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. Lick 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.

First Sunday after Pentecost Trinity Sunday Year A RCL Genesis 1:1-2:4a Psalm 8 or Canticle 2 or 13 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20 The Collect Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Collect Pentecost 1 The central Image in this Collect is the Trinity. Canticle 2/13 with its Trinitarian formulation “Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” appears in both RCL A and C. The readings for each of the three years for the RCL deal with some aspect of the Trinity. The Trinity as a theological concept was late in development as it appears in the creed we know today as the Nicene Creed. Later scholars then ‘found’ the trinity in earlier writings. The Collect Pentecost 1 In RCL A the Trinity is found in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, [CREATOR] the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.[HOLY SPIRIT] Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.”[JESUS] Also in RCL A in 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” is thought to be the earliest known formulation of Trinitarian blessing. And the Gospel for Trinity Sunday RCL A  Matthew 28:16-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . .” The Collect Pentecost 1 In RCL B in Romans 8:12-17 . “When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—” has a Trinitarian echo. In RCL C we find John 16:12-15 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine.” Scholars fixed on this as an early indication of the co-equality of God and Jesus. Genesis 1:1-2:4aIn the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.  Genesis 1:1-2:4a  And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. Genesis 1:1-2:4aAnd God said, "Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. Genesis 1:1-2:4a  And God said, "Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth." And it was so. God made the two great lights-- the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night-- and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. Genesis 1:1-2:4a  And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky." So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. Genesis 1:1-2:4a  And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." Genesis 1:1-2:4a  So God created humankind in his image,  in the image of God he created them;  male and female he created them.  God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” Genesis 1:1-2:4a  God said, "See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.Genesis 1:1-2:4a Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. Introduction to Genesis Genesis, meaning "origin," covers the time from creation to the Israelite sojourn in Egypt.  The book falls naturally into two main sections. The primeval history, which is universal in scope, tells how the blessing of God enabled humanity to multiply, diversify, and disperse on the face of the earth.  The ancestral history , on the other hand, deals with the limited family history of Israel's ancestors. The primary purpose of the book, however, is not to present straightforward history but to tell the dramatic story of God's dealings with the world  Text The alternate wording for: “1 In the beginning when God created † the heavens and the earth. . .” Is : “When God Began to Create. . . .” The alternate conveys that there was a time when only God existed and that at some point for some reason God created the universe we now inhabit. The story of creation Out of original chaos God created an orderly world, assigning a preeminent place to human beings. Image, likeness, refer not to physical appearance but to relationship and activity. Humankind is commissioned to manifest God's rule on earth. Humanity is differentiated sexually, and to "them," male and female, God gives power to reproduce their kind and to exercise dominion over the earth. Human dominion  There is a limit shown by the vegetarian requirement  There is to be no killing, a command that was relaxed in Noah's time  Human dominion, corresponding to God's rule, is to be benevolent and peaceful . And all is found to be very good  So far so GOOD But What has this got to do with Trinity Sunday In a Christian read of this ancient Jewish text, the first three actions of God in the creation story suggest what has come to be the classical understanding of who the three persons of the Trinity are and what they do. God= "In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth ..." God, the creator.  The Holy Spirit="... the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters." A wind from God: the Holy Spirit.  Christ="Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light" The light in the darkness: the Son, Jesus Christ Three distinct persons performing different actions, yet co-existing in unity. Creation in Art Hieronymus Bosch: Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights
(outer wings showing world at creation)
c. 1500
Oil on panel, 220 x 97 cm (each wing), Museo del Prado, Madrid  Bosch, Triptych of Garden of Earthly Delights (left wing showing creation and garden of Eden) Giovanni di Paolo,
The Creation and the Expulsion from the Paradise, c. 1445
Tempera and gold on wood, 46, 4 x 52,1 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York  Raphael, The Creation of the Animals, 1518-19 Fresco, Loggia on the second floor, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican  Raphael, The Creation of the Animals, 1518-19 Fresco, Loggia on the second floor, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican  Psalm 8 1 O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!  2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *
your majesty is praised above the heavens.  3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and the avenger.  4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, * the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,  5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? *
the son of man that you should seek him out?  Psalm 8 6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; *
you adorn him with glory and honor;  7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *
you put all things under his feet:  8 All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of the field,  9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.  10 O LORD our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!   Hymn Celebrating God's Glory And The God-given Dignity Of Human Beings 1 Mortals, literally "son of man.“ In the New Testament, this is taken to be a title of the Messiah. 2. God has conferred dominion over the rest of creation. 3. Note the hymn like qualities as laid out in the Oxford Bible. Canticle
