July 12 - August 3, 2025

For four weeks in July and August this year, our second reading in worship each week will be from the Paul’s four chapter letter to the Colossians. The selections of scripture will start in the first chapter and move in order through the third chapter, skipping some verses and ultimately even the final fourth chapter, all with the hope that the congregation will read the verses in between the appointed worship readings on their own during the week.

This follows an ancient practice called Lectio continua, (Latin for continuous reading) which is the practice of reading scripture in sequence over a period of time.  Doing so, provided the listeners (now also readers) a context a context and helped them These four weeks might be called Lectio semi-continua. It also will give us another glimpse of how and why the creators of our appointed worship readings chose what is heard in worship and what is not.

Our liturgy, hymnody and sermons (even those of a guest pastor) during these four weeks will all be connected to our worship readings from Colossians.

Last summer we read Ephesians together in a similar manner, and received positive feedback as a way of “grounding us so faithfully in the gift of scripture” and “making connections between then and now.”

So, we’re doing it again with Colossians this summer, adding another book of scripture to our collective life together.

Pastor Jim Wilson