Lectionary Worship Aids: Series IV, Cycle B

While a congregation's order of worship often remains consistent from week to week, its various components need to be continually refreshed and made relevant to the day's scripture readings. The resources in this one-volume library provide pastors and worship leaders with maximum flexibility in designing services -- worship can be focused on the same lesson the sermon is based on, emphasis can be placed on another passage, or elements from all the lectionary texts can be combined for balance and unity. There are responsive calls to worship, collects, prayers of confession, and three suggested hymns based on each lectionary text (First Lesson, Second Lesson, and Gospel) for every Sunday of the year in Cycle B, along with additional non-lectionary days such as the Fourth of July, Worldwide Communion Sunday, All Saints Day, and Thanksgiving Day. A convenient scripture index is also included, making this volume one of the most useful and necessary worship references in any pastor's library.

You'll appreciate Wilson's thematic organization of the service, and the blending of worship elements: the call to worship, collect, confession, and hymns. Your secretary will appreciate the consistency in space requirements of the various service elements. These worship aids are well written, thoughtfully organized, and will help pastors with thematic organization.
Jack Singleton
Former pastor, First Christian Church
Sherwood, Arkansas

James R. Wilson is a minister in the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is the author of 56 More Devotions on Short Notice(Abingdon) and Thoughts from a Life's Long Journey, a contributing author to Flights of Angels (Dimensions for Living), and has been a contributing author of meditations for the United Methodist Publishing House's Word Alive bulletin cover series.