The Christmas Cycle
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Christmas Cycle is composed of three integrated seasons, Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. It might better be called the Advent, or the parousia Cycle, because it centers on the return, the second coming, of Christ in judgment rather than, as popularly believed - and even suggested by the title of the cycle - on the birth of Jesus as the first coming of our Lord. It establishes an eschatological perspective for the entire Christian year, not only in the season of Advent, but in Christmas and Epiphany, as well, reminding the faithful that the full plan of God's redemption of the world will not be initiated until the time comes that God has determined for Jesus' return in glory. The cycle varies, in most years, from 12 to 14 weeks in length. This is important for planning one's preaching ministry; the very nature of the cycle seems to suggest that coherence and unity in the reading of the gospel (and supporting lessons) might best be achieved if "inclusive planning" for all three of the seasons of the cycle is done before one begins to preach on any of the Sundays of Advent.
Advent, consisting of the four Sundays immediately preceding Christmas, emphasizes the presence of the Lord in the proclamation of the Word and, especially, in the celebration of the eucharist. The Sundays have the same basic content in all three series of gospels, Mat-thew (A), Mark and John (B), and Luke (C): First Sunday in Advent - "Wake Up Sunday" - "Christ will come again!" Second Sunday in Advent - "Preparation Sunday" -"The way of the Lord has been prepared." Third Sunday in Advent - "Presence Sunday" - "The Lord, who will return, is even present now." Fourth Sunday in Advent - "Promise Sunday" - "God has kept his promise to send a Savior for all people." Advent, therefore, is oriented, as these themes recur and are expanded in the gospels and the other lessons assigned annually to the Sundays of Advent, to the three "comings" of Christ. Advent does not exist primarily to prepare the church for the celebration of Christmas; it has an ultimate purpose - to prepare the people of God for the parousia.
Advent probably evolved as a kind of "winter Lent" that was connected to Epiphany, a baptismal festival in the early church (see my The Renewal Of Liturgical Preaching for additional information about the relationship of Advent to Epiphany. Also, Adrian Nocent, in The Liturgical Year, treats the liturgical development of Advent in significant detail, reveal-ing that, compared to Advent, Christmas was a "liturgical latecomer.") Advent, as an eschatological season, establishes the liturgical perspective for the entire year - the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord, will come again! The Easter Christ himself has made this promise to his people.
Liturgical Colors For Advent: Blue Or Violet
Christmas, despite the fact that it is popularly observed as a one-day festival, is a 12-day season that finds popular and almost singular expression in the familiar "The Twelve Days of Christmas" carol. (Christmas Day - the "remnant" of the Christmas season - falls on a Wednesday in 1991, Twelfth Night, the eve of Epiphany, which really concludes the Christmas season, is given some expression in the controlled burning of Christmas trees and, rather rarely of late, in the worship plans and patterns of some congregations. Epiphany, unless it occurs on a Sunday, which it did in 1991, tends to be omitted from worship plans and sacramental practices, as well as popular piety. That is why the Roman Catholic Church annually celebrates Epiphany on the first Sunday in January. The church has nearly forgotten that Epiphany was a reserve day for baptisms in the earlier history of the church). The other problem, which is equally serious for the worship life and spiritual growth of the faithful, is the reality that Christmas is celebrated popularly during Advent; the Christmas festival is really the end of the Advent season rather than the beginning of a 12-day celebration of the birth of Jesus that finds ultimate expression in his death and resurrection and the promise of his coming to the world a second time. Christmas - in the Christ Mass - finds eschatological orientation in the holy communion, which always is a celebration of the presence of the risen Lord and the parousia ("as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again" - 1 Corinthians 11:26). Thematically, the proclamation of the gospel needs the 12-day Christmas season to reestablish annually the full meaning of Christmas in the life of the church. Liturgically and lectionary-oriented preach-ing during Advent and Christmas can go a long way in achieving this.
