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CLASS 9:

Introduction

In the previous class, we discussed the sacraments of the church, and how the theology of them is informed by the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the canons of the church. In this class we will examine the calendar of the Christian Church year, and discuss some different prayer forms and styles.

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Terms for Time

Theologically, there are two Greek terms that refer to time: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos is the root of our word "chronology" and it refers to the sequential ordering of events, thus creating a temporal sense of past, present, and future. Kairos refers to God's own time, and it is often used in the New Testament to times when God interjected Godself into our temporal (Chronos) time. The feast days and the ordering of the church calendar contain both elements of fixed (chronos) events and celebrations as well as remembrances of times when God was especially immanent in the person of Jesus or the Holy Spirit (kairos).

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The Calendar

The Basic Components

The calendar is made up of four basic components:

• The seven principle feasts of the church year
• Sundays
• Lesser Feasts or Holy Days
• Commemorations and Other Special Days

The Solar and Lunar Cycles

The Church calendar is built from two different - and competing - cycles of time: the lunar cycle and the solar cycle. The date of the birthday of Christ (Christmas), Epiphany (January 6), and All Saint's Day (November 1) are set by the solar cycle, so they occur on the same days each year. Easter, the day of Christ's resurrection, is set by the lunar cycle and the Spring Equinox (March 21). Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Spring Equinox (BCP page 15). Since the solar and the lunar cycles do not start or end on the same calendar days of the year, how does the church calendar work?

The Principle Feasts (BCP, page 15)

The calendar is based around seven principle feasts: Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Holy Trinity (Trinity Sunday), All Saints, Christmas, and Epiphany (see BCP pages 15-18). All Saint's Day, Christmas, and Epiphany always occur on the same calendar dates each year. Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday each occur a fixed number of days after Easter. Easter is a movable date. In order to knit together two calendars, one with fixed celebrations based on the solar cycle and the other with celebrations that fall on different calendar dates due to the lunar cycle, two seasons with variable numbers of days are inserted into the calendar, one after Epiphany, and the other after Pentecost (see the diagram below, but better yet, go to slide 5 in the slide show ). The ordering of the principle feasts throughout the 365 calendar year is thus made possible.

Sundays (BCP, Page 16)

The BCP says that all Sundays of the year are feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to celebrating the principle feasts noted above on the days indicated, the prayer book states that the feasts of The Holy Name, The Presentation, The Transfiguration, The feast of the Dedication of a Church, and the feast of its patron or title, may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter. All other Feasts of our Lord, and all other Major Feasts appointed on fixed days in the Calendar, when they occur on a Sunday, are normally transferred to the first convenient open day within the week.

Each regular Sunday is a day set aside for special devotion. And as special days, there are seasons of the church year during which Sundays are not counted as part of that particular season. For example, the 40 days of Lent do not include the Sundays.

The Lesser Feasts or Holy Days (BCP, pages 16-17)

The following special holy days have precedence over all other days of commemoration or of special observance, unless otherwise contradicted by the rules concerning Sunday worship:

• The Holy Name Saint John the Baptist
• The Presentation
• The Transfiguration
• The Annunciation
• Holy Cross Day
• The Visitation

Other Major Feasts that occur throughout the calendar year include the following:

• All feasts of Apostles
• All feasts of Evangelists
• Saint Stephen
• The Holy Innocents
• Saint Joseph
• Saint Mary Magdalene
• Saint Mary the Virgin
• Saint Michael and All Angels
• Saint James of Jerusalem
• Independence Day
• Thanksgiving Day

Commemorations and Other Special Days (BCP, pages 17-18)

There are several days or periods in the church calendar that are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial. The most familiar ones to most are probably Ash Wednesday and the other weekdays of Lent and of Holy Week, and Good Friday.

Finally there are days of optional observance that may be observed during the church year by the saying of special Collects, Psalms, and Lessons duly authorized by the Church. These are often printed in the Lesser Feasts and Fasts and Lectionary Texts: Various Occasions and Occasional Services. Among these are days commemorating specific saints; Ember Days, traditionally observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays after the First Sunday in Lent; the Day of Pentecost; Holy Cross Day; The Rogation Days; traditionally observed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day; and other various occasions.

