崇拜中的牧养：经课在崇拜中的运用
经课表（Lectionary）的由来：
在聚会中公开地读经是在早期犹太人的聚会和基督教的崇拜都有一共同的特徵（参路加福音四章16-19节；歌罗西书四章16节）。因为当时经卷的流传并不容易；崇拜中会众人高声朗读经文。於是以「三年一循环的经题」Three-year Cycle Lectionary）的经课表在早期教会中渐渐地发展出来。
经课（Lectionary）原意是有计划的阅读的意思。一方面使不同的经文可以在适当的节期时候被朗读和听见，另一方面又要避免圣经某些部份有被忽略，其实在耶稣的时代，犹太人就有经课表，要在一年中选择性地把「妥拉（Torah )」和「先知书（Prophets ) 」在崇拜中被高声朗读。
日后基督教会的经课则发展出以三年为一个周期，选择性地把全本圣经的主要经文按教会年节期悉心编排，在主日崇拜中朗读及宣讲。后来的发展，不只是主日崇拜有经课，还有为每日灵修而设计的日课（Daily office），以两年时间概括地读完全本圣经。
过去的经课各教会虽大同小异，但并不同一，直到一九八三年，有多个宗派教会代表联合组成了「通用经文谘询委员会 ( The Consultation on Common Texts )」，并且首次制定了 「通用经题 ( Common Lectionary ) 」，推介给各教会共同使用。但直至一九九二年出版的「修订版通用经课 ( Revised Common Lectionary，简称RCL )」才获得更多教会群体的接纳和采用，包括世界各地的罗马天主教会、圣公宗教会、信义宗教会、改革宗教会、循道卫理宗教会等。也因此促见了基督教会的合一。
「修订版通用经课」的内容与结构：
「修订版通用经课」是以三年为一个循环，参照以耶稣生平安排的「教会年历Church Calendar 」，为每一个主日和节期提供旧约、书信，及福音书的经文。
在福音书经课方面，第一年主要为马太福音，第二年为马可福音，第三年为路加福音，第四福音（约翰福音）则用以补足简短的马可福音。
书信经课，第一年主要有哥林多前书、彼得前书、帖撒罗尼迦前书、腓立比书和罗马书等。第二年则有哥林多前后书、约翰壹书、以弗所书、希伯来书和雅各书等。第三年有加拉太书、歌罗西书、提摩太前后书、帖撒罗尼迦后书、腓利门书和启示录等。
旧约经题方面，主要选取自以赛亚书、耶利米书、以西结书、创世记、出埃及记、民数记、申命记、撒母耳记上下、列王纪上下等等。此外还有主要是为回应旧约的诗篇经文（一般教会常用作启应文）。这设计本身反映了普世教会的共同关怀和原则即圣经的福音性、相关性、整全性、历史性与合一性。福音原则高举罪人藉恩因信耶稣基督而被称为义，与上帝和好，蒙赐圣灵，得新生命和永生盼望。
经课使用的优点：
牧者使用经课作为主日讲道的的规律，至少可有有以下优点：
1. 可藉著有系统经课的讲道将信仰与生活都连於基督；
2. 使讲道所使用的经文可以整全，不会因为讲员的个人喜好而有所偏废，有人非正式的统计若平常只按著感动来选择讲道的经文，长久下来往往只会反覆地用到20%的经文而已。所以藉经课作主日讲道可得到较整全的培育；
3. 按教会的年历上半年以围绕著耶稣生平的「教义性」为主，下半年则藉著书信提供有系统的信仰生活方面的信息；
4. 以经课作系统的讲道，在三年内对圣经的主要经卷和内容有一定的认识和理解不会偏废。这点对预备长期在同一堂会讲道的牧者而言，这是最有系统的自我装备，第一个循环（三年）的预备功夫可以重在经文的解析；第二个循环时可以加入更丰富的牧养经验作为讲章中活生生的例证；到了第三个循环时，讲员的生命、经历以及对经文的熟悉，对人的灵性方面必更具深度，相信讲台的信息必然深入人心。
经课表（Lectionary）的由来：
在聚会中公开地读经是在早期犹太人的聚会和基督教的崇拜都有一共同的特徵（参路加福音四章16-19节；歌罗西书四章16节）。因为当时经卷的流传并不容易；崇拜中会众人高声朗读经文。於是以「三年一循环的经题」Three-year Cycle Lectionary）的经课表在早期教会中渐渐地发展出来。
经课（Lectionary）原意是有计划的阅读的意思。一方面使不同的经文可以在适当的节期时候被朗读和听见，另一方面又要避免圣经某些部份有被忽略，其实在耶稣的时代，犹太人就有经课表，要在一年中选择性地把「妥拉（Torah )」和「先知书（Prophets ) 」在崇拜中被高声朗读。
