Revised Common Lectionary

Holy Bible and Common Order

Many Church of Scotland congregations follow the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), which assigns particular readings to each Sunday of the year.

Its use is not mandatory, but it offers opportunities for deepening and refreshing the worship of the Church. It enables a whole denomination, or even wide clusters of denominations, to study, pray and praise in unison throughout the year.

The RCL is a three-year schedule of readings from the Scriptures, based on the seasons of the Church calendar. The Gospel provides the focus for each Sunday, and the other passages generally have a thematic link to the Gospel for that day.

The gospel readings for each year are taken from one of the synoptic gospels, arranged in the following pattern:

  • Year A – Matthew (27 November 2022-2 December 2023)
  • Year B – Mark (3 December 2023-30 November 2024)
  • Year C – Luke (28 November 2021-26 November 2022)

Readings from the Gospel of John are used throughout the lectionary cycle. You can find readings appropriate for each week in our Weekly Worship resource.

Based on the Revised Common Lectionary, the Church of Scotland's Weekly Worship offers a range of materials which can be used to develop worship. These include exegesis, sermon suggestions, prayers, insights into how to reflect on and prepare worship, together with musical suggestions, which are linked to our CH4 website.

A guide to Christian festivals and dates

The Christian calendar is divided up by festivals and seasons.

Some, like Christmas Day, happen on the same date every year, while others move around within a range of dates. The main festival that moves is Easter, and since many other festivals have their dates fixed in relation to Easter, they move with it.

Epiphany (6 January 2025)

The Epiphany, or revelation, of the baby Jesus as the Son of God come into the world, is traditionally celebrated on the 6 January.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18 – 25 January 2025)

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from the 18 to the 25 January – the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul. However, some areas observe it at Pentecost or some other time.

Racial Justice Sunday (9 February 2025)

Racial Justice Sunday is an occasion for Christians in Britain to collectively focus on racial justice on the second Sunday in February.

Lent (5 March - 19 April 2025)

Lent is the 40-day period before Easter, beginning with Ash Wednesday. During Lent Christians may fast, or give up some of their usual routine, to give time to personal examination and to reflect on their relationship with God.

Holy Week (13 - 19 April 2025)

Holy Week is the last week of Lent. It is the week preceding Easter and the period in the Christian year when Christians remember the last week in Jesus' life.

Easter

Easter is the season in which Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is the most important festival in the Christian year.

Good Friday - 18 April
Holy Saturday - 19 April
Easter Sunday or Easter Day - 20 April
Easter Monday - 21 April

Moveable dates in the Christian year

As the date of Easter varies from year to year, dates which depend on Easter also vary: for example, Ash Wednesday, and Pentecost. So, when Easter is early, it encroaches on the nine Sundays after Epiphany. However, the number of Sundays after Pentecost expands to compensate for the deficit.

Ascension Day (29 May 2025)

Ascension Day commemorates the ascension of Jesus into heaven 40 days after his resurrection from the dead. It can be understood traditionally as his taking up into heaven at the conclusion of his earthly ministry.

Season of Pentecost (8 June2025)

Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is celebrated on the Sunday fifty days after Easter. Pentecost is also known as Whitsun.

Trinity Sunday (15 June 2025)

Trinity Sunday is a day when Christians think of the nature of God rather than, as with other festivals, commemorating historical events of special significance.

Sanctuary Sunday (22 June 2025)

Churches across the UK and the world are encouraged to celebrate Sanctuary Sunday (also called Refugee Sunday) on the Sunday following World Refugee Day on 20 June.

Season of creation (1 September – 4 October 2025)

The Season of Creation runs from the World Day of prayer for the Care of Creation until the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, and is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment to caring for our one planet home.

Challenge Poverty Week (October 2025)

Challenge Poverty Week is an opportunity to highlight the injustice of poverty in Scotland and to celebrate what you are doing to challenge poverty locally.

Remembrance Sunday (9 November 2025)

The Sunday closest to 11 of November.

Advent (3 December - 24 December 2025)

Advent is the four-week period before Christmas. There are four Sundays in Advent. The word "Advent" means "coming" or "arrival" and in this case points towards the birth of Jesus celebrated at Christmas. One special service involving children is called Christingle and can be held during Advent, Christmas, or Epiphany.

Christmas (25 December 2025 - 5 January 2026)

The season of Christmas begins on the 25 December and traditionally lasts twelve days, ending on 5 January. Christmas is the time when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus.