Church Year Resources
What is the Church Year?
Parts of the Church Year:
Psalms can speak songs of prayer and praise, lament and hope, throughout the Church Year.
- “Which Calendar?” by Howard Vanderwell
- “The Christian Year” by John Witvliet
Parts of the Church Year:
Psalms can speak songs of prayer and praise, lament and hope, throughout the Church Year.
Advent
The Christian Year begins with Advent. This season includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Advent means "coming", and the weeks of Advent focus on the church's anticipation of the birth of the Messiah, as well as the future coming of Christ. In popular thinking Christmas is often enfolded into Advent, but we encourage you to avoid the temptation to treat all of Advent as though it were Christmas. Advent needs messages and music that focuses on anticipation and waiting.
Some possible Psalms to use during Advent:
Some possible Psalms to use during Advent:
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Psalm 16
Psalm 24 Psalm 25 Psalm 28 Psalm 40 |
Psalm 42
Psalm 44 Psalm 46 Psalm 50 Psalm 72 |
Psalm 73
Psalm 74 Psalm 75 Psalm 80 Psalm 81 |
Psalm 85
Psalm 89 Psalm 96 Psalm 97 Psalm 98 |
Psalm 122
Psalm 126 Psalm 130 Psalm 132 Psalm 146 |
Christmas
The spirit of worship changes considerably from Advent to Christmas. Now the message echoes that of the angels, “A child is born….glory to God in the highest”. The entire event, whether a day (December 25) or a season (through January 5) has its own built in spirit of celebration. We enter the event and the meaning of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The prophecies have been fulfilled; the Messiah is born; and the Savior of the world has arrived. So we express our joy, embrace God’s presence in Jesus Christ, and eagerly anticipate other celebrations to come, particularly Easter, his Ascension, and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost.
Some possible Psalms to use during Christmas:
Some possible Psalms to use during Christmas:
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Psalm 68
Psalm 97 |
Psalm 98
Psalm 102 |
Psalm 147
Psalm 148 |
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Epiphany
The word "epiphany" means "manifestation" and comes from the purpose of Christ to manifest or reveal the glory of God. The origins and details of Epiphany are less clear, but it usually begins on or about January 6 and considers the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, his first miracle, and his transfiguration.
Some possible Psalms to use during Epiphany:
Some possible Psalms to use during Epiphany:
Psalm 72
Psalm 110
Psalm 110
Baptism of Our Lord
Normally the first Sunday after Epiphany (January 6) is considered “Baptism of our Lord”. When the Father spoke at Jesus’ baptism, declaring, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) Christ’s identity is clearly proclaimed and the divine sonship of Christ is announced in a dramatic way. The participation of all three of the Trinity makes this a profound event. In connection with the gifts of the Magi and Jesus’ presence at the wedding in Cana when water was turned into wine, three of the great proclamations of the Christian Faith are here brought together.
Some possible Psalms to use:
Some possible Psalms to use:
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Psalm 2
Psalm 29 Psalm 30 |
Psalm 36
Psalm 46 Psalm 47 |
Psalm 89
Psalm 110 Psalm 116 |
Psalm 117
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Transfiguration
Normally the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, just before Ash Wednesday, is traditionally set aside for the observance of the transfiguration of Christ. The great glory of God came upon Christ, in full view of the three disciples. We see his identity and work more clearly and we catch a glimpse of the full glory he will receive when his redemptive work is completed. This event prepares him for his journey to the cross, and prepares us to journey with him.
Some possible Psalms to use:
Some possible Psalms to use:
|
Psalm 2
Psalm 11 Psalm 13 Psalm 18 |
Psalm 23
Psalm 24 Psalm 27 Psalm 44 |
Psalm 67
Psalm 80 Psalm 84 Psalm 90 |
Psalm 99
Psalm 104 Psalm 119 Psalm 143 |
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is determined by counting back 40 days from Easter, excluding Sundays. Ash Wednesday not only initiates the season of Lent, but carries a three-fold emphasis – meditating on our mortality, acknowledging our sinfulness, and focusing on our need of a savior. Ash Wednesday, then, is preparation time for centering our hearts on the beauty and significance of our dying and rising with Christ. The imposition of ashes is often customary on Ash Wednesday since ashes (dust) symbolize our frailty/death, sadness/mourning, and repentance.