Liturgical Colors For Christmas: white or gold
Epiphany, is, in many respects, a season that is "up for grabs." While the churches agree on how the gospel would be read in all three years - semi-continuously, beginning with the Epiphany account of Jesus' birth (Matthew 2:1-13) - they don't agree on the naming of the Sundays after Epiphany. The Roman ORDO of the post-Vatican II liturgical reforms names the Sundays after Epiphany as Sundays "in Ordinary Time;" the Sundays after Pentecost were given the same "ordinary time" designation. Episcopalians, Lutherans, and others decided to call the same Sundays "after Epiphany" (the First Sunday after the Epiphany is celebrated as the Baptism Of Our Lord' ') and "after Pentecost." When seen the latter way, and despite the fact that the same gospels and most of the other lessons are assigned to these Sundays by Roman Catholics and non-Romans, the Lutheran arrangement has more eschatological content - realized eschatology - stressing Jesus' manifestation to the world at his birth, his baptism, ministry, and at his Transfiguration. Lutherans in the United States have celebrated the Transfiguration on the last Sunday after Epiphany, not August 6, the traditional date (Episcopalians read the lections for the Transfiguration on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, but the calendar retains the August 6 date), partly as an echo to God's announcement at Jesus' baptism ("you are my Son"), and also to serve as a climax to the Epiphany season and a bridge into the Easter Cycle (Lent and Easter seasons). The gospels of Epiphany amplify the announcement of the coming of the Christ to the world that was made at Jesus' birth. This remains the manifestation of the Messiah to Israel and, then, to the Gentile world, as well, and it completes the Christmas Cycle.
Liturgical Colors For Epiphany: White (Epiphany), The Baptism Of Our Lord, and the Transfiguration) and green for the other Sundays.
Preaching In The Advent Season
Preaching the Advent themes is not easy, simply because it is eschatological preaching and such preaching is always difficult. Some preachers dodge the eschatological note on the First Sunday in Advent, the second coming of the Christ, by preaching on the "new church year." A quasi-liturgical "new year's sermon," which has no foundation in the lections for the day and is, therefore, topical, is the result. The context for preaching the parousia during Advent is always eschatological - the birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord. When one's Advent sermons are oriented primarily toward the historical birth of Christ, rather than the fuller theological meaning of the incarnation, Which has already taken place, the theological orientation of the entire church year and one's preaching ministry are in jeopardy. Christ doesn't come at Christmas any differently than he comes to us at any other time of the year; he comes in the word and the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist. Every eucharistic celebration has the quality of future eschatology, because Christ is not only present in the meal through the Holy Spirit, but God's promise is proclaimed and renewed that the risen, ascended Lord will come again to reign over all.
Advent, it should be reiterated, establishes the kerygmatic perspective for Christian preaching for the entire year by sounding the note of future eschatology - Christ will come again! This, of course, complicates the preaching task of the pastor, demanding that pastoral preach-ing and teaching be done within this theological agenda (What does all of this "second-coming business" have to do with me and my life here and now?). Christians are in the same predicament that Israel was in as they awaited the coming of the Messiah; nearly 2,000 years have passed and he has not returned as he said he would. Will he come again? Can he keep his promise to the church? Is it possible for the Lord to return in glory to judge the world at the end of the age? These are more likely to be the questions asked by contemporary Christians rather than "When will he return to the earth?" Too much time has elapsed since the Lord ascended to heaven; Christmas, as the loveliest and most hopeful time of the year is more likely to be the main item of theological concern during Advent. Are people more apt to listen and respond to sermons on "preparing for Jesus' birth for the Day of the Lord?" Yet the gospels and supporting lessons call for genuine "advent" preaching.
Sermons during Advent should:
1 . Proclaim the expected return of the Lord some time - and call upon people to take the gospel seriously and wake up!
2. Prepare the way of the Lord by proclaiming the good news - he will come again!
3. Present the claims of Christ - repentance and new life - to his children.
4. Assure Christians that they have nothing to fear in the judgment of the second coming; they can look forward to Christ's return with confidence and, in the meantime, serve him with joy.
