(A graphic representation of the Christian church year is available here)
The Christian church year is composed of seasons, all of which pay attention to God to the exclusion of everything else
- What it is not
* Roman Catholic
· It is a Christian invention, not Catholic one
* An observance of Saint's Days (Part of the Sanctoral cycle, or the Proper of the Saints)
· It is a "Proper of time"--A remembrance of major celebrations/events in the life of Christ and spread of the Gospel
¤ Anamnesis--to draw near through memories of what happened to Christ in His life
¤ Prolepsis--God is at work in the future
- What it is
* The Scriptures mark time by God's saving events (beginning with Easter)
· The incarnation of Christ is the center
· The "extra-ordinary" moments of time, made so because of Christ's invitation into the regular areas of life
* Organizing the yearly calendar reflects the meta-narrative
* It is a remembrance of the life and ministry of Christ
* Most people think it begins with Advent, but it really begins with Easter (when the church started)
- Advent
* Defined as "coming" (not only to His birth, but also to His second return)
* A four-week season (4th Sunday before Christmas) until Christmas Day
* Emphases--During this time, have your church focus on times of private times of confession, anticipation of the coming of the Christ child. (When I am prepared, I can truly anticipate His coming)
· We must see Him as the baby on Bethlehem--just like any other baby (except He was the Son of God)
· We must see Him as a spiritual presence in our lives
· We must see this infant as King of kings, Lord of lords at the end of the age
* Color of the season is purple
· Signifying penitence
· Some churches use royal blue
* Typical symbols; chief are the Advent Candles
#1--Prophets (hope)--purple
#2--Bethlehem (faith or love)--purple
#3--Shepherds (joy)--pink or rose
#4--Angels (peace)--purple
#5--Christ (love)--white
- Christmas
* "Christ's Mass"
* Christmas Day to January 5
* Emphasis on celebrating Christ's birth
* Color is white (for joy and purity)
* Symbols
· Chi Rho (cr, 1st two letters of "Christ" in Greek)
· Rose, cradle, sun
¤ "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming"
¤ Rose is usually a symbol of the virgin Mary
¤ Sun becomes a symbol of Christ, not Ra
- Epiphany--"appearance"
* January 6 to Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)--47 days before Easter
· Lasts 7-8 Sundays
· Depends on the date of Easter
* Christ's comes in His epiphany in the ordinary moments of life as well as the great ones
* Emphasis if manifestation of Jesus as Messiah
* Four Biblical stories
· Matthew 2--the Coming of the Magi
¤ Christ came as Savior to Gentiles as well as Jews
· Matthew 3:17--the Baptism of Jesus
¤ Direct imprint of God the Father on His Son
· John 2:1--The Water turned into Wine (1st miracle)
· Matthew 17:1--The Transfiguration
¤ Direct imprint of the Father
¤ Fulfilled the Law and the Prophets
* Color
· Typically green (for new life offered through Christ, not baptism)
· Also associated to spiritual growth, ministry expansion (the growing church), and new ministry opportunities
· On January 6 the color white is used (only for that day) in most traditions--the day Christ's ministry began
* Symbols
· Magi
· Five-pointed star
- Lent
* An Anglo-Saxon word meaning "leneten," or lengthen
· The days begin to visibly lengthen
* Begins on Ash Wednesday--there are 46 days before Easter
* Lasts through Holy Saturday
* Emphasis
· Confession, repentance, and turning from sin
* In earlier church history, the emphasis was on doing things
· Activity, object, or sin that separates the Christian from God
· Initiation rites
· Spiritual discipline and turning from sin
¤ Self-flagellation, etc.
* Color: Purple for penitence
* Symbols--why 40 days?
· Genesis 7:12--40 days of rain to eradicate sin
· Exodus 24:18--40 days Moses was on Sinai
· Numbers 32:13--40 years Israel wandered in the wilderness
· Luke 4:2--40 days Jesus was in the wilderness
* Other symbols
· Chalice, wafer, bread
· Crown of thorns, thorns & three nails
· Cross
* Lent deals with the real events in the life of Christ
* Makes the joy of Easter exciting
* A good time for revivals (to encourage conversion and turning from sin)
- Special Days
* Ash Wednesday
· First day of Lent
· Follows Shrove Tuesday (or Mardi Gras)
¤ "Shrove" comes from "shriving"--forgiveness of sin
¤ Cooking up all the fat & butter in preparation for the Lenten Fast--Mardi Gras is last chance for a party
· Marking with ashes
¤ Palms from last year's Palm Sunday
¤ Ancient sentence of death
* Holy Week (begins the Sunday before Easter)
· Palm (or, better, Passion) Sunday
· Triumphal entry into Jerusalem & begins the events leading to the crucifixion
· Passion Sunday was originally a separate day from that of the Triumphal Entry--usually 2nd Sunday before Easter
* Triduum--the three days related to Easter
· Color: black
· Once act of worship
· Part of the Holy Week--Holy week begins the Sunday before Easter
· Maundy Thursday and Good Friday
¤ "Maundy" comes form the Latin for "mandate"--"Do this in remembrance of Me"
¤ Many services incorporate the washing of feet
¤ Seder--a Jewish meal presided over by Christians
¤ Tenebrae
° Monastic liturgy of the Middle Ages
° Allegorical interpretations of certain Passion narratives
* "Good Friday" is a corruption of "gxoodbye"--goodbye to sin; goodbye until I see you
· Read the Sacred Story backwards
¤ "God's Friday"
¤ The day is "good" because God was precisely in control at Calvary
¤ Calvary was the working out of divine inention with a view to the salvation of an otherwise doomed creation
· Mark & Matthew
· Luke
¤ Exponds the purpose of Redemption
¤ Gives the details
· Gospel of John
¤ Always read on Good Friday
¤ The long term--God is in control at the Cross as One who directs the course
° Gethsemane--"no power except from above"
° Pilate--no power
° Cross--"It is finished" or "It is accomplished"
¤ Key: "I lay down my life to take it up again"
¤ God fulfills a divine and eternal purpose
¤ A time for intercession
¤ Ask, "How best can the Gospel of Redemption be presented to the world?"
¤ Stations of the Cross
° 14 events the Catholic church has determined
° Only 8 are based on Gospel material; good for use some other time than on Good Friday as well, but not time is better
* The Great Vigil makes the transition to Easter
· Also sometimes called "the Great Fire of Easter"
¤ Inaugurates the Great Fifty Days