John the Evangelist
Most churchgoers, especially churchgoers who never got to Bible study or adult CE, don’t know the Gospel of John very well. If you belong to a church that uses the Revised Common Lectionary, John is sprinkled among the years (mostly in Mark’s year) but never in order. Most regular churchgoing Christians simply don’t know John, and don’t know the arc of the story that God presents.
John is very different from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke, so called because they tell a similar story, have a common synopsis). John presents a three year ministry, as opposed to the vague one year ministry of the synoptics and a Jesus much more aware of his divinity. The gospel is structured around seven “I am” statements, clustered with teaching and miracles that thematically mirror the statements. And the last supper narrative is significantly different from the narrative in the other gospels, including not having the communion sequence. And (horror of horrors) sometimes it contradicts the synoptic gospels?
So how do we handle this very different gospel? What does it have to say to us? Why, when, and by whom was it written? We will explore this gospel, from beginning to end, this year as we follow the Narrative Lectionary. Beginning with John 1:1 on December 24, and continuing to John 20:31 on April 8, we will devote four months to exploring the story that John is telling. On Monday, September 11, at 7:00 PM Pastor Julie will provide an overview of John (and an overview of the full Narrative Lectionary year 4 – including the arc through the Old Testament, and the spring journey through Acts and Philippians. Come and take the journey with us, through the Gospel of John.
Blessings and Shalom,
-PJ