Some possible Psalms to use on Ash Wednesday:
Some possible Psalms to use on Ash Wednesday:
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Psalm 6
Psalm 32 |
Psalm 38
Psalm 51 |
Psalm 90
Psalm 102 |
Psalm 130
Psalm 143 |
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Lent
Perhaps the best known of the seasons of the Christian Year is Lent. It is a period of preparation before Easter, and originally signified a period of preparation for baptism on Easter. Generally this time of preparation is associated with the number forty - after Moses' forty years preparing for his ministry, the forty years of Israel in the wilderness, and the forty days of Jesus in the wilderness. The forty days of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, excludes Sundays, and concludes with Holy Week in which the suffering and death of Christ are central. The spirit of Lent is penitential and devotional.
Some possible Psalms to use during Lent:
Some possible Psalms to use during Lent:
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Psalm 10
Psalm 11 Psalm 13 Psalm 14 Psalm 17 Psalm 19 |
Psalm 26
Psalm 27 Psalm 31 Psalm 32 Psalm 38 Psalm 40 |
Psalm 42
Psalm 51 Psalm 54 Psalm 61 Psalm 69 Psalm 70 |
Psalm 71
Psalm 84 Psalm 86 Psalm 91 Psalm 102 Psalm 103 |
Psalm 122
Psalm 125 Psalm 126 Psalm 130 Psalm 139 Psalm 143 |
Palm Sunday
Holy Week begins with an observance of the events that brought Jesus into Jerusalem, called his Triumphal Entry. Those who call this day “Palm Sunday” tend to focus on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. Those who prefer to call it “Passion Sunday” focus on the suffering of Jesus, becoming more intense with his rejection on this Sunday and ending at the cross on Friday. However one may observe this day, the irony must not be missed – of shouts of “Hosanna” from the crowd quickly turning to shouts of “Crucify Him”. This day begins a dramatic reenactment of the drama of redemption.
Some possible Psalms to use on Palm Sunday:
Some possible Psalms to use on Palm Sunday:
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Psalm 23
Psalm 34 |
Psalm 103
Psalm 116 |
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Maundy Thursday
On Thursday evening before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus spent his time with the disciples in the Upper Room. This encounter in the Upper Room was packed with drama: the washing of the disciples feet, confrontation with Judas and Peter, the institution of the Lord’s Supper, and giving the new commandment to love one another. Normally worship on Maundy Thursday focuses on the Lord’s Supper with its rich anticipation of the hope-filled coming of the kingdom. In some traditions, an act of foot-washing is also a part of this day.
Some possible Psalms to use on Maundy Thursday:
Some possible Psalms to use on Maundy Thursday:
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Psalm 23
Psalm 34 |
Psalm 103
Psalm 116 |
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Good Friday
Churches usually feel they need to make a choice between worship on Maundy Thursday or on Good Friday. The most comprehensive reenactment, of course, should involve both. On Good Friday, we reconstruct the events leading up to and surrounding the death and burial of Christ. We not only remember the events, but we place ourselves there. Worship on Good Friday tends to be somber, reflective, and deep. Yet it should not be sad, because profound wonder and amazement lead to the deepest gratitude. Many churches observe the Lord’s Supper on Good Friday as their way of reenacting its key events and “proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes”.
Some possible Psalms to use on Good Friday:
Some possible Psalms to use on Good Friday:
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Psalm 13
Psalm 22 Psalm 31 |
Psalm 43
Psalm 49 Psalm 51 |
Psalm 69
Psalm 88 Psalm 105 |
Psalm 130
Psalm 143 |
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Easter
The Easter season stands out as a time of celebration and joy. This season is fifty days inlength leading from Easter (Resurrection) Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. The worship of this season calls attention to the resurrection of Christ, his post-resurrection appearances, his ascension into heaven, and the preparation of his disciples to witness to his kingdom.
Some possible Psalms to use on Easter and during the season of Easter:
Some possible Psalms to use on Easter and during the season of Easter:
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Psalm 2
Psalm 8 Psalm 16 Psalm 18 |
Psalm 49
Psalm 68 Psalm 93 Psalm 105 |
Psalm 107
Psalm 113 Psalm 114 Psalm 116 |
Psalm 117
Psalm 118 Psalm 136 Psalm 145 |
Psalm 149
Psalm 150 |
Ascension of Our Lord
Though frequently overlooked in many traditions, Ascension Day occurs 40 days after Easter and therefore occurs on a Thursday. It marks the day on which Jesus was with his disciples on the Mount of Olives and ascended to heaven before their very eyes. (See Acts 1:1-12). This event is packed with meaning. It provides assurance to us that the Father has acknowledged the successful completion of the Son’s redemptive work, that we have an advocate and intercessor in heaven who knows and understands our temptations and needs, and it guarantees our own bodily resurrection.