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The Seasons and Colors of the Church

The church year begins with the season of Advent. This begins four Sundays before Christmas Day (around the end of November; in 2005, the first Sunday of Advent will be November 27, 2005). The Christmas season is 12 days long, ending on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, 40 days (excluding the Sundays) before Easter. The Easter season is 50 days long, with the Ascension occurring 40 days after Easter, and the Feast of Pentecost occurring on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (which is May 5, 2005). Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost (May 22, 2005). The season after Trinity Sunday is called "ordinary time" by some people, and it last until the first Sunday of Advent. All Saint's Day is a Principle feast occurring during ordinary time on November 1 (there are provisions for celebrating Pentecost on the first Sunday after the actual date of November 1 when November 1 does not fall on a Sunday). These seasons are shown in the diagram below (but for a better picture of this, see Slides 11- 15 in the Slide Show ).

We mark the seasons of the church year, as well as the Principle and Minor feasts by the use of colors on the altar, and by the vestments worn by the priest. A brief description of the seasons and the colors is as follows. Explanations are derived from An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church (see the Bibliography).

Day or Season	Color	Explanation
Advent	Blue or Purple	The first season of the church year, beginning with the 4th Sunday before Christmas and continuing through the day before Christmas. The name is derived from the Latin meaning "coming." It is a season of preparation and expectation of the celebration of Jesus' nativity, and for the final coming of Christ in power and glory.
Christmas	White	The nativity of our Lord, December 25. It was first celebrated about 336. The date of December 25 as Jesus' birthday has no connection to anything historical. The date was probably chosen to oppose the feast of the Sun God.
Epiphany	White	This day commemorates the manifestation of Christ to the people of the earth. Christians chose Jan 6 because this date was already kept and celebrated by pagans as the winter solstice in the first centuries of the church. The day became a date to celebrate the various manifestations of Jesus' divinity, including his birth, the coming of the Magi and the changing of water into wine at Cana. The season of Epiphany (of variable length depending on the date of Easter) concentrate on the miracles of Jesus, the calling of the disciples, and the wedding at Cana. The last Sunday of the Epiphany season is devoted to the Transfiguration (another "manifestation").
Lent	Purple	This is a season of penitence and fasting in preparation for the Paschal feast. The word "Lent" comes from the Old English word for "Spring." The season is 40 days in length beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending with Holy Saturday (not counting the intervening Sundays). It was a season especially important for the preparation of people for Baptism, and for those who had done something notorious, and were preparing to be reaccepted into the Christian assembly.
Holy Week	Red	The week before Easter is a special time of devotion. It evolved from the period when many Christians made pilgrimages to the Holy Land to venerate the places where Christ suffered during his final days with us. The rites we observe on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Vigil all evolved from these pilgrim experiences. There are special readings, and other special services and acts of devotion that take place during Holy Week. Holy Week ends at sundown on Holy Saturday (the Saturday before Easter Sunday).
Easter Sunday	White	This is the feast of Jesus' resurrection. The word probably derives from the Anglo-Saxon spring goddess "Eostre." Christians in England applied the word to the paschal feast. The date of Easter places Spring against the backdrop of lessons about creation and deliverance and the proclamations of the living Christ. The date of Easter always falls between Mar 22 and April 25 inclusive. In the Episcopal Church we follow the Jewish custom of beginning our celebration of Easter at Sundown on the preceding Saturday with the Great Vigil of Easter.
Season of Easter	White	The season of Easter lasts for 50 days until the Feast of Pentecost.
Pentecost Sunday	Red	In recognition of the descending of the Holy Spirit that appeared as tongues of flame upon the heads of the gathered disciples, Pentecost Sunday is commemorated by the use of red. Pentecost Sunday occurs on the Seventh Sunday after Easter. It recognizes that the church is understood to be the body of CHrist, drawn together and given life by the Holy Spirit.
Trinity Sunday	White	This feast celebrates the one and equal glory of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in trinity of persons and in Unity of Being. It is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Trinity Sunday was made an official feast by Pope John XXII in 1334.
Post Pentecost (Ordinary Time)	Green	This is the longest season of the church year, spanning the period from approximately May/June through November (ending on the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent).
All Saints	White	This is the feast that commemorates all saints, known and unknown. It is celebrated on the fixed day of Nov. 1. But the feast is often transferred to the Sunday following Nov. 1.

