From Word to Worship: How the Lectionary Welcomes You Into Sacred Time Through Story, Symbol, and Sacrament - Paperback

by Michael Niebauer (Author)

Experience How the Lectionary Unites Scripture, Seasons, and Liturgy in Worship

Every week, millions of Christians across the world hear Scripture read from the Revised Common Lectionary: assigned weekly readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Epistles, and the Gospels that have shaped Christian worship for centuries. These readings affirm that Christ is the center, the one who holds all things together. But it's not always obvious how these texts relate to one another--or to the church year, the liturgy, or the seasons of Advent, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost that surround them.

In From Word to Worship, Anglican pastor and theologian Michael Niebauer unlocks the lectionary's full potential as a vehicle for Christian formation. He traces the church year and its major themes--from Advent to Ordinary Time--showing how the assigned readings are not randomly selected but carefully harmonized to magnify Christ, and how the church enacts these readings through its worship, liturgy, and sacramental life.

From Word to Worship serves two audiences:
● For preachers--an indispensable aid for capturing the theological riches of the lectionary and preaching its texts in their full liturgical and canonical context
● For laypeople--a companion for navigating the seasons of the church year through a holistic, historically grounded reading of Scripture that connects Sunday worship to the larger story of salvation

This is not a preaching manual or a liturgical calendar reference; it is a theological guide to understanding why the lectionary works and how to inhabit it more richly.

For anyone who has ever sat in a pew--or stood in a pulpit--and wondered how the lectionary readings fit together, From Word to Worship is the guide you've been looking for.

Back Jacket

Experience how the lectionary unites Scripture, seasons, and liturgy in worship

Every week, millions of Christians across the world hear Scripture read from the lectionary: They are exposed to the content of the Bible through assigned weekly readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament, and the Gospels. These readings affirm that Christ is the center--the one who holds all things together. But it's not always obvious how these texts relate to one another.

In this book, Michael Niebauer unlocks the potential of the lectionary to help Christians be transformed by Scripture. He traces the church year and its major themes, showing how the lectionary's assigned readings harmonize with one another to magnify Christ and how the church enacts these readings in its worship and liturgy.

From Word to Worship is an ideal aid for preachers who want to capture the riches of the lectionary and a companion for any believer interested in navigating the seasons of the church year through a holistic and ancient interpretation of Scripture.

Author Biography

Michael Niebauer is director of Heritage Mission, an initiative that trains leaders to start worship services in care facilities. He is the author of Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible from Eden to Zion and the award-winning Virtuous Persuasion: A Theology of Christian Mission.