The Calendar of the Christian Year
Our congregation places real importance on living life in and with Jesus through the different events and seasons of his birth, life, suffering, death and resurrection. The Christian year is “time out of time.” We don’t ultimately live according to the Gregorian calendar, which is now dictated by production and consumption. We who “live and move and have our being” in Christ live by the reality of his life - first and fundamentally. We do this together through the Church Calendar. The sections below outline each season.
Advent
The forty days leading up to Christmas during which we focus on the incarnation of Christ and identify with Israel longing for the Messiah. It is a penitential season for humbling ourselves and confessing our need for God’s salvation. Purple is the color of each penitential season.
Christmastide
The twelve days of Christmas, from sunset on Christmas Eve to sunset on January 5th. White and/or Gold are the colors of Christmastide. These are the most celebratory colors.
Epiphany
The season following Christmas that focuses on the revelation of Christ the King to the world. Epiphany begins with the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus and ends with his Transfiguration to Peter, James and John on the mountain. Epiphany is considered an ordinary time, with the color Green. Green symbolizes new life.
Lent
The forty days leading up to Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday. Lent commemorates Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness and provides an opportunity to search ourselves individually and as the Church in a posture of repentance, which is why we call it a penitential season. Lent concludes at sundown on the day before Easter, what we call the Great Vigil. Purple is the color of each penitential season.
Holy Week
From Monday to Saturday, we journey with Christ in his Passion from Gethsemane to the Cross. Includes 3 services called the Triduum held on Maundy Thursday (Red, symbolizing blood), Good Friday, and the Great Vigil on Saturday (both Black for mourning).
Easter
The fifty days from Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. Easter season recognizes God's ongoing work of establishing new creation through Christ. (White)
Pentecost
The season of commemorating Acts 2 and celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Church. Literally meaning “50 days after,” the day of Pentecost falls 50 days after Easter. (Red, symbolizing fire.)
Ordinary Time
This season’s name comes from the word ordinal, which means “counted.” Beginning on the first Sunday after Pentecost, ordinary time focuses on specific themes of interest or importance to a local congregation. (Green)