Christian Church (disciples Of Christ)

Worship in the Disciples of Christ denomination was shaped by the conditions of the American frontier during the early nineteenth century. Only in the second half of the twentieth century has widespread use of the Christian year appeared. A worship calendar which became popular in the 1950s helped prepare the way, combining some historic Christian festivals with national and denominational observances. Since the 1960s, Disciples' participation in ecumenical worship renewal has encouraged full embrace of the Christian year. The early Disciples on the frontier of western Pennsylvania and western Virginia did not use the Christian year as the basis for worship. They followed the style and practice of frontier worship with the exception of participating in the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day. The presence of the Lord's Supper became, and has remained, the defining aspect of Disciples worship. This fact is important for understanding the Disciples recent embrace of the Christian year and t…