Daily Lectionary

I have been following a discipline of morning and evening prayer for several years now. I use our denomination's Book of Common Worship, which includes a section devoted to prayer services, with suggestions for how to use the service for private or family devotions. Sometimes my family joins me, but most often I am alone. The sequence is simple:

Psalms
Scripture Readings
Silent Reflection
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Originally, I read the appointed psalms (two per morning, and another two per evening), but I experimented with chanting the psalms and loved it so much that I incorporated chant every day. The Book of Common Worship includes eight psalm tones with refrains (composed by the wonderful Hal H. Hopson), and each appointed psalm has a suggested tone or two. I memorized them long ago, along with many of the psalms. I didn't try -- it just happened. If you haven't tried chanting the psalms, I recommend it. Chanting allows us to experience the psalms in a manner closer to the way in which they were intended to be experienced.

I generally do the readings in the morning, so I omit this section during my evening prayers. Some days in the Daily Lectionary have separate scriptures appointed for evening, however. Unlike the Revised Common Lectionary, which is organized in three year-long cycles, the DL is set up in a two-year cycle. Currently, we are in Year 1. Three readings are appointed per day, usually Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel. The two-year cycle makes it possible to read almost the entire Bible. In fact, the only change I tend to make is to fill in the chapters that are omitted during the course of the cycle. (Most often, these are genealogies, census details, or duplicate passages.)

Right now, the Old Testaments readings are in 2 Samuel, dealing with David and his reign. Instead of epistles, the middle reading now is in Acts, going through the early history of the church. Mark's gospel forms the third reading at this time.

One further resource for the busy Christian is a podcast of morning prayer, sponsored by the Episcopal Church of Garrett County, Maryland. The Episcopal liturgy is used, which is slightly different from the PCUSA, and the Old Testament reading is omitted. But the podcast is beautifully produced, with music. The website is:

http://www.episcopalchurchingarrettcounty.org/churchonthewebpage.htm

You can sign up for the podcasts in iTUnes on the church's site.