What Do The Different Colors Mean?

Periodically someone asks me what the different colors mean in the sanctuary. Why do they change and is there any significance? The sanctuary is decorated through the various seasons of the church year with different colors to remind us of the entirety of the Christian story.

The church year begins with Advent. Advent is a season of four week including four Sundays prior to Christmas. Advent calls the Christian community to prepare for the coming of Jesus through the remembrance of His birth, through the Word and Holy Spirit, and in anticipation of His return in victory. The colors are PURPLE or blue, which represent royalty. Each Sunday of Advent has a theme using a wreath with four candles. On Christmas Eve a final fifth candle is lit to represent the birth of Christ.

Then comes the Christmas Season. Christmas is a season of praise and thanksgiving for the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, which begins with Christmas Eve or Day and continues through the Day of Epiphany. On the Day of Epiphany we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus. The colors are WHITE and gold, which represent purity and joy.

Following Christmas is the Season after Ephiphany. This is four to nine Sundays depending on the date of Easter. The first Sunday focuses on the Baptism of Christ and the Last Sunday on the Transfiguration. The colors used for the first and last Sundays is WHITE. The other Sundays use GREEN, which represents life.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and lasts for forty days, not counting Sundays. The word Lent means spring and is a preparation for Easter. It is a period of fasting, penance, contemplation, and introspection. Ash Wednesday is a time when we confront our won mortality and confess our sin before God. The color used through Lent is PURPLE. It has been St. Paul's tradition for many years to join with our brothers and sisters at Epiphany for a time of worship.

There are three Great Days: Holy Thursday, the night before Christ was crucified, Good Friday, the day of His death, and Holy Saturday. The colors change to BLACK for Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The Easter Season, also known as the Great Fifty Days, begins at sunset Easter Eve and continues through the Day of Pentecost. This is the most joyous and celebrative time of the Christian year. That is because we focus on Christ's resurrection and ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit on both the first Easter and the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost comes from the Greek word meaning fiftieth and it is also related to the Jewish Feast of Weeks. The Day of Pentecost is the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Jesus to give power to their ministry. Up until the Day of Pentecost the colors are WHITE and gold. However, on Pentecost the color is RED.

The Season after Pentecost is known as Kingdomtide. It begins the day after Pentecost and ends the day before the first Sunday of Advent. Kingdomtide lasts for a period of between twenty-three to twenty-eight Sundays. The first Sunday is Trinity Sunday celebrating the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The last Sunday is the Reign of Christ or Christ the King. Also included are All Saints and Thanksgiving. The United Methodist Church is the only denomination using the term Kingdomtide. The colors used are varied but the main color is GREEN, which symbolizes growth and life in Christ.

I appreciate all those who take the time to decorate the sanctuary and help us remember the meaning of the various church seasons. If you would like to help in this task, contact Judy, Worship Committee Chair.

See you in worship
Pastor John