A Message from Pastor Lynnae

We follow a set of Bible readings that take us through the Gospels. It is three years long and is called the “Lectionary.” Each year a different one of the synoptic (same sight) Gospels is highlighted. Year A is the Gospel of Matthew. Year B is Mark and year C is Luke. Don’t worry, the Gospel of John is thrown in a little bit here and there through all three years. The first lesson is usually taken from the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Texts, and the second lesson is usually from one of the letters of the New Testament, or the Greek Texts. A Psalm is also part of the readings of each Sunday. Usually, the first lesson has a connection to the Gospel reading.
I like trying to stay true to the assigned Gospel of the year. This year has been the Year of Luke (Year C). The writer of the Gospel of Luke is also the author of the Book of Acts. They belong together but they somehow got separated by the Gospel of John. Both Luke and Acts are addressed to “Theophilus.” Possibly Theophilus was an actual person OR since the word means “Lover of God” maybe it is written for you and I. Most scholars believe that Luke was written after the 80’s. That means that it was written after the Temple had been destroyed.
Back in the day, copying from another’s writings was a compliment and as not illegal like today. The author of Luke used Mark as a major source but also used another source that is typically called “Q.” Q stands for Quelle, a German word that means “source.” The actual “Q” has been lost but because the three synoptic Gospels have so many verses in common that are not from Mark, it is assumed that they come from this other source.
Luke is a much-loved Gospel for many reasons. One reason that we love Luke is because of the story of the birth of Jesus. Another reason is that there are so many women in the writings and for the most part they are reflected in a positive way. Luke also highlights justice themes that resonate with the needs of our day.
We have just a few months left of the readings from the Gospel of Luke. Next month, I will write about the Gospel of Matthew to get us ready for Year A.
With hope,
Pastor Lynnae