Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in Baptist General Conference Churches

by

Historically, Baptists have distanced themselves from many liturgical forms, such as following the Christian year, normally associated with mainline denominations. However, in the last decade, Bethlehem Baptist Church has begun to devote attention to certain seasons of the Christian year—Advent, Christmastide, Lent, Eastertide, and Pentecost. The development was largely prompted by the congregation’s (and pastor’s) belief in the importance of preparation for the high days of Christmas and Easter and that a direct correlation exists between the time one invests in preparation and the intensity one experiences in celebration.

The full content of this post is for members only.
Login Join Free

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in Evangelical Denominations and Independent Baptist Churches

by

Most evangelical Baptist churches have little contact with the Christian year except on the Sunday before Christmas and Easter Sunday. Occasionally one can find a Good Friday service. Many parishioners feel that observance of the Christian year would distract from or even work against the primary mission of the church, which is to implement the Great Commission—making disciples from all nations and baptizing them. Widespread lack of knowledge about most of the themes of the Christian year is combined with a suspicion that those Christians who practice such “non-biblical” activities do so as a dry, unfulfilling ritual, which seems completely irrelevant in our age of spiritual freedom, freshness, and spontaneity from the Holy Spirit. Denominational publishing houses mirror these positions and provide no instruction, not even historical information, on the subject of the Christian year.

The full content of this post is for members only.
Login Join Free

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in Assemblies of God Churches

by

The church calendar in the Assemblies of God includes only some of the major events of the Christian year, but also designates numerous days for the promotion of denominational programs and recognizes national holidays and ecumenical observances. Congregations have considerable freedom in choosing which days to observe and how to observe them. Due in part to the influence of charismatics with backgrounds in the liturgical churches, some Assemblies of God pastors are beginning to incorporate more of the events of the traditional church year into worship.

The full content of this post is for members only.
Login Join Free

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in Anglican / Episcopal Churches

by

Worship in the Anglican Communion is structured by a liturgical celebration of the Christian year, centering on Easter. In recent decades, greater emphasis has been placed on the paschal and baptismal nature of the church year and on observing the complete yearly cycle, not just major festivals.

The full content of this post is for members only.
Login Join Free

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year American Baptist Churches in the USA

by

American Baptist congregations are free to choose their own order of worship, and so the observance of the Christian year varies among churches. In the twentieth century, many congregations have followed an American civil calendar and have combined both religious and civil observances. Since the 1960s, however, there has been a strong movement toward the recovery of a more distinctly Christian calendar.

The full content of this post is for members only.
Login Join Free

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in the African-Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches

by

Although A.M.E. Zion churches do not widely observe the Christian year, some congregations have made attempts to include some of its features in worship. This article describes the efforts of one pastor to revitalize worship, particularly through Advent and Epiphany traditions.

The full content of this post is for members only.
Login Join Free

Worship and Sacred Actions Throughout the Year in the Adventist Churches

by

Christmas and Easter celebrations have become increasingly common in Adventist churches. Observance of the Christian year remains rare, but a few congregations are discovering that it is a rewarding source of balance and biblical spirituality in worship.

The full content of this post is for members only.
Login Join Free