Liberal Forum

maineman » 05 Jul 2024, 6:55 am » wrote: ↑

05 Jul 2024, 6:55 am

I know that many denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, Episcopalians, Methodists, Congregationalists, and Lutherans follow the revised common lectionary.  I know this personally because I have spent time as a licensed (not ordained) interim minister in one of those denominations.  Churches who follow the lectionary do so religiously (pun intended), and the three-year-long cycle of readings doesn't change.  Ezekiel 23 is NOT one of them.  That is a fact.

If you don't believe me, check for yourself:  https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

Now, cite the percentage of churches within each of those denominations that follow the "revised common lectionary"...I'll wait.

I was a Methodist (UMC) for 46 years, attending 5 different churches within the denomination.  At none of them, did Sunday School classes follow any commonly accepted/recognized/preferred (whatever word you wish to use) lectionary or curriculum.  The teachers and/or the class members were free to choose their topics. Some were strictly Bible based and some focus on social issues at the time and how we (the class members) should react to them. If all the churches within a denomination followed the same common lectionary, every member of the ordained clergy would be preaching basically the same sermon to their members every Sunday. Twice, during those years, our class and senior pastor spent 18 months covering every book in the Bible, in order.

Again, not every congregation within a denomination believes/teaches the same things.