The PC(USA)’s Office of Theology and Worship launches Gospel of Matthew resources ahead of the new liturgical year

The good news according to Matthew’s gospel comes through podcast, webinars, Facebook posts and print resources

by Beth Waltemath | Presbyterian News Service

Photo by Brett Jordan via Unsplash

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — “The advent of a new liturgical year offers congregations and church leaders a fresh opportunity to engage the Matthew 25 vision of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),” says the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, associate for worship in the Office of Theology and Worship in the Presbyterian Mission Agency. 

“A Year with Matthew for a Matthew 25 Church: 2022–2023,” prepared by Office of Theology and Worship, connects the Gospel readings from Revised Common Lectionary Year A with the Matthew 25 invitation’s priorities of building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism and eradicating systemic poverty. The resources also offer guidance for engaging the Gospel of Matthew in a variety of other ways, such as public readings, hymn festivals and daily prayer. The resource was revised and relaunched on June 7 but is even more timely this week as Advent Year A begins Sunday.  

The Rev. Dr. David Gambrell

  According to Gambrell, “A Year with Matthew” seeks to demonstrate how the church’s mission is rooted in the ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ and shaped by his incarnation, life, death, resurrection and coming reign of justice and peace. He hopes “that worship planners and leaders will draw on these preaching and music suggestions in order to connect the dots between our public worship and our service in daily life.”   

Gambrell has developed a new podcast, titled A Year with Matthew 25, to further help pastors, elders, deacons and church members engage with the texts and the Matthew 25 vision of the PC(USA). The podcast will be available on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, and iHeartRadio platforms. The Rev. Marissa Galván-Valle, Spanish-language editor for the Presbyterian Publishing Company, affirmed that she will be using the podcast and print resource in her preparation for worship at Beechmont Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and encouraged others to do so also. 

Each Sunday, a new episode will provide Scripture readings for the coming week, questions for reflection, music, and prayers. Other facets of the “Year with Matthew” project include quarterly webinars and weekly worship planning posts in the PC(USA) Matthew 25 Facebook group and quarterly webinars for pastors and musicians, in collaboration with the journal Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching, and the Arts.  

 “Our prayer is that these resources will equip members and leaders to bear witness in word and deed to the good news of Jesus, God with us (Matthew 1:23) — particularly as the church responds to critical concerns in the world today,” says Gambrell.