Easter Vigil

Dances for the Seasons of the Christian Year

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The seasons and feasts of the church year offer numerous possibilities for congregational movement and choreographed dance. Significant dimensions of these celebrations are best experienced through such action.

The liturgical celebrations during the seasons provide variety, color, texture, emotion, and richness of theme to what would be a rather unexciting “ordinary time.” Each season has its own particular symbols as well as those that are part of the ritual throughout the year, such as bread and wine, water, and oil. In Advent, the symbols are darkness and light; at Christmas, light, and birth, evergreens, and angelic choirs; in Lent, ashes, and palms; in Easter, water, light, oil, flowers, and signs of new life; at Pentecost, fire, wind, and dancing people. There is a dramatic sequence to the events of the year that call forth a special ritual response in symbolic moments. These “moments” are most often built into the rituals of the year, such as the Easter vigil. The problem that often arises, however, is that somehow these symbols are blurred and do not speak clearly. Many persons who have used liturgically danced prayer have discovered that gestures, movements, and dances in some form can indeed make the symbols of the seasons “come alive” and “speak” to the assembly. Because these celebrations are so special, they demand special attention to the symbols and the way in which these symbols are allowed to communicate. Dancers in the liturgy serve as “symbol-bearers”; the first and foremost symbol being the human body itself … a body that is called to be the place of divine and human interaction. A look at some of these seasonal celebrations can yield specific suggestions to make them expressive of the human desire to communicate with God and God’s desire to speak an incarnational language.

Advent and Christmas

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Isa. 8). The primary symbols of the Advent season are darkness and light. It is a season of expectation and hope that is expressed in the flickering lights of candles glowing in the darkness and the enduring hope captured in the symbol of the “Advent wreath,” a circle of evergreens, claiming a promise soon to be fulfilled and a longing that will never die.

A traditional song of the Advent season is “O come, O Come Emmanuel.” It has been the source of many Advent processionals. What I would suggest is a simple walking pattern with a pause or lunge on the “Rejoice! Rejoice!” section of the song. What can make the processional beautiful and interesting, however, is the movement of the lights. This can be done by holding the candles in both hands or one, moving them in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. With the Advent wreath carried in the middle of the processioners, the effect of the lights dancing around the wreath is created. Once one verse is established in its movement, a simple choreographic device can be used in geometric patterns that change the visual perception (do not, however, confuse the dancers by adding extra “steps”). The basic pattern can be done around the altar in a circle or using diagonal lines through the celebration space. Even the most inexperienced choreographer can devise an interesting processional movement with a simple walking base, some upper arm/body movements, and the use of geometric patterns. This procession of lights for the Advent season can be an effective and solemn way to engage the assembly in the symbols of light and darkness. An advantage is that this does not demand trained dancers; it can be done by most members of the community who are willing to learn and practice.

Many of the readings during the Advent season speak of God’s glory. Another effective use of the symbol of light would be to keep the electric lights extinguished even after the opening processional. As the liturgy of the Word continues, a few more candles are lit. The Alleluia proclamation could then become a dance of lights around the gospel book. This would bring to expression the Word as light in the lives of the faithful people: “your Word is a lantern.” There is a beautiful Alleluia setting in Peloquin’s “Lord of Life” that is solemn, reverential, and very suitable to the theme of the Word incarnate in the Advent season. Again, there could be a simple movement of the feet, a basic walking pattern, with more movement of lifting, lowering, turning, and passing the light as it shines on the gospel book.

All through the liturgy, during the preparation of gifts, the creed, and so on, more lights could be lit. The gradual impression of light building can be an effective means of having the assembly “come alive” to the light. By the conclusion of the liturgy the space would be ablaze with light. At this point, as a closing expression of faith, the song “City of God” from the St. Louis Jesuits’ Lord of Light could be sung and danced. The lyrics speak of the light in the darkness, our tears turned into dancing, and other appropriate expressions of the Advent season. Depending upon the assembly, space, and time of preparation, this could be danced by those trained in the community or be simplified as a congregational dance given the requirements of space, time for preparation, and openness to this kind of communal prayer expression. If it is impossible with the assembly, it is possible to use a simple, but lively dance in a triple meter that many could do with willingness and preparation. This closing song and dance would express the primary symbol of a people who share their faith, their hope, their love, and their desire to “build the city of God.”

