Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category
Ascension Sunday-May 12
08
May
Sunday before Pentecost- Focus on mission-Ascension Sunday reminds us of Christ’s ascent to heaven and is the prelude to Pentecost when the church should be launching its summer evangelistic efforts. Before it starts, the church should be clear on it’s mission. After Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to His disciples, He appeared to them in Galilee-Matt. 28: 16-20 He gathered them and told them to go and make disciples of all nations, and to teach them all that He commanded them. During Pentecost, we concentrate on winning the lost. We are to seek the lost and lead them to the Lord. Once they receive Christ, we are to baptize them, symbolically illustrating their death and resurrection in Christ. During Kingdomtide we will focus on making disciples when we seek to teach them to do all that Christ has commanded us. That involves active training, not the passive attendance which is common in many churches today. Now is a good time to finalize plans for a summer campaign to reach those who do not know Christ. Every church board should open every meeting with the questions “What can we do to win souls?”.
Easter Sunday
27
Mar
Easter Sunday– Color is White symbolizing the purity of Christ and the new believer, washed in the blood of Christ. Easter was an important time for baptism in the early church because it celebrates the death and resurrection of Christ and reenacts the new believer’s death and resurrection in Christ. It is a new beginning, washed in the blood of Christ, but it is not the end. That new life does not come full blown and complete. We must begin to grow into what Christ wants for us, just as a child grows to maturity.
Good Friday
27
Mar
Good Friday/Black Friday-A Good Friday (also called Black Friday) celebrates Jesus’ death on the cross that bought our redemption. The color is Black symbolizing mourning. Many people wonder how Jesus could be in the tomb for three days if He was crucified on Friday and rose on Sunday morning. Actually the Jewish day begins at sundown so Jesus ate supper with His disciples on Thursday evening (after sundown on our Wednesday) and was crucified on the following morning (still Thursday). He was buried on Thursday before sundown and spent from late Thursday afternoon to early Sunday morning in the grave. Since our day runs from midnight to midnight, we celebrate Maundy Thursday and the crucifixion a day late.
Ash Wednesday-Feb 14
12
Feb
Ash Wednesday-A received its name from the fact that Christians used to place ashes on their forehead as a symbol of mourning. The color for today is black symbolizing mourning because it is a time when we mourn our sin that caused Christ to die on the cross. The penalty for sin is death but Jesus paid the price to redeem us from the power of sin and death that we might have life. Some people give up something for Lent as a sacrifice to remind them of the price Christ paid, but Christ wants us to put sin out of our life all year, not just during Lent. Lent is a time to ask Jesus to cleanse us of all that is displeasing to Him. If fasting or sacrificing something helps to remind you of the cost Jesus paid, then do it but if it is just a ritual that doesn’t mean anything, find something that will. It should never be done as an open display of our piety before men, but should be done privately between us and God.