Growing in the era of preaching texts, nearly every Lutheran pastor I knew did not preach from any of the appointed readings from the so-called historic lectionary then in almost universal use. Instead there was a cycle of preaching texts that was generally used as the basis for the sermon. So every Sunday we would hear a set of readings appointed by the lectionary but then hear a sermon based on none of them. This is a perfect example of how the lectionary as a tool was of little use to the congregation. In the same way, there was a time when sermon series based on something other than the appointed readings for the day was common practice. Again, the people either heard Scriptures which would never be addressed by the sermon of the day or perhaps did not hear them at all. Under these circumstances the lectionary was a tool without any useful purpose.
As a pastor who has preached 2-3 sermons per week for some 44 years, I have grown to appreciate the use of the lectionary and have become even more suspect of preaching from other texts or sermon series. There is a value in the people hearing the Scriptures and having had a chance for them to soak in a bit before the sermon addresses them to the people of God. I used the historic for many years (exclusively) and then the three year lectionary (exclusively) for many years and have had the practice of preaching on the three year on Sundays and the one year on Thursday for many years. I am sold on lectionary preaching but I am not sure which lectionary is as important as using one and sticking with it.
I will say that one aspect of a lectionary which is not all that important to me is its ecumenical significance. The truth is that the three year lectionary is not quite in common and we do not use the Revised Common Lectionary in the LCMS. That said, the churches using that lectionary in common are already well divided by their doctrine and practice so that even if the same readings are used, they are generally preached very differently.
What is important to me and, I would suggest, to the folks in the pews is the careful choice of hymnody to connect what is heard in the Scriptures appointed for the day and what is sung. If you are using the lectionary, your job is not simply to preach from it but to know the hymnody of the Church faithfully enough so that you hear the readings in the hymn stanzas of the hymnal and pick hymns that connect well with what is heard. Do not depend upon hymn selection guides or lists of hymns someone has suggested for the day. Know the readings and know the hymnal and spend time connecting the two. Your people will be better off for it and your preaching will be more effective. These things are tools and in order for them to do their job, they have been used by someone skilled in their use. When that happens the readings and hymnody and the sermon are woven together into one fabric and it is marvelous. So preacher, pay attention to the lectionary and pay attention to the hymnal as you prepare your sermon.
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