Alternative Advent Suggestions

First Sunday—Year A. Begin the liturgy with the proclamation of the first reading, Isaiah 2:1–5. The image is walking together in the light of the Lord, streaming toward God’s holy mountain. Immediately following the proclamation (ideally done in some other gathering place) the whole assembly or selected members and ministers would “go up with joy to the house of the Lord.” Carrying the symbols of the season, the procession would in fact do what the first reading and psalm are speaking about: a joyful journey in faith and hope. A simple tripudium step; three forward one back could be the basis of this easy, rhythmic procession. Another new addition to the musical repertory is Peloquin’s “Let us Go Rejoicing” from his Songs of Israel II.

Third Sunday—Years A and C. There are certain readings that are meant to be simply “listened” to and reflected on. There are others, however, that can vividly be “expressed” through mime, drama, or dance. There is something about certain readings that calls for an appropriate visualization as well as a clear proclamation. In the third Sunday of Advent, the theme of rejoicing is most explicit. In Isaiah 35:1–6 and Zephaniah 3:14–18, the readings use images of physical exultation, of life-giving expression. These readings could be “interpreted” by competent members of the community who have some training and background in mime or dance. The important caution, however, is that it not be a literal interpretation, using gestures or movements that say the same thing as the verbal text. The idea of this kind of interpretation is to capture the underlying emotions and conflicts and give them life through the movement. It is not to “picture” or “act out” what the words are saying. Its purpose is to enliven the spirit, not to burden it with repetitive images. The difficulty is that this kind of interpretation demands much planning and work with the reader of the text. Because there is no musical support, the rhythm of the language and the dancer’s body have to mesh into an expressive unity. This is a most difficult liturgical dance and yet it seems to be a frequent addition to liturgies. Anyone who feels “moved by the spirit” comes forward to “interpret” the reading or the psalm. Such movement can be a distraction to the community. Because this interpretation demands so much coordination, it demands sufficient preparation to enable the movement to speak its own language and not be imitative of the verbal language.

Isaiah 35, for example, describes very clear and precise images: the desert blooming, feeble hands, weak knees, eyes of the blind opened, ears of the deaf cleared. The literal way of presenting this reading would be an attempt to find nonverbal images that correspond to the verbal images. One would be at pains to find explicit images for blindness, deafness, or weak knees. It is better to leave this to the imagination of the listener. An alternative is for two dancers to reveal the underlying expectation, excitement, and miraculous joy that stems from the experience of God’s transformation. The challenge is to bring alive the emotional content of the reading and bring that to expression for those who are hearing and feeling that excitement. Meeting the challenge with this kind of liturgical movement is rewarding if it is done well. It enables the living Word to come to life.

First Sunday—Year B. The first reading of this liturgy, Isaiah 63, has been set to music by the St. Louis Jesuits (“Redeemer Lord,” Lord of Light). The driving rhythms and the musical dissonance make this a very interesting piece of danceable liturgical music. (Often the unchanging rhythms of much liturgical music do not aid the dynamics of dance.) Through music and movement, the Isaiah passage could be effectively communicated.

The climax of the Advent season is the celebration of the birth of Christ, the Incarnation. On this feast, it is especially appropriate to “incarnate” the church’s liturgy through movement prayer. Christmas is a season of wonder. The liturgy of this season needs to capture this sense of wonder, especially as it is embodied in the lives of children.

The Directory for Masses with Children encourages, “the development of gestures, postures, and actions … in view of the nature of the liturgy as an activity of the entire man and in view of the psychology of children” (33). It goes on to say that

the processional entrance of the children with the priest may help them to experience a sense of the communion that is thus constituted. The participation of at least some of the children in the procession with the book of the gospels makes clear the presence of Christ who announces his word to the people The procession of children with the chalice and gifts expresses clearly the value and meaning of the presentation of gifts. The communion procession, if properly arranged, helps greatly to develop the piety of children. (34)

The liturgy of Christmas should embrace these instructions and let the children give expression to their wonder in specific shape and form. There are numerous Christmas carols that can be used in procession. The story of Christmas can be told through different carols with the children dancing or miming. The origin of the carol is rooted in dance forms that were used in conjunction with the music. The Christmas liturgy would be an excellent opportunity to use the musical settings designed for children, such as Peloquin’s “Unless You Become.” This work affords many opportunities for movement acclamation, especially during the Alleluia and Eucharistic prayer.

The Advent/Christmas season is rich with symbols of hope, of longing, of wonder, and promise. In the liturgies of this season, gesture, movement, and dance can incarnate what is hoped for and what has already been fulfilled in the coming of Christ.

Lent

The Lenten season has its own richness of symbolic expression beginning with the celebration of ashes and culminating with the powerful symbols of Holy Week. It is a season in the church’s liturgy that allows the experience of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to be remembered in the lives of the assembled faithful. It is most important during this season that the assembly be engaged in embodied prayer so that it may experience its unique participation in the Easter event. The renewed place of the catechumenate during this season has been helpful in letting the assembly claim the process of conversion as its own. The following are some suggestions for the involvement of the whole assembly as well as specific examples of dance during the Lenten/Easter season. It is a time of penitence, journeying, growth in self-knowledge, a time to deepen one’s knowledge of the person of Jesus, especially in his humanity, a time to celebrate the ultimate victory of life over death. It is a time to dance.

Ash Wednesday. This day that begins the Lenten season has the power of linking the past and looking forward to the future. The symbols are strong and clear. It is important that people see the burning of last year’s palms so that there is a link with the past experience of Lenten conversion. (The cyclic nature of human ritual needs to be brought out more clearly.) Bread and wine should be seen and tasted like food for the journey. If possible, the signing with ashes should be done by members of the assembly to each other so that the symbol may be touched, felt, and seen. The liturgy can begin with the proclamation of Joel’s “call to repentance” from within the assembly. The presider enters in silent procession and prostrates himself before the assembly. The members of the assembly kneel to express their need for conversion and repentance. There is time for silent prayer. On rising, the presider invites the community to further reflection, and all sing a selection such as “Grant to us, O Lord” by Lucien Deiss. Following the homily and silent reflection, the presider burns some palm, blesses the ashes, and invites members of the assembly to sign each other as a beginning symbol of solidarity with the Lord and with each other during this Lenten journey. At some point in the liturgy, a single member of the assembly could dance to “Be Not Afraid” as an expression of hope and trust during the Lenten season. People can be drawn more deeply into the truth and beauty of the words of this song and the shared human experience they articulate.

The Sundays of Lent. The Liturgy of the Word during the Lenten season offers many opportunities for creative proclamation. The long gospels of John during Cycle A can be communicated through drama, mime, or dance. A model of this kind of presentation is given in the work of the Fountain Square Fools. This group of professional actors, mimes, and dancers has integrated the gospel story with imagination, energy, and conviction. The group’s portrayal of the parable of the Prodigal is exceptionally powerful.

The following are some suggestions for dance in the Sundays of Lent:

  • 1st Sunday: The theme in all cycles is the temptation of Jesus in the desert. The song, “Jesus the Lord,” can be used as a response to the gospel reading. The slow, reflective antiphon repeated four times can lead the assembly into a simple gesture prayer. The music breathes the name Jesus and the gestures/movement should be an extension of the rhythmic pulse set up by the breathing in and out on the name “Jesus.” (It is important for those who design the movements for the assembly to explore all the possibilities of raising and lowering the hand and arms so that all gestures do not look and feel alike.)
  • 2nd Sunday: The theme in all cycles is the Transfiguration. Michael Joncas’s “On Eagle’s Wings” captures the spirit of this theme of transformation, light, and special protection. This particular piece of music with its intricate rhythms demands certain expertise of the dancers who perform it. If the movement is to be faithful to the form and intent of the musical composition, it is important that the choreographer recognize the complexity of the music and not trivialize it with a too basic movement. The choreography for this piece in the repertoire of the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, for example, includes arabesques on half-pointe, en planche, Soutenu turns, attitudes en promenade, and reverses. These movements are visible to the assembly but need trained dancers to execute them.
  • 3rd Sunday: In cycle A, the gospel is the woman at the well and the liturgy has a strong baptismal theme. John Foley’s “Come to the Water” can be an effective response to the Liturgy of the Word and a bridge to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. In a liturgy at St. James Cathedral in Brooklyn, New York, the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble danced with members of the assembly who had been trained the day before. A white cloth twenty yards long was drawn through the building by twenty dancers. Working the cloth in an undulating motion, the dancers gave the impression of water flowing, enveloping the assembly with the symbol. Two dancers near the altar danced more complex movements. The cloth was drawn over them and then placed on the altar to become the altar cloth. The two dancers presented the gifts to the presider and the liturgy continued.

The variety of themes during this season afford many more opportunities for nonverbal expressions. The theme of forgiveness and reconciliation can be embodied through gestures of healing, through enacting the gospel stories of reunion, through expressing the affective dimension of reconciliation in the psalms of the season (Ps. 23, 130, 137, 51, 34). The musical settings of these psalms vary in style and will affect the movement interpretation. Certain musical forms are more conducive to the necessary tension within dance composition. Many of the psalm settings of Peloquin, for example, have a musical tension that elicits an expressive movement response.

Holy Week

Holy Week is clearly the high point of the church’s liturgical year. The celebration of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus demands a liturgy rich in word and action, mood, and symbol. The Holy Week liturgies need to involve the whole person in prayer. The reality of Passover is incarnated in bodies that move. This movement emerges naturally from the existing ritual and does not have to be superimposed upon it. The following are examples of places in the ritual that calls for “embodiment.”

Passion Sunday. Procession with Palms: (a) the whole community gathers outside the building and enters in procession carrying the palms; (b) with the community already assembled, dancers carrying royal palms enter in rhythmic procession to “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.” The procession uses a simple walking base, punctuated by lunges. The dancers open and close the palms, turn and reach with them. The royal palms have a majesty that conveys the solemnity of the occasion.

Proclamation of the Passion: There have been many different approaches to dramatic presentations of the Passion. One effective presentation that has been used employs a combination of dramatic reading and mime. A long purple cloth is used as the unifying symbol throughout. It functions as the cloth of the Last Supper and delineates the different places: the garden, the house of Annas, Pilate’s palace. It becomes the cloth thrown over Jesus, the cross itself, and then the burial cloth. The narrative is read by trained lectors and the dance/mime is done by dancers and actors. This particular rendering of the Passion has engaged the assembly with the powerful emotion, even though they did not “do” anything.

The Assembly’s Acclamations: The original Palm Sunday event had people in the streets of Jerusalem acclaiming Jesus as King. During the acclamations of the eucharistic prayer, the assembly should be invited to raise their arms with palms in hand, waving them with the words, “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” and at other points of acclamation.

Holy Thursday. Washing of Feet: An important gesture embodying the gospel which precedes it. This is a case where form and content are inextricably bound. The command of Jesus to “love one another” is tied to a specific symbol of service. This sign should not be neglected for the sake of convenience or speed. It is also important that it be done in such a way that it is a visible sign to the whole assembly.

Preparation of Gifts: The symbols of bread and wine should be given an even greater emphasis on this night. A more elaborate procession may be called for. The symbols must be clearly visible and genuine; bread that is baked by someone in the community, wine held in a lovely carafe.

Transfer of the Eucharist: A simple but powerful movement that can engage people in reverence and prayer.

Stripping the Altar: This silent ritual has an extraordinary psychological effect on people. It can be a striking prelude to the experience of Good Friday.

Good Friday. Prostration: Prostration is an important gesture of penance, humility, and dependence. The silent procession and the prostration are a stark beginning to the Good Friday liturgy.

Orations: “Let us kneel. Let us stand.” The Good Friday liturgy tries to involve the assembly in postures that embody reverence and respect for the solemnity of the celebration. The community should take time to kneel in silent prayer so that the movement “kneel-stand” is expressive of an attitude of reverence and respect rather than an empty gesture of inconvenient effort.

Veneration of the Cross: A movement that involves the whole assembly in procession and praise. It affords the opportunity to express an attitude of loving reverence not only for Jesus’ sacrifice but for all of life which is embraced by the symbol of the cross.

Easter Vigil

On this night the church uses all of its basic symbols to allow a rich experience of new life and hope. The elements of fire, water, bread, and wine become the sacramental manifestation of the presence of God. The form and structure of the celebration, from the lighting of the new fire, the procession of light, the proclamation of the exalted, the stories of God’s activity in the world, the baptismal event, to the new Passover meal that is shared, proclaim the single most important affirmation of the Christian faith. “He is risen. Alleluia!” All of the symbolic elements of this ritual are involved in this proclamation. That is why it is so important on this night to allow the symbols to speak. The following are some suggestions for an effective ritual: Lighting of the Fire: If feasible, begin outside so that all can see the fire. The procession should only begin when all have their candles lit. The final acclamation should be intoned only when all have assembled in the celebration space. During the “Exsultet,” candles should be kept burning. The lights (electric) should be left off until the Gloria.

