Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.
Church Seasons
The Christian calendar is organized around two major centers of Sacred Time.
First, Advent; Christmas; and Epiphany. Second, Lent; Holy Week; and Easter, concluding at Pentecost. The rest of the year following Pentecost is known as Ordinary Time, from the word ‘ordinal’, which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.).
Ordinary Time is represented by the color green. Ordinary Time is used to focus on various aspects of the Faith, especially the mission of the church in the world. Some church traditions break up ordinary time into a Pentecost Season, (Pentecost until the next-to-last Sunday of August) and Kingdomtide (last Sunday of August until the beginning of Advent).
Following the church year is more than simply marking time on a calendar or a note in the church bulletin. Every effort should be made to use the various aspects of the church year as an opportunity to tell the story of God's redemptive work in the world.
Many of us are unfamiliar with the liturgical seasons of the year and their colors/symbols. The following is a brief guide to them, which may enable you to better appreciate each one. Exerpted from the writings of Dennis Bratcher (CRI/Voice Institute).
Advent
Christmas
Epiphany
Lent
Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday)
Easter (and Eastertide, including Ascencion Day)
Pentecost (Whitsun)
Church Symbols
Explanations about some of the meaningful symbols around the United Methodist Church, so that you may become more familiar with the importance of these symbols, as well as their beauty.
Christian Flag
Cross and Flame
Altar and Altar Cloths
Liturgical Colors
Chrismons
Fish
Butterfly
Easter Egg
Lily
Peacock
Phoenix
Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.
The word 'advent' means ‘coming’ or ‘arrival’. The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000-year-old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ, whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God.
The Advent Symbol. The Advent symbol of Jesus is from Rev 1:8 and 22:13: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (see also Isaiah 44:6). The first symbol is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph, and the second is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, Omega. Not only does this symbolize the One who has come and will come again, it also emphasizes the continuity of God's work in history throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
The Advent Wreath. The Advent wreath is an increasingly popular symbol of the beginning of the Church year in many churches as well as homes. It is a circular evergreen wreath with five candles - four around the wreath and one in the center. Since the wreath is symbolic and a vehicle to tell the Christmas story, there are various ways to understand the symbolism. The exact meaning given to the various aspects of the wreath is not as important as the story to which it invites us to listen and participate. The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself -His eternity and endless mercy- which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ.
The Advent Candles. The colors of the candles are three purple candles, corresponding to the sanctuary colors of Advent; one rose candle; and a white candle in the center. One of the purple candles is lit on the first Sunday of Advent. On each of the next two Sundays, another purple candle is lit. The rose candle is lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent - the last Sunday before Christmas Day. On each subsequent Sunday after the first Sunday of Advent, the previously lit candles are relit.
The first candle is the candle of Expectation or Hope. This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of a Messiah. The sequence in our church for the remaining three Sundays is Peace, Joy, and Love. No matter what sequence is used in any church for the other three candles, the Scripture readings; prayers; lighting of the candles; and the participation of worshipers in the service all are geared toward telling the story of redemption through God’s grace in the incarnation. The center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. All five candles continue to be lit in services through Epiphany (January 6). The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.
Liturgical Color: The sanctuary color during Advent is purple.
Among all of the festivals and holidays of the Christian church year, Christmas remains the most observed and most popular. Of course, much of that popularity, especially in the West, is due to the commercial promotion of the holiday. In many areas of the world, Christmas still is a rather insignificant holiday, even among Christians. Still, the Christmas story captures the heart in a way that transcends all of the commercial hype.
Historically, Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth to a young maiden from Galilee. Theologically, Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation of God in Jesus the Christ, the self-revelation of God to the world in human form for the reconciliation of humanity to Himself. All the details of the various accounts concerning Jesus’ birth revolve around that central truth.
While we most often think about Christmas as a single day, it is actually a season of the year. In its popular sense, it extends four weeks before Christmas Day and for two weeks after. However, the time before Christmas is a special season called Advent, comprising the four Sundays before Christmas Day. While the entire season of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany can be seen together, they each have distinctly different roles in the church year. Contrary to advertising campaigns that tout Christmas as beginning with Advent (or even Halloween), the actual Christmas Season in most Western church traditions begins at sunset on Christmas Eve, December 24, and lasts through January 5. Since this period is 12 days, the season of Christmas is known in many places as the Twelve Days of Christmas. January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany.
Liturgical Colors: The sanctuary colors during Christmas are white and gold.
