Several weeks ago a fellow Shenandoah blogger Pastor Chris, made some comments on my order of worships and my weekly devotionals.  In his comment, he wrote, “Thanks for sanctifying the calendar.”

What was he talking about?  Each week, I write a devotional that is based on the Lectionary (a three-year series of Scripture readings) and based on the church year.  No many Wesleyans use it.  The reasons go back to the roots of our tradition.  In 1843 when the Wesleyan Methodists separated from the Methodist Episcopal Church over the issue of slavery, they also decided to go with a new form of government – with no bishops.  In addition, they also jettisoned anything that looked like formal worship or “high church.”  On the frontier, the services were simple.  In addition the “Wesleyans” adopted the form of the late 18th century revival three-fold worship service.  A rousing song service, followed by a preaching service, followed by the altar service.  The only two “church calendar” days that were recognized would be Christmas and Easter.  Most “Wesleyan” (by Wesleyan, I mean those who come from the revivalist holiness traditions — which include Free Methodists, Church of Nazarene, The Wesleyan Church, Salvation Army and others) churches still follow the revivalistic model.  In addition, Wesleyans do not typically follow the church calendar.

Marking Time

Most Wesleyans follow the civil calendar vs. the church calendar.  In most Wesleyan churches, you may find them celebrating New Years, Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  One of the cool things is that about thirty years ago, Wesleyans started discovering Advent.  In most churches, this is simply a part of the Christmas celebration, not a separate season.  There are churches that are at least starting to recognize Lent as a preparation for Easter.

One of the reasons I love the church calendar is that it is based on the life of Jesus.  As humans we mark time with our civil calendar, so as Christians I like when we mark time with the church calendar and what better way to mark time than based on the life of our Savior.  The church calendar begins with:

Advent

Advent is a dual purpose time of preparation.  First, it is time of preparation for the arrival of Jesus on Christmas (the first advent).  Second, it is a time of preparation for the arrival of Jesus a second time (His second advent.)   It is characterized by the Advent wreath.  Most Wesleyan Churches have adopted the Advent Wreath with it’s four candles and the center Christ candle.  The color of Advent is blue, which is strange because we are so used to the red and green color scheme.  Blue indicates royalty, it is a change from the purple which symbolizes penitence, since Advent is a more joyful season and a season of hope, love, joy, and peace.  It last for four weeks and culminates with

Christmas

Christmas celebrates the arrival of Jesus in Bethlehem.  It is a season of twelve days.  Thus the “Twelve Days of Christmas.”  It runs from Christmas Day (December 25th) to January 5th.  The color of Christmas is white, which is difficult to duplicate on a blog of white.  White indicates a major emphasis on Jesus.  The next season on the church calendar is

Epiphany

Epiphany commemorates the arrival of the Wise Men to Jesus.  Epiphany always occurs on January 6th.  It is a one day season and is also white.  The following Sunday is The Baptism of our Lord which notes Jesus’ baptism by John.  This Sunday is also colored white.  The Sundays following these Sundays are colored in green.  It is a color of growth.  The Sundays following emphasize Christian discipleship.  Another theme that runs through this season is the mission of Jesus.  I use this time to preach on the vision and mission of the church, which fits with the season. Next up on the calendar is

Ash Wednesday

This is the beginning of 40 days of prayer and fasting — a season known as Lent.  Ash Wednesday focuses on our humanness — on our sin.  It is a very somber service.  I always thought this service was special even though it is somber and inward looking.  The color of Ash Wednesday is grey or black, indicating our sinfulness.  As I mentioned before, this service starts

Lent

Lent is a forty day season of preparation.  One of the interesting things is that the 40 days don’t include the Sundays.  Lent is a somber, inward looking time as we remember the sufferings of Jesus while He was on the earth. Purple is a color of repentance or penitence. In the season of Lent are Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday. Typically we have a dual emphasis on this Sunday – not only remembering Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but the events leading up to the crucifixion.  Holy week is included in this season, with special days for each day of the week.  This days are marked by the color scarlet as we remember the blood that was shed by Jesus.  Several special days during Holy Week are Maundy Thursday, which remembers Jesus’ last meal with his disciples before his crucifixion and Good Friday. It reminds us of Jesus’ death on the cross.  If services are scheduled on this day, they are somber reminders of the price that was paid for our sins.  We like the disciples remain in waiting on Saturday until

Easter Sunday

I’ll go back to black because that gold could be hard to see.  Easter Sunday celebrates the glorious resurrection of Jesus from the grave.  It’s color is gold or white to remind us of the Lordship of Jesus.  This is an all out celebration morning.  During this season we have Ascension Day when Jesus went back to heaven reminding his disciples to go into all the world.  Just ten days later we celebrate

Pentecost

All of these dates are variable and are based on the location of Easter.  Pentecost celebrates the Holy Spirit coming to Jerusalem and filling the disciples with power and might to preach the gospel.  Again, it is an all-out celebration.  The color is red signifying a major church holiday.  It also signifies the fire.  I like to use gold as well, because of the fire.  Following Pentecost is Trinity Sunday (again a white Sunday) reminding us that the Godhead consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Following Trinity Sunday we enter the longest season of the year called Ordinary Time. This again is a season of discipleship.  And runs anywhere from May to June until Advent.  There are several days that we celebrate during this time.  The first is Reformation Sunday.  A red Sunday.  It reminds us that salvation is by faith alone.  We remember when Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of Wittenburg Church.  Following that comes All Saints Day. It is a day to remember those who have gone on before.  I like to think of Hebrews 12 — Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.  The church year is almost complete, finishing with Reign of Christ Sunday.  This is another gold Sunday.  Since it is the last Sunday in the church year we remember that Christ will reign eternally.  Following this Sunday we return to Advent.

At Preston we follow the church calendar.  I note the Sunday of the year in the bulletin each week just under the day of the civil calendar.  I like the special emphasis each season brings and it helps us remember the seasons of our lives, just like the seasons of the year.  Blessings…