The Christian (Liturgical) Church Year and Festivals

St. John's worships within the context of the Liturgical style of worship. We also worship within the context of the Liturgical Church Year. The purpose of the Liturgical Year Calendar is not to mark the passage of time, but to celebrate, understand more fully, and honor Christ-- by following Christ, from His birth, His life, His death and resurrection, His ascension (and God's great gift of the Holy Spirit to us), to His triumphal return as Judge and King!

Festival Colors

With each season of the year, vestments and paraments (altar, lectern, pulpit and banners) of a specific color are used in the worship service.

Major Festival Colors:

• White is the absence of color, used as a reference to the purity of Christ, His Light and our joyful celebration in Him.
• Blue is the color of hope and assurance.
• Purple is the stark color of solemn repentance.
• Black is the color of mourning and death.
• Red as the color of fire, used as a reference to the Holy Spirit (and His continued Work), as He appeared as tongues of fire descending on the disciples of Christ.
• Green is the color of growth, as a reference to our growth in Christ. Green, in a sense, is an "ordinary" or neutral color, used when a more festive or more somber color is not appointed.

Lesser Festival Colors:

• White used in joyful celebration.

• Red is the color of blood, used when a martyr is celebrated.

Major Festivals

Time of Christmas

• Commemorates Jesus as the Promised Messiah / God's Anointed One / Christ

Observed on the first 4 Sundays of the church year, we ready ourselves for the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We remember God's prophecies of the Old Testament being fulfilled through Jesus' birth, life, and death.

Advent includes four Wednesday evening services, along with regular Sunday services.

• Commemorates Jesus as Emmanuel / God With Us
• Commemorates Jesus as the Son of Man

Observed traditionally on December 24th (Christmas Eve) and December 25th (Christmas Day), we remember the humble birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus (in a manger) and God revealing Himself to His people Israel.

• Commemorates Jesus as the Light of God coming into a darkened world.

Observed traditionally as January 6th (Sunday following), we remember God revealing Himself to the Gentiles through the visit of the magi from the east, who brought gifts of gold (king), frankincense (priest) and myrrh (preparation for death).

• Commemorates Jesus and His Baptism, as the Fulfillment of the Law, the Perfect Obedience of God's Will

Observed the first Sunday after Epiphany, we remember God revelation to the Jews that Jesus was (and still is) His Beloved Son and, with the baptism and power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus began His ministry.

• Commemorates Jesus' earthly ministry

Observed on the 2nd -8th Sundays following Epiphany, we remember the ministry of Christ, His Words, Wisdom and Wondrous Works that revealed He was Lord.

• Commemorates Jesus as the Son of God

Observed on the 9th Sunday after Epiphany, we remember the mountaintop experience of the disciples as Jesus revealed His glory.

The Time of Easter

Beginning with Ash Wednesday, Lent is the time of year when we focus on the upcoming death of Jesus. We sorrowfully consider how our sins caused Jesus, who was completely perfect, innocent, and obedient, to suffer and die.

Lent includes Wednesday evening services, along with regular Sunday services.

Observed as the beginning of a 40 day period of mourning over and repentance of our sins

• Commemorates Jesus as the Humble / Suffering Servant.

Beginning with Palm Sunday, Holy Week includes all of the events leading up to, and including, Jesus death.

• Commemorates Jesus' kingly procession into Jerusalem and into His passion.

Observed on the 6th Sunday of Lent, we remember it as the day when Jesus was greeted with praise and singing by the Jews who would later condemn and shout 'crucify him!'.

• Commemorates Jesus as the Body and Blood of the New Covenant of God.

Observed as the night when Jesus was betrayed, we remember it as the evening Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

• Commemorates Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away our sin.
• Commemorates Jesus as the Gracious Expression of God's Love, who gave His life for us.

Observed as the day of Jesus' trial and crucifixion, we remember it as the day Jesus endured suffering, humiliation and death--to be obedient to His Father's will. We remember it as the day God turned His back on His Only Beloved Son--because of our sin. We remember that it was His great love for us, not the nails in His hands and feet, that kept our Lord on that cross.

• Commemorates Jesus' return to Life, the Victorious Conqueror of sin, death and the devil.

