This lectionary is different in several ways from the Revised Common Lectionary we have been using. First, the narrative lectionary uses nine months to rapidly tell the biblical story in canonical order. Each week we focus on a single lesson as a way to facilitate an understanding of and appreciation for the broader biblical story of God's accompaniment. In the fall we read from the Hebrew Scriptures, in the winter from one of the Gospels (Luke), and in the spring stories about the early church from the book of Acts and other New Testament writings.

The church calendar clearly aligns with the rhythm of the Narrative Lectionary with emphasis on the three festivals of the year: the birth of Christ Jesus as the culmination of the OT story, the resurrection of Christ as the culmination of the Gospel stories, and the festival of Pentecost as the outflowing of God's mission to all the nations.

We are experimenting because we believe deeply that fluency in the language of the biblical story is crucial to relevant and creative Christian faith.   Like our partners, we can no longer assume that most people who worship with us already know even the basics of this biblical narrative.