 We are in the season of Epiphany that lasts from the feast of Epiphany (January 7) to the beginning of Lent. This season is devoted to the celebration of our encounters with the Lord. We encounter him as a baby born in a manger, venerated by wise men and almost killed by a jealous king. We encounter him in his manifestation in the beginning of his ministry, in the act of baptism in Jordan. And in the middle of this season we celebrate his presentation in the Temple (February 2).
However, encountering the Lord should not be limited to liturgical celebrations. There are many more places to meet Jesus: in ministering to the poor and needy, in working for peace and justice, in the beauty of church arts (images, hymns), in the sacraments, and in Scripture. Today, I will review a website that provides outstanding resources on the use and interpretation of Scripture in the church. Educators starting to prepare for the Lenten season will find helpful resources (prayers, meditations, ideas for children’s sermon, clipart and more). Persons of faith meditate on Scripture as a way of encountering the Lord will benefit from exploring this website as well.
The Text this Week (www.textweek.com) does not impress with flashy design. The minimalist design hides a treasure trove of resources that will assist you in sermon preparation, Sunday school or bible study planning, or meditation. According to the website’s author Jenee Woodard, “The purpose of this website is to provide links to resources for study, reflection and liturgy which correspond to the RCL readings you may be using for study, teaching and preaching.”
In navigating the website, the left column Index is the most important tool. It allows you to quickly move between the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (January 28), the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25) and other feasts of the church. The abbreviations used on the website may seem esoteric. “Epiphany 4C” simply means the 4th Sunday after Epiphany in the Year C (current liturgical year). The “Index” covers the period until April 1, 2007. However, if you need more, simply click on “Year C” under the Index bar. Another navigation bar is located right under the sponsors’ advertisements. It allows you to navigate the general sections of the website (Search, Art Index, Movie Index, etc; see below).
Each Sunday or feast has its own page with e.g., lectionary lessons (Revised Common Lectionary; however, if BCP lessons differ, they are provided too), movies that may be relevant for the discussion of the lessons, links to images, sermons, commentaries and reflections on the lessons, ideas and puzzles for children’s sermons, lesson plans, music and hymns. These resources are come from many different denominations including the Episcopal Church.
In addition the website has several valuable features:
The website also offers a subscription to the newsletter and a link to the weblog (which seems to be outdated). All in all, this website offers an outstanding collection bible-related of educational resources. These resources meticulously compiled and sorted by the website’s author [who is the author?] over many years will be of great assistance to Christian educators, clergy, and individuals who seek to encounter Jesus in the Bible.
Related links
Website reviews from our archive:
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