How Many Year Lectionary

Uitti suggested a Seven Year Lectionary. Some say a One Year Lectionary. Most people follow a Three Year Lectionary. Why Three Years? Which makes the most sense, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, or Seven? Well lets think about it.

A Three Year Lectionary makes sense because of the Holy Trinity. There are three persons in one God. The First Year you would focus on the Father and his work in Creation, Sending his Son, Raising his Son, and Answering Prayer. The Second Year you focus on the Son's action of Redemption and Holy Life. The Third Year is focused on the Holy Spirit both in Old Testament Prophecy and the New Testament Church. But this is not how our Three Year lectionary is set up.

A One Year Lectionary makes sense because we are One people of God or God is one. Therefore, you celebrate the Father Son and Holy Spirit throughout the year. This could also focus on how the Church is united throughout time and space. All Christians are united together. One Year is also simple and none discript.

A Two Year Lectionary makes sense because you could focus on the Two Natures in Christ or The Two Testaments of the Bible. You could spend one year just reading old testament texts. You can read the prophetic words and then the next year read the fulfillment of these prophecy through the New Testament. Or with the Two Natures in Christ you spend one year focusing on Christ as God in Miracles and work of Redemption. The Next year you focus on Christ as Man which shows he is one of us who saves us.

A Four Year Lectionary makes sense because you can focus on the Four Gospels. There are not three Gospels but Four Gospels in the Bible. Therefore, you spend each year devoted to a particular Gospel. You are able to see their differences and their similarities.

A Five Year Lectionary makes sense because you can focus on the Book of the Law. You can spend each Year going through one of the Books of the Torah. You spend a year on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These Help to show the stable foundation given by Moses. People can also see the Gospel connections reaching back to the Torah.

A Six Year Lectionary would make sense except for the Number 6 seems to be a shortfall. Some may say the Six Days of Creation but they would forget that God blessed the 7th Day of Creation by resting. Therefore, there should really be 7 days of Creation. Without the 7th Day it would be incomplete even though everything was already Created.

A Seven Year Lectionary would make sense as well. This would make sense with the Sevenfold Spirit of God. This would work with the Seven Days of Creation. This would also work with the Year of Jubilee in the Old Testament.

The problem with 5-7 year lectionaries is that you have to give greater balance to the Old Testament than the New Testament. If you have a Three text system you will end up with repeated NT and Gospel lessons all over the place. But it is not like we do not have repeated NT and Gospel lesson all over the place even in the Three Year Lectionary.

These are just some thoughts to stew about. But I really think a Four Year Lectionary which divides the Church Year into three parts for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be interesting. Thank you.

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