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Liturgical Clothing

Clergy in the Episcopal Church wear a vast array of clothing for different liturgical settings. And over the years, the clothing worn for specific kinds of services has changed. Below are pictures of some of the clothing worn by clergy for different kinds of services throughout the liturgical year.

(1) Modern vestments worn at the Eucharist. The white alb is tied with a cincture (the white rope). A stole is worn around the neck in a color appropriate for the season. Here a red stole such as might be worn for Pentecost Sunday is shown.	(2) A rear view of the clothing shown in 1 at the left.
(3) The chasuble worn over the stole. The chasuble is a garment worn specifically by the priest who celebrates the Great Thanksgiving at Holy Communion. The color of the chasuble is appropriate for the season. Here, green is shown such as is worn during the season after Pentecost.	(4) A view of the chasuble shown in 3 from the back.
(5) The cope. A garment worn for especially festive occasions including "high" holy days like Easter, but also for weddings and funerals.	(6) A rear view of the cope shown in 5. Copes, like other vestments, come in a variety of styles and colors.
(7) The black cassock. This garment is worn for special non-Eucharistic services. It is often worn with a surplice and other vestments (see pictures 9 through 12). There was a time when priests wore cassocks as their daily clothing in church and around town. This is still the custom in some parts of the world.	(8) The stole is sometimes worn in a crossed manner like that shown above. Priests may wear their stoles crossed when the Bishop is present at the Eucharist. the Bishop would wear her/his stole in a straight manner such as that shown in 1 above.
(9) The black cassock covered with a white surplice and a black preaching scarf, also known as a tippet. The tippet may be festooned with various crests or seals. The cassock, surplice, and tippet are worn for non-Eucharistic services such as the daily offices. An academic hood may also be worn with the may also be worn with the cassock, surplice, and tippet (see 11 and 12).	(10) The cassock and surplice worn with a stole. This was the style of vestment worn for the Eucharist before 1928. Some priests still wear this style for Eucharistic celebrations.
(11) The cassock, surplice, and tippet worn with an academic hood. (Also see No. 9)	(12) The cassock, surplice, tippet and academic hood seen from the rear. (Also see No. 9)

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An Introduction To Prayer

As we have developed in the past three classes, Episcopalians are people who pray, and who define themselves by what they pray. But that really begs two questions. The first is what is prayer? The BCP Catechism says that prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words. It further says that Christian prayer is response to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is probably about as good a definition as any, for it allows the possibility that people who are thinking loving and caring thoughts about another person are engaged in a form of prayer.

The second question is how do we pray. In our corporate worship, such as the Eucharist and the Daily Offices, we recite many verbal prayers with the others present in the congregation. And as we pray throughout the year, our prayers differ with the liturgical season. For example, during the season of Lent, our worship services become more penitential. For example, we might use the penitential order (BCP, page 351) at the beginning of the service, instead of saying the confession after the Prayers of the People which is where the confession is usually said (BCP, page 359). This helps us focus our minds and hearts on repentance, a major theme of Lent. During the joyous time of Easter, we traditionally don't say the confession at all.

But, for Episcopalians, prayer is not just something we do together on Sunday mornings. We should make our lives into prayer. In the Church's teaching series is a book by Margaret Guenther that I think is one of the finest introductions to prayer available today (see the Bibliography). In this section of the class, we will look at prayer, using Guenther's book and the Catechism (see BCP, pages 856-867).

Prayer as Conversation

Prayer requires that we pay attention to what we are doing, even as we empty our minds so that we can be receptive to God's conversation with us. We need to avoid spiritual sluggishness (or falling asleep!). One of the problems with conversation is that we can become used to our conversation partner, and not hear them anymore. Any husband and wife (usually the wife) will tell you this is the case. Our conversations with God need to be active, filled with active and attentive listening.

We need to quiet our inner voices, those annoying things that pop into our heads when we try to clear our thoughts. As we begin to relax, our brains seem to do two things. They either fall into sleep, or they decide to become active in usually disturbing ways. For example, when getting into a relaxed meditative state, the brain can suddenly ask our consciousness whether there are clothes in the drier, or whether you remembered to add toilet paper to the grocery list. We have to actively suppress these thoughts in order to let God speak to us (unless it is God reminding us about the toilet paper!).

