The Christian Churches and Churches of Christ have historically avoided the Christian year as one of the unscriptural practices creating division between denominations—a division which their movement sought to overcome. Most now celebrate Christmas and Easter in worship, but these are among yearly observances based on the civil calendar, not the Christian year. Scattered evidence for increased interest in using visual symbols to deepen worship can be seen, but there is little movement toward following the Christian year.
The Restoration Movement, from which the independent Christian churches and Churches of Christ stem, began about two centuries ago as a reaction against the divisive, human inventions of denominationalism. To this day most of these churches almost completely avoid the church calendar, regarding it as unscriptural, ecclesiastical tradition. Most of the churches of Christ do not use music, recognize no special days, seasons, or observances, other than to meet for the Supper each Lord’s Day. On the other hand, many Christian churches from Disciples of Christ backgrounds do observe aspects of the Christian year. But the rank and file of the centrist churches recognize no more than one season (Advent) and perhaps three days (Christmas, Easter, and sometimes Pentecost Sunday).
The Primitive Church as Norm
These churches’ rejection of liturgical practice grows more out of their critique of mainline Protestant denominations than an effort to avoid Roman Catholic traditions. They generally do not consider themselves to be Protestant, in the sense of focusing on “protest” against the Catholic church. Rather, they challenge denominationalism as a whole. Many of the Christian churches have recently begun to loosen their separatist position toward evangelical Christianity, but the bias against historical denominations remains nearly unanimous.
The Christian churches look only to biblical and apostolic precedent for their worship practices. Any addition to what they perceive to be the simple and informal practice of the primitive church is seen as a later corruption. Hence, any developments or councilor decisions after the first century would at best be given polite consideration but not considered binding. Sources subsequent to the New Testament writings would be used only to shed light on the practice of the church during the lives of the apostles.
A Cultural Calendar
Most independent Christian churches, to be sure, follow a yearly calendar—the secular calendar of the culture around them. Many, and probably most, of the churches regularly acknowledge Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Graduation Sunday, Independence Day, and sometimes even Boy Scout Sunday and other secular occasions. The motivation is evangelism, not worship. Recognition of such days in worship services, it is thought, creates a point of contact with the unchurched people of the community, while the Christian calendar would not, since it is largely unknown to the community. An evangelistic sermon can then be tied into a secular event.
Sermon series sometimes serve as the organizing principle for the year, rather than the secular calendar. Preachers may give topical or expository series of messages or perhaps dedicate a month to a theme—“Stewardship Month” or “Family Month,” for example.
Nearly all of the churches will dedicate at least two weeks to Christmas. However, Christmas is acknowledged not because it is part of the church year, but because of its observance as a holiday in the wider culture. Some of the churches might use the term Advent, display a simple wreath, and have some readings. Other seasonal events might include the performance of a cantata, a Sunday School program with the children, or a candlelight Communion service on Christmas Eve. But on the Sunday after Christmas, the service will invariably focus on resolutions and goal setting, thus connecting with the New Year holiday rather than following the traditional church calendar.
The majority of Christian churches also celebrate Easter and Holy Week (although most avoid that term). Easter sunrise services are common, as are Good Friday or Maundy Thursday Communion services. But the structuring of the services is entirely up to the individual congregation, and books or other sources are seldom consulted. A few churches recognize Pentecost Sunday occasionally, but virtually none observe other church days such as Reformation Sunday.
Little support for recovery of the Christian year exists among the rank-and-file membership. Some of the Bible colleges and seminaries offer courses that include a few sessions on the calendar, but there seems to be little more than curiosity about the Christian year among the majority. More than a few preachers have preached from the lectionary schedule for a year without making people aware of it, for they would be opposed to it if they knew.
Though most Christian churches are not moving toward recovery of the Christian year, some preachers and many worship leaders are attempting to deepen the worship vocabulary of their congregations through the use of drama and symbolism, with explanations (on-the-fly catechisms, of sorts) of one element at a time. Mountain Christian Church, located in a highly Catholic area in Joppa, Maryland, has a large gothic-style building with a divided chancel and employs more visual symbolism in worship than most Christian churches. For instance, candles are used every week and veiling of the cross is conducted on Good Friday. Virtually all of the churches using such acts are historic, large city churches previously associated with the Disciples of Christ.
In sum, broad interest in the Christian year or a liturgical approach to worship is still a long way off.