Worship – 2 GROUNDHOG DAY: TELLING THE STORY OF JESUS

AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

January 12 - A Dangerous Activity: why not how

January 19 – Groundhog Day: the church year

January 26 – Four-Course Meal: order of worship

February 2 – Arranging the Furniture: why there?

February 9 – What You See Is What You Get: colors,

symbols, vestments, and images

February 16 – Stump Paul: your best questions

Worship 2 Jewish Festivals

Three festivals are mandated in Hebrew Scripture:

Passover (Feast of Deliverance)

Pentecost (Feast of First Fruits)

Tabernacles (Feast of Harvest)

Worship 2 Jewish Festivals

Three festivals are mandated in Hebrew Scripture:

Passover (Feast of Deliverance) – Jesus

instituted the Lord’s Supper

Worship 2 Jewish Festivals

Three festivals are mandated in Hebrew Scripture:

Passover (Feast of Deliverance) – Jesus

instituted the Lord’s Supper

Pentecost (Feast of First Fruits) – the Holy Spirit

descended on the disciples

Worship 2 Jewish Festivals

Three festivals are mandated in Hebrew Scripture:

Passover (Feast of Deliverance) – Jesus

instituted the Lord’s Supper

Pentecost (Feast of First Fruits) – the Holy Spirit

descended on the disciples

Tabernacles (Feast of In-Gathering)

Worship 2 Weekly Cycle

Weekly Gathering

Worship 2 Weekly Cycle

Weekly Gathering

Began with the Jewish Sabbath. the 7th day –

based on the creation narrative

Worship 2 Weekly Cycle

Weekly Gathering

Began with the Jewish Sabbath. the 7th day –

based on the creation narrative

The Sabbath became important during the Exile in

Babylon: holding the Jews together

Worship 2 Weekly Cycle

Weekly Gathering

Began with the Jewish Sabbath. the 7th day –

based on the creation narrative

The Sabbath became important during the Exile in

Babylon: holding the Jews together

Jewish practice included rest for scripture reading

and prayer

Worship 2 Weekly Cycle

Weekly Gathering

The Lord’s Day was observed on the 1st day of the

week based on Resurrection, Pentecost, and the

“new creation” = the Eighth Day of Creation

Worship 2 Weekly Cycle

Weekly Gathering

The Lord’s Day was observed on the 1st day of the

week based on Resurrection, Pentecost, and the

“new creation” = the Eighth Day of Creation

Early Jewish Christians observed both the Sabbath

(day 7) and the Lord’s Day (day 1)

Worship 2 Weekly Cycle

Weekly Gathering

The Lord’s Day was observed on the first day of the

week based on Resurrection, Pentecost, and the

“new creation” = the Eighth Day of Creation

Early Jewish Christians observed both the Sabbath

(day 7) and the Lord’s Day (day 1)

Gentiles made the Lord’s Day primary by the 3rd C.

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Advent – Four Weeks before December 25

from adventus (Latin) meaning “coming”

Intended to be a time when we prepare

ourselves for the reality of Christ

Not observed before the 6th century

Dual focus on Christ’s first coming and his

second coming

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Christmas – December 25 to January 6 (12 Days)

Celebrates the incarnation of God

No biblical direction for this celebration

No idea of the exact date of Jesus’ birth

December 25 was the Roman celebration of

the birth of the sun god

Came into the Christian calendar in the 4th C.

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Epiphany – January 6 to the beginning of Lent

Epiphany (January 6 – ish) means

“appearance” or “revelation”

Originally based on Jesus’ baptism (3rd century)

Emphasis shifted to the Magi (4th century)

This season is a reminder of our mandate to

share Christ with all people of the world

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Baptism of the Lord – Sunday after Epiphany

Remembers Jesus’ baptism by John

Often used for baptisms and/or the renewal of

baptismal vows

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Transfiguration – Last Sunday before Lent

Began to be celebrated in the 15th century

Marks the final major “revelation” of Jesus

before he begins his journey to Jerusalem

Much more prominent in the Eastern Church

that celebrates the eternal glory of Christ rather

than the crucifixion and resurrection

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Ash Wednesday – Wednesday before the first

Sunday in Lent

Applying ashes to the body has biblical basis in

the Old Testament (Job 42:6, Daniel 9:3-5, etc.)

Ash Wednesday began in the 7th century, was

dropped by the 16th century reformers, but

reappeared in the 20th century

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Lent – 40 days (excluding Sundays) before Easter

Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for Spring

or lengthening

Began as a period of preparation, fasting and

prayer, before Easter; highly variable

40 days began to be observed in the 4th century

Sundays were excluded by the 7th century

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Holy Week – Seven days beginning with Palm Sunday

Western Church – part of Lent; Eastern Church –

a season on its own

The drama of this week was first documented by

Egeria, a Spanish nun, on a pilgrimage to

Jerusalem in the early 380s. This is the only way

we know anything about early celebration of the

Week

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Holy Week – Seven days beginning with Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday observance began in the 7th or 8th

century and historically has included an outdoor

procession

Triduum (The Great Three Days) was celebrated

as one continuous worship service beginning on

Thursday night and ending at dawn on Easter

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Easter – “The greatest and oldest festival of the

Church year” and the 49 days following

There is no indication that the early Church

celebrated “an” Easter Sunday

Every “Lord’s Day” was considered a celebration

of the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 is the only biblical indicator tat

there may have been an annual festival

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

The date of Easter is determined by the lunar-

solar calendar. Easter is the first Sunday after the

first full moon after the vernal equinox. Dates can

vary from March 21 to April 25

Everything from Ash Wednesday to the Day of

Pentecost “moves” with the date of Easter

Sunday

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

Ascension – 40 days after Easter

Began to be celebrated in the 4th century

The Resurrection establishes Jesus’ power over

death and his identity as the Messiah. Ascension

establishes Jesus’ reign, his kingship, and his

authority over all things

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

The Day of Pentecost – 50 days after Easter

Began to be observed in the late 4th century

Pentecost was another day for baptism, The

English name Whitsunday refers to the white

robes that were used by the baptizands

Jewish calendar, festival of first fruits of the grain

harvest: coming of the promised Holy Spirit

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

The Holy Spirit is the “first fruit” fulfillment of the

promise Jesus gave

The Apostles saw themselves as the “first fruit” of

the Church that was to come

Pentecost is the turning point in the entire drama

of Scripture—the undoing of Bable

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

The Season after Pentecost – Ordinary Time

Trinity Sunday (Sunday after Pentecost)

focuses on the relationship of the Father,

Son, and Holy Spirit: the only observance in

the church year focused on a doctrine

All Saints Day (November 1—ish) began in

the early 4th century

Worship 2 Annual Cycle

The Season after Pentecost – Ordinary Time

Christ the King (last Sunday before Advent)

proclaims the goal toward which all of this

moves: the universal reign of Christ when

“every knee shall bow and every tongue

confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory

of God the Father.” (Philippians 2)

Worship – 3 A FOUR-COURSE MEAL