Author: Peter Schoenfield
From time to time, the church adjusts which readings are appointed for worship. When that happens, it is helpful to explain why.
This season, our congregation is following provisional guidance that has been recommended within the ELCA and by the Consultation on Common Texts, the ecumenical group connected with the Revised Common Lectionary. These recommendations invite churches to be more careful in the way we hear and teach certain biblical passages, especially so that Christian worship does not unintentionally encourage unfair or harmful ideas about Judaism.
One part of this guidance is a renewed emphasis on hearing readings from the Hebrew Old Testament Scriptures during the Easter season. For many years, churches often heard readings from Acts as the first lesson instead. The concern is that if Christians stop hearing from the Hebrew Scriptures during Easter, we can give the wrong impression that those parts of the Bible are somehow less important for the church. The revised pattern reminds us that each reading should be heard in its own setting and also as a text that can shed light on the gospel reading beside it. This encourages a fuller and more careful hearing of scripture as a whole.
There is also a change in how Acts is used. Instead of appearing as the first reading during Easter, Acts is being moved later into the season after Pentecost. The guidance says this makes sense both because Acts begins with Pentecost and because it allows more of the book to be heard in a clearer and less repetitive way. It also places those readings where they interrupt the flow of the rest of the lectionary less.
At heart, this is not about change for the sake of change. It is about reading the Bible more carefully, more honestly, and with greater love for our neighbors. It is also a reminder that Jesus was born, lived, and taught within the Jewish people. Jesus was Jewish after all. Christians should never read scripture in ways that demean Judaism or suggest that God has discarded the people of Israel. Those are important lessons for the church in every generation.
So when you hear a different first lesson during Easter, or when Acts appears later after Pentecost, the reason is not random. It is a thoughtful effort to honor the full witness of scripture and to help the church read it with humility, gratitude, and respect.
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