Welcoming the new Church Year

The first Sunday of Advent marks the start of another church year. The  seasons of the church commemorates God’s history of redemption in Christ.

From a macro perspective of the rhythm of the festivities (high points) and ordinariness (ebbs) within a liturgical year, different elements of the dynamic of the Christ-life is heightened and celebrated. For instance, the church enters into an expectation and celebration of the coming of Christ during the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany cycle (Nov-Feb) and repentance and rejoicing during the Lent/Triduum/Easter cycle (Feb-April). These two high points in the Calendar is interspersed by two periods of Ordinary time characterized by a focus on the teaching of the church woven within its sense of continued mission to the world within the active presence of the Spirit. The term “ordinary” comes from the word “ordinal” which denotes the sense that time is numbered.

It helps the church to proclaim and live out the comprehensive set of major Christian themes and following closely the events in the life of Christ. Some examples of how this is worked out would be for our Services to focus on the cost of discipleship during the season of Lent or the importance of being continually filled with the Spirit during season of Pentecost.

The church should not be conceived as another entity within the larger creation but aspriorto creation. The church is chosen in Christ before the creation of the world (Eph1:4). Shaping our lives and giving priority to the liturgical year reminds us of this.

Observing the liturgical year with its repeated cycles also allow for a formative, pedagogical and collective experience of church life. In being comprehensive, it also helps us to reflect on the fuller reality of life and faith with her fair share of joys and pains, clarity and confusion, joys of holiness and the despair of sinful living. In our deepest pains, we are reminded that it is always a little while as we pilgrim from earth to heaven, where no segment of time is static.

Here in MPCC, we encourage you to observe the church year through our daily praydos devotions. It is one way to anchor our life journey on the life of Christ. If you have children, it is also good way of creating some good Christian traditions in the family. During the Season of Advent, you may want to prepare for Christmas by weekly reading with your spouse or family, using one of the weekday devotions.

In this first week of the Church year, posture your heart towards the coming (advent) of our Lord.