Observed on Sunday, (the third day of Jesus' death), following the first full moon after the spring equinox, (which occurs between March 22 and April 25), we remember Easter as a time of joy knowing that we have been redeemed from sin and eternal death through Jesus' death and, as Jesus was resurrected to new life, we too will rise from the dead to eternal life with God.

• Commemorates Jesus' appearance to many people after His resurrection, confirming to all, even the doubters, that He was truly alive.

Observed on the 2nd - 6th Sundays after Easter, we remember that Jesus is still alive today and present in our lives through His Word, Spirit and Sacrament.

• Commemorates Jesus' return to His heavenly home and glory, at the right hand of God.

Observed on the 7th Sunday of Easter, we remember that Jesus is still at the right hand of God, continuing to make intercession on behalf of us and the church.

The Time of Pentecost

• Commemorates God sending the Holy Spirit to comfort, sustain and guide Jesus' disciples into all Truth.

Observed on the 50th day (since Christ's resurrection), we remember that the Holy Spirit still continues to comfort, sustain and guide believers to know and live according to the Truth of God's Word.

Observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost, we honor the mystery of the Trinity: Three Persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) in one God.

Observed on the 2nd - 24th Sundays following Pentecost, we remember the thousands of people who were converted to the Christian faith on that first Pentecost. These early believers formed the Christian church and worked diligently to spread the Gospel of Christ to all people, even in the face of persecution and death. Through God's Word and their faithful work, the Christian Church today has grown to the millions. We pray, asking God for that same fervor for spreading the Word that the first Christians had.

The End Time season, added to the end of the Christian church calendar by Martin Luther, is a time to prepare ourselves for the second coming of Christ.

• Commemorates God purifying His Church through the work of Martin Luther

Observed on the 1st Sunday of the End Times Season (traditionally October 31), we remember the day Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg and we strive not to forget the sober responsibility we have in preserving what was accomplished in the Lutheran Reformation: a commitment to Church doctrine based solely on the Truth of God's Word.

• Anticipates the wisdom, power and strength of Christ, our Righteous Judge

Observed on the 2nd Sunday of the End Times Season, we remember to prepare ourselves for the final judgment and concentrate on maintaining a strong faith in God and the Gospel of Christ, so that we will be able to join the celebration of Jesus' victory over sin, and enter into heaven on the last day.

• Anticipates the honor, thanks and praise to Christ, our Redeeming Savior

Observed on the 3rd Sunday of the End Times Season, we rejoice in the victory that Jesus Christ has already won through His resurrection from the dead and we look forward to the last day, when we will join the celebration of Jesus' victory over death, with all the saints in heaven.

• Anticipates of the wealth, glory, splendor and majesty of Jesus, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords

Observed on the last Sunday of the Church year, we look forward to the Advent (first and second) of our Victorious King, and a new beginning, when we will join in the celebration of Jesus' victory over the prince of this world: the devil. Let us remember that, whether it wants to or not, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11

Minor Festivals

• 30 (red) St. Andrew, Apostle

• 21 (red) St. Thomas, Apostle
• 26 (red) St. Stephen, The First Martyr
• 27 (white) St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
• 28 (red) The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
• 31 (white) New Year's Eve, the Eve of the Name of Jesus

• 01 (white) Circumcision / Name of Jesus, New Year's Day
• 18 (white) St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor
• 25 (white) The Conversion of St. Paul
• 26 (white) St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor

• 02 (white) The Presentation of Our Lord
• 24 (red) St. Matthias, Apostle

• 19 (white) St. Joseph
• 25 (white) The Annunciation of Our Lord

• 25 (red) St. Mark, Evangelist

• 01 (red) St. Philip and St. James, Apostles
• 31 (white) The Visitation

• 11 (red) St. Barnabas, Apostle
• 24 (white) The Nativity of St. John the Baptist
• 25 (white) The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession
• 29 (red) St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles

• 22 (white) St. Mary Magdalene
• 25 (red) St. James the Elder, Apostle

• 15 (white) St. Mary, Mother of Our Lord
• 24 (red) St. Bartholomew, Apostle

• 21 (red) St. Matthew
• 29 (white) St. Michael and All Angels

• 18 (red) St. Luke, Evangelist
• 23 (red) St. James of Jerusalem
• 28 (red) St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles
• 31 (red) Reformation Day

• 01 (white) All Saints' Day