The Sunday Bible readings in the Revised Common Lectionary

These links are to Year A, Year B and Year C will take you to the PowerPoint lesson for the Bible readings for each Sunday in the three-year lectionary cycle. Click on the link Year A B or C, then locate the lesson. The PowerPoint decks are numbered and titled with Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and the Proper also known as Ordinary time. These are linked to a OneDrive Cloud location and may be viewed online or downloaded.  

USE

These may be used to facilitate an adult education group discussion for an Episcopal Church. On the other hand, you may use these as a personal study about the readings for each Sunday. Each power point deck deals with the designated scripture readings for that Sunday, the collect from the BCP for that Sunday, and related artwork chosen for readings or the Collect.

Why these were Created

These were developed for a Sunday morning discussion group that meets for about one hour. The slides can be projected on a screen or shown on a television set placed so that the entire group can easily see the slides. The leader should have a general knowledge of theology and scriptures. The leader may be a member of the clergy or a layman who is qualified by for example completion of the four-year EFM (Education for Ministry) program or an equivalent. 

Sources

The scripture commentary is taken largely from the introductions, footnotes, and reference materials in the New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books, from the New Revised Standard Version, Edited by Bruce M. Metzger and Roland E. Murphy, 1989 Edition, Oxford University Press. The collects are drawn from the Book of Common Prayer 1979 using the modern language. There are other sources used which are indicated in the materials. The Notes page feature of the PowerPoint decks will often have more information than the slide. The group leader will need minimal skills with PowerPoint as each deck is complete with maps and animations. 

Scope and Time Available

A presenter can download and edit the decks as needed for the circumstances. The decks are long as they cover the readings and alternative readings and the collect. If there is limited time, then a class might cover only some of the readings. A facilitator may wish to cover only the Collect and one of the reading selections such as the day’s Gospel. 

Discussion

The class works best as a group discussion using the PowerPoint for the basic information about the reading. Some members may want to participate by reading the scripture aloud to the others and exchanging comments. Others may not want to speak at all but may wish only to listen or read the PowerPoint slides. Very often one of the readings on a given Sunday may spark a spirited discussion that uses up class time. When this happens let the discussion go and if needed skip to the end. When this happens that’s a good day. Even when there is ample time for formation a lively discussion will make the time seem short.

Questions

If you have questions about the use of these PowerPoint decks or glitches you can contact me by email at jbcross@cei.net

Both done. The edited deck is saved, and I've built the keyword file.

**Word file:** `Proper13_keywords.docx` — one continuous paragraph, no line breaks or returns, ready to paste as a single block. It holds 87 search-friendly terms drawn from across the deck: the lectionary/Proper 13 framing, the Jacob and feeding-of-the-5000 themes, all the scripture references, the artists and artworks (Delacroix, Gauguin, Lombard, Tintoretto), and the reference sources.

Here's the exact block so you can copy it straight away:

Proper 13, The Collect Proper 13, Revised Common Lectionary, RCL Year A, RCL Year B, RCL Year C, Book of Common Prayer, BCP, lectionary readings, Bible study, sermon preparation, Jacob wrestling with the angel, Jacob and the angel, Genesis 32:22-31, Jacob renamed Israel, God rules, the one who strives with God, Peniel, Penuel, Jacob's reconciliation with Esau, Jacob and Esau, Mahanaim, Jabbok, Jacob the Supplanter, Eugène Delacroix, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel Delacroix, Saint-Sulpice Paris, Romantic era painting, Paul Gauguin, The Vision After the Sermon, Vision after the Sermon Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, National Galleries of Scotland Edinburgh, Brittany Breton women, Japanese print influence, Psalm 17, Exaudi Domine, plea for deliverance, Psalm 145, Exaltabo te Deus, acrostic psalm, hymn of praise, the greatness and goodness of God, Isaiah 55:1-5, Book of the Consolation of Israel, Second Isaiah, everlasting covenant, invitation to abundant life, hymn of joy and triumph, come to the waters, Romans 9:1-5, Paul and Israel, the problem of Israel's unbelief, adoption of Israel, ancient covenants, the giving of the law, the Messiah, Messiah translated as Christ, anointed one, Davidic messiah, Cyrus the Lord's anointed, Passion and Resurrection, Kingdom of God, Matthew 14:13-21, feeding of the five thousand, five loaves and two fish, twelve baskets, deserted place, you give them something to eat, feeding of the four thousand, miracles in the Bible, biblical miracles, confirmatory miracles, manna in the wilderness, Exodus, the Eucharist, Lambert Lombard, The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes Lombard, Rockox House Antwerp, Flemish Renaissance art, Tintoretto, The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes Tintoretto, Scuola Grande di San Rocco Venice, Venetian painting, Saint Roch, New Oxford Annotated Bible, Oxford Companion to the Bible, Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church

Want me to add more long-tail phrases (full questions people might search, like "why was Jacob renamed Israel"), or trim it to a tighter core set?