5. Announce that the Christ, who was born as a real child at Christmas is actually present as his birth is remembered and celebrated throughout the Christmas season.
Advent "programs" and establishes the preaching agenda for the entire church year when it is properly understood and allowed to influence and determine the theological mind-set of the preacher. Preaching during Advent is a complicated business, at best, but it is of critical importance for the person attempting to "preach through the lectionary and the church year" to discern the eschatological themes of Advent and to proclaim the fullness of the gospel to the faithful people of God.
Advent, consisting of the four Sundays immediately preceding Christmas, emphasizes the presence of the Lord in the proclamation of the Word and, especially, in the celebration of the eucharist. The Sundays have the same basic content in all three series of gospels, Mat-thew (A), Mark and John (B), and Luke (C): First Sunday in Advent - "Wake Up Sunday" - "Christ will come again!" Second Sunday in Advent - "Preparation Sunday" -"The way of the Lord has been prepared." Third Sunday in Advent - "Presence Sunday" - "The Lord, who will return, is even present now." Fourth Sunday in Advent - "Promise Sunday" - "God has kept his promise to send a Savior for all people." Advent, therefore, is oriented, as these themes recur and are expanded in the gospels and the other lessons assigned annually to the Sundays of Advent, to the three "comings" of Christ. Advent does not exist primarily to prepare the church for the celebration of Christmas; it has an ultimate purpose - to prepare the people of God for the parousia.
Advent probably evolved as a kind of "winter Lent" that was connected to Epiphany, a baptismal festival in the early church (see my The Renewal Of Liturgical Preaching for additional information about the relationship of Advent to Epiphany. Also, Adrian Nocent, in The Liturgical Year, treats the liturgical development of Advent in significant detail, reveal-ing that, compared to Advent, Christmas was a "liturgical latecomer.") Advent, as an eschatological season, establishes the liturgical perspective for the entire year - the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord, will come again! The Easter Christ himself has made this promise to his people.
Liturgical Colors For Advent: Blue Or Violet
Christmas, despite the fact that it is popularly observed as a one-day festival, is a 12-day season that finds popular and almost singular expression in the familiar "The Twelve Days of Christmas" carol. (Christmas Day - the "remnant" of the Christmas season - falls on a Wednesday in 1991, Twelfth Night, the eve of Epiphany, which really concludes the Christmas season, is given some expression in the controlled burning of Christmas trees and, rather rarely of late, in the worship plans and patterns of some congregations. Epiphany, unless it occurs on a Sunday, which it did in 1991, tends to be omitted from worship plans and sacramental practices, as well as popular piety. That is why the Roman Catholic Church annually celebrates Epiphany on the first Sunday in January. The church has nearly forgotten that Epiphany was a reserve day for baptisms in the earlier history of the church). The other problem, which is equally serious for the worship life and spiritual growth of the faithful, is the reality that Christmas is celebrated popularly during Advent; the Christmas festival is really the end of the Advent season rather than the beginning of a 12-day celebration of the birth of Jesus that finds ultimate expression in his death and resurrection and the promise of his coming to the world a second time. Christmas - in the Christ Mass - finds eschatological orientation in the holy communion, which always is a celebration of the presence of the risen Lord and the parousia ("as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again" - 1 Corinthians 11:26). Thematically, the proclamation of the gospel needs the 12-day Christmas season to reestablish annually the full meaning of Christmas in the life of the church. Liturgically and lectionary-oriented preach-ing during Advent and Christmas can go a long way in achieving this.