Liturgy of the Word: In the darkness, except for the light of the paschal candle and any light necessary for the lector, the readings are proclaimed. For the Genesis reading, six lectors are stationed throughout the church, each with an unlit candle. As the story of creation begins, a dancer comes to the paschal candle and draws the light from the candle. He or she then goes to the next reader bringing the light. At the end of the seven days, there are seven lights symbolizing the creation. The positions of these readers around the perimeter of the space can create the impression of being surrounded by creation.

Gloria: Out of the darkness comes a dancing people! As the final response to the Ezekiel reading is being sung, all the candles are lit again. As the Gloria is intoned, the first image the assembly has is women and men dressed in white and gold, dancing to this song of praise.

Alleluia: The first Alleluia of the Easter season should be embodied in a joyful dance around the gospel book. This could be done as a procession with the book or as a special incensation with dancers moving around the book, carrying bowls of incense.

The entire liturgy of Easter cries out for the full participation of the assembly. In the baptismal and Communion rites that follow the proclamation of the Word, the people should be engaged by the symbols in the acclamation: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again! Alleluia!” It is the task of those working with movement and gesture in liturgy to continue to find suitable ways to make the Easter event come to life.

Pentecost

Pentecost gives another opportunity to ritualize the Easter event, but where the focus of Easter is the proclamation “Jesus is risen,” the focus of Pentecost is “Where are God’s people?” This is the celebration of a people filled with the Spirit of God. It is an appropriate time for dance as an expression of the joy, the ecstasy, and the liveliness of the Spirit. There are a number of musical settings appropriate for a festive opening procession. Peloquin’s, “Lord, Send Out Your Spirit,” The Monks of the Weston Priory’s “Spirit Alive,” and Peloquin’s “Praise to the Lord” have all been used by the Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble as opening processionals to enliven the celebration space on this special feast. In these pieces, red material is used to suggest the tongues of fire and capture the breadth, vitality, and dynamic movement of the first Pentecost.

There are many other celebrations during the year that can call for a special use of dance. Two that have been exceptionally effective for me have been a baccalaureate and a wedding. In the baccalaureate liturgy at Boston College, which takes place every year in a sports complex, the dance brings visual beauty and focus to the celebration that it would lack without it. In alternative spaces for liturgy that is used for very large groups (convention center, stadium) the “secular” can be transformed into the “sacred” through movement and color that provides beauty and graciousness. In the Boston College baccalaureate, the most successful use of dance has been with Peloquin’s Lyric Liturgy and his Lord of Life.

This particular wedding ritual had a special meaning since the bride and groom were both dancers and dance had become the way in which they expressed their faith. Their friends, other dancers, carried floral arches in a procession that could be brought together to make a bridal arch, combined to form the symbol of the ring or simply make a beautiful visual pattern in the front of the space. After the exchange of vows, the dancers returned with the floral arches, dancing to Laetitia Blain’s Song of Meeting, surrounding the newly married couple, finally creating a floral canopy over their heads. Since this was a special dance liturgy, in which the medium of dance was the primary mode of communication, there were many points in the liturgy that were danced. During the water rite, the dancers passed flowers to all in the assembly. The responsorial psalm, Michael Joncas’s “I Have Loved You,” was danced as was his “Praise His Name” for the gospel acclamation. The bride and groom led the assembly in gesture prayer to a chanted “Our Father.” The communion meditation, “Be Not Afraid,” was danced as was the closing hymn “Ode to Joy” (with special wedding lyrics). The entire ritual was a beautifully effective realization of the power of dance to communicate as a symbol in liturgy. Although it may seem to one who has only heard the ritual described that there was “too much” dance, the experience of the people who were present was not that at all. Because of who the couple was, and given the integration of the dances into the flow of the ritual and the participation of the whole assembly in spirit and body, it was a ritual that communicated what it intended, namely, the love of two people as a sign of new life in the church.