Some possible Psalms to use:
Some possible Psalms to use:
|
Psalm 2
Psalm 8 Psalm 21 |
Psalm 24
Psalm 45 Psalm 47 |
Psalm 68
Psalm 72 Psalm 93 |
Psalm 97
Psalm 99 Psalm 108 |
Psalm 110
Psalm 113 Psalm 138 |
Pentecost
Pentecost is both a day and a season. The Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church. The season of Pentecost is the longest season of the entire Christian Year, stretching out until Advent begins again. Its emphasis is on the work of the Holy Spirit to give power and growth to the church so that the kingdom of God can be built. This season historically concludes with "Christ the King Sunday" which is the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent.
Some possible Psalms to use for Pentecost:
Some possible Psalms to use for Pentecost:
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Psalm 11
Psalm 29 Psalm 36 |
Psalm 47
Psalm 50 Psalm 51 |
Psalm 67
Psalm 68 Psalm 87 |
Psalm 104
Psalm 108 Psalm 122 |
Psalm 133
Psalm 143 |
Trinity Sunday
Trinity Sunday is usually celebrated one week after Pentecost and marks the inclusion of all three persons of the Trinity in our redemption. Previously throughout the church year, attention has been focused on the individual work of each, but Trinity Sunday takes note that all three exist together from eternity to eternity and work together for our salvation. We gratefully note that we are baptized in the name of all three (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and our worship reflects our unity together as an expression of the unity within the trinity.
Some possible Psalms to use on Trinity Sunday:
Some possible Psalms to use on Trinity Sunday:
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Psalm 8
Psalm 29 |
Psalm 33
Psalm 93 |
Psalm 97
Psalm 99 |
Psalm 145
Psalm 149 |
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Christ the King
The lordship of Jesus Christ is central to all New Testament teaching and to the call of the Christian life. The observance of Christ as King, therefore, marks the conclusion and climax of the entire Christian Year before Advent begins another new year. On this Sunday we focus on the cosmic character of Christ’s reign over the world, and we proclaim the message that all are called to submit joyfully and obediently to his rule. The day has both a climactic emphasis as a mark of the completion of all his redemptive work, and an eschatological emphasis which anticipates his second coming.
Some possible Psalms to use:
Some possible Psalms to use:
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Psalm 2
Psalm 21 Psalm 24 |
Psalm 47
Psalm 68 Psalm 72 |
Psalm 93
Psalm 95 Psalm 97 |
Psalm 99
Psalm 100 Psalm 110 |
Psalm 132
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All Saints’ Day
All Saints’ Day falls on November 1, but is often celebrated on the first Sunday in November. Many Protestants easily confess their uneasiness with this event because they recall the excessive veneration of saints that was part of Catholicism at the time of the Protestant Reformation and they fear participation in such veneration. However, today it can become a very meaningful observance by remembering that we owe gratitude and thanks to God for all those Christian people of every time and place who have gone before us. This “cloud of witnesses” is comprised of all those whom God has used to set the course for us, to form us, and to inspire us on our journeys.
Some possible Psalms to use for All Saints' Day:
Some possible Psalms to use for All Saints' Day:
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Psalm 1
Psalm 15 |
Psalm 23
Psalm 24 |
Psalm 33
Psalm 34 |
Psalm 97
Psalm 116:12-15 |
Psalm 145
Psalm 149 |
The Christian Year
The way we tell time says a lot about us. The dates we circle on our calendars reveal what is most important to us. Lovers of leisure circle vacation days and orient their lives around them. If family is important to you, then you probably focus on birthdays and anniversaries. Many of us wake up each day counting the days until our major work or school assignment, our next vacation, birthday, or holiday. We are creatures of time.
Throughout the history of the church, Christians have in various ways attempted to put Christ at the center of their personal calendars. The most universal way comes to us in what is often called the "Christian year" or the "church year," a series of celebrations and seasons that divides up the calendar and leads Christians on an annual cycle of memory and anticipation through key events in Jesus' life.
