What is the best browser and version for viewing the Lectionary site?
The site incorporates features that are best viewed in Internet Explorer 7 and up or Mozilla Firefox 2 and up. Earlier versions may not be able to render pages correctly. If you have difficulties using the site, we recommend that you upgrade to the latest version of one of these browsers.
When I print a page, the text is cut off on the right hand margin. How can this be corrected?
Most likely the problem is with a general browser default setting that shrinks the page size so as to fit all the text on one page. Each browser has its own settings for this feature:
In Internet Explorer 7.0/8.0, go to "File" -- "Page Setup" -- check the box beside "Enable Shink-to-Fit" -- click "OK." At the top right hand corner of the webpage that you wish to print, click the printer icon and follow the steps.
In Firefox, go to "File" -- "Page Setup" -- "Format & and Options" -- check the box for "Shrink to fit page width" -- click "OK." At the top right hand corner of the webpage that you wish to print, click the printer icon and follow the steps.
In Safari and in Chrome, there is no "Shrink-to-fit" setting; it apparently is an unchangeable default. Simply go to the top right hand corner of the webpage that you wish to print, click the printer icon and follow the steps.
Can I access the previous version of the Revised Common Lectionary?
The previous version is still available and will remain through the end of Year C, 2010.
What version of the Bible does the Revised Common Lectionary use?
Scripture texts in the Revised Common Lectionary are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. For more on the NRSV, see the "About the NRSV" page on the National Council of Churches Web site.
See our Terms of Use for more information on how the Revised Common Lectionary, lectionary prayers, and accompanying artwork can be used.
What are the terms of use for the Lectionary?
Copyright permission for this project has been received:
- Lectionary selections are reprinted from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 2005. Consultation on Common Texts, admin Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Reproduced by permission.
- Scripture texts are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
- Prayers are reproduced from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, copyright © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts. Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. A complete edition of the prayers is available though Augsburg Fortress.
- Art images are from the Art in the Christian Tradition database, a project sponsored by the Jean and Alexander Heard Library and the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, a division of the Heard Library, 2007.
The lectionary selections, scripture texts, and prayers may be freely used for non-profit purposes by worship leaders, teachers, and others in the Church and educational communities. Extensive portions of the NRSV may not be quoted without permission from the holder of copyright as stated above. Please contact the Divinity Library Reference Staff if you have questions.
The art images and accompanying descriptions may be freely used for non-profit purposes by worship leaders, teachers, and others in the Church and educational communities. They are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial ShareAlike 3.0 License. In short: you are free to use and to share the file for non-commercial purposes under the conditions that you appropriately attribute it, and that you distribute it only under a license compatible with this one. For other use, please contact the Divinity Library Reference Staff with your request.
Is the Revised Common Lectionary the same as the "daily" lectionary?
The Revised Common Lectionary is a weekly lectionary, although it does have some additional readings for special feast days. There are several daily lectionaries in wide use. One of the most popular is the Daily Office of the Episcopal Church (U.S.A.). The Daily Office is a two-year cycle of daily lections with four readings for each day of the calendar year. Year 1 is used in odd-numbered years, Year 2 is used in even-numbered years.
Is there a way to see all of the lections in Bible-book order?
Yes; simply click on the book icon (
) found at the top right-hand corner of the page.
How can I get the lectionary readings delivered to my email box?
To subscribe to our email list, please click on the link below: http://www.feedmyinbox.com/. Where it says, "Enter a website URL", copy and paste in the RSS feed link below:
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/feeds/lectionary.xml
You will then get an email message asking you to confirm that you want to get the Lectionary readings in your email box. After confirming, you will receive the Lectionary email readings on the day after a liturgical date.
How do I add the Lectionary to my calendar?
The Lectionary iCalendar feed allows you to put the weekly Lectionary readings directly on your calendar.
To subscribe via a desktop application: Click on the calendar icon at the top right hand portion of the webpage. A box will pop up asking which desktop calendaring application you use. Choose one of the pre-listed ones, or choose your own by browsing to it on your computer.
To subscribe via a web-based calendar: Right-click the calendar icon and choose 'Copy Shortcut' (IE), 'Copy Link Location' (Firefox), or 'Copy link address' (Chrome). Then paste the resulting URL into your web-based calendar's new calendar/subscription area.
Currently, the Lectionary iCalendar feed does not work in Google Calendar (subscribing seems to work, but the calendar is blank). The feed should work in other calendaring applications, such as Microsoft Outlook, iCal, and Mozilla Sunbird. Please let us know if the feed does not work in any desktop or web-based application other than Google Calendar.
Where can I find daily lectionary on the Internet?
An excellent online edition of the Daily Office from the Episcopal Church can be found here. Another resource supplied by the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) can be found here.
Who compiled the Revised Common Lectionary?
