Traditionally, the church has divided up the calendar year into its own seasons. These seasons revolve around the life of Jesus. The church calendar is infused with meaning that adds depth to our journey of faith. We invite you to move past the regular cycle of day in and day out and week to week to engage a larger, historical and meaningful cycle.
Advent is the four-week season just before the celebration of the birth of Jesus. With great expectation we await the arrival of the Christ-child, and eagerly look forward to Christ's coming again. Advent begins on the Sunday nearest November 30. Its color is blue
Christmas (December 25) is the festival of the birth of Christ, the celebration of the incarnation. It begins on Christmas Eve and is followed by twelve days of celebration (the "twelve days of Christmas") to Epiphany. Its color is white and gold.
Epiphany (January 6) recalls the visit of the Magi, or wise-men, to the Christ-child. These were likely astrologers who followed the stars to find Jesus. Epiphany literally means "to show" or "to make known," and refers to these men revealing to the world that the Christ-child is Lord and King. The first Sunday after Epiphany celebrates Jesus' Baptism. The color is white.
Ordinary Time whose color is green, is divided into two periods. The first period begins after Epiphany and continues until Ash Wednesday. Because Easter's date varies, this first period may include from four to nine Sundays.
Ash Wednesday begins the six weeks of Lent with a service that utilizes the Old Testament practice of placing ashes on the head as a sign of humility before God, and of mourning at the death that is brought by sin.
Lent began as a time of preparation for baptismal candidates who would be baptized on Easter Sunday. But since these baptismal candidates were part of a living community of faith, the entire community is called to preparation. So, Lent, a season of preparation for Holy Week and Easter, begins on Ash Wednesday, and culminates with Holy Week. The color is purple.
Holy Week is the week immediately before Easter and it marks the passion and death of Jesus. Passion/Palm Sunday marks the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and often includes read one of the gospel accounts of his "Passion" or ten events leading up to and including his crucifixion. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper and the vigil held by Jesus and his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Good Friday marks the trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. Holy Saturday is a day of rest and contemplation of the darkness of a world without hope apart from God's grace and redemption.
Easter is the center of our Christian faith. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, which is the event that "changes everything." Forty days after Easter Ascension Day affirms that Jesus is Lord of all times and places. Ten days later (fifty days after Easter) this season of hope concludes with Pentecost. The color is white and gold.
Pentecost marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as told in Acts 2. Jesus' promise of a wonderful counselor comes to fruition with the Holy Spirit, available to all believers. Its color is red.
Ordinary Time begins its second period with Trinity Sunday which celebrates the difficult to understand belief that God is one, yet known to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some five months later it concludes on the Sunday before or after Thanksgiving (depending on whether there are five or four Sundays in December), and Advent begins the church year all over again. The color is green.