The Christian year is anchored in the main salvation history events described in the New Testament. Its anchors are celebrations of Jesus' birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Just like many Old Testament Psalms and early Christian creeds rehearse the history of salvation, so too the Christian year retells the story of these earthshattering events. Thus, the Christian year is a memorial to key events in salvation history. The Christian year ensures that worshipers will be fed a balanced diet of biblical themes.
The Christian year also provides a way of understanding the Christian life. These events are not just about Jesus, they are about us. For we are united with Christ through baptism into his death and resurrection (Romans 6). We experience each of these events with different emotions. The Christian year also ensures that worship features a balanced diet of Christian affections or emotions. We focus on hope during Advent, penitence during Lent, and celebration during Eastertide.
Several writings from the 4th and 5th century (the period in which the Christian year was first developed) suggest that these Christians intended to find a way to keep time that would be a fitting celebration of the gospel message. For example, Augustine speaks of the season of Lent this way: "In what part of the year could the observance of the forty-day fast be more appropriately instituted than that adjoining, so to speak, and touching on the Lord's Passion?" He goes on to describe Eastertide this way: "These days after the Lord's resurrection form a period, not of labor, but of peace and joy. That is why there is no fasting and we pray standing, which is a sign of the resurrection. . . .[during this season] the "alleluia" is sung to indicate that our future occupation is to be no other than the praise of God."
Observance of the Christian year is not prescribed in the New Testament. It is one of dozens of devotional practices that Christians have developed as helps to their public and personal prayer life. It is helpful to think of the Christian year as devotional guide, like any other you might purchase at a Christian bookstore. The advantage to this guide is that it is nearly universal. By following the Christian year, we join our hearts in prayer with Christians throughout history and throughout the world.
Christians follow this calendar because it points beyond itself to these main events in salvation history. It is a means to hold before us these crucial events and to challenge us to orient our lives around these events. Like any institutional arrangement, the Christian year can be abused. And indeed it has been. The 16th century Reformers and the 17th century Puritans protested the Christian year because they felt it was being treated as an end it itself. They feared that worshipers were more concerned with the correct observance of certain days, rather than focusing on the events those celebrations pointed to.
In the past generation, many Christians in many traditions, including many Reformed Christians, have recovered the Christian year as a basic framework for organizing their common prayer and worship. They have attempted to recover the genius of the annual journey of telling this story of faith, while remembering that this framework is never an end in itself.
The traditional Christian year includes two types of observances: feasts and seasons. The "feasts" are daylong celebrations of key events in Jesus' life: his birth, his visitation by the magi, baptism, transfiguration, arrival into Jerusalem, death, resurrection, and ascension. The seasons are periods of several days or weeks that lead up to or follow the big events of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. The length of these observances provides space to savor the meaning of these climactic events. Advent, the four weeks that precede Christmas, is a season of repentance and anticipation to prepare ourselves for both Jesus' first and second comings. Lent, the 40 days that precede Easter, is a time to focus on our baptism, our union with Christ in his death and resurrection, and our daily practice of repentance. Eastertide, the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost, is an extended celebration of Christ's victory. The time following Pentecost, often called Ordinary time, focuses on living by the leading of the Spirit in our everyday lives and in the ministry of the church.
There are variations in how the Christian year is celebrated from one congregation or denomination to the next. But in every case, the point of it all is nothing less than "to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2)
(This article is excerpted from a Calvin Institute of Christian Worship article by John Witvliet.)
Throughout the history of the church, Christians have in various ways attempted to put Christ at the center of their personal calendars. The most universal way comes to us in what is often called the "Christian year" or the "church year," a series of celebrations and seasons that divides up the calendar and leads Christians on an annual cycle of memory and anticipation through key events in Jesus' life.
The Christian year is anchored in the main salvation history events described in the New Testament. Its anchors are celebrations of Jesus' birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Just like many Old Testament Psalms and early Christian creeds rehearse the history of salvation, so too the Christian year retells the story of these earthshattering events. Thus, the Christian year is a memorial to key events in salvation history. The Christian year ensures that worshipers will be fed a balanced diet of biblical themes.
