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.
Historically, the Seventh-day Adventist church has paid no attention to the Christian year. In fact, during the formative years of the church in the mid-nineteenth century, even Christmas and Easter were suspect due to the lack of specific biblical introduction for these celebrations and their association with pagan holidays.
In recent years, however, Adventists have come to celebrate both Christmas and Easter with regularity, recognizing that these two primary events of the Christian faith can be celebrated meaningfully in common with all Christians.
Christmas and Easter Sabbaths
Most Seventh-day Adventist churches have a special worship service on the Sabbath (Saturday) closest to Christmas. It may include a pageant and special musical presentations. Some churches conduct a Christmas candlelight Communion service, though they are more likely to occur on a Friday evening than on Christmas Eve, the latter being thought of primarily as a family night rather than a liturgical event.
An increasing number of Adventist churches regularly plan special Easter events. Typically, the major Resurrection celebration takes place in Sabbath morning worship the day before Easter Sunday. A candlelight communion service on Good Friday evening can be found here and there; much less often, a service on Maundy Thursday. A very few Adventist churches have sponsored an Easter sunrise service. More frequently, they participate with the other churches of the community in sunrise services.
Introducing the Christian Year
Beyond the celebration of Christmas and Easter, the use of the Christian year in Adventist churches is minimal. However, pastors with a special interest in worship, particularly historical and/or liturgical worship, have introduced additional times from the Christian year to their congregations. Advent is usually the starting point, and its observance has generally been well-received.
Epiphany, Ascension, and Pentecost have also been observed. The most common reaction from worshipers has been surprising, both at the depth of spiritual meaning found in remembering these biblical events on a timely basis and that no one in their church had ever thought to observe them previously.
Adventist pastors encouraging recovery of the Christian year attempt carefully and gradually to lead their congregations to see that this mode of worship focuses on the gospel story and covers Scripture much more fully than is usually the case with an independent choice of text and themes. Most members discover the use of the Christian year to be a new and rewarding experience that brings spiritual growth and a sense of unity with both past and present Christianity.
The use of visuals has been one of the most effective means of introducing the Christian year in congregations I have served. Table/altar displays to illustrate the sermon, Table/pulpit paraments in seasonal colors and banners for seasons and days have all been effective. Explanations regarding the music—not only of the hymns but also of the organ pieces—have also been helpful, along with the always necessary verbal and written educational process.
Introducing the Lectionary
This year (1992) I introduced the Common Lectionary to my Lakeside, California Seventh-day Adventist church. The previous use and explanation of various portions of the Christian year provided excellent background, but in general, the initial reaction was “wait and see.” Pointing out the historical precedents as far back as the composition of the Psalms contributed to acceptance, as did explanations of the nature and purpose of the lectionary itself. As members began to understand that Scriptures chosen by a group years ago for a particular week’s lection spoke to immediate needs in the congregation, attitudes became very favorable.
My hope is to see many more Seventh-day Adventist churches experiencing the spiritual growth and sense of being part of the ongoing stream of Christianity that can come from the use of the Christian year.