The Church Year of Worship Outlined

The Day of Rest
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Biblical Teaching About Time

—An online book about rest and worship—
By Dr. Al Franzmeier
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Appendix
The Church Year of Worship
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During these past weeks I have reviewed the Biblical teaching about the Sabbath. If you, dear reader, are interested in using this material for personal and/or group discussion, please contact me. I have prepared guides for that purpose and will make them available for the asking. 

 

What follows below is an appendix to the entire discussion, outlining the year of worship the Christian church has developed over two millenia. Each year the central teachings of Holy Scripture about the Gospel and the promised Return of Christ are reviewed and celebrated. Though ignored or rejected by many Christians, the Church Year remains a vital and indispensable heritage. Much has been written about it. This is but an outline.

Appendix

THE CHURCH YEAR OF WORSHIP

The First Day of the week

• The Eighth Day - the New Creation in Christ
• The weekly celebration of the Resurrection
• The Beginning of the New Creation
• Always a Day of Celebration (even in Lent)
• Confession, Word and Sacrament
• Worshipers are invited and served by the Servant-King

The Three-year Cycle

• The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke —the focus is on one of the synoptic Gospels each year (The Gospel of John is interspersed)
• The Old Covenant lessons: related to the Gospels
• The Epistles: complement the Gospels with reflections by the Apostles
• Divided into the Festival Half of the Year: Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the Church Half
• Church Half: (Advent preparation)  Christmas—Father  (Epiphany), (Lent: 40 days to prepare) RESURRECTION—Son  (Seven weeks of celebration), Pentecost—Holy Spirit
• The Church Half of the Year: Following Christ
• The promised Second Coming concludes the year

The Festival Half of the Year—The Feasts of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

I. The Christ MASS (Celebrating the Gift of the Father)

• Advent 1, 2: the Second Coming of Christ
• Advent 3: proclaiming the Messiah’s coming into the world
• Advent 4: Mary, obedient servant and model
• The Mass of the Angels (Christ is coming soon)
• The Mass of the Shepherds (Come, let us worship Him)
• The Mass of the People (God was in Christ)
• The 12 Days: persecution by the world - Stephen, John, Holy Innocents
• Two Sundays after the Christ Mass (the Christ child persecuted, flight to Egypt, God revealed in Christ)
• The Name of Jesus – name above all names

The Epiphany Season (length depends on when the Festival of the Resurrection is celebrated)

• Epiphany: Wise Men come to worship (world-wide mission of the church)
• Epiphany 1: the Baptism of Jesus by John (beginning of Jesus’ ministry)
• Epiphany 2: His first miracle at Cana in Galilee (power demonstrated)
• Epiphany 3: His first disciples gathered
• Epiphany 4: He teaches them to face temptations
• Epiphany 5: the Church proclaims God by her deeds of love
• Epiphany 6: disciples called to follow Christ by godly, holy living
• Epiphany 7: love even for enemies
• Epiphany 8: freedom from worry in the service of the Lord
• Transfiguration: our adoption by grace foreshadowed on the mountain

II. The celebration begins with 40 days of the Lenten Season (excluding Sundays, the season celebrates the Gift of the Son. Worshipers follow Christ by spending 40 days in penitence and prayer as they prepare for the great Festival of the Resurrection)

• Baptism as death and resurrection in Christ
• Ash Wednesday: ashes and dust, our destiny
• Lent 1: the temptation of Jesus
• Lent 2: the cost of following Jesus
• Lent 3: spiritual blindness healed by Jesus
• Lent 4: led by the Spirit rather than the sinful flesh
• Lent 5: even death is conquered by the Christ
• Lent 6: The Sunday of the Passion (Palms)
• Holy Week: triumphant entry to Jerusalem, teaching in the Temple, betrayal, capture and trial before Sanhedrin and Pilate.
• Maundy Thursday: The Lord’s Supper
• Good Friday: Christ's crucifixion, Death and Burial
• The Eve of Easter: Jesus will not abandon us to the grave

THE FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION (Celebrating new Life through the Son. The Festival follows the ancient practice of observing the Passover, based upon the Lunar calendar)

• The Queen of Feasts, celebrated for seven weeks (50 days of rejoicing)
• Easter: formerly a spring-time pagan festival to worship Aphrodite (Cyprus), Astarte (Phoenicia), Demeter (Mycenae), Hathor (Egypt), Ishtar (Assyria), Kali (India) Ostara (Norse Goddess from which comes the name “Easter”)
• The Second Sunday of Easter: Jesus appears to disciples on Easter eve
• The Third Sunday of Easter: Emmaus disciples see Jesus as He breaks bread.
• The Fourth Sunday of Easter: Jesus, the Good Shepherd
• The Fifth Sunday of Easter: Jesus comforts His disciples, urges love
• The Sixth Sunday of Easter: Jesus promises the Holy Spirit
• Rogation Days: Stewardship of Creation (Monday – Wednesday)
• The Ascension: Thursday - 40 days after the Resurrection
• The Seventh Sunday of Easter: He is crowned with glory

III. The Feast of PENTECOST - Hamishim Yom – 50th Day (Celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit)

• The promise to pour out His Spirit fulfilled
• The 7-week, 50 day Easter Feast is concluded

The Church Half of the Year

• The Sundays after Pentecost– a kind of post-Easter season. Walking with Christ.
• The Time of the Church – awaiting the consummation, when all things will be brought under the rule of the Risen Christ at His Second Coming.
• The First Sunday after Pentecost: Holy Trinity – the mystery of God.
• The last three or four Sundays – emphasizing the promised return of the King
• The Last Sunday of the Church Year: the Festival of Christ the King.