The Church Year

Each year, we live our lives alongside the stories and seasons of the church.

Advent
The year begins with the season of preparation for Christmas. During this time we anticipate the arrival of new life and possibility. Each Sunday, we light a new candle on the Advent wreath as the world darkens around us. The colors of Advent are blue and purple.

Christmas and Epiphany
The twelve days of Christmas begin with the birth of Jesus and end with the arrival of the wise ones at the stable. This is a brief, bright time full of music and stories, a celebration in the heart of the winter. The colors for this season are white and gold.

 

Lent
As winter continues, we mark the beginning of the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, a day for recognizing our distance from God and our longing for reconciliation. The forty days of Lent are a time for introspection, self-evaluation, and prayer. The colors of Lent are purple and black.

Holy Week and Easter
Lent draws to a close with a week in which we tell the stories of Jesus’ last days. On Palm Sunday, we recall his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday, we remember Jesus’ last meal with his friends. On Good Friday, we mourn the death of Jesus and grieve for all innocent suffering. On Easter morning, we awake to the amazing news that Christ is risen and love lives on. As the season of Easter continues, we hear stories of what happened amongst the followers of Jesus as they received this good news. The color for Good Friday is black; the colors of Easter are white and gold.

Pentecost
The feast of Pentecost each spring marks an event recorded in the Book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’ followers. This is considered the birthday of the church and a time to celebrate the energy and fire of the Spirit. The color of Pentecost is red.

Ordinary Time
Following Pentecost there is a long stretch of “Ordinary Time” during the summer and fall. This is the time when we put into practice all we have learned during the rest of the church year. The color of Ordinary Time is green.