Liturgical Colors For Christmas: white or gold
Epiphany, is, in many respects, a season that is "up for grabs." While the churches agree on how the gospel would be read in all three years - semi-continuously, beginning with the Epiphany account of Jesus' birth (Matthew 2:1-13) - they don't agree on the naming of the Sundays after Epiphany. The Roman ORDO of the post-Vatican II liturgical reforms names the Sundays after Epiphany as Sundays "in Ordinary Time;" the Sundays after Pentecost were given the same "ordinary time" designation. Episcopalians, Lutherans, and others decided to call the same Sundays "after Epiphany" (the First Sunday after the Epiphany is celebrated as the Baptism Of Our Lord' ') and "after Pentecost." When seen the latter way, and despite the fact that the same gospels and most of the other lessons are assigned to these Sundays by Roman Catholics and non-Romans, the Lutheran arrangement has more eschatological content - realized eschatology - stressing Jesus' manifestation to the world at his birth, his baptism, ministry, and at his Transfiguration. Lutherans in the United States have celebrated the Transfiguration on the last Sunday after Epiphany, not August 6, the traditional date (Episcopalians read the lections for the Transfiguration on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, but the calendar retains the August 6 date), partly as an echo to God's announcement at Jesus' baptism ("you are my Son"), and also to serve as a climax to the Epiphany season and a bridge into the Easter Cycle (Lent and Easter seasons). The gospels of Epiphany amplify the announcement of the coming of the Christ to the world that was made at Jesus' birth. This remains the manifestation of the Messiah to Israel and, then, to the Gentile world, as well, and it completes the Christmas Cycle.
Liturgical Colors For Epiphany: White (Epiphany), The Baptism Of Our Lord, and the Transfiguration) and green for the other Sundays.
Preaching In The Advent Season
Preaching the Advent themes is not easy, simply because it is eschatological preaching and such preaching is always difficult. Some preachers dodge the eschatological note on the First Sunday in Advent, the second coming of the Christ, by preaching on the "new church year." A quasi-liturgical "new year's sermon," which has no foundation in the lections for the day and is, therefore, topical, is the result. The context for preaching the parousia during Advent is always eschatological - the birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord. When one's Advent sermons are oriented primarily toward the historical birth of Christ, rather than the fuller theological meaning of the incarnation, Which has already taken place, the theological orientation of the entire church year and one's preaching ministry are in jeopardy. Christ doesn't come at Christmas any differently than he comes to us at any other time of the year; he comes in the word and the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist. Every eucharistic celebration has the quality of future eschatology, because Christ is not only present in the meal through the Holy Spirit, but God's promise is proclaimed and renewed that the risen, ascended Lord will come again to reign over all.
Advent, it should be reiterated, establishes the kerygmatic perspective for Christian preaching for the entire year by sounding the note of future eschatology - Christ will come again! This, of course, complicates the preaching task of the pastor, demanding that pastoral preach-ing and teaching be done within this theological agenda (What does all of this "second-coming business" have to do with me and my life here and now?). Christians are in the same predicament that Israel was in as they awaited the coming of the Messiah; nearly 2,000 years have passed and he has not returned as he said he would. Will he come again? Can he keep his promise to the church? Is it possible for the Lord to return in glory to judge the world at the end of the age? These are more likely to be the questions asked by contemporary Christians rather than "When will he return to the earth?" Too much time has elapsed since the Lord ascended to heaven; Christmas, as the loveliest and most hopeful time of the year is more likely to be the main item of theological concern during Advent. Are people more apt to listen and respond to sermons on "preparing for Jesus' birth for the Day of the Lord?" Yet the gospels and supporting lessons call for genuine "advent" preaching.
Sermons during Advent should:
1 . Proclaim the expected return of the Lord some time - and call upon people to take the gospel seriously and wake up!
2. Prepare the way of the Lord by proclaiming the good news - he will come again!
3. Present the claims of Christ - repentance and new life - to his children.
4. Assure Christians that they have nothing to fear in the judgment of the second coming; they can look forward to Christ's return with confidence and, in the meantime, serve him with joy.
5. Announce that the Christ, who was born as a real child at Christmas is actually present as his birth is remembered and celebrated throughout the Christmas season.
Advent "programs" and establishes the preaching agenda for the entire church year when it is properly understood and allowed to influence and determine the theological mind-set of the preacher. Preaching during Advent is a complicated business, at best, but it is of critical importance for the person attempting to "preach through the lectionary and the church year" to discern the eschatological themes of Advent and to proclaim the fullness of the gospel to the faithful people of God.
