Expository preaching

== The lectionary method ==
A lectionary is a pre-arranged set of passages on which the preacher is to expound. The passages found in the lectionary are usually influenced by the church calendar, and are sometimes set by the particular [[religious denomination|denomination]] of the minister and church.
*The primary advantage of using a denominationally based lectionary is that the same themes and passages are expounded at the same time throughout that body of churches. Use of a lectionary also has the advantage of covering large sections of the Bible so that the congregation is exposed to them over a reasonable amount of time.
*One disadvantage of using lectionaries is that the church and preacher are somewhat constrained by the lectionary's rules. Another disadvantage is that the set passages in the lectionary may not cover an entire book of the Bible, or may contain too much information for the preacher to cover in one sermon. Also, a lectionary produced by denominations may carry that denomination's biases in presentation.
*As a way of steering a middle course, one that sees pedagogical value in retaining the liturgical year and yet promotes a broader exposure to Scripture, is Timothy Slemmons' proposal, Year D: A Quadrennial Supplement (2012), which urges "greater attention to what we have heard" (Heb 2:1–3) by means of applying what he calls "the principle of canonical comprehensiveness." In short, lectionary design should be expanded so as to allow every text in the canon at least some representation in the reading cycle of the church, while respecting the preacher's freedom of conscience to decide what texts will actually be read in any given service.