SHADYSIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Through the ages, daily worship has been a hallmark of Christian life. Our monastic ancestors responded to the bells that called them to chapel throughout the day from before dawn and into the night. Changing patterns of life have removed us from that insistently spiritual landscape. Today it can be quite difficult to find quiet times and places where we, too, can listen for God’s voice every day. We also live at considerable distances from one another and have trouble staying connected to the Body of Christ throughout the week in our daily lives. Scriptural readings offer one way to mitigate our separation from God and each other.

As Dr. Barnes has observed from the pulpit, “True spirituality can’t be rushed. It has nothing to do with how hard you try at life and everything to do with your faithfulness in prayer and reading the Bible. One stone at a time, you build a spiritual life.” The Book of Order, the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), encourages us to engage in disciplined daily prayer and reminds us that “the daily challenge of discipleship requires the daily nurture of worship. Daily personal worship is a discipline for attending to God and accepting God’s grace.”

A lectionary system provides designated daily readings to read the Bible methodically over the course of two years. Assigning the readings to a specific date allows all of us to be praying the same scriptures daily – enhancing not only our conversations with God, but also our prayerful connections with each other. Thus, even in a solitary activity such as personal daily devotions, we are building community.

Join our community and start building your spiritual life along with us. Today’s readings appear below.

• Download Daily Prayer in PDF form to continue following along throughout the entire year.
• Learn more about the lectionary.