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CHRISTIAN CHURCH YEAR |
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How the Church Year Came to Be
To the early Christians it was obvious that every Sunday was an Easter celebration. Every Lord's Supper was a reliving of Christ's Easter victory over death and the devil. Christians then, as now, knew they shared in his victory, and their worship, liturgy and sacraments gave people comfort and strength. The Church Year was a means to relive the life of Our Lord, and to meditate on the meaning of being a disciple of Christ.
Each day of the Church Year has its own special meaning as presented in the Bible readings appointed for the day and the Prayer of the Day or Collect. It is through the use of these themes that we are able to gain a wider knowledge of the meaning of the life of Christ and our faith. Along with the Church Year are appointed Bible readings, which are found in a Lectionary. A Lectionary follows a pattern of readings and lessons. The 1st Lesson or Reading is almost always from the Old Testament. A Psalm is a responsive reading between the reader and congregation. The 2nd Lesson (also called the Epistle) or Reading is always from the New Testament letters or epistles. The Holy Gospel is always from Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are read in a 3-year cycle with John read at different times throughout the 3 years. In this way almost the whole of the Gospels are read in a 3-year period.
Season of Advent
The word Advent is Latin for "arriving." Our Lord arrives in three ways. He comes in the past, present, and future.
About 2000 years ago the Son of God was born into this world. He was born to Mary while she was with Joseph in the City of Davis called Bethlehem. This is Christ arriving as incarnate or God in human form. This is Jesus of the past.
Today our Lord, Jesus, comes to our world through fellow believers, the Word of God in the scriptures, and in the sacrament of Holy Communion where Jesus is physically present with us in the Bread and wine, or Body and Blood. This is Jesus of the present.
One day Jesus will return to usher in his kingdom in fullness. He will raise the dead and judge both the living and the dead. The followers of Jesus will enter his heavenly kingdom where we will live eternally and without sin, disease, or death. This is Jesus of the future.
These are all the themes of Advent. The color for Advent is purple or blue. Purple is the ancient color of royalty. In Advent we prepare for the coming of our King. The color blue represents hope. It
represents the hope we have in Jesus. Advent candles burn in the church and home during this season. They represent Christ as the light of the world that the powers of darkness cannot overcome.
Advent begins the Church Year, and is always 4 Sundays in length.
Christmas Day/Christmas Season
The twelve days between December 25th and January 5th are our opportunity to celebrate the incarnation of our God. The Christ Child is
God's greatest gift to the world. The color for the Christmas season is white for the light of Christ. December 26th is the Feast of St. Stephen the first person to die for the Christian faith. The color for St. Stephen is red for blood and fire. December 27th is the Feast of St. John the Apostle and Gospel writer. The color for St. John's day is white. December 28th is the observance of the Holy Innocents. This observes the day when King Herod had all the children under age 2 killed in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the Christ Child. January 1st is the Feast of the Name of Jesus. The days of Christmas end on January 5th, which is the 12th night, or the eve of Epiphany.
Symbols for Christmas are the evergreen tree or evergreen wreath. Holly because it is green with red berries is also used. These all represent eternal life because they stay green though the year. The nativity scene has been part of the symbols of Christmas since the Middle Ages.
The earliest observance Christ's birth was on January 6th. Later, in the Western Church, December 25th was selected as an alternative to a holiday on December 25th that was devoted to idols worshipped in the Roman Empire.
Epiphany Day and Season
Epiphany was known in the earliest Christian centuries as the Feast of the Manifestation, the Theophany, and the Feast of Light. Second only to Easter in importance, Epiphany was observed in the Eastern Orthodox Church since the 2nd Century AD. It celebrated the fact that God became man (incarnation) more than Jesus' birth date. Later the Western Church's observance of Christmas on December 25th overshadowed the "Old Christmas."
In the Eastern Church, Epiphany became a day to receive new members through baptism. The newly baptized were called the illuminandi or those who were now enlightened by Christ, the Light of the World.
