A Lector's Guide and Commentary to the Revised Common Lectionary (Year A)
Why is it that when we proclaimThe Word of the Lordfollowing a scripture reading in worship, it sounds so implausible? It is because the church--across denominations--has slipped into such bad habits for reading and presenting the scriptural text aloud, that it scarcely sounds like anything God would say. How could the Word of God be as boring as we make it out to be? What is needed are guides for reading that will help our lectors restore the life and meaning to the texts we read each Sunday.J. Ted Blakley has given us another of his helpful lector guides. Readers will find material to understand each text in the commentary section and performance suggestions for reading the texts with understanding. This is an indispensable resource for congregations who follow the lectionary and desire to let people hear and understand The Word of the Lord.The Rev. Dr. Clayton J. SchmitProfessor of Preaching, Fuller Theological Seminary; Pasadena, CaliforniaAuthor ofPublic Reading of Scripture: A HandbookandToo Deep for Words: A Theology of Liturgical Expression--Book JacketThe Lector's Guide and Commentary is an amazing gift to those of us who preach, teach and read the Scriptures in worship. The most difficult task of the scholar is to be succinct yet thorough, and Dr. Blakley has done this. In the Introduction, he says his aim is 'to make the Bible accessible so that people might more easily enter into the biblical narrative and be encountered by the God of the Bible.' An ambitious goal, but one that the book accomplishes. In addition, the pronunciation guide is a great help to those of us who, even after years of study, struggle to say strange names and places correctly. This book is a blessing in so many ways.The Rev. Dr. James Bryan SmithAssistant Professor of Theology, Friends University; Wichita, KansasAuthor of several books in Christian spirituality, including The Apprentice Series--Book JacketIt is a wonderful privilege to belong to a church that uses a lectionary rather than relying on a narrow range of scriptures chosen by the pastor, but the other side of the privilege is that we read all sorts of passages without being sure what they are about. It is a huge privilege to read scripture in church, and these introductions will help readers do so in a way that brings the passage home to the people. They will help preachers too.The Rev. Dr. John GoldingayProfessor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary; Pasadena, CaliforniaAuthor ofOld Testament Theology: Israel s GospelDr. Blakley provides an invaluable resource for the Church. With masterful brevity and just the right amount of scholarship, he locates the assigned text within its literary context, the biblical narrative, and the liturgical theme of the day. After identifying the salient thoughts, he prudently suggests where and how to bring the text alive for the Church. Finally the scholar, the liturgist, the rhetorician, the lector, and the pew sitter are united! All of our lectors will have a copy.The Rev. Jim ClarkRector, Saint Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Parish; Scottsdale, ArizonaAuthor ofThe ART of Engaging Holy Scripture Study Series--Inside Book Cover