Followers of Jesus use their own unique version of the “calendar” each year in order to tell the story of Jesus from beginning to end. It is divided into three “cycles” around the great festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. Each cycle in turn is divided into three “seasons.”
The Christmas Cycle
Advent: Jesus comes as the long-predicted Savior. The word advent means “coming.” Advent is about the coming of Jesus (1) first as the child of Bethlehem long ago, (2) now in our own day through the preaching of the Gospel, and (3)
one day in the future as the end-time Lord. And so, Advent is a joyous time of hope-filled waiting and eager anticipation with the urgent cry, “O, come, O come, Emmanuel.”
Advent always begins four Sundays before Christmas Day. In many churches, you will see an evergreen wreath (a symbol of eternal life) with four candles which count off the four Sundays of Advent. Emmanuel follows the newer custom of using the color blue for Advent, as a color of hope.
Christmas: Jesus is born. Christmas recounts the birth of Jesus as Emmanuel, “God with us.” Christmas means “Christ Mass,” that is, the service of Holy Communion on the day devoted to Christ's birth. Christmas extends 12 days (the twelve days of Christmas) from December 25 until January 5. The color for Christmas is white, the color used for the great Christ-festivals.- Epiphany: Jesus is revealed as the Son of God and begins his early ministry. The word epiphany means “revealing.” The season of Epiphany begins with the Day of the Epiphany (January 6) which recounts the visit of the Wise Men to “King Jesus.” It continues with the Baptism of Jesus, his calling of disciples and his early ministry. It ends with the Transfiguration of Jesus in which the early Jesus was revealed in his full glory before three of his disciples.
The season of Epiphany may be about five to eight weeks depending upon the beginning of Lent. The color for the Day of the Epiphany and the Transfiguration of our Lord is white. The rest of the Sundays in Epiphany are green, which is suggestive of the “growth” taking place in people's awareness of who Jesus is.
The Easter Cycle
Lent Jesus prepares his disciples for the cross. The Season of Lent prepares us for the death of Jesus. Lent consists of the forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). It always begins with Ash Wednesday when in most churches a cross made out of ashes is marked on the foreheads of believers. These ashes remind us of our mortality, or God says in Genesis 3, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” But the cross at the same time proclaims the way we are saved. Except for Ash Wednesday which is black, the color for Lent is purple, the color of royalty anticipating king Jesus' “enthronement” on the cross.- Holy Week: Jesus enters Jerusalem, suffers and dies. Christian worship during Holy Week recounts the great events which accomplished our salvation. Except for Good Friday, the color of this week is red, the color of our Lord's passion love for us.
- Passion or Palm Sunday: Holy Week begins on the Sunday before Easter with the entrance of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem when Jesus was acclaimed by many as king with shouts of "Hosanna!" and the waving of palm branches. This day was once called “Palm Sunday,” but since most churches now tell the entire story of the passion on this day, the preferred name is “Passion Sunday.”
- Maundy Thursday: On Thursday Jesus ate his “Last Supper” with his disciples and instituted Holy Communion with the command “Do this in remembrance of me.” He also washed his disciples' feet as an object lesson in true servanthood and gave them a new command, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Maundy Thursday takes its name from the Latin word mandatum which means “commandment.” This is the night that Jesus was betrayed by his own disciple, Judas, and arrested.
- Good Friday: Jesus was put on the cross in the morning hours of Friday and died sometime in the afternoon. Although the day was bad for him, it is called “Good Friday” because it is good for us. Many churches have noontime services on this day since Jesus hung on the cross at noon. Many also have a Service of Darkness called the Tenebrae.
- Holy Saturday: Jesus lay in the tomb all day Saturday. Since Jesus rose early the next morning, some Christians have developed the practice of staying up all night awaiting his resurrection. Services of worship done in the evening or through the night are called “The Easter Vigil.” In the ancient church this was the one time of the year in which all baptisms were done, since baptism is our personal connection with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Many churches use this as a time of baptismal renewal.
- Easter: Jesus rose again from the dead in the early hours of Sunday morning. This amazing event is celebrated by the great Christ-festival of Easter. Easter is not one day, but a week of weeks. Seven weeks or 49 days are devoted to celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus. The color is white and the shout is “Alleluia!” (“Praise the Lord!”).
- Ascension Day: Jesus remained with his disciples for forty days before ascending into heaven. This event is marked by the Day of the Ascension towards the end of the Easter season.
- Pentecost: The Day of Pentecost is the final day of the Easter season and its grand finale. The word “Pentecost” means fifty. Fifty days after his resurrection, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide and empower his disciples on their mission and ministry. The Bible tells us the Spirit appeared like the rush of a mighty wind and that tongues like that of fire appeared above the disciples' heads. Thus, the color for Pentecost is fire red.
Sundays after Pentecost or “Time of the Church”
Summer: After the Day of Pentecost, the Church of Jesus Christ began to grow. The Sundays after Pentecost are often called the “Time of the Church.” The planting of the Seed (the Gospel Word) and early growth come to mind during the first part or “summer” season. The color is green, the color of growth, or better yet, light green, the color of new growth.- Autumn: Autumn carries with it the idea of the maturation of the Church. The color is still green, or better yet, dark green or hues of brown and gold. Unique to Lutherans is the observance of Reformation Day (October 31) which may be observed on the last Sunday of October. This day brings to mind the church's constant need to repent and reform in order to remain true to Jesus Christ.
- November: As we draw close to the end of the calendar year, we think of the end of all of years when Christ will come again in all his glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The season of November begins with All Saints' Sunday (when we remember all those who have gone before us in faith) and it ends with Christ the King Sunday, which celebrates and proclaims Christ's ultimate return. The color of these two great festival is white, the color of the robes of the saints and the heavenly host and the risen and exalted Lord.