The Christian Calendar Tells a Story

November 29th, 2015 marked the first Sunday in Advent. We are one of many churches in Fort Collins, but probably one of few churches that intentionally observed the beginning of Advent. This begs the question, why do we observe the Christian calendar? And what is the Christian calendar?

Time is something that never stands still. It is always moving. The past is always moving further behind us and the future is always, very quickly, becoming the present. The constant passing of time can feel like chaos, unless you organize time. And so, for centuries, humanity has organized time according story. A story gives time meaning. In fact, how you mark time can tell you what story (or stories) you live by.

For example, the American story is told through the American calendar that celebrates holidays like July Fourth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Memorial Day.

Likewise, the Roman calendar told the Roman story. The Jewish calendar tells the Jewish story. And the Christian calendar tells the Christian story.

As the people of God, if is our desire to make sure we are telling and living the Christian story. So, we follow the Christian calendar.

Advent: A season of anticipating the coming Messiah

Christmas: A season of celebrating the birth of Jesus

Lent: A solemn season recognizing our need for the Savior

Easter: A season of joy celebrating new life in Christ through resurrection

Pentecost: A season that marks the pouring out of God’s Spirit and the birth of the Church

Ordinary Time: A season of mission that leads us back to Advent

Each season in the Christian calendar has a unique theological theme and is marked with it’s own mood. These varied expressions of faith help give us a full-bodied language for walking with Christ through all the seasons of our life. It also helps us walk through the life of Christ – and tell the story of Christ – as a community through the year. This means we don’t emphasize Mother’s Day more than Lent or July Fourth Sunday more than Pentecost. The story we want to be living and telling the is the life-changing story of Jesus Christ. The Christian calendar helps us do that.

If you are looking for a church in Fort Collins, we would love for you to join us was we walk together through the seasons of the Christian calendar.