日后基督教会的经课则发展出以三年为一个周期，选择性地把全本圣经的主要经文按教会年节期悉心编排，在主日崇拜中朗读及宣讲。后来的发展，不只是主日崇拜有经课，还有为每日灵修而设计的日课（Daily office），以两年时间概括地读完全本圣经。
过去的经课各教会虽大同小异，但并不同一，直到一九八三年，有多个宗派教会代表联合组成了「通用经文谘询委员会 ( The Consultation on Common Texts )」，并且首次制定了 「通用经题 ( Common Lectionary ) 」，推介给各教会共同使用。但直至一九九二年出版的「修订版通用经课 ( Revised Common Lectionary，简称RCL )」才获得更多教会群体的接纳和采用，包括世界各地的罗马天主教会、圣公宗教会、信义宗教会、改革宗教会、循道卫理宗教会等。也因此促见了基督教会的合一。
「修订版通用经课」的内容与结构：
「修订版通用经课」是以三年为一个循环，参照以耶稣生平安排的「教会年历Church Calendar 」，为每一个主日和节期提供旧约、书信，及福音书的经文。
在福音书经课方面，第一年主要为马太福音，第二年为马可福音，第三年为路加福音，第四福音（约翰福音）则用以补足简短的马可福音。
书信经课，第一年主要有哥林多前书、彼得前书、帖撒罗尼迦前书、腓立比书和罗马书等。第二年则有哥林多前后书、约翰壹书、以弗所书、希伯来书和雅各书等。第三年有加拉太书、歌罗西书、提摩太前后书、帖撒罗尼迦后书、腓利门书和启示录等。
旧约经题方面，主要选取自以赛亚书、耶利米书、以西结书、创世记、出埃及记、民数记、申命记、撒母耳记上下、列王纪上下等等。此外还有主要是为回应旧约的诗篇经文（一般教会常用作启应文）。这设计本身反映了普世教会的共同关怀和原则即圣经的福音性、相关性、整全性、历史性与合一性。福音原则高举罪人藉恩因信耶稣基督而被称为义，与上帝和好，蒙赐圣灵，得新生命和永生盼望。
经课使用的优点：
牧者使用经课作为主日讲道的的规律，至少可有有以下优点：
1. 可藉著有系统经课的讲道将信仰与生活都连於基督；
2. 使讲道所使用的经文可以整全，不会因为讲员的个人喜好而有所偏废，有人非正式的统计若平常只按著感动来选择讲道的经文，长久下来往往只会反覆地用到20%的经文而已。所以藉经课作主日讲道可得到较整全的培育；
3. 按教会的年历上半年以围绕著耶稣生平的「教义性」为主，下半年则藉著书信提供有系统的信仰生活方面的信息；
4. 以经课作系统的讲道，在三年内对圣经的主要经卷和内容有一定的认识和理解不会偏废。这点对预备长期在同一堂会讲道的牧者而言，这是最有系统的自我装备，第一个循环（三年）的预备功夫可以重在经文的解析；第二个循环时可以加入更丰富的牧养经验作为讲章中活生生的例证；到了第三个循环时，讲员的生命、经历以及对经文的熟悉，对人的灵性方面必更具深度，相信讲台的信息必然深入人心。
The Seasons of the Church Year (Dennis Bratcher)
We keep track of time and seasons of the year by using calendars that provide us opportunities to observe, commemorate, and celebrate certain events or occasions. The changing seasons of the year also provide us with recurring opportunities to celebrate the Christian Faith in worship. The Christian church, following earlier Jewish tradition, has long used the seasons of the year as an opportunity for festivals and holidays, sacred time set aside to worship God as the Lord of life.
