A lectionary is a set calendar of Scripture readings, usually intended for worship. Most lectionaries have a multi-year cycle. For example, the Revised Common Lectionary has a repeating three-year cycle, and the Narrative Lectionary has repeating four-year cycle.

The Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) is a three-year cycle of Scripture readings, with readings assigned for every Sunday and many non-Sunday festival days. The RCL has four Bible readings for each day: a First Reading (usually from the Old Testament), a Psalm, a Second Reading (usually from one of the New Testament Letters), and a Gospel Reading. It is organized around the church year, and often (but not always), the other readings are thematically linked to the Gospel Reading. The three years are labeled Years A, B, and C, and each year focuses on a different Gospel. These years all begin on the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the church year.

The church (or liturgical) year is a way of connecting the patterns of Scripture to worship and the calendar year. There are three major holy days (festivals or feast-days) in the church year: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. These celebrate three pivotal events in the New Testament (life of Christ): the birth of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the birth of the Church (with the gift of the Holy Spirit). A fourth holy day that was celebrated more in the past than it is now is Epiphany. Around these holy days are the church seasons:

• The season of Advent is the four weeks before Christmas (December 25).
• The season of Christmas is the twelve days after Christmas. The season of Christmas ends with Epiphany (January 6).
• The weeks between the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday are referred to as the season of/after Epiphany or Ordinary Time.
• The season of Lent is the forty days (not counting Sundays) prior to Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent has five regular Sundays before Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.
• Holy Week is the week before Easter and includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. This is the holiest week of the year.
• The season of Easter is the seven weeks after Easter Sunday.
• The weeks between Pentecost Sunday and the beginning of Advent is the season of/after Pentecost or Ordinary Time.

Since the date of Easter changes, the entirety of the church year beyond Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany Day can shift around. [For those who are curious, the date of Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox (between March 22 and April 25).]

The RCL was developed by The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), which currently includes 24 denominations and other church bodies.

The practice of organizing a calendar of Scripture readings for worship started in Jewish synagogues likely centuries before Jesus. Christian churches had adopted this practice by the fifth century.

The Revised Common Lectionary was developed in 1992 from The Common Lectionary, which itself was developed in 1983. The Common Lectionary was based on the Roman Catholic Lectionary Ordo Lectionem Missae developed in 1969 after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). There are still many similarities between the Roman Catholic Lectionary and the Revised Common Lectionary.

The RCL is the most popular lectionary in Protestant churches and is very similar to the Roman Catholic lectionary. This includes most mainline churches in US and Canada such as the Anglican/Episcopal, Presbyterian/Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, Congregational (UCC), Disciples of Christ, American Baptist, and the United Church of Canada and the Uniting Church of Australia. This accounts for millions of worshippers worldwide, many more if you add in the Roman Catholic Church.

Yes, and it can be found on the Vanderbilt University website for the RCL. Each non-festival weekday has three readings: a psalm, an Old Testament reading, and either a New Testament letter or Gospel.

We currently have three separate products:

• Living the Word: Cross+Gen Education (RCL)—A classroom curriculum intended for intergenerational ministry that follows the RCL during the program (school) year (Sept. through May).
• Living the Word: Kids Mini Lessons (RCL, PK-6th)—A brief, three-activity curriculum for the range of elementary ages, designed for congregations with a short education time (often those who have education time during the sermon). This also follows the RCL during the program (school) year (Sept. through May).
• Taking Faith Home (RCL)—A faith-at-home resource designed to assist households of all ages, shapes, and sizes in daily or weekly devotions. This same product is sold in two different packages:
  • Taking Faith Home: Program Year (Sept. through May)—A package of TFH that matches the program (school) year used in our two RCL curriculum products.
  • Taking Faith Home: Church Year (Dec. through Nov.)—A package of TFH for the entire church year.