In western Christian tradition, January 6 is celebrated as Epiphany, which signifies the event of the magi (Wise Men) visiting baby Jesus. Epiphany is the climax of the Advent/Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from the evening of December 24th until the morning of January 5th, which is the Twelfth Day. In following this custom of counting the days beginning at sundown, the evening of January 5th is the Twelfth Night. This is an occasion for feasting in some cultures, including the baking of a special King's Cake as part of the festivities of Epiphany. In some church traditions, only the full days are counted, so that January 5th is the Eleventh Day of Christmas, January 6th is the Twelfth Day, and the evening of January 6th is counted as the Twelfth Night.
Liturgical Colors: The sactuary colors during Epiphany are the colors of Christmas - white and gold.
Originating in the fourth century of the church, the season of Lent spans 40 weekdays, beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and concluding the Saturday before Easter (Holy Saturday). Originally, Lent was the time of preparation for those who were to be baptized, a time of concentrated study and prayer before their baptism at the Easter Vigil, the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord early on Easter Sunday. Since these new members were to be received into a living community of Faith, the entire community was called to preparation. This was also the time when those who had been separated from the church would prepare to rejoin the community. Today, Lent is marked by a time of prayer and preparation to celebrate Easter. Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as the 'Sundays in Lent'. The number 40 is connected with many biblical events, but especially with the forty days Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for His ministry by facing the temptations that could lead him to abandon his mission and calling. Christians today use this period of time for introspection, self examination, and repentance. This season of the year is equal only to the Season of Advent in importance in the Christian year and is part of the second major grouping of Christian festivals and sacred time that includes Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost.
Lent traditionally has been marked by penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days during Lent, especially the giving up of meat, alcohol, sweets, and other types of food. Other traditions do not place as great an emphasis on fasting, but focus on charitable deeds, especially helping those in physical need with food and clothing, or simply the giving of money to charities. Most Christian churches that observe Lent at all focus on it as a time of prayer, especially penance, repenting for failures and sin as a way to focus on the need for God’s grace. It is a preparation to celebrate God’s marvelous redemption at Easter and the resurrected life that we live and hope for as Christians.
Liturgical Color: The color used in the sanctuary for most of Lent is purple.
Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday)
Holy Week is the last week of Lent - the week immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is observed in many Christian churches as a time to commemorate and enact the suffering (Passion) and death of Jesus through various observances and services of worship. While some church traditions focus specifically on the events of the last week of Jesus’ life, many of the liturgies symbolize larger themes that marked Jesus’ entire ministry. Observances during this week range from daily liturgical services in churches to informal meetings in homes to participate in a Christian version of the Passover Seder.
Liturgical Color: The sanctuary color for all of Holy Week is purple, with the exception of Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Palm Sunday. The Sunday immediately before Easter Sunday is Palm Sunday. This Sunday observes the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem that was marked by the crowds, who were in Jerusalem for Passover, waving palm branches and proclaiming him as the messianic king. This Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday to commemorate the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to the cross. The English word ‘passion’ is derived from a Latin word that means ‘to suffer’, the same word from which we derive the English word ‘patient’.
Maundy Thursday. The Thursday immediately before Easter Sunday is Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday). There are a variety of events that are clustered on this last day before Jesus was arrested that are commemorated in various ways in services of worship. These events included the last meal together, which was probably a Passover meal, the institution of Eucharist or Communion, the betrayal by Judas, and Jesus praying in Gethsemane while the disciples fell asleep. Most liturgies, however, focus on the meal and communion as a way to commemorate this day. The sharing of the Eucharist, or Sacrament of Thanksgiving, on Maundy Thursday is the means by which most Christians observe this day.
Good Friday. The Friday immediately before Easter Sunday is Good Friday (or Holy Friday). On this day, the church commemorates Jesus’ arrest (since, by Jewish customs of counting days from sundown to sundown, it was already Friday), his trial, crucifixion and suffering, death, and burial. Since services on this day are to observe Jesus’ death, and since Eucharist is a celebration, there is no Communion observed on Good Friday. All pictures, statues, and the cross are covered in mourning black, the chancel and altar coverings are replaced with black, and altar candles are extinguished. They are left this way through Holy Saturday, but are always replaced with white before sunrise on Sunday.
Liturgical Color: Good Friday and Holy Saturday are the only two days of the year that black ever is used in the church.
Holy Saturday. The Saturday immediately before Easter Sunday in Holy Saturday. This is the seventh day of Holy Week, the day Jesus rested in the tomb. While some church traditions continue daily services on Saturday, there is no communion served on this day. Some traditions suspend services and Scripture readings during the day on Saturday, to be resumed at the Easter Vigil after sundown on Saturday. Holy Saturday is traditionally a day of quiet meditation as Christians contemplate the darkness of a world without a future and without hope apart from God and His grace. It is also a time to remember family and the faithful who have died as we await the resurrection, or to honor the martyrs who have given their lives for the cause of Christ in the world. While Good Friday is a traditional day of fasting, some also fast on Saturday as the climax of the season of Lent. An ancient tradition dating to the first centuries of the church calls for no food of any kind to be eaten on Holy Saturday, or for 40 hours before sunrise on Sunday. However it is observed, Holy Saturday has traditionally been a time of reflection and waiting - the time of weeping that lasts for the night while awaiting the joy that comes in the morning (Psalms 30:5).
