This year we are in Lectionary year B, which is the year of Mark. For those who might be wondering, the lectionary is the 3-year cycle of appointed readings for every Sunday (every day in fact) of the church year. 

The lectionary that we use is called the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), which is used by many churches and denominations around the world. The lectionary was created by a committee of representatives from denominations around the world. It was only put into use in 1994, but was based on predecessor lectionaries that have been in use since the early church. The readings and prayers of the day that we hear have been heard by Christians on those Sundays for 10 or 15 or even 18 centuries. 

So on any given Sunday, there are countless siblings in faith hearing and reflecting on the same passages of scripture around the world but also who have heard these same passages according to the liturgical calendar for centuries. Hearing the same words from scripture week after week as our global siblings is an important way that we live in communion as the Body of Christ. 

Each year of the lectionary is based on one of the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark or Luke. They are called the Synoptics (“syn” meaning like or similar and “optic” meaning view or perspective) because they each cover the story of Jesus’ teaching and ministry in roughly the same order. The Gospel of John, which presents a different view of Jesus’ story, gets sprinkled in throughout each year and we hear that gospel at Christmas, Lent, Easter and sometimes in the summer. 

Lectionary Year B, the year of Mark, is my favourite year. Of course, that is because Mark is my favourite gospel. 

Mark’s gospel might just be the most dramatically inclined of the three gospels. Mark contains mystery, allegory and plot devices, all while Jesus is set on his mission to usher in the Kingdom of God in a way that no other King has.

I am looking forward to this Year of Mark with you, looking forward to how we might hear familiar stories with new ears and new insights. I think Mark’s Gospel was written for churches that were navigating crises and chaos — which sounds like something that might be exactly what we need to hear, too.