I Don't Like the Lectionary, Either

Issues with the Church Year are also tied up with the lectionary for me. I don’t like the lectionary that the UMC has available. Not sure what kind of lectionary I would like, to be honest.

Here’s what I hear: “the lectionary keeps me from preaching just what I like.” Ok, but is that really a problem for you? And so now, you are going to preach what some editorial board likes?

Or I hear, “the lectionary makes sure you stay balanced between the Old and New Testaments.” Actually not true, you have to make that commitment. And again, I wonder why you would not do so anyway?

These answers in favor of using the lectionary come so quickly that I suspect we haven’t really thought about them.

So I will ask the same question about the lectionary that I do about the Church Year: what are its liabilities and limitations?

More on the Church Year

So far, everyone seems really pumped about the Church Year. Would anyone care to post on its liabilities and limitations?

One that comes to mind is a fellow who said since Lent, fasting has fallen off for him.

Or I think about how on Easter there was all kinds of activity on Twitter saying "he is risen." But now, none of that. Is He no longer risen?

Do we talk about the birth of Jesus any time outside Christmas?

I wonder if there is a kind of nostalgia in us. We should be able to date our letters by a sacred feast. We wish that Christianity was enough of a cultural force that we could actually do a good service for Ascension Day ON Ascension Day, but who would come to Church at 11 a.m. Thursday? Or even if we had it in the evening?