A series of articles on why we do what we do here at St. John’s.
Why and how do we celebrate lesser feasts and festivals?
The church’s calendar is filled with a host of lesser feasts and festivals, some of which are “Feasts of Jesus Christ,” those that highlight our Lord’s ministry. Some celebrate the work of Apostles and Evangelists. And those are just the ones we observe at St. John’s. We could add numerous commemorations of lesser-known saints or those important to the life and work of the church.
It is good that we take time to celebrate and observe these events. They are a bit like the commemorative street names that are noted by additional signs. That small portion of County Road 250 South just south of the La Porte County airport celebrates the life of one I never met, Richard Rutz. The little blue sign COULD BE ignored, or it could be a reason to remember and celebrate.
That’s why we observe a whole list of lesser feasts and festivals when and if they happen to “land” on a Sunday. For example, June 29 is ALWAYS the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, but we observed it this year because it was on Sunday. Same goes for the Feast of St. Bartholomew (Aug. 24), Holy Cross Day (Sept. 14) and St. Matthew (Sept. 21). We don’t generally interrupt Easter and its season (or its preparatory season, Lent) so we’ll always miss, for example, the Annunciation of Our Lord on March 25 (nine months prior to Christmas Day).
We make an exception for two feasts. The last Sunday in October is designated as Reformation Sunday each year and the first Sunday in November is always All Saints’ Sunday.
The ‘how’ of celebrating these feasts is simply a recognition and short celebration, whether that be discussing the saint or festival before or during the service, or by praising God for that specific celebration in the prayers. The celebration of communion is also part of every service for those weekends. So if it seems like we have communion three or four weekends in a row, like will happen in the coming weeks, it is because of our celebration of the multiple upcoming feasts and festivals.
Next month: Making Decisions for the Ministry of St. John’s
Read more from St. John's
Save the date: Family Reunion Sunday
Check out the plan for the Family Reunion Sunday on August 30th, beginning with worship at 10am. To check how you can help, the list of needed volunteers is also included here.
Blood Drive at St. John’s
Sign up now to donate blood on Family Reunion Sunday, as the American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis and faces an emergency shortage.
Interviews Beginning for the Associate Pastor Call Process
The Call Process is moving forward as four names have been selected to be interviewed. More information on the plans for that interview process are shared here. If you would like to attend the…
The Story of the Stained Glass
Check out this series of articles describing the teachings behind the stