The Rev. Dr. Karen A. Hamilton’s The Acceptable Year of the Lord: Preaching the Old Testament with Faith, Finesse and Fervour has begun the process of dissipating my fears and providing me with another set of tools to proclaim the Good News.

The first document promulgated by the Second Vatican Council was “The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL).”  Along with a number of other reforms, one of the invitations of the council fathers was that the Scriptures be presented to the faithful in such a way so as to “promote that warm and living love for Scripture to which the venerable tradition of both Eastern and Western rites gives testimony.” 

This hope led to a radical reform of the lectionary and creation of what is commonly referred to as the “three-year cycle.”  More often than not, the structure of the lectionary pairs a reading from the Old Testament with the Gospel chosen for the day. It was from the lectionary created by the Roman Catholic Church that the Anglican and Protestant churches have based their own Revised Common Lectionary. 

The beginning of Hamilton’s book provides an explanation for why such a book is helpful, if not necessary. Hamilton, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches, addresses some of the challenges and opportunities Christians have when preaching on Jewish texts. In the midst of some of the tensions which some of us are experiencing in the area of Catholic-Jewish dialogue, this is very helpful. 

Hamilton’s first chapters talk about some of the false dichotomies that have been created around “the Law” of the Old Testament and “the Spirit” of the New Testament. She also points out some of the problems with describing the two parts of our Bibles as  “Old” and “New.”

One of the things that immediately stood out for me was Hamilton’s special provision within her work to provide a commentary on texts only found in the Catholic lectionary. This shows her sensitivity to the struggles of all Christians.

In one commentary Hamilton provides on the prophet Habakkuk, she references John Polkinghorne, an Anglican priest and Templeton Prize winner in 2002, C.S. Lewis, Romeo Dallaire and the affliction of HIV/AIDS. Rather than finding these disperse references a distraction, the variety of examples and applications of her reflections will give just about everyone food for thought.

Her pithy biographies of Old Testament figures within the greater context of salvation history would also be helpful for others looking for a deeper appreciation of Scripture.

A commentary for the Old Testament reading for each Sunday is provided in less than two pages. Hamilton’s experience as a pastor and as a theologian is manifest in her ability to provide information in a simple formula which will not take hours of time or countless dictionaries and maps.

If the reader is looking to buy a text that will provide a canned Sunday sermon, this is not the book to add to your wish list. If the reader is looking for a book which is thoughtful, challenging, witty and a primer for further meditation, this would be a great addition to a preacher’s library.

With proceeds from the sale of this book going to HIV/AIDS relief in Africa, there is no reason not to invest in this work.

(Bechard is the chaplain of King’s University College  at the University of Western Ontario and lectures at St. Peter’s Seminary.)