Table Talk Moves to the Narrative Lectionary
Table Talk Moves to the Narrative Lectionary
Table Talk Moves to The Narrative Lectionary
Beginning with the First Sunday in Advent, November 30, 2025, Table Talk follows a different lectionary. The Narrative Lectionary is mainly the creative endeavor of two Bible professors, Drs. Craig Koester and Rolf Jacobson, who teach at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Other lectionaries provide four readings for the Sundays and holidays of the church’s liturgical year, drawn from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Gospel. With its one longer reading each Sunday, the Narrative Lectionary seeks to tell the story of God’s interaction with his people, deepen people’s knowledge of the biblical texts, and further their understanding of the historical sweep of the Bible’s chronology. By focusing on a single bible passage each Sunday or holiday, the Narrative Lectionary promotes the congregation’s grasp of God’s faithfulness to his people.
The Narrative Lectionary spans four typical school years (September to May), one year for each of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). During the nine-month cycle, the Old Testament provides the major stories and characters from September to the middle of December. At that time, the designated gospel account is used until the middle of the Easter season. From the Third Sunday of Easter to Pentecost, the primary readings are drawn from the Book of Acts and the letters. In the remaining months of the calendar year, the professors provide resources that cover a biblical book or topic.
As Table Talk adopts this lectionary, its format will differ slightly. The scripture text will no longer be printed on the published handout. The reader will be responsible for finding the assigned text for the day and reading it. The liturgical Sunday will still be named, but an additional designation will be added: NL for the Narrative Lectionary; 4 for the designated gospel year (1 = Matthew, 2 = Mark, 3 = Luke, 4 = John); and 13 for the Sunday of the particular cycle. So, November 30th, the First Sunday of Advent, will have the additional designation NL413. The Table Talk commentary will also be more extensive. The extra length allows for more comprehensive commentary on the longer readings assigned by the Narrative Lectionary.
The Epaphras Prayer Letter will also change slightly. Since the Narrative Lectionary also provides a very short reading, different from the main appointed text. That reading will be used for the Prayer Letter commentary and prayers. Its text will be printed in the Prayer Letter handout.
The Narrative Lectionary and related materials can be found at Working Preacher. The lectionary for 2025-2026 can be found at WP-Narrative-Lectionary-2025-26-John.pdf.