The Church Year
The Seasons of the Church Year mark the important divisions of the calendar year as they pertain to the life, work, and teachings of Christ. During the different seasons, we use color to mark the important events in the life of the Church. The seasons and their colors are in order, as follows:
Advent – The first season of the year; the season of expectation for the coming King. At Trenholm Road, we use the color blue which represents the hope Christians have in the coming of our Lord and Savior.
Christmas – The season of celebrating the birth of Jesus. The colors are white or gold, referring either to the purity of the Christ Child or the majesty of his birth.
Epiphany – Marks the arrival of the Wise Men to see the infant Jesus, thus establishing him as Savior of the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Like Christmas, the colors are either white or gold.
Lent – Is the time of preparation for Easter during which we are reminded that it was because of our sins that Jesus suffered and died. The colors are purple for penitence and scarlet (during Holy Week) representing the blood shed by the suffering Savior.
Easter – The highest holy day of the year. Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection; his victory over death. The colors are white symbolizing eternal life or gold for the majesty of the Resurrected Savior.
Pentecost – Commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church. Red is the color symbolizing the power of the Spirit and his manifesting himself in the flames of fire at Jerusalem.
Kingdomtide – Kingdomtide is the season during which we remember and reflect upon the other aspects of the life of Christ, especially his teachings about the Kingdom of God. The color is green symbolizing growth in the Kingdom. It is also sometimes referred to as ‘Ordinary Time’ or ‘The Season after Pentecost’.