The Christian year also provides a way of understanding the Christian life. These events are not just about Jesus, they are about us. For we are united with Christ through baptism into his death and resurrection (Romans 6). We experience each of these events with different emotions. The Christian year also ensures that worship features a balanced diet of Christian affections or emotions. We focus on hope during Advent, penitence during Lent, and celebration during Eastertide.
Several writings from the 4th and 5th century (the period in which the Christian year was first developed) suggest that these Christians intended to find a way to keep time that would be a fitting celebration of the gospel message. For example, Augustine speaks of the season of Lent this way: "In what part of the year could the observance of the forty-day fast be more appropriately instituted than that adjoining, so to speak, and touching on the Lord's Passion?" He goes on to describe Eastertide this way: "These days after the Lord's resurrection form a period, not of labor, but of peace and joy. That is why there is no fasting and we pray standing, which is a sign of the resurrection. . . .[during this season] the "alleluia" is sung to indicate that our future occupation is to be no other than the praise of God."
Observance of the Christian year is not prescribed in the New Testament. It is one of dozens of devotional practices that Christians have developed as helps to their public and personal prayer life. It is helpful to think of the Christian year as devotional guide, like any other you might purchase at a Christian bookstore. The advantage to this guide is that it is nearly universal. By following the Christian year, we join our hearts in prayer with Christians throughout history and throughout the world.
Christians follow this calendar because it points beyond itself to these main events in salvation history. It is a means to hold before us these crucial events and to challenge us to orient our lives around these events. Like any institutional arrangement, the Christian year can be abused. And indeed it has been. The 16th century Reformers and the 17th century Puritans protested the Christian year because they felt it was being treated as an end it itself. They feared that worshipers were more concerned with the correct observance of certain days, rather than focusing on the events those celebrations pointed to.
In the past generation, many Christians in many traditions, including many Reformed Christians, have recovered the Christian year as a basic framework for organizing their common prayer and worship. They have attempted to recover the genius of the annual journey of telling this story of faith, while remembering that this framework is never an end in itself.
The traditional Christian year includes two types of observances: feasts and seasons. The "feasts" are daylong celebrations of key events in Jesus' life: his birth, his visitation by the magi, baptism, transfiguration, arrival into Jerusalem, death, resurrection, and ascension. The seasons are periods of several days or weeks that lead up to or follow the big events of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. The length of these observances provides space to savor the meaning of these climactic events. Advent, the four weeks that precede Christmas, is a season of repentance and anticipation to prepare ourselves for both Jesus' first and second comings. Lent, the 40 days that precede Easter, is a time to focus on our baptism, our union with Christ in his death and resurrection, and our daily practice of repentance. Eastertide, the 50 days between Easter and Pentecost, is an extended celebration of Christ's victory. The time following Pentecost, often called Ordinary time, focuses on living by the leading of the Spirit in our everyday lives and in the ministry of the church.
There are variations in how the Christian year is celebrated from one congregation or denomination to the next. But in every case, the point of it all is nothing less than "to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2)
(This article is excerpted from a Calvin Institute of Christian Worship article by John Witvliet.)
Which Calendar?
Taking an Overview This is a good time to pause in the process of worship planning and step back to make an overview of the year ahead. Actually, doing this during the summer months, especially in August, is a very helpful thing to build into the calendar for each year.
Planning long range in the worship life of a congregation gives us an opportunity to think more carefully about the themes and patterns of our worship life, assures us of a greater balance, and provides better preparation time for all that are involved, both pastor and musicians.
Which Calendar? The first choice we face is the choice of calendar. What considerations will guide the pattern of worship during the coming months? Which events will be included in worship? And how will the themes of worship and preaching be selected? In other words, which calendar will be our guide?
Our conviction and assumption is that to plan ahead without an intentional selection of a calendar, or to go ahead without planning, will produce worship and preaching that has little direction and misses major opportunities to proclaim the full gospel of Christ.
However, there are a number of potential calendars from which we can make our choices. Let's try to identify some of them. You will probably think of others.
The Christian Year Calendar We are creatures of time. All our living is in the context of and governed by time. Sometimes time makes us remember as we treasure the past; other times we anticipate as we look forward to the future. As Christians we know that time is linear - it has a beginning and an end. We also know that it is made up of progressive events along the way. All of Scriptural history is built around remembrances and anticipations.
Worship needs to take this into account. God's events in the time of history should form the pattern of our worship life over the course of a year. So which calendar we select as our guide has large implications.
