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Seasons of the Lutheran Church Organizing the church year into seasons helps God's people in their worship life. The first half of the church year, Advent through Pentecost, is the festival season. It focuses on what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. The second half, Pentecost through Advent, emphasizes our response to God's goodness.
Epiphany is from a Greek word, meaning to "reveal" or "make manifest." The season of Epiphany is our time to focus on the revelation of "who" Jesus is: both true God and man. On the Festival of Epiphany, Jan. 6, we hear the reading of the visit of the wise men (Mt. 2:1-12). In that event, these foreigners bowed down in acknowledgement that this infant was indeed the Christ, the Son of God. The Sunday after Epiphany we hear the story of the Baptism of Jesus (Mt. 3:13-17). Here, God the Father confirms that this man standing in the water is His beloved Son. The following Sunday we hear the story of the changing of water into wine at Cana (John 2:1-11). Through this event, Jesus revealed his glory and his disciples put their faith in him.
Lutheran Worship: History and Practice, the recent commentary on Lutheran Worship, one of our Synod's hymnals, says this about ashes on Ash Wednesday: "Other customs may be used, particularly the imposition of ashes on those who wish it. This ancient act is a gesture of repentance and a powerful reminder about the meaning of the day. Ashes can symbolize dust-to-dustness and remind worshipers of the need for cleansing, scrubbing and purifying. If they are applied during an act of kneeling, the very posture of defeat and submission expresses humility before God." The use of ashes on Ash Wednesday is a more recent custom among most LCMS congregations, although some have done it for decades. The ashes are usually derived from the burned palms from the previous Palm Sunday. Experience will show, however, that in obtaining ashes this way, it doesn't take many ashes to "ash" a whole congregation. Like sin, they are very dirty and go a long way. One palm leaf will produce enough ashes for several years. Usually the pastor takes the ashes on the end of his thumb and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of each worshiper, saying these words: "Remember: you are dust, and to dust you shall return." This follows most effectively prior (or as part of) the Service Corporate Confession and Absolution on pp. 308-309 of Lutheran Worship.
Early in the Church's history, the major events in Christ's life were observed with special observances, such as His birth, baptism, death, resurrection and ascension. As these observances developed, a period of time was set aside prior to the major events of Jesus' birth and resurrection as a time of preparation. During Lent, the Church's worship assumes a more penitential character. The color for the season is purple, a color often associated with penitence. The "Hymn of Praise" is omitted from the liturgy. The word "Alleluia" is usually omitted as well. By not using the alleluia--a joyful expression meaning "Praise the Lord"--until Easter, the Lenten season is clearly set apart as a distinct time from the rest of the year. Additionally, it forms a powerful contrast with the festive celebration of Jesus' resurrection when our alleluias ring loud and clear. Finally, the penitential character of Lent is not its sole purpose. In the ancient Church, the weeks leading up to Easter were a time of intensive preparation of the candidates who were to be baptized at the Easter vigil on Holy Saturday. This time in the Church's calendar was seen as an especially appropriate time for Baptism because of the relationship between Christ's death and resurrection and our own in Holy Baptism (see Romans 6:1-11). This focus would suggest that the season of Lent serves not only as a time to meditate on the suffering that Christ endured on our behalf but also as an opportunity to reflect upon our own Baptism and what it means to live as a child of God.
The real meaning of Easter centers on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's Son, from the dead. Resurrection is not a normal household word. It is a special word that describes what happened to Jesus Christ, after He was crucified, died and was buried. It means "to revive, to live again, to come out of a state of death." Through Christ's resurrection, Christians are given a new life as we read in Romans 6:3-5: "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection." These words explain the real meaning of Easter. Simply said, a wonderful miracle occurred that day, for you and for me and for every person in the world. Jesus Christ was sent by God to take the sins of mankind. He did this by living a perfect life and by suffering and dying on the cross to pay the price for all sin. Jesus did just that. He lived the perfect and sinless life. He took on Himself the sins of mankind and died on the cross at Mt. Calvary to pay for our sins. He died and was buried. If He had remained dead, remained in the grave where He was buried, His death would have been meaningless, but... ...ON THE THIRD DAY, JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD, DEMONSTRATING THAT HE WAS GOD AND THAT HIS VICTORY OVER SIN AND DEATH WAS COMPLETE.
The word "Pentecost" is derived from the Greek word for "fifty." The Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, occurred 50 days after Jesus' resurrection and 10 days after His ascension. The day celebrates the sending of the Holy Spirit to the disciples following Jesus' ascension. On the 50th day after the Sabbath of Passover week, the Jews celebrated a festival of thanksgiving for the harvest. It was known by a number of different names:
The "Feast of Weeks" was the second-most important festival for the Jews. (The most important was Passover.) This explains why so many people from all over the Roman empire were in Jerusalem on the day when the Holy Spirit was sent (see Acts 2:8?11). The Day of Pentecost is seen as the culmination of the Easter season. In many calendars, the day is listed as "Whitsunday." This comes from the phrase "White Sunday," and refers to practice of the newly baptized appearing in their white, baptismal garments on that day. The color of the day is red, symbolizing the tongues of fire that appeared on the apostles. In the early church, Jesus' ascension and the sending of the Spirit were celebrated together. By the seventh century, Pentecost had become such an important festival that the whole week following was set aside to observe it. Law courts were not in session, and most work was forbidden. By the 12th century this was limited to only three days. In most European countries the Monday after Pentecost is still observed as a holiday.
The word "advent" is from the Latin word for "coming," and as such, describes the "coming" of our Lord Jesus Christ into the flesh. Advent begins the church year because the church year begins where Jesus' earthly life began--in the Old Testament prophecies of his incarnation. After Advent comes Christmas, which is about his birth; then Epiphany, about his miracles and ministry; then Lent, about his Calvary-bound mission; then Easter, about his resurrection and the sending of the apostles; and then Ascension (40 days after Easter) and Pentecost, with the sending of the Holy Spirit. The first half of the church year (approximately December through June) highlights the *life* of Christ. The second half (approximately June through November) highlights the *teachings* of Christ. The parables and miracles play a big part here. That's "the church year in a nutshell," and it should help reveal how Advent fits into "the big picture." Advent specifically focuses on Christ's "coming," but Christ's coming manifests itself among us in three ways--past, present, and future. The readings which highlight Christ's coming in the past focus on the Old Testament prophecies of his incarnation at Bethlehem. The readings which highlight Christ's coming in the future focus on his "second coming" on the Last Day at the end of time. And the readings which highlight Christ's coming in the present focus on his ministry among us through Word and Sacrament today. The traditional use of Advent candles (sometimes held in a wreath) originated in eastern Germany even prior to the Reformation. As this tradition came down to us by the beginning of this century, it involved three purple candles and one pink candle. The purple candles matched the purple paraments on the altar (purple for the royalty of the coming King). The pink candle was the third candle to be lit (not the fourth) on Gaudate Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent. "Gaudate" means "Rejoice!" in Latin, and is the first word of the traditional Introit for that day (TLH, p. 54) which is taken from Philippians 4:4. ("Rejoice! . . . the Lord is near"). Hence a "pink" candle was used to signify "rejoicing." Some also included a white "Christ candle" in the middle to be lit during the 12 days of Christmas (December 25-January 5).
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