A renewed sense of the place of dance in liturgy is a sign of life for many in the church. For others, it is a threatening manifestation of the disintegration of standards and morals. Many will continue to fight vigorously against its inclusion as a valid means of religious expression in liturgical worship. If there is to be a meaningful dialogue between those who approve and those who disapprove, there must be an openness to learn from each other’s perceptions and experiences, but in the last analysis, people must be able to worship their God in ways that honestly express their faith. Environment and Art in Catholic Worship says:

Christians have not hesitated to use every human art in their celebration of the saving work of God in Jesus Christ, although in every historical period they have been influenced, at times inhibited, by cultural circumstances. In the resurrection of the Lord, all things are made new. Wholeness and healthiness are restored because the reign of sin and death is conquered. Human limits are still real and we must be conscious of them. But we must also praise God and give God thanks with the human means we have available. God does not need liturgy; people do, and people have only their own arts and styles of expression with which to celebrate.

Planning Worship around the Church Year

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The church year provides a ready-made pattern for worship. The key seasons are Advent and Easter, which not only mark important events in the life of our Lord but also inform the church’s responses to these events in outward and inward worship. In addition, the church year puts the congregation in tune with a great body of Christian tradition that stretches across the world and back through the centuries.

The church year, also known as the Christian year or the liturgical year, not only has a venerable place in Christian tradition but is an excellent framework around which to organize and plan worship over its course. In many churches today, the celebration of the Christian year is facilitated by the use of a three-year lectionary. This lectionary, indicating Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament, and Gospel readings for each Sunday and festival, not only makes possible the regular systematic reading of substantial portions of the Scripture but provides a biblical framework for the planning of worship.

Cycles of the Year

The Easter Cycle. The church year is composed of two interlocking cycles. The first is the Easter cycle. This begins on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent (forty weekdays before Easter), and includes Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and the fifty days following Easter, concluding with the Day of Pentecost. Its principal theological theme is the atonement. Its center is Holy Week with its commemoration of the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, the Crucifixion on Good Friday, and the Resurrection on Easter Day. The fifty days following Easter, originally called the Pentecost, celebrate the new life in the risen Christ, and the Day of Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Spirit to the apostolic church. (Easter is the Sunday following the first full moon of spring, and the other dates are calculated from it.)

The Christmas Cycle. The second cycle is the Christmas cycle. Its theological theme is the Incarnation. The cycle begins with Advent, four Sundays before Christmas (the Sunday closest to November 30), leading into the celebration of Christmas on December 25. The twelve days of Christmas conclude with Epiphany on January 6 (Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night), celebrating the manifestation of Christ. The three great events associated with Epiphany are the revelation of Christ to the magi through the star, the revelation of Christ through the dove and the voice at his baptism, and the revelation of Christ in his turning the water into wine at the wedding at Cana. Today, these are usually celebrated successively on the first three Sundays of the new year.

Sunday. The celebration of Sunday as the Lord’s Day is the central building block of the Christian year. The weekly assembly of the people of God to hear God’s Word, to offer their common prayers, and to celebrate the sacraments lies at the heart of Christian celebration. The biblical word kyriake (Lord’s) occurs only in the phrases “the Lord’s Day” and “the Lord’s Supper.” Sunday is preeminently the Christian day of worship. It is the first day, the day of the creation of light, in Genesis 1. It is the day of Christ’s resurrection and the day of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the apostles on the Day of Pentecost. It is also the eschatological eighth day, the day that has a dawning but no evening, the eternal day of the heavenly Jerusalem. It is this weekly gathering for worship that gives meaning and form to the Christian year.

Seasons of the Year

Advent. The church year is generally considered to begin with Advent, although other days such as Christmas, Easter, the beginning of Lent, or even January 1 have sometimes been considered its beginning. The Advent season is almost archetypically a new year’s festival. It combines joy with penitence, looking back with looking forward, remembrance with hope. It celebrates the coming of Christ—both his coming as a baby at Bethlehem and his coming again in glory “to judge the quick and the dead.” The three great Advent figures are Isaiah, John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary. The messianic prophecies of Isaiah have long been associated with Advent.

