The Problem Of The Civil Year In Worship

Many churches that have rejected the practice of the Christian year follow the secular way of marking time. This article describes some of the "calendars" that churches use to mark time and points out some of the problems with the observance of civil occasions in particular. It is written from a Reformed perspective but will be useful to churches in any tradition. As any liturgist knows, we have to take more than one "church year" into account as we plan our worship services. The last time I counted, I came up with six distinguishable "years. " First is the lectionary year, used by congregations from many denominations to organize their worship planning. Next, and familiar especially to churches within the Reformed tradition, is the catechism year, patterned after the "Lord's Days" of the Heidelberg Catechism. Third is the hallmark year-Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day-a list of special occasions that many churches recognize in one fashion or another. Fourth and fifth are…