Alternative Practice Of The Christian Year In Liturgical Churches

St. Gregory Nyssen Episcopal Church in San Francisco draws on ancient traditions of both the Eastern and Western church, as illuminated by modern scholarship, in its innovative practice of the Christian year. In contrast to many modern churches, St. Gregory's makes Holy Week and Easter, rather than Christmas, the high point of the year. Working creatively with the Christian year requires grasping its fundamental spirit. Put simply, the Christian year is a lectionary-a plan for reading the Bible in church. It does not commemorate times when scriptural events actually happened (except for the Passion these are unknown) but instead schedules readings in thematic clusters, which we call "seasons. " Though the lectionary grew by fits in overlapping segments, historical research finds that all parts center on the death and resurrection of Jesus. This point is plain in the Passion reading cycle, but the readings for the festal round commemorating his birth and ministry were also anciently …