Liturgical Year (2011-2012)
ADVENT: November 27 – December 24, 2011
The four weeks before Christmas are a preparation time for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. The color purple symbolizes penitence and a readiness to learn. The first Sunday of Advent is the Christian New Years Day.
CHRISTMAS (THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD): December 25, 2011 – January 5, 2012
This is the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ, the coming of Creator God into the midst of the human family. The colors of gold and white symbolize a festival time during the twelve days of Christmas.
EPIPHANY: January 6 – February 19, 2012
Epiphany immediately follows Christmastide and its recollection of the birth of Jesus. The Biblical basis for Epiphany is in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, verses 1-11. It is the story of the visit of scholars from a distant land to honor a new born child who would be important to the whole human race. Epiphany is a time for expanding the vision of Christian people. The colors used are white, gold and green.
LENT: February 22 - April 1, 2012
Beginning with Ash Wednesday, this 40-day event is a time of fasting in imitation of Jesus' experience in the wilderness of temptation. The story is in the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11. It is a time of preparation for Easter and of repentance. Self examination, control of appetites, and spiritual devotion are obligations for many Christians in all world cultures during Lent. Conscious attention to the tragic evils in the human family is encouraged. Colors frequently used are purple, ash gray, and red.
HOLY WEEK: April 1 – April 7, 2012
The days between Palm Sunday and Holy Saturday before Easter are known as Holy Week. These days observe the events in the life of Jesus from the entry into Jerusalem through the crucifixion and burial. Palm Sunday is sometimes called Passion Sunday because of the tragic events of the week to come. The primary observances of Holy Week are: Maundy Thursday (instruction of the Eucharist of Lord's Supper); Good Friday (the passion and death of Jesus); and Holy Saturday (the burial of Jesus).
EASTER: April 7 –May 20, 2012
The principal and most ancient festival of the Christian church year is Easter. Following the death and burial of Jesus and his resurrection, there was a renewal of the very life of Jesus Christ in the fellowship of believers in the early Church. Eastertide is the season continuing through Pentecost. Each Sunday is a weekly celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
PENTECOST: May 27, 2012
This celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit to a gathering of believers shortly after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus is a major observance for Christians. The festival is observed 50 days after Easter. The day takes place on the Jewish day of Pentecost, thanksgiving for the first fruits of the wheat harvest. For Christians, the experience of the energy of the Spirit was a "first fruit" of the new era that had dawned for the believers. In some parts of the Church, Pentecost is a special time for baptism of new believers. Throughout the Church, Pentecost is when the surprising vital energy of the presence of Creator God influences worship and challenges people to new life in Christ. Pentecost begin on Sunday and continues through the Saturday before Trinity Sunday.
ORDINARY TIME: June 3– November 25, 2012
Beginning on Trinity Sunday and continuing through the day before the first Sunday of Advent, this season celebrates the growing life of the fellowship of Christians in the world of persons, nations and the natural world. Various events, including the Transfiguration of Jesus, Holy Cross, World Communion Sunday, All Hallows Eve, Christ the King are remembrances of unique Christian experiences over the centuries. Trinity Sunday is a reminder of the ways in which Christians experience God. The color green symbolizes growth.
