For most Pentecostals, the only days of the Christian calendar worthy of observance are Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Even so, these days are dropped into the midst of ordinary days with very little reflection or planning, with the exception of the obligatory drama or cantata. As a kid in Pentecostal church, I never knew what Ash Wednesday signified. I thought it had something to do with the government’s anti-smoking campaign.
My first introduction to the liturgical calendar was in a college preaching class. My professor offered the calendar as one method we might consider in planning our preaching. Of course, I’m a Pentecostal and that means I follow the Spirit, not a calendar.
However, several years ago (about 1992) I was invited to attend a lectionary Bible study. The group included two Episcopalians, one Catholic, two Methodists, and me (the lone Pentecostal). We would read the Gospel text for the coming Sunday and participate in a round-table discussion. That experience was my seminary education. I learned more about the Gospel, the Great Tradition, and worship around that table than I ever learned in a college classroom.
So, I made a personal commitment to preach from the common lectionary for three years and observe the major liturgical seasons and holy days. At first, I did this without informing my congregation. At the beginning of year B, I introduced my project to the congregation and it was well received. I focused on the Lenten season. After all, fasting is an important discipline among Pentecostals. Lent is a season (40 days) of reflection, fasting, and prayer that precedes the celebration of Easter. I led the congregation through the Lenten season and then we celebrated Easter. After our Easter worship, one dear sainted lady, a lifelong Pentecostal, approached me with tears in her eyes and exclaimed, “I’ve celebrated Easter all my life, but this Easter has been the best because of Lent!”
Through the years, I have continued to follow the seasons of the liturgical calendar. Why? First, it disciplines my study and preaching; it requires me to consider the Incarnation and Pentecost within the whole biblical narrative. Second, because the focus of the liturgical year is Jesus Christ, Christ becomes my guide as I journey through this present age, awaiting the age to come. I re-live the gospel! Finally, I have discovered that worship and preaching through the liturgical year is an effective and powerful tool for the discipleship of the people of God. Someone is probably asking, “Don’t you follow the Spirit?” Yes, as best as I can discern the Spirit’s guidance. But I have learned that following the Spirit doesn’t imply unprepared spontaneity. After all, God predestined the course of time and history “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-6).
Anglican theologian Dom Gregory Dix referred to the liturgical year as the “sanctification of time.” The liturgical calendar is a tradition worth keeping. As we journey in faith through this present age, the liturgical calendar reminds us that history is moving towards God’s predestined goal of cosmic redemption.
