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The Church Year |
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The Church Year is divided into six seasons: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. | |
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The Advent Season |
Advent is the first season of the church year.Advent begins four weeks before Christmas and
ends on Christmas Eve. Advent means "coming" or "drawing near."
Advent is a time of waiting and proparation for
the arrival of Christ. The color is advent is either purple, signifying royalty,
or blue, the color of hope and anticipation. |
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The Season of Christmas |
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The Christmas season begins December 25 and lasts
12 days, through January 5. Christmas Day marks the celebration of Jesus's birth. White is the liturgical color for Christmas and its season.
White symbolizes purity, light and joy that the birth of
God's Son brings to His people. | |
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The Season of Epiphany |
The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6.
Epiphany lasts until Ash Wednesday.White is the liturgical color of Epiphany. Epiphany means "manifestation" or "showing forth."
The Epiphany season emphasizes how God revealed Himself
to the world through Christ - to the Wise Men. The Feast of the Epiphany is one of gladness because Jesus
came to save all people. | |
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The Church Year - Lent |
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts 40 days.
(This year Ash Wednesday is February 25, 2009.)
Holy Week commemorates Christ's last week of life on earth.
It is the final, most important part of Lent.Within Holy Week are these special days: * PALM SUNDAY. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. It is also known as the Sunday of the Passion, recalling the sufferings of Jesus between the night of the Last Supper and His death. * MAUNDY THURSDAY is observed on the Thursday before Easter. The word "Maundy" comes from the Latin word "mandatum" which means "commandment." Maundy Thursday recalls the Last Supper that Jesus had with His closest disciples. * On GOOD FRIDAY we remember how Jesus suffered and died on a cross for the sins of the world. The word "Lent" is derived from the Middle English word "Lente" which means "springtime". The color for the liturgical season of Lent is Purple - a color of royal mourning and repentance. Lent is a time of preparation, prayer and quiet reflection. |
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| The Season of Easter | | | The Easter season begins on Easter Sunday (April 12, this year)
with the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and lasts for 50 days. The date of Easter changes from year to year. Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first full
moon following the spring equinox. The liturgical color for Easter is white, symbolizing joy. On Easter, the church celebrates the day that Jesus, who was crucified on Good Friday, overcame death and rose from the dead. | 
LWML Banner | | |
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| Click link to see more Easter Banners | All of these banners were made by the women of Redeemer Lutheran Church's LWML. | | Continue to see more Banners | | | | |
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Pentecost |
This year, the day of Pentecost is May 31, 2009.The 50th day after Easter is Pentecost. On this day,
the Holy Spirit came to Jesus' disciples so they could
carry on His work and establish the church throughout
the world. The liturgical color for the days after Pentecost is green,
symbolizing this as a time of growth for the church. The Sundays after Pentecost focus on the ministry and
teachings of Jesus. | |
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Reformation Sunday |
October 25, 2009.Reformation Day is observed on the last
Sunday of October, during the Season of Pentecost. The symbol of Luther and Lutherans is the Luther Rose. |
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