Happy New Year! The start of Advent marks the beginning of the new year in the Christian Calendar. This makes sense because part of what Advent is about is preparing for the Christ-child coming into our hearts as we remember Jesus' birth on Christmas. Starting our new year now is also a great reminder that we are not of this world.
In The Book of Common Prayer, our Lectionary Scripture Readings reflect this change. As of 2017, we are now in Year B for our Sunday Scripture readings. This is the second year of a 3-year cycle designed to get us through the majority of Scripture each Sunday. You can find those readings here. Those of us who attend regular services each Sunday in The Episcopal Church get to hear a lot more of the Bible than we may have realized!
This also marks a new year for the Daily Office Lectionary, intended for reading Scripture every day of the week. In 2017, we are in Year 2 of the 2 year Daily Office Lectionary. This is designed to get you through most of the Bible in the corse of two years.
If you want to spend more time with God's Word, now is the time to start. Our Lectionary is a tool for you to use get through the vast majority of it. This season of Advent is the perfect time to start.