(Source: https://visiolectio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/thechurchyear-c.png)
A Recap
In last week’s perspective, we considered the wisdom of the Christian Calendar for one’s personal growth. We explored the first two Cs and noted that the way we frame our time has the power to shape us. First, the seasons of the Christian Calendar help us to apply the rhythms of the Christian life. Second, it also helps us to cover aspects of the gospel that we don’t naturally gravitate to.
Some Concerns
But before we continue, perhaps I should address some concerns about this practice.
To be sure, there are dangers to the practice of the Christian Calendar, just as there are dangers to any Christian practice (even treasured practices such as expository preaching or quiet time). One danger that is sometimes cited is that of legalism. After all, in the NT, the Galatian Christians were led astray by the Judaizers who insisted that they had to observe Jewish calendar days (Gal 4:8-11 c.f. Col 2:16-17, Rms 14:5-6) to justify themselves. This was part of their larger framework of justification by works. Wouldn’t this also apply to our usage of the Christian Calendar? How should we think about it?
Here, perhaps two comments are in order:
First, in the churches that Paul was writing to, the practice of observing Jewish days distracted them from Christ. But in the case of the Christian Calendar, the wisdom of it lies precisely in its focus on Christ. The key question is this: does the practice lead us to rejoice more fully in Christ?
Second, local churches, like all organisations need structure. They need a way to structure their time together. That is, they need their own calendar and they will indeed observe some planned calendar. Questions is, what are the agendas driving the calendar? What are traditions that influence the calendar? Is it some other human tradition? Is it the meritocratic tradition of work and reward? Or is it the Christian tradition forged over generations and geographies of Christian communities? Our calendars are always ‘man-made’ – question is what kind of human tradition does it come from? Is it based on Christian beliefs?
My lecturer pointed out that if calendar days like Mother’s Day (as meaningful as it is) becomes more prominent in church life than Christian Calendar dates that highlight an aspect of Christ’s life, we need to question why.
All this to say, when used wisely, the Christian Calendar can be a powerful tool to shape personal growth. Yet the Christian Calendar is far from just a tool for private piety. It invites social participation, forming the community of faith within and witnessing to the world without. We consider both together.
3 & 4. Communal Formation & Christian Witness
Every year on 9th August, Singaporeans gather to participate in the National Day Parade (NDP). The event involves active participation: singing songs, reciting the pledge, observing ceremonies and watching performances. The themes of these parades usually revolve around i) where we came from, ii) what troubles we faced, iii) how we overcame it and iv) how we can hope for the future. In other words, it revolves around the Singapore story. The reinforcement of this communal story is intended to strengthen our communal identity and to motivate us to each play our part.
In his crucial work, After Virtue, one of the foremost ethicists of our time, Alasdair Macintyre writes, “man is… essentially a story-telling animal… I can only answer the question ‘What am I to do?’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?’…Deprive children of stories and you leave them unscripted, anxious stutterers in their actions as in their words.”
The God, who made us, made us story-telling communities. For this reason, God’s people are never left without true stories to guide them. Israel’s Scriptures, the OT, revealed to them who they were and how they got there. Likewise, the Bible that we have tells us i) where we came from (Creation), ii) what troubles we faced and face (Sin and Satan), iii) how we overcame and will overcome it (Redemption in Christ) and iv) how we can hope for the future (New Creation).
How are we to internalise this True Story so that we can play our parts? How can we so internalise the biblical script so as to faithfully act out our scenes?
Critical to this purpose is our Sunday Worship – the components and structure contained therein help to form us as a people, much like how NDP forms the Singaporean identity through the Singapore story. Let me explain: when we sing, we celebrate our Redemptive God and our Redemptive Story; when we pray, we participate as a holy priesthood of believers; when we listen to God’s word preached, we are challenged to be faithful participants; when we partake of communion, we literally internalise the reality that we have a part in Christ;[1] when we recite the Apostles’ Creed, we are pledging allegiance to this True Story.[2]
Yet, we can’t include all the aspects of the gospel on any given Sunday. We simply can’t cover the Scriptural richness of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost etc. on any given Sunday. We neither have the time nor the capacity to do that. We are not computer systems that absorb vast amounts of data instantaneously.
We need more time. We need a larger frame of time. To this end, over the centuries, the Christian community has crafted a framework to help us internalise the gospel story more fully into our communal existence – and that is the Christian Calendar. With different seasons in a given year, the Christian community is able to internalise the True Story with greater richness over time. This has the power to form us as a people as we become less and less defined by our individualistic or secular narratives. Rather, we become shaped by a communal consciousness of gospel realities: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:5-6)
And as we grow into a people formed by the True Story, we inevitably become Christian witnesses. The gospel becomes not just a message we share, but an integral part of who we are. We witness not merely by regurgitating a concise gospel script but we witness through our very participation in the gospel.
To become effective witnesses, we must become thoroughly formed Christians. When our personhood and community are thoroughly formed by the True Story, it becomes a compelling alternative to those who encounter us.
Conclusion
In summary, I’ve sought to explicate the wisdom of the Church Calendar in these pastoral perspectives in terms of Christian formation, coverage of the Gospel, communal formation, and Christian witness. The Christian Calendar can be a powerful tool to form us. By God’s Spirit may it be so.
[1] We will explore how participation in Holy Communion serves to reinforce our part in the gospel story next year (18 Jan) in our Christian Education class on Holy Communion.
[2] Likewise, informal activities in the church such as DG, prayer meetings, CE classes, church camps etc. also serve to help us live out the story through organic relationships, biblical education etc.
