Today's review is not just of one books, but two. Enduring Grace: A Church Year Journal (Year C) and Enduring Grace: A Church Year Journal for Kids (Year C). Knowing my audience after all these years, I think it will be helpful to back up a step and give us a working definition of Church Lectionary Readings. The following is a brief explanation from the publisher: 

From earliest times the Church has gathered on Sundays to celebrate the good news of Jesus Christ. Over time an annual cycle of Christian memory-making has also developed, which allows us to remember his life, death, and resurrection; to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit; and to recall the ministry of the holy people who have spread the Christian faith over the centuries.

Through the structuring of our Christian memory, the past is able to come into our present.

The liturgical or Church year is divided into several seasons. It begins with Advent, which looks forward to Christmas. The visit of the wise men to Jesus is remembered at Epiphany, after which there is a period of ‘ordinary time’. The six weeks of Lent prepare us for Easter, which celebrates Jesus’s resurrection, leading forward to his Ascension and the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church at Pentecost. ‘Ordinary time’ then resumes until the end of the year.

So, over a three-year cycle, church attendees will read through the entire Bible. On Sundays, there are readings from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and a Gospel reading (Year A emphasizes Matthew, Year B emphasizes Mark, and Year C emphasizes Luke, while John is dispersed through all three years). That means those individuals who attend a church that uses the lectionary readings could visit a church elsewhere around the world on any given Sunday, and the same passages of scripture would be read as the ones they would have heard at their home church.

I'm new to the lectionary reading style of liturgy, and it's brought me great pleasure to not only see what passages we'll hear on Sunday, but also to find the threads among the readings. The intentionality of what passages to read together. It's a work of art.

These journals are gorgeous. Let's start there. First, looking at the women's version. In addition to the Sunday readings, there are pages of color celebrating the various feast days (eg. Advent, Pentecost). There are prayers, collects, poetry, and room for notes.

Interested in looking inside? Check out this YouTube video.

Turning to the Journal for Kids, it will make a great companion as they're learning how to use their Bibles for themselves. The readings for each Sunday are listed with a short explanation of the passage. On the side is a coloring page. The authors pull the thread of the lectionary readings together, following by a suggested hymn, memory verse and prayer boxes.

Interested in looking inside? Check out this YouTube video.

The thought of little ones developing these habits of rhythm and scripture. The conversations among family members as they look at the journal together. It's also a wonderful offering to church-goers.

These journals are from The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and are a variation of the Revised Common Lectionary used by many liturgical churches. They've made a few adjustments for their reading purposes, but the journals are still highly usable by other church traditions. Such a personal gift that's usable all year long!