Selecting the Christian Year calendar to guide our worship life and planning will provide several very precious benefits:
It is certainly true that Scripture does not prescribe the observance of the Christian Year, and in the past Christians of many traditions moved away from it because they were afraid that it would become an end in itself and reflect too much of medieval catholicism. But in recent years, many protestant churches have recovered the Christian Year and find it to be a valuable framework for organizing their worship life.
For the reasons stated above, we highly recommend it. You will find that the worship services provided here in the months ahead reflect the calendar of the Christian Year. A few other carefully selected events will be fit in along the way, but the rhythm of the year will be established by the Christian calendar. Once you do, you will find that it has the basic pattern of the Apostles' Creed.
(This article excerpted from a Calvin Institute of Christian Worship article by Rev. Howard Vanderwell.)
Planning long range in the worship life of a congregation gives us an opportunity to think more carefully about the themes and patterns of our worship life, assures us of a greater balance, and provides better preparation time for all that are involved, both pastor and musicians.
Which Calendar? The first choice we face is the choice of calendar. What considerations will guide the pattern of worship during the coming months? Which events will be included in worship? And how will the themes of worship and preaching be selected? In other words, which calendar will be our guide?
Our conviction and assumption is that to plan ahead without an intentional selection of a calendar, or to go ahead without planning, will produce worship and preaching that has little direction and misses major opportunities to proclaim the full gospel of Christ.
However, there are a number of potential calendars from which we can make our choices. Let's try to identify some of them. You will probably think of others.
- The catechism/confessional calendar - if the pastor is preaching through the Catechism or one of the other Confessions, you may be inclined to structure the church year of worship around the themes/events that are currently being covered.
- The secular calendar - many events on the secular calendar of our society will seem to call for attention in worship, and you'll discover that some churches follow it. Hallmark tells us that Valentines' Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day are big events. Our civic calendar tempts us to plan worship around Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
- The church program season calendar - September through April/May is the season in which the largest number of church ministry events take place, with a major break for the "holidays". Worship planning can easily be determined by the rhythm of eight or nine full months, and three or four lean months. Within this calendar you will also find those "special Sundays" that each denomination likes to designate for specific ministries.
- The Christian Year calendar - in this calendar the entire year is geared toward the remembrance of the main salvation events in the work of God. Salvation events rank much higher than local and secular events. We highly recommend this calendar and will be saying more about it.
The Christian Year Calendar We are creatures of time. All our living is in the context of and governed by time. Sometimes time makes us remember as we treasure the past; other times we anticipate as we look forward to the future. As Christians we know that time is linear - it has a beginning and an end. We also know that it is made up of progressive events along the way. All of Scriptural history is built around remembrances and anticipations.
Worship needs to take this into account. God's events in the time of history should form the pattern of our worship life over the course of a year. So which calendar we select as our guide has large implications.
Selecting the Christian Year calendar to guide our worship life and planning will provide several very precious benefits:
- Our worship will be anchored in the events of salvation history: the coming of Christ, the ministry of Christ, the suffering and death of Christ, the resurrection and exaltation of Christ, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
- The Christian Year will help us understand the Christian life. Each season has its own mood and spirit and they can be quite different from one another. We anticipate Christ's arrival. We are united with him in his suffering, death, and resurrection. We continue to receive new life from the Spirit. Each of these events provides a variety of themes, from anticipation, to penitence, to joy, to a challenge to growth.
- The Christian Year provides a framework for the celebration of the gospel message. As such it becomes a careful safeguard for the church so that its message remains clearly Christ-centered. Each year the major events of God's redemptive history are celebrated and exhibit their formative influence over our worship life.
It is certainly true that Scripture does not prescribe the observance of the Christian Year, and in the past Christians of many traditions moved away from it because they were afraid that it would become an end in itself and reflect too much of medieval catholicism. But in recent years, many protestant churches have recovered the Christian Year and find it to be a valuable framework for organizing their worship life.
For the reasons stated above, we highly recommend it. You will find that the worship services provided here in the months ahead reflect the calendar of the Christian Year. A few other carefully selected events will be fit in along the way, but the rhythm of the year will be established by the Christian calendar. Once you do, you will find that it has the basic pattern of the Apostles' Creed.
(This article excerpted from a Calvin Institute of Christian Worship article by Rev. Howard Vanderwell.)