The Church Year—For More than just Church
Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:2–4)
The Church Year obviously has many helpful features for the church in our corporate gathering. It helps pastors and musicians plan worship. It lets Altar Guilds know what paraments, banners, and other decorations to use in the sanctuary. It enables the congregation to walk through an annual review of Christ's work as our Savior. But can the Church Year be helpful for Christians beyond the times we gather for divine service? Or was this series of blog posts just an exercise in learning some interesting historical trivia?
Since the Christians who make up the Church are still Christians the rest of the week, it stands to reason that we can use the Church Year in our lives outside of worship. One of the simplest ways to do this is to simply be more aware of the Church Year. When we know the seasons of the year, when they occur, the different emphasis of each, and so on, that can help us prepare for our time together each week as a congregation. We can reflect throughout the week on what God proclaimed through his Word that Sunday. The seasons aren't just for Sundays, but for Monday through Saturday too.
Having greater awareness of the Church Year can then be a springboard to incorporating the emphases of each season into our daily lives. Shared calendars bring a community together, and the Church Year connects us as a community with our fellow believers. A shared calendar also contributes to the traditions and practices we carry out, whether we do them with others or even by ourselves. Consider ways that you might reflect the seasons of the Church Year in your personal and family customs; maybe some of your traditions are already reflections of the Church Year.
Take Advent, for example (since we are on the cusp of the start of a new year). Advent is about anticipating the coming of Christ. We look forward to celebrating our Savior's birth at Christmas, while we also look forward to his return as our victorious King. Customs like the Advent Wreath caught on in Christian homes before they were brought into church buildings. If you haven't already, bring the Advent Wreath back into your home. Having a special devotion focusing on that Advent anticipation as your family lights another candle each week can keep God's Word at the center of your family life in the midst of the busy-ness that so often dominates December. Historically, Advent and Lent were both times of fasting. Could you reinforce the anticipation of the season by holding off on some common customs of the Christmas season until Christmas comes? Certain foods, music... dare I even suggest waiting until Christmas Eve to light your Christmas Tree?
There are no commands in God's Word about any of these things. Even the Church Year is a tradition, not a law. But good traditions and customs help keep God's Word at the center of our lives, not just on Sunday but throughout the week. So, as we go through another Church Year, consider the season we are in and how that might be reflected in the things you do. Our personal planners intersect with all kinds of calendars—work schedules, national holidays, sports games (professional and recreational), school events, community organizations, and more. Let the Church Year calendar feature in that mix too, as it proclaims the birth, life, death, resurrection, and reign of Christ Jesus for you.