Introducing the Uncommon Lectionary: Opening the Bible to Seekers and Disciples

Introducing the Uncommon Lectionary: Opening the Bible to Seekers and Disciples, Thomas G. Bandy, Abingdon Press, Nashville TN, 2006. ISBN 0-687-49627-6. The church has used lectionaries–lists of scriptures to be read on particular Sundays throughout the year–across its long history. Yet most lectionaries are inward-looking: they presuppose hearers who are familiar with the biblical story and accustomed to gearing their lives around the Christian year. Yet in the increasingly non-Christian world of North America, the church’s task is to reach out to those who are spiritually hungry, yet unfamiliar with the Christian story. In this important new work Tom Bandy has given those who plan and lead worship a new lectionary, specifically geared to the needs of seekers. He lays out a plan for a trip through the central biblical narratives, the purpose of which is to provide seekers with a basic understanding of the gospel, and to call disciples to a deeper experience of Christian faith. Every pastor of every congregation who seeks to care for a new generation of Christians should thoughtfully read, ponder, and seriously consider Bandy's model for making disciples of Jesus Christ.

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