It was a protest against the liturgical formalism of the official church which in part gave rise to the Church of the Brethren in the eighteenth century. However, the Brethren always sought to be an authentic worshiping community, and in the twentieth century, that historic commitment has resulted in the widespread appropriation of the Christian year. The extent and style of such observance, however, varies greatly from congregation to congregation.
On any given Sunday at Stone Church of the Brethren in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania—the county seat and the home of Juniata College—one would find the pulpit, lectern, and Communion table covered with appropriately colored paraments. The bulletin would reflect the Common Lectionary reading for the day. The pastor and choir would be robed with stoles to match the paraments. The order of worship would most likely reflect a theme from the Christian year readings for the day.
At the small rural Church of the Brethren less than twenty miles down the road, the word parament is not known. There may be a scarf on the pulpit, but it never changes color. The pastor would not even consider being robed. The celebration of the Christian year would be limited to Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter, the observance of the Love Feast during Holy Week, and occasional participation in an ecumenical Lenten series in the community.
The contrasting practices of these two congregations within twenty minutes of each other are indicative of the status of the Christian year in the Church of the Brethren. Some local congregations choose to follow it regularly without being religiously bound to it; others give it little or no recognition.
Transformations in a Worshiping Community
How did a movement which, influenced by Pietism and Anabaptism, emerged early in the eighteenth century protesting against “cold liturgy” and the formalism and dogmatism of the official German church, develop into a denomination with widespread recognition and practice of the Christian year in the twentieth century?
Unlike many radical separatists, Brethren felt the need to be a church—a community of faith. Like the Anabaptists, they viewed the church as a fellowship of believers bound together as obedient disciples of Jesus Christ. Coming together in their homes for prayer and Bible study, they accepted the need for church order and for observances that would be firmly grounded in the New Testament. Some of those observances became ordinances (as opposed to sacraments) and were faithfully followed in a kind of firm and uniform low-church liturgy. Brethren were never nonliturgical; rather, they strongly desired that their liturgy be alive and meaningful. Such a passion necessitates change as life itself changes. The historic commitment to being a worshiping community, the growing need for places to gather for worship, the conviction that order in worship was more desirable than unrestrained emotionalism, and the deeply felt but often unspoken desire that worship has enough life to move the heart and soul as well as the mind, all helped open the door to changes in Brethren worship practices.
Numerous influences furthered the ongoing process of change in worship: growing support for higher education; the expansion of denominational publications; the move from free to salaried ministers; the acceptance of musical instruments in the church; the growing popularity of Sunday schools; the architectural change from “meetinghouse” to church sanctuary; a strong commitment to and support for ecumenical fraternity; and growing support for the inclusion of fine arts in the celebrations of the church.
Worship Manuals and the Christian Year
The gradual growth of support for the Christian year in the Church of the Brethren can be traced in the manuals produced by the denomination for use by pastors and church leaders. The earliest of these, H. B. Brumbaugh’s The Church Manual (1888), and other early manuals made no mention of the Christian year and included no lectionary or worship resources. The 1946 Minister’s Manual, although making no mention of the lectionary, carried some orders of service under the heading for “Forms and Ceremonies” and included a one-page discussion of “The Christian Year.” The manual declared that “the systematic planning of a church year by an increasing number of churches is a hopeful sign.” Observing that one reason Easter is such a great day is that it is observed by all the churches at the same time, the manual urged that other days “should be lifted out of the routine and commonplace into which they have fallen.” However, it cautioned that “free churches, such as our own, will not likely choose to go as far as the liturgical churches.”
The foreword to the 1953 Manual of Worship and Polity spoke favorably of openness to change in worship: “No religious society or movement can long endure which does not adapt and apply itself and its body of faith and program to the living generation.” While not specifically named, worship resources related to the Christian year were provided, and mention of a recommended lectionary for those who might desire one.
By the publication of The Book of Worship, Church of the Brethren in 1964, enough congregations were using liturgical resources (some in more appropriate fashion than others) that the committee preparing the resource devoted considerable space to educating congregations regarding the Christian year. The index shows a large section of some sixty-five pages on resources for the Christian year, which included an explanation of the year, the advantages of observing it, a description of the days and seasons, guidelines for the use of liturgical colors, and a complete lectionary. “The Christian year is suggested as a guide to worship; it is not to be slavishly followed as an absolute authority. Its intelligent use can enrich our worship.” The book reminded pastors that the full sweep of Christian doctrine is covered during the Christian year.
A wide diversity of worship practices will continue in the Church of the Brethren. Not only do congregations differ, as seen in the two Pennsylvania churches within twenty minutes of each other, but variations in style may also in fact occur from pastor to pastor within a given congregation. But conviction about the centrality of the Bible for life and worship, and the desire to celebrate responsibly the full scope of the Good News will continue to encourage Brethren to the selective observance of the Christian year.