Jeremy L. Berg

Attentively observing the holy rhythm of the sacred calendar is one of the most spiritually enriching practices we can undertake. Instead of letting Hallmark or school activities mark the seasons of our life, we mark time by telling the story of Jesus and letting our own life be pulled into the orbit of the Son.

The Christian Year is an ancient practice of participating in the great moments of redemption: Jesus’ incarnation, life and ministry, suffering, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and his anticipated second coming. As Don Saliers puts it:

“Entering into the cycles of the liturgical year is a way of unfolding and exploring the gospel itself: opening the treasury of who Jesus is and what he does in and through human community called forth to conversion and transformation. So we enter Advent/Christmas/Epiphany precisely as a way of expectation, reception, and manifestation of the love of God in human form. But in doing so the Scripture itself opens new dimensions of reality to us. The same is true of Lent/Easter/Pentecost. In this case, the central mystery of participation in the death and resurrection of Christ is at the heart of the journey… Our lives are constantly being  reinterpreted into the story of God with us” (From The Services of the Christian Year edited by Robert Webber).

This past Sunday (the first Sunday of Advent) was the beginning of the sacred calendar year. A new year has begun. May we find ourselves participating in the Story of stories and find ultimate meaning in our being caught up in the drama. I have written more on this here.

Happy New Year!