| The
Church Year
The first Sunday in Advent,
begins the new church year - a time of preparation, a time of waiting
for the Christ Child.
The liturgical color for
Advent is blue, the color of hope, and hope is the primary theme of
Advent. You will see the change of colors on the altar and in the
chancel hangings and banners.
To allow Advent to have its
fullest impact, we defer Christmas music and decorations so that the
symbols and themes of Advent are not obscured by Christmas preparations.
The first Sunday in Advent
centers on the Parousia, the second coming of Jesus, or as the
New Testament prefers to call it, his Appearing. The second and
third Sundays focus on John the Baptist as the herald or forerunner of
Christ. The fourth Sunday focuses on the Virgin Mary as the obedient
servant chosen to bear God's anointed one.
The season of Christmas
begins Christmas Eve and continues for 12 days - until the day of
Epiphany. The liturgical color of the season is white.
The season of Epiphany
begins January 6 and may be as long as eight weeks or as few as
three. Epiphany is the time the church is to "make Christ
known". The liturgical color is green.
The fourth season of the
church year is Lent.
Ash Wednesday worship and
communion services are held in the Bethel Sanctuary at 7:00 am, 11:00
am, 5:15 and 7:00 pm.
The word Lent originally meant
"spring" and is to be understood as a time to reflect on
Baptism and its basis in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Gospel
emphasis is on the cross and discipleship. The liturgical color for this
six-week season is purple. This
is traditionally a penitential time, and there is an austerity that is
absent in other seasons. Flowers do not decorate the chancel during this
time, nor are Alleluias sung.
The season of Easter
begins with the Easter Vigil on Easter Eve. Easter is to be understood
as the crown of the whole year, and as such it lasts not for a day or a
week, but for seven weeks. The Sundays of this season are called the
Sundays of Easter - 50 days of rejoicing. The liturgical color is white.
The Day
of Pentecost, the
birthday of the church, is the culmination of the Easter celebration and
the long season which follows this day is called the season after
Pentecost. The liturgical color for the Day of Pentecost is red. The
Sundays after Pentecost are the season of growth; the liturgical color
is green. The season ends in November and the last Sunday of the church
year is observed as the festival of Christ the King.
|