A traditional structure would begin with the eschatological Second Coming on the first Sunday. Isaiah 64:1 (“Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down … ”) and Mark 13:35 (“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back.”) are typical themes. Bach’s “Sleepers Wake” and Charles Wesley’s “Lo! He Comes, with Clouds Descending” are typical Advent Sunday hymns. On the middle Sundays, the Baptist’s preaching of the coming of the kingdom is the typical theme. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a hymn commonly sung here. On the fourth Sunday, our attention is turned toward Christmas. Luke’s account of the annunciation to Mary and a hymn-like “I Know a Rose Tree Springing” move the theme toward the Incarnation. In North American culture, it is easy to lose sight of preparing for and looking forward to a festival and to be carried away by its anticipated celebration. Advent is intended to prepare us for Christmas, leading gently into it. Promise of Glory (Catherine Nerney [Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, n.d.]) contains a number of forms for Advent special services, as well as services for Christmas and Epiphany that keep the boundaries clear while recognizing the impossibility of refusing to live in our own culture.

In many churches, an Advent wreath—an evergreen wreath with four candles in it and sometimes a fifth in the center—is lighted during this season. One candle is lighted on the first Sunday of Advent, two on the second Sunday, and so on. If a fifth candle is used, it is lighted on Christmas. The candles symbolize the light of Christ shining in the darkness.

Christmas and Epiphany. The celebration of Christmas on December 25 and during the twelve days until Epiphany is the climax of the season. Christmas celebrates not just the birthday of the Christ child, but also the Incarnation. The prologue to John’s Gospel, as well as the nativity account in Luke, are proper Christmas readings. John 1 is an appropriate reading and sermon text for one of the Sundays following Christmas. The season ends with the celebration of the baptism of Christ on the Sunday after Epiphany or (in some churches) of Christ’s presentation in the temple on Candlemas (February 2). The baptism of Christ is an obvious occasion to make the principal service a baptismal service. The reading of the Gospel account of our Lord’s baptism provides an occasion for a sermon on baptism as an introduction to the baptismal rite. Epiphany baptisms were the custom of many ancient churches of both East and West, and it is a tradition that can be profitably revived. If Candlemas is observed, the song of Simeon (Luke 2:29–32), with its reference to the light to enlighten the nations, serves as the pivot for a service of light and the refocusing of attention from looking back to Christmas to looking forward to the Crucifixion (Luke 2:34–35).

The baptism of Christ is celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany, and other manifestations of Christ on the following Sunday. The Lutheran and Episcopal versions of the three-year lectionary read the account of the Transfiguration on the Sunday before the beginning of Lent, using the references to the Passion and Resurrection in the accounts as a transition into the Easter cycle.

Lent. The Easter cycle celebrates the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ and the church’s participation in it. The cycle begins with the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday (a sort of Christian Yom Kippur), on which penitential liturgies reflect our confrontation with our own mortality and our sorrow for sin. Lent, however, is intended to be not a daily repetition of Ash Wednesday but a season of preparation for the joy of Easter. Baptism, the sacrament of the forgiveness of sins and participation in the resurrection of Christ, is the Easter sacrament par excellence, and Lent originated as a season of preparation for baptism. Its themes, therefore, are repentance, spiritual growth, and entering into union with Christ. The temptation of Christ in the wilderness is the traditional theme for the first Sunday in Lent (“Forty days and forty nights, thou wast fasting in the wild”). The most ancient readings for the Lenten season are the Gospel readings for the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays from Year A of the three-year lectionary. These readings are narratives of Jesus and the Samaritan woman, the healing of the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus. The ancient Lenten lessons provided the texts for the instruction of candidates for Easter baptism and still serve as an introduction to the great theological themes to lead a congregation to renewal at Easter.

Lenten services can be planned to have a distinctive seasonal tone. The use of distinctive Lenten vestments or ornamentation of the church building, the choice of hymns, and the inclusion of penitential elements in the service are all ways of marking the season. Some churches refrain from using flowers during Lent; others use a single budding branch as a sign of spring and resurrection to come. Often, midweek evening services are a part of a congregation’s Lenten plan.

Holy Week. Holy Week is central to the liturgical year. It begins on Palm Sunday. Traditionally, the celebration has had two distinct foci: the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, often expressed by a palm procession at the beginning and the distribution of palms to the congregation; and the Passion, marked by the reading of the Gospel account of the Crucifixion from one of the Synoptics and the singing of passion hymns and chorales. The movement from the joy of the Triumphal Entry to the solemnity of the Passion narrative is extremely powerful.