While Jewish celebration revolves around the Exodus from Egypt, the Christian Church year focuses on the life and ministry of Jesus. The sequence of festivals from Advent to Resurrection Sunday becomes an annual spiritual journey for worshippers as they kneel at the manger, listen on a hillside, walk the streets of Jerusalem, hear the roar of the mob, stand beneath the cross, and witness the resurrection! The rest of the church year provides opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the coming of Jesus and his commission to his people to be a light to the world.
Many churches in the Protestant tradition do not celebrate in any deliberate or sustained way the various seasons of the church year beyond Christmas and Easter. However, the observance of the seasons of the church year has a long history in the life of the Christian Faith. When most of the people in the church were poor and had no access to education, the church festivals and the cycle of the church year provided a vehicle for teaching the story of God and his actions in human history. Even in the Old Testament, the concept of sacred time became a vehicle for teaching the faith (for example, Exodus 12-13). Planned and purposeful observance of the Christian seasons and festivals can become an important tool for education and discipleship in the Faith, as well as a vehicle for spiritual growth and vitality.
As a congregation moves through the church calendar, they are presented in an organized way with the opportunity to talk about, reflect upon, and respond to the entire range of faith confessions that lie at the heart of the Christian Faith. This is important, not only for the vitality of the whole community, but especially for children to become aware in the context of community celebration those things that are important to their Faith (Deuteronomy 6:20-25).
The Christian calendar is organized around two major centers of Sacred Time: Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany; and Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, concluding at Pentecost. The rest of the year following Pentecost is known as Ordinary Time, from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.). Ordinary Time is used to focus on various aspects of the Faith, especially the mission of the church in the world.
We keep track of time and seasons of the year by using calendars that provide us opportunities to observe, commemorate, and celebrate certain events or occasions. The changing seasons of the year also provide us with recurring opportunities to celebrate the Christian Faith in worship. The Christian church, following earlier Jewish tradition, has long used the seasons of the year as an opportunity for festivals and holidays, sacred time set aside to worship God as the Lord of life.
While Jewish celebration revolves around the Exodus from Egypt, the Christian Church year focuses on the life and ministry of Jesus. The sequence of festivals from Advent to Resurrection Sunday becomes an annual spiritual journey for worshippers as they kneel at the manger, listen on a hillside, walk the streets of Jerusalem, hear the roar of the mob, stand beneath the cross, and witness the resurrection! The rest of the church year provides opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the coming of Jesus and his commission to his people to be a light to the world.
Many churches in the Protestant tradition do not celebrate in any deliberate or sustained way the various seasons of the church year beyond Christmas and Easter. However, the observance of the seasons of the church year has a long history in the life of the Christian Faith. When most of the people in the church were poor and had no access to education, the church festivals and the cycle of the church year provided a vehicle for teaching the story of God and his actions in human history. Even in the Old Testament, the concept of sacred time became a vehicle for teaching the faith (for example, Exodus 12-13). Planned and purposeful observance of the Christian seasons and festivals can become an important tool for education and discipleship in the Faith, as well as a vehicle for spiritual growth and vitality.
As a congregation moves through the church calendar, they are presented in an organized way with the opportunity to talk about, reflect upon, and respond to the entire range of faith confessions that lie at the heart of the Christian Faith. This is important, not only for the vitality of the whole community, but especially for children to become aware in the context of community celebration those things that are important to their Faith (Deuteronomy 6:20-25).
The Christian calendar is organized around two major centers of Sacred Time: Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany; and Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, concluding at Pentecost. The rest of the year following Pentecost is known as Ordinary Time, from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.). Ordinary Time is used to focus on various aspects of the Faith, especially the mission of the church in the world.
Our Weekly Lectionary Readings
2016年
2015 年
27th Dec
20th Dec
13th Dec
6th Dec
29th Nov