Why Follow the Christian Calendar? #2 of 3:

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

(Second Corinthians 3:17)

Non-liturgical churches, like our own, tend to reject the liturgical calendar fearing it replaces the freedom of the Holy Spirit. We tend toward more contemporary and spontaneous worship. The Christian Calendar is too scripted. Why not just let the Spirit move and see what happens?

Does the Calendar edge out the workings of the Holy Spirit? I suppose it could if it were set in stone. However, I’m constantly surprised by the openness and flexibility of the Calendar. It’s spacious. It provides ample room for the Spirit’s leading and prompting.

We are free to make it our own. For example, last Sunday, the second Sunday of Advent, a young couple came forward to light the first and now second candle of the Advent Wreath, and then read an Advent text from Isaiah—the one about how Jesus will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  All beautiful with two more candles to go, plus the Christ candle in the center saved for Christmas Eve when the whole wreath is set ablaze on that dark night. This is our own touch on the Ancient Calendar. It brings us, as our Lord teaches, “something old and something new” (Mt 13:52).

My deepest experiences of the love of Christ tend to come on those cold dark Christmas Eve nights when we gather to worship. As we enter, each one receives a little candle. Towards the conclusion of the celebration, while singing “Silent Night, Holy Night,” we light our own little candles from the flame of the Christ candle. With all candles set aflame, we linger and share many hugs filled with laughter and joy.