The Revised Common Lectionary was produced by The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT). At the time the RCL was compliled, the CCT was composed of representatives from the following denominations (taken from Consultation on Common Texts. The Revised Common Lectionary. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992):
- The Anglican Church of Canada
- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Christian Reformed Church in North America
- The Episcopal Church
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
- Free Methodist Church in Canada
- International Commission on English in the Liturgy (an Agency of 26 Roman Catholic National or International Conferences of Bishops)
- The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
- Polish National Catholic Church
- Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
- The Presbyterian Church in Canada
- Reformed Church in America
- Roman Catholic Church in the United States
- Roman Catholic Church in Canada
- Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship
- The United Church of Canada
- United Church of Christ
- The United Methodist Church
Who uses the Revised Common Lectionary?
The above denominations follow the RCL to various degrees in their worship. The Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches use variant readings on certain feast days. In addition, individual congregations from the free church tradition often adopt the RCL as an ecumenical act of fellowship. The RCL is generally used as a guide rather than as a constraint in most traditions. You can read more about the usage of the RCL at the CCT website here.
Is the Revised Common Lectionary different from the Roman Catholic lectionary?
In places, primarily on feast days that are specific to the Roman Catholic Church and in the Hebrew Bible readings for the season after Pentecost. An excellent website for the Lectionary for Mass (1998 USA) can be found here.
How is the Revised Common Lectionary structured?
The RCL offers a three-year cycle with four readings for every Sunday in the Church Year. These readings are:
- A Lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures (or Acts during the Season of Easter)
- A Psalm
- A Lesson from the Epistles or Acts
- A Lesson from the Gospels
During Ordinary Time, there are two sets of Hebrew Bible readings. One set that progresses semi-contiuously through the Patriarchal/Exodus narratives (Year A), the Monarchial narratives (Year B), and the Prophets (Year C). The other set of Hebrew Bible readings is related thematically to the gospel lections for those dates. Likewise, during Ordinary Time, there are two separate Psalm readings, one that corresponds to the semi-continuous Hebrew Bible lection and one that corresponds to the theme of the gospel lection. On the Vanderbilt Lectionary Site, the thematic Hebrew Bible lection and the thematic Psalm are in italics. The Hebrew Bible lections during the rest of the year are thematically related to the gospel lections, which are in turn connected to the seasons of the Church Year. Additional readings are provided for special feast days.
Is there any way to get to the beautiful banner images from the prior version of the Lectionary site?
Yes; previous banner images are available for download through classic banner page on the site.
Why do the Propers have different numbering systems?
The Proper numbers within brackets represent the system used by the Roman Catholic church and The Anglican Church of Canada, based upon the historic Roman lectionary. The Proper numbers without brackets represent the system of numbering used by the rest of the participating church bodies that have adopted the Revised Common Lectionary. The differing numbers do not indicate differing readings, but rather indicate traditional practices. The Consultation on Common Texts (the interfaith organizational body responsible for the current Revised Common Lectionary) adopted the practice of the Episcopal Church of replacing the "Sundays after Pentecost" with "Propers" keyed to the civil calendar (e.g., instead of the "Ninth Sunday after Pentecost," you now have "Proper 11, to be used on the Sunday between July 17 and 23 inclusive.") [from Alexander Ring, "The Path of Understanding: The Development of Lectionaries and Their Use in the Lutheran Church." Evangelical Lutheran Synod General Pastoral Conference, January 18, 1998 - http://www.blc.edu/comm/gargy/gargy1/AlexRing.gpc.html]
When does the new lectionary year begin?
What are the advantages of using the Revised Common Lectionary in worship planning?
Using the RCL ties worship in a local congregation to the worship of millions of Christians around the world. Drawing from a common set of texts means that Christians will be hearing and reflecting on the same scriptures and themes. Sometimes they are even singing the same hymns. In addition, building worship around the texts of the RCL also ties local worship to that of the historic Church. Using all four readings develops the discipline of reading and hearing the scriptures that define the Christian faith. It also deepens the congregation's understanding of the Church Year (and consequently the life of Christ) while also helping to set the rhythm for that year. Since the Revised Common Lectionary is drawn from a long succession of older lectionaries, using those reading in worship echoes the earlier practice of the Church. One final, pragmatic advantage to using the RCL is the wealth of liturgical and homiletic resources that are available around the common texts.
How can the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary be used in worship?
First and foremost all of the texts can be read aloud (although the Psalm is often sung). In addition, hymns, prayers, litanies, and other liturgical elements which reflect the themes and language of the text can be incorporated into the service. When a congregation hears, sings, prays, and listens to the words and images of common scriptures over the course of several years, their connection to those texts is deepened significantly.
When a lesser feast falls on a Sunday, why does the site still list the Revised Common Lectionary readings instead of the readings for that feast day?
In some denominations, if a lesser feast falls on a Sunday, the traditional readings for that day are used instead of the Revised Common Lectionary readings. Since the purpose of this site is to provide an ecumenical resource on the Revised Common Lectionary, only readings and feast days provided by the RCL are used here.
The Revised Common Lectionary is a beta release. Your feedback is essential in making the new interface and features a success!