We also have to be willing to pray boldly and raise our heads to face the divine. It might be a scary thing to think of being in the presence of God, or to actually hear God speak. The Old Testament tells us stories of how the Hebrews were overwhelmed by God's voice. But we mustn't be afraid of God. We need to want an encounter with the holy in order to be in the right receptive frame of mind and spirit to experience God.

We may encounter the divine through the action of angels or through the words/deeds of modern day prophets. Angels are not sentimental, bug-eyed, pastel-colored ceramic figurines. They are slippery things that can come and go; they may appear as people. Prophets are likewise ordinary people saying and doing extraordinary things, like Gandhi, Tutu, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Categories of Prayer

There are many kinds of prayer. There is corporate prayer and private prayer. We have discussed corporate prayer quite a bit in this course, and now we will turn our focus to private prayer.

he prayer book, and Margaret Guenther describe five classes of prayers:

• adoration
• thanksgiving
• confession
• intercession
• petition

Combining what the prayer book and Guenther say about these prayers, we can define them as follows:

Adoration. Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God’s presence. Guenther describes this as an experience that feels like God taking our breath away. We are humbled by this experience, but it is a short lived one. We only catch glimpses of God, and those glimpses cause us to spontaneously praise God.

Thanksgiving. We offer thanksgiving is offered to God for all the blessings of this life, for our redemption, and for whatever draws us closer to God. Basically we are grateful for the experience of creation. But we are "little" compared to God, and we often feel it is hard to properly express gratitude to God who is so very much bigger. But if we listen to our inner self, we will find that feelings of gratitude are within us. This may be particularly true at meal time. Grace before meals is a great place to start to express thanksgiving for all kinds of things.

Confession. Here we acknowledge our limitations and our inability to follow (or even comprehend) God's will. We also acknowledge actions, words, or inaction that have caused harm to others. All of these things collectively fall into that "thing called sin." Sin is what separates us from God and from each other. When we acknowledge our sinfulness, we are admitting that we are sick, and that God is the source of health. When we confess, though, we need to be specific ("I lied to my friend"). The reason this is important, is that it can be diagnostic of a problem, and with good diagnosis, a "cure" is more likely. Guenther writes, "In prayers of confession, the main point is not how appallingly sinful we are, but rather how prodigally loving God is. It is important to let go of sins once they are confessed, even though it is tempting to hold onto them and carry them around because we are proud of them, feeling that they bestow a certain distinction upon us - just as hypochondriacs resist health. Goodness is not interesting: sin makes us special. Marlowe's Faust was damned not for his sinful actions, but because he pridefully regarded himself as so great a sinner as to be beyond redemption. When we are truly penitent, confess our sins and make restitution where possible, with the intention to amend our lives.

Intercession. Intercession brings before God the needs of others. Prayers of intercession move us beyond ourselves into community. It is tempting to think of intercession as asking God for something, but actually, that is an act of petition. When we intercede, we place ourselves before authority (God) on behalf of another. This is a highly democratic kind of prayer, and this is the kind of prayer we do publicly in church each Sunday during the Prayers of the People (in addition to prayers of petition). Guenther belies that intercession is the most vital for our solitary prayer because we turn to it when we feel the most anxious or helpless. We cannot stop the demise of a loved one with cancer, but we can name her in our prayers. We cannot undo the effects of a Tsunami, but we can remember the unknown homeless and wounded in our prayers. We pray in this way because we have faith that God will hear us.

Petition. This is probably the most common kind of prayer, because here we ask God for things for ourselves or others. This is not self-indulgence. Jesus himself taught us that we need to b persistent in prayer for our own selves (Lk 11:5-13). They are specific prayers in which we present our own needs and the needs of others, praying that God’s will may be done.

There is much, much more to be said about prayer, and the many varieties of prayers. There is also much to be said about how different prayer styles match different Meyers-Briggs personality types. But that is another huge topic that will have to wait for another time.

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Bibliography

Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, Eds. An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church. New York, NY: Church Publishing Inc. 1999.

Margaret Guenther. The Practice of Prayer. Massachusetts, MA: Cowley Publications. 1988.

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