Epiphany Day celebrates the wise men coming to present gifts to the Christ Child and to pay him honor. Epiphany Season celebrates that Jesus was revealed to the world through his miracles and teachings. The color for Epiphany Day is white. The first and last Sundays after Epiphany are the Baptism of Our Lord (a white day) and Transfiguration Sunday (a white day). The color for the rest of the Epiphany Season is green for growth.
Ash Wednesday & Lent
For about 1,500 years, Ash Wednesday has begun the season of Lent. The name comes from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of those confessing their sins. The ashes come from the Old Testament custom of rubbing ashes on one's face as a sign of sorrow over the sins one has committed. Ashes are a reminder of the words said at a burial, "earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes."
Lent is the Church Year's "springtime." Out of the cold and darkness of sin's winter emerges the Church reborn in the Easter resurrection. The observance of Lent appeared around 200 AD. Lent was a time of preparation for persons being instructed in the Christian faith for baptism. Following the example of Jesus' time in the wilderness, people would fast and pray for 40 days during Lent. Then, on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, they were baptized and received into the Church.
Today Lent calls us to take time to look at the need for us to confess in preparation for the celebration of Easter. It is a time to reflect on our faith and the importance of our baptism.
The color for Lent is purple a royal color which calls us to confession of sins.
Holy Week
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday. During this service, the Passion Story is read from the Gospels. This is the account of Jesus' betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Maundy Thursday recalls the Last Supper Jesus had with his disciples. At the end of the service, all appointments on the altar are removed. Consequently the cloths, candles, and books are removed from the altar area representing the arrest of Jesus. Good Friday is the day we recall Jesus' death on the cross. The service is to be very simple with readings, silence, and very little music. Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday and Easter. During this service readings recall the promise of God to send a savior to the world. Purple may be continued through Holy Week although some churches use the color scarlet a deep red.
Easter Day and Season
Easter is the earliest Christian festival. It celebrates Jesus' victory over death when he was raised from the grave. The Easter Season lasts for 7 Sundays. On Easter we celebrate our baptism because through baptism we were joined to Christ's death and resurrection. Easter is part of every week in the church for each Sunday is a "Little Easter."
The color for Easter Sunday and Easter Season is white. Butterflies and Easter lilies are common symbols used in Easter.
Ascension Day
40 days after Easter Sunday, we celebrate the ascension of Jesus into heaven. This is when Jesus went up to heaven. The color for Ascension Day is white. The paschal candle is often extinguished on this day as a sign the Jesus has ascended to heaven.
Pentecost Sunday
The Sunday of Pentecost closes the Easter Season and opens the way to the second half of the Church Year, the Season after Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost Sunday is sometimes called the birthday of the Christian Church. On this day the ascended Jesus poured the Holy Spirit on his disciples, fulfilling his promise to send a comforter to them. With a wind from heaven, Jesus enlivened his disciples showing them the meaning of the Old Testament and how Jesus had fulfilled it. The Spirit gave the disciples the power to carry the message of Christ into distant lands. The disciples were also given the gift to speak in other languages. On Pentecost Sunday in the Middle Ages rose petals were dropped from the rafters of the church representing the tongues of fire that rested on the disciples on Pentecost Day. The color for Pentecost Sunday is red for fire and blood.
The Season after Pentecost
Pentecost Sunday opens the door to the Season after Pentecost or the Season of the Church. The readings for this season often focus on the teachings of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. Applying the faith to everyday life is a common focus of sermons during this time. The color for the Season after Pentecost is green for growth. The Sunday immediately after Pentecost Sunday is the Sunday of the Holy Trinity. This is the day that celebrates God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is God the 3 in 1. The Athanasian Creed is confessed on this Sunday. The color for the day is white.
During the Season after Pentecost Reformation Day or Sunday is celebrated. This celebrates the beginning of the Lutheran Church. The color for Reformation Sunday is Red the color for Church feast days. The Next Sunday is All Saints Sunday. The Season after Pentecost and the entire Church Year closes with the celebration of Christ the King Sunday. This Sunday celebrates Jesus who is king over all things throughout the year. The day also reminds us that someday Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead and will usher in his kingdom. The color for Christ the King is white. Alternate names for Christ the King are the Sunday of the Fulfillment and the Last Sunday after Pentecost/Last Sunday in the Church Year. |
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