Yes, I know today is not New Year’s Eve, and yet in a way it is. Within the faith tradition labeled “Christianity” there are many faith traditions. Many, but not observe some festivals/holidays and seasons. Those traditions that have a heritage coming out of Puritan New England, often observe the least amount of the possible Christian festivities, though over the last 150 years or so many of these have incorporated some of these holidays and seasons.
One such tradition is the tradition I belong to, Community of Christ.
In the 1830s in Kirtland, OH you would not have found many members who would actively celebrate ANY “Christian” Holiday. By the late 1840s though, with influence from members coming from such places as England, this would slowly change. In fact it would change not just for us but for many of the traditions in North America. Today a larger calendar is shared between various traditions. Though the Roman Catholic, Anglican and traditions closer to them (strong liturgical traditions) celebrate many more holidays/feast days than a large portion of the others. The Orthodox do also, but their dates are often different from the “western” church dates.
So, tomorrow for many of the “western” church traditions is the start of a new worship year as tomorrow is the first day of the Season of Advent, and today is the last day of “ordinary time.”
For Community of Christ our seasonal calendar goes as follows (though some don’t recognize all and some may recognize others):
- Advent
- Christmas
- Ordinary Time
- Lent
- Palm/Passion Sunday(Sunday before Easter)/Holy Week, (part of lent)
- Easter
- Pentecost/Endowment
- Ordinary Time
So Tomorrow is the start of the new year. In Community of Christ we use a modified version of the Revised Standard Lectionary, a 3 year cycle through the scriptures, labeled Year A, B and C. Tomorrow is the start of year B. We also place a theme on each year . This coming year the overall all theme is “Allow the Spirit to Fill You” and tomorrow’s theme is “Hope, Come Down” as it is the Sunday of Hope of the Advent Season, then we get Peace, Joy, and Love…
I have more to say but will do it later… Peace be with you,
Lyle II