Oxford Dictionary of Christianity A song or prayer in the BCP that is derived from the Bible that is not a psalm. Traditionally there were nine such odes The two for today Canticles 2 and 13 are part of these nine but are divided from a single longer writing. Canticle 2    Page 49, BCP or Canticle 13    Page 90, BCP A Song of Praise Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34 Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.  Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.  Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.  Canticle 2    Page 49, BCP or Canticle 13    Page 90, BCP Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.  Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.  Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.  Canticle 2 Song of Praise Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers; *  praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed are thou for the name of thy Majesty; *  praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed are thou in the temple of thy holiness; *  praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed are thou that beholdest the depths, and dwellest between the Cherubim; *  praised and exalted above all for ever. Canticle 2 Song of Praise Blessed are thou in the firmament of heaven; *  praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed are thou, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *  praised and exalted above all for ever. Canticle 2 or 13 Benedictus es, Domine BCP Page 49 (2) Page 90(3) This too is a part of the Song of the Three Jews So, what’s up with that…. Song of the Three Young Men Two to Three poems recited by three young Jewish men thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadrezzar for their refusal to worship a golden image. These are ‘additional’ parts of the Book of Daniel. Part of the Prayer of Azariah 66 known in the western church as Benedictus es Inserted between Daniel 3.23 and 3.24 The Song of the Three Jews 23 Now the king’s servants who threw them in kept stoking the furnace with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brushwood. 24 And the flames poured out above the furnace forty-nine cubits, 25 and spread out and burned those Chaldeans who were caught near the furnace. 26 But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be with Azariah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame out of the furnace, 27 and made the inside of the furnace as though a moist wind were whistling through it. The fire did not touch them at all and caused them no pain or distress.  28 Then the three with one voice praised and glorified and blessed God in the furnace:   29  “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our ancestors,  and to be praised and highly exalted forever;   30  And blessed is your glorious, holy name,  and to be highly praised and highly exalted forever.   31  Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,  and to be extolled and highly glorified forever.   32  Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne on the cherubim,  and to be praised and highly exalted forever.  Trinity
Sunday Massaccio’s Trinity Masaccio’s fresco showing the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is one of the most famous works of Renaissance art because it is one of the first times that mathematical, measurable one-point perspective was used in painting. Thus it shows the mix of science and art, and secular and sacred interests that was so typical of the Renaissance. Because of the classical architecture, it also shows the Renaissance interest in antiquity. The white form between the heads of God and Jesus is the dove of the Holy Spirit. The inscription says “As I am, you shall be; as you are, I once was.” Massaccio, Trinity
1425-28 Fresco, 667 x 317 cm
Santa Maria Novella, Florence Benozzo Gozzoli, The Parable of the Holy Trinity (scene 12, south wall),
1464-65
Fresco, 220 x 230 cm, Apsidal chapel, Sant'Agostino, San Gimignano This is one image in a cycle of images of the life of St. Augustine. A boy on the left is attempting to use a spoon to transfer all the waters of the ocean into a little hollow. The episode is described in an apocryphal letter of Cyril of Jerusalem, who writes that St Augustine, while thinking about the Trinity, met a small child on the beach who was attempting to ladle out the oceans using a spoon. When St Augustine explained to him how impossible his plan was, the boy replied by telling him that the mystery of the Holy Trinity was also not something that could be comprehended by the human mind. The scene is a parable of the unbridgeable gap between faith and reason. Andrea del Sarto, Disputation on the Trinity, c. 1520
Oil on panel, 232 x 193 cm
Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence
SS. Augustine, Sebastian, Lawrence, Peter Martyr, Francis, and Mary Magdalen  2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.  Introduction to the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians Relations between Paul and the Corinthian church had deteriorated during the period after 1 Corinthians was written.  Much of 2 Corinthians therefore deals with a crisis in confidence between apostle and community . Little can be gleaned from the fragment for today’s reading. Context The reading today is chosen because it is the earliest recorded formulation of the Trinity. The farewell commends them to Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. It is thus a proper reading for Trinity Sunday! The Concept of the Trinity
 The Trinity is an important part of later Christian doctrine, yet the term does not appear in the New Testament. The developed concept of three coequal partners in the Godhead found in later creedal formulations cannot be clearly detected within the confines of the New Testament. Later believers systematized the diverse references to God, Jesus, and the Spirit found in the New Testament in order to fight against heretical tendencies of how the three are related. The concept of a Trinity served to defend the church against charges of di- or tri-theism.  Because of monotheistic tradition of the God of Israel the debate was considerable about the idea of a Trinity—one God existing in three persons and one substance—ultimately prevails. The Concept of the Trinity Again
 The earliest New Testament evidence for a tripartite formula comes in 2 Corinthians 13.13.  Some scholars say that it is possible that this three-part formula derives from later liturgical usage and was added to the text of 2 Corinthians as it was copied.  Yet others say that the phrasing is much closer to Paul's understandings of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit than to a more fully developed concept of the Trinity. The earliest copies do not place Holy before the word Spirit. Trinity by Translation The question of how Father, Son, and Spirit can be distinct and yet the same was only resolved by agreement and exclusion during the Christological disputes and creedal councils of the fourth century and beyond. Translators consistently take certain references as the Holy Spirit in order to complete the assumed Trinitarian character of verses where the text may have been making reference to the spirit of the believers. Such translations impose later Trinitarian perspectives on the text and diminish the important use of the spirit of human beings. Trinity More! A more familiar formulation is found in Matthew 28.19, where Jesus commands the disciples to go out and baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The phrasing probably reflects baptismal practice in churches at Matthew's time or later if the line is interpolated.  It is John's gospel that suggests the idea of equality between Jesus and God .  The Gospel starts with the affirmation that in the beginning Jesus as Word (See Logos) "was with God and ... was God" (John 1.1),  The Fourth Gospel also elaborates on the role of the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete sent to be an advocate for the believers (John 14.15– 26). Matthew 28:16-20 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." The Commisioning of the Disciples The Oxford Bible entitles the day’s reading as the Commissioning of the Disciples. The word “Worshiped” in Greek literally means "prostrated themselves in worship“. This was a new facet not done before the crucifixion. There are similar appearances in John 21.1-23 and Luke 24.11, but not with the same explicit directive. Mark 16:14 on the other hand places the appearance at a table, but the command to go out in the world is delivered with even more emphasis.