Easter (and Eastertide, including Ascension Day)
Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, is the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Christ from the dead. Even before theologians explained the death of Jesus in terms of various atonement theories, the early church saw his resurrection as the central witness to a new act of God in history and the victory of God in vindicating Jesus as the Messiah. This event marks the central faith confession of the early church and was the focal point for Christian worship, observed on the first day of each week since the first century (Acts 20:7; Sunday officially was proclaimed the day of Christian worship in AD 321).
Easter as an annual celebration of the Resurrection that lies at the center of a liturgical year has been observed at least since the fourth century. Even in churches that traditionally do not observe the other historic seasons of the church year, Easter has occupied a central place as the high point of Christian worship. Easter, like Passover, is a movable feast. That is, the date of Easter (and Passover) is not fixed, but is determined by a system based on a lunar calendar adapted from a formula decided by the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. With this system, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring equinox .
During Easter and Eastertide, worshippers are called to celebrate God's ongoing work in the world through his people and to acknowledge and reflect upon the their purposes, missions, and callings as God’s people.
Eastertide and Ascension Day. Eastertide is the 50-day period between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. Ascension Day is the 40th day of Eastertide (a Thursday), which marks the day that Jesus bodily ascended to Heaven in the presence of his apostles forty days following the Resurrection.
Liturgical Colors: Color used in worship is especially important during the Season of Easter. The changing colors of the sanctuary from the purple of Lent to the black of Good Friday provide graphic visual symbols for the Lenten journey. The change of colors for Easter and the following Sundays helps communicate the movement of sacred time, as well as personal faith journeys. The Sanctuary colors for Easter Sunday and Ascension Day are white and gold, the colors of sacred days throughout the church year. For the Eastertide season (from Easter Sunday to Pentecost), churches traditionally continue the use of white and gold.
Pentecost originally was an Old Testament festival, since the time of Josephus calculated as beginning on the fiftieth day after the beginning of Passover. In the Christian calendar, it falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter. It was called the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) and in the Old Testament was an agricultural festival celebrating and giving thanks for the "first fruits" of the early spring harvest. By the early New Testament period, Pentecost gradually had lost its association with agriculture and became associated with the celebration of God’s creation of His people and their religious history. By the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the festival focused exclusively on God’s gracious gift of Torah (the ‘Law’) on Mount Sinai. It continues to be celebrated in this manner in modern Judaism.
For Christians, Pentecost Sunday is a day to celebrate hope - a hope evoked by the knowledge that God through His Holy Spirit is at work among His people. It is a celebration of newness, of recreation, of renewal of purpose, mission, and calling as God’s people. It is a celebration of God’s ongoing work in the world. Yet, it is also a recognition that His work is done through His people as He pours out His presence upon them.
To some, particularly in the United Kingdon, Pentecost Sunday is known as Whitsun or Whitsun Day, meaning either 'White Sunday', or the Sunday when whit or wisdom was brought upon the Disciples.
Liturgical Color: The sanctuary color during Pentecost Sunday is red.
The Christian flag, envisioned on September 26, 1897 by Charles C. Overton, signifies Christianity in its entirety - the faith, worship, responsibilities, and all of its other blessings. The cross on the flag symbolizes the Christian religion, God's love for man as exemplifies in Jesus' life and death, and the promise of eternal life. The blue background of the cross speaks of the faithfulness and sincerity of the Savior, who was obedient unto death. The white portion of the flag is symbolic of purity, innocence, and peace. The white color also bears witness to the purity and sinlessness of the founder of the faith and man's joy in contemplating God's initiative in redeeming the world.
United Methodism's official symbol is the cross and flame. It has been in use for nearly three decades and is seen in cities, towns, and rural areas at points around the globe. The insignia is a cross linked with a dual flame. This symbol relates our church to God by way of the second and third persons of the Trinity: the Christ (cross) and the Holy Spirit (flame). The flames suggest Pentecost, when witnesses saw "tongues as of fire." The duality of the flame represents the merger in 1968 of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church.
The altar in Christian churches is the symbol of Christ's sacrificial death. The altar is the throne of God in his house. It is an everlasting symbol of his spiritual presence in the church. Usually, a Bible sits in the center of the altar. The offering of the people (collection plates) also is placed on the altar, symbolizing their sacrifice to God. The two candles we light symbolize Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. When one candle appears on each side of the altar, the two natures of Christ, divine and human, are emphasized.
Altar cloths match the liturgical colors of the sanctuary during each church season. Different symbols may appear on the altar cloths. In our church, the green cloth contains the letters IHS, as seen in the first image left; the purple cloth contains a Latin cross over the letters IHS, as seen in the second image on the left; the white cloth contains a Latin cross, as seen in the third image on the left; and the red cloth contains a Latin cross through a golden crown, similar to the fourth image on the left (image depicts a plain cross).
The letters 'IHS' are formed from the Greek word IHCOYC, meaning 'Jesus'. As knowledge of Greek writing became rare, the Greek 'C' was changed to a Latin 'S'. A line appears over the letter 'h' to indicate an abbreviation.
The cross through the crown symbolizes the reward of the faithful in the life after death for those who believe in the crucified Savior. “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the Crown of Life". (Rev. 2:10)
Green: Represents growth and is used during Ordinary Time (the season after Epiphany and the season after Pentecost).
Purple: Symbolizes both the pain and the suffering leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, as well as the suffering of humanity and the world under sin. It is the color of penitence. However, it also is the color of royalty and so anticipates, through the suffering and death of Jesus, the coming resurrection and hope of newness that will be celebrated in the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Purple is used during Advent and during Lent, including most of Holy Week.
White and Gold: Symbolize joy and festivities. White represents the hope of resurrection, as well as the purity and newness that comes from victory over sin and death. Gold represents the light of the world brought by the risen Christ that enlightens the world, as well as the exaltation of Jesus as Lord and King. White and gold are used during Christmas, Easter, and Eastertide.
Red: Symbolizes the color of fire that represents the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and times when the work of the Holy Spirit is emphasized. Red is used on the Pentecost. Some churches also use red on the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost. Red also is used for ordinations; for church anniversaries; and for civil observances, such as Memorial Day and Thanksgiving Day.
Black: Symbolizes mourning. Black is used only on two days in the church: Good Friday and Holy Saturday. On those days, all pictures; statues; and the cross are covered in black; the chancel and altar coverings are replaced with black; and altar candles are extinguished. They always are replaced with white before sunrise on Easter Sunday.
The Chrismons ornaments were first developed by Frances Kipps Spencer (1917-1990) at Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Virginia. She originated them in 1957, when she set out to create decorations appropriate for a church Christmas tree. Chrismons are never bought, sold, or put into kit form. An evergreen tree, which symbolizes the eternal life that our Savior has won for us, forms the background for tiny white lights and gold Chrismons designs. The lights speak of Him who is the light of the world and the Chrismons ornaments (CHRISt+MONogram) proclaim the name, the life, and the saving acts of Jesus Christ. Some Chrismons designs are simple copies of symbols of Christianity; others are new explanations of God's constant presence in our ever-changing world; and some are combinations of several elements, old and new. The symbols used are interdenominational and are the heritage of all Christians.
Early Christians were punished for being Christian. A secret symbol was used to let other Christians know who they were. That secret symbol was a fish. The word inside the fish is a Green acronym for 'Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior'.
Christians met in the homes of one another to worship. To let others know where the meeting was being held, they put a drawing of a fish outside their house. Sometimes, strangers would meet at the marketplace. As they talked, one might draw a fish in the dirt. If the other person was Christian, he also would draw a fish in the dirt. Then, the two would smile and one might say, "There are many people in our town who know all about fish. I am inviting them to come to my home, so that I may learn about fish. Would you like to come?"
Butterfly
A butterfly is used to symbolize Jesus' resurrection. A caterpillar, entombed in a chrysalis, seems to have died. Yet, suddenly, as if born again, a beautiful butterfly appears. This reminds us that Jesus, who died and was buried, left his dark tomb and is alive. It also reminds us that we become like new people when we decide to follow Jesus.
Easter Egg
Many forms of new life develop from an egg. The egg is a symbol of new life. The egg reminds us of the new life God gave to Jesus on Easter.
Lily
The lily begins life as a brown, dead-looking bulb that we plant in the ground. In the spring, a green shoot bursts from the bulb and pushes its way upward through the ground and continues to grow. Finally, a beautiful flower blooms on the lily stem. The lily reminds us that Jesus was given new life at Easter and is no longer in the tomb. The lily reminds us that because Jesus lived; died; and was resurrected, we too can have new life.
Peacock
Peacocks are known for their beautiful tail feathers. These feathers drop off and new, even more beautiful feathers grow in their place. This has become another symbol of new life coming from death.
Phoenix
The ancient world had stories about a bird that flew up from the ashes of a fire in which it had been burned. That is why the phoenix is shown with wings in flight, rising from flames. Early Christians took this story of a dead bird that lives again and used it to represent the resurrection and new life of Jesus Christ after death.