Lection

A scripture reading is a reading from the Bible in the context of the liturgy, especially in the services.

A Christian worship as an essential constituent, at least one reading of Scripture. They shall be made by the reader or the worship leader. Scripture readings establish the relationship between the current celebration of the past and future work of God here (see history ) and interpret the lives of believers. At least in the church of Sundays, high and feasts following the last reading of Scripture usually an interpretation that sermon or homily.

For the selection of scripture readings ( pericopes ) are available in many Christian denominations firm orders and liturgical books. Lectionaries often have a fixed cycle, such as three or six years old. Successes, the Scripture readings continuously, one speaks of a train reading.

History

In the early Church the Gospels and Epistles in the services were read continuously.

In the Middle Ages the readings ( Epistle and Gospel ) have been established for the respective Sundays and holidays in binding Perikopenordnungen. The Scripture reading was carried forward in the Western church in Latin, and usually not spoken, but according to fixed melody models ( lesson notes ) sung. For individual readings Gospel Gregorian melodies were composed in the late Middle Ages. It originated polyphonic discharges and some polyphonic settings of important scriptures.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church first took over the reading order of the Catholic Church, but with the introduction of the vernacular for the readings. In addition, the Lutheran Church returned to the simple lesson tones.

In the late 16th century vernacular polyphonic settings of central sections of the Perikopentexte came on ( Gospels Proverbs ). While most of the reading of Scripture was in Lektionston, then the words of the Lord, or a central message were making music as figural.

Later, the figural was spun back out of the reading.

In Sunday's worship of the great Christian churches three pericopes be carried forward, and it is a responsorial psalm sung:

• From the Old Testament
• Responsorial Psalm
• From one of the Epistles or from the Book of Revelation or the Book of Acts
• From one of the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.

At Easter the pericope first reading also comes from the New Testament.

At high festivals, especially during the Paschal Triduum, the liturgy also provides for more readings. So in Orthodox churches on the evening of Holy Thursday twelve Gospels sections are presented. The celebration of the Easter Vigil in the Roman Catholic Church sees up to twelve long readings, especially from the Old Testament, before.

In the Evangelical Church in Germany is the lectionary in force since 1978.

In the Catholic Church there is the reading order. It applies to all municipalities in which the Holy Mass is celebrated according to the Roman rite, and thus convenient for all the Catholic churches in Germany. The Eastern Catholic Churches and the smaller rites of the Latin tradition, such as the Ambrosian Rite have for the reading of Scripture own orders; the Roman rite in the Extraordinary Form ( Tridentine Mass ) uses the lectionary, which generally was used until 1970 in use and has only a one-year cycle.