading. The lectionary goes on a three year cycle. No single reading appears more than once in the three years. Sometimes the same story may appear in consecutive years, but only in the Gospel reading and only if that story is told in more than one gospel. Generally Year A follows the Gospel of Matthew; year B, Mark; year C, Luke. John is interspersed among all the years. The readings follow the church seasons: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost.
The great value of the lectionary is that it gives very wide coverage to the whole Bible. A second value is that it prevents a preacher from dwelling on his or her favorite passages or favorite books. It forces the preacher and the congregation to hear texts from all over the Bible. A third value is that it limits overused stories like the Prodigal Son to being preached on only once every three years. A fourth and perhaps most important value is that it is the texts being read and preached in not only ion our church but in churches all over the world. In the Episcopal and Lutheran denominations all sermons are lectionary based. That's also the case in the Catholic Church, although their lectionary varies slightly from the Revised Common Lectionary that we use. This means that all sorts of lectionary Bible studies and helps are created and made available to parishioners and pastors. It makes us one church.
The great value of sermon series is....(thinking). OK I can't think of any great value of sermon series.
In my last appointment I preached through two full three year cycles of the lectionary. The two times I preached on the Sunday in Year C which has the Prodigal Son story, I preached on the epistle or OT reading instead. I tried to give the Prodigal Son a six year rest. It didn't quite work out that way. Our church had an endowed preaching mission, with a guest preacher coming in for two sermon and other activities. The one year we did the endowed preaching mission while I was there, the guest preacher preached her two sermon series on---guess what!
So how about after this series, we give the Prodigal Son a sabbatical, a seven year moratorium.
At some later point I'll do a blog on church music and hymns that need a rest.
Let me hear some reaction, positive or negative.
Faithfully,
Christian
3 comments:
Thanks for offering your thoughts, Christian. To me the Prodigal Son coverage felt so familiar and repetitive that it was hard to maintain focus. I actually stated my problem with this reaction to my spouse during the sermon and spent too much time looking out the window at the lake. I have heard presentations about the Prodigal Son many less times than you but am probably in an even greater state of wanting to hear more about other parts of the Bible. However, I do admit to despising the behavior of the younger son based on his behavior leaving me appalled at the thought that he had won the lottery.
Amen, brother! I mean Dad. I really don't like series. Like, what is this, church or HBO? One of the things I always loved about the Methodist church (in addition to the coffee hours which WAY beat the UCC's, unless I am in charge) was the solid Biblical preaching. I don't come to church to hear the pastor's take on political or family or whatever issues. If you just preach on the Gospel, you end up talking a lot about justice, upending an unjust social order, putting love and non-violence above a violent or military solution, eating with sinners, etc.
If I want annoying advice on various topics of current interest, like mental health, I'll watch Dr. Phil. If I show up at church, I want church.
You can blame my parents. I grew up with such good preaching that I really can't settle for less. :)
Respectfully, I hope you liked Justin's sermon this morning. Except for the surroundings, I thought the sermon theme of almighty grace using the parable was among the most powerful I have enjoyed.
Separate from the sermon, could you help me understand the different perspectives of having a permanent cross in our/any sanctuary? Based on previous churches that I loved and in which I worshiped, I guess I have taken the presence of a permanent cross as a sort of norm. Is that the norm? That is, do most churches have a cross permanently displayed in the sanctuary? Is there a theological explanation at work here?
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