The contrast can be emphasized by gathering for the distribution of palms and the reading of the account of the Triumphal Entry in a place other than the church and proceeding to the church carrying palms. The hymns “All Glory, Laud and Honor” and “Ride On, Ride On in Majesty,” are traditionally associated with the procession. The reading and preaching of the Passion, with appropriate music, then follows in the church.

Maundy Thursday is celebrated as the anniversary of the Last Supper. The celebration of the Eucharist with the reading of the account of the Supper are obvious ways of marking the day. In many places, John’s account of the Last Supper is also read, and a symbolic foot-washing takes place. The calendar ties the Last Supper to the events that followed it—the betrayal, trial, and Crucifixion—and the preacher should do likewise.

Good Friday is the church’s solemn commemoration of the Crucifixion. John’s account of the Crucifixion is the traditional reading. It was for this occasion that Bach composed his St. John’s Passion. In some places, preaching on the Passion for three hours has become traditional. A more liturgical tradition links the reading and preaching of the Passion to devotions before the cross. An excellent modern interpretation of the traditional anthem, “The Reproaches,” is contained in From Ashes to Fire (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1979) and has been reprinted in many other service books.

Prayer vigils, either between the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, or from Good Friday until Easter sunrise, are often included in the planning. Increasingly, the ancient tradition of celebrating the Great Vigil of Easter between sunset Saturday and Easter sunrise is being revived. It was at this vigil that the catechumens were baptized, and it concluded with their reception of Holy Communion at the sunrise service on Easter.

The Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil begins with a service of light at which the Paschal candle is lighted. This burns during worship throughout the fifty days from Easter to Pentecost and is a symbol of the season and our life in the risen Christ. It is also lighted at baptisms and funerals to continue the symbolism. The Word service contains a series of Old Testament readings. The congregation renews their baptismal vows, and baptisms (if there are any) take place. The Vigil concludes with the first service of Easter, traditionally a Communion service, including the reading of Matthew’s account of the Resurrection.

Like the baptism of Christ, the Easter Vigil is a traditional time for baptisms. The Pauline baptismal theology of Romans 6 associates baptism so deeply with the death and resurrection of Christ that its celebration at this time has been a constant feature of Christian tradition. Lent is the time of preparation for baptism, the baptism itself is at Easter, and the fifty days of Easter are a period of rejoicing as the new Christians enter into the risen life.

Easter Season and Pentecost. Alleluia! is the great Easter word, and it is included in hymns and responses throughout the Easter season. The festal adornment of the church building and the joyful tone of the worship continues until Pentecost. The resurrection appearances and the life of the apostolic church as recorded in Acts are the customary Scripture readings and sermon themes. The Ascension is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter (a Thursday) or the Sunday following, and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) on the Day of Pentecost, which brings the season to a close. This is a part of the same Easter celebration, and services should be planned integrally for all eight Sundays. Frequently, the Easter character of services is lost after a week or two, so that Pentecost seems an unrelated celebration when it arrives. The early church called the Easter season “fifty days of rejoicing.” It follows the forty days of Lent and provides balance.

Pentecost itself is appropriately observed in many churches as the day for confirmation. It is a celebration of the spread of the church throughout the world in the power of the Holy Spirit, and Christian unity, Christian missions, and evangelism are suitable Pentecost themes. Following the example of Acts 2, the Word is often proclaimed in as many languages as the congregation can muster among its people.

The Season after Pentecost. The season after Pentecost is the season of the life of the Christian church. We ourselves actually live in the season between Pentecost and the Second Advent. Some churches call it “ordinary time,” but it is the time of our redemption. At the beginning of November, the parables of the kingdom become the Sunday readings, and post-Pentecost begins to look forward to Advent. It is not reasonable to plan the entire post-Pentecost season as a unit because it would be too long, but this last part of the season can be so planned (e.g., the outline set forth in Promise of Glory). The last Sunday before Advent is often observed as a festival of the reign of Jesus Christ, which leads easily into the celebration of the final Advent on the next Sunday as the climax to the series of readings about the kingdom of God. In this way, the years are bound together and the cycle begins again.

Using the Christian year as a basis for the planning of worship not only puts the congregation in tune with a great body of Christian tradition stretching all across the world and back through the centuries, but also assures a balanced, integrated, and biblically-based plan, and frees the congregation from the whims and biases of the individual pastor.