The shift from the historic one-year lectionary to the three-year lectionary in the mid-20th Century created a liturgical year for each of the synoptic gospels. This means that the church is now shaped by the particular visions of the communities of Matthew, Mark and Luke for a year at a time, yet too often this opportunity is overlooked or deliberately ignored. Preachers continue to “harmonize” the gospels, often bringing in details of the story of Jesus from another synoptic gospel or simply preaching the version of a story they like the best (for instance, Luke’s generous story of a grand banquet versus Matthew’s harsh one). This practice not only falsifies the intent of the gospel’s writer(s) but misses the chance to understand the very specific theology of each gospel and its implications for Christian living today. This course will separate angels and shepherds from stars and Magi, earthquakes from a young man in white, and Mary Magdalene from Mary of Bethany, all in pursuit of a three-year vision for preaching the synoptics that has immediate implications for adult education and ministry in the wider context of the parish.
