The Church Year 2013-2014

The majority of Christians follow a worship calendar known as The Church Year. Unfortunately it is foreign to many American Protestants who have forgotten or rejected their connection to the Church throughout history.

The Church Year follows a rhythm of focusing half of the year on the life on Christ and half a year on the life of the Church (or Christian growth). This discipline is helpful in keeping individual pastors or churches from becoming one dimensional in their spiritual lives. It is also helpful for Christians throughout the world to express their unity through their weekly sharing of the same lessons from God’s Word.

We are at a turning point of The Church Year today. The Church Year ends with our focus on the return of Christ at the end of the age. Today all around the world Christians are rejoicing in the blessed anticipation of seeing their Savior return with all of His angels to bring a culmination to all of the promises of Holy Scripture.

Next Sunday we begin anew our annual celebration of Advent with its dual focus on both the first and second coming of Christ. We will again hear the cry of John the Baptist. We will join Isaiah in joyful anticipation. We will overhear Gabriel’s grace filled greeting to Mary as she learns that she will be the mother of our Savior and Lord.

About 50 years ago the series of lessons read on Sunday was reformed to include more Scripture than had previously been read in the churches. The old one year lectionary was replaced with a three year cycle of lessons that reflect the Church Year more broadly from all four Gospels. Today we conclude Series C in this cycle which as you may have noticed draws most of the Gospel lessons from St. Luke. Next Sunday we begin Series A. The Gospel According to St. Matthew will provide most of our Gospel lessons for the coming Church Year.

A summary of the Church Year is found on page x in Lutheran Service Book. The lessons appointed for Series A are found on page xiv. Since Easter is the key day around which the Church Year pivots, the Epiphany Season is lengthened this year because Easter is later, falling on April 20, 2014. The dates of Easter until the year 2050 are found on page xxiii.

While you are exploring the introductory pages of Lutheran Service Book, turn to page xxiv and review the glossary of worship terminology. The Church has used most of the terms defined on those pages for over a thousand years. Sports fans and hobbyists, professionals and specialists become familiar with the distinctive vocabulary for their chosen interests. Christians who seek to be more than just casual observers will also want to explore the richness of our historic vocabulary of worship and worship practices.

Pastor Quardokus