About the Christian Calendar

* An important resource for what follows is James F. White's 1990 revised edition of Introduction to Christian Worship

The narrative of Jesus' earthly life, his death, resurrection, ascension and gift of the Spirit at Pentecost forms the backbone of the Christian calendar.  This backbone gives the church its identity, its mission, its reason for existing.

About the Christian Calendar

We begin with the four weeks of expectant waiting that is Advent (from the Latin adventus, "coming").  We wait for two events, one of which we celebrate for already occurring in history - the birth of Jesus - and the other an event we wait for still - the return of Christ and the full completion of God's redemption in and for the world, when the earth is renewed and restored to God's full intention.  Advent leads us to the 12 days of celebration that is Christmas (short for "Christ's mass").

These 12 days end with and begin the next season of Epiphany (from the Greek epiphaneia, "manifestation") when we mark the revealing of Jesus' divinity and mission through the visit of the Magi, Jesus' baptism and Jesus' mission of teaching, healing and proclaiming of the good news.  Epiphany averages 6 to 7 weeks but can range from 4 1/2 to 9 weeks in length, depending on the date of Ash Wednesday when the next season of Lent begins.

Lent (from the Middle English lente, "spring" which is from the Old English lengten, "to lengthen" [as in daylight]) is the forty day period (not including Sundays) before Easter.  Lent is traditionally a time of intensified devotion, service and training in discipleship whose focus is the triduum, the Great or Sacred Three Days.

The triduum stretches from the Last Supper on the evening of Maundy Thursday, through the passion (suffering) of Jesus on Good Friday (from "God's Friday) to the absence of Jesus on Holy Saturday and finally to the shocking, joyful surprise of Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday.  The triduum acts as the narrow gate, the only way of entering into the celebration that is Easter (from the Old English, Eostre [also Eastre] and Old High German,Ostara - the name of a supposed Germanic goddess whose Anglo-Saxon month, Eostur-monath, occurred in April).

Easter is celebrated three ways in the church's calendar.  Each Sunday is considered a weekly "mini" celebration of Jesus' resurrection (which is why the Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the Lenten fast).  Then there is the feast day of Easter Sunday, the highest holy day in the Christian calendar, which is followed by a fifty day Easter season - the shock of Jesus' resurrection is given a whole fifty days for us to marvel, ponder and celebrate.  Clearly Jesus' resurrection is the heart of everything we are about.

Pentecost (from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth) is the last day of the fifty day season of Easter.  Pentecost is also the Jewish Festival of Weeks that occurs 50 days after Passover.  The Festival of Weeks (Exodus 23: 14-17) began when the first fruits of the harvest in the new land were presented to God.  In the Christian church, Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit that is the birth of the church (Acts 2).

The Season "of" or "after" Pentecost is the longest stretch of time in the calendar.  The church has been given all that it needs to proclaim and participate in God's mission to and for the world God so loves and so we are sent in this long season into mature discipleship and service.

The sprial cycle of the calendar thus moves us through time as we arrive again at Advent, whose longing includes the fulfilling of all that Jesus has promised - the redemption of all of Creation.

To summarize then...

Advent (from the Latin adventus, "coming") - the 4 weeks before Christmas Day

Christmas (short for "Christ's Mass") - 12 days from December 25 to January 6

Epiphany (from the Greek epiphaneia, "manifestation") - averages 6 to 7 weeks

Lent (from the Middle English lente, "spring) - 40 days from Ash Wednesday to

                               Holy Saturday (not including Sundays)

Easter (from the Old English, Eostre) - 50 days to Pentecost

Season After Pentecost - from the day of Pentecost to Christian New Year's Eve,

                               the day before the first Sunday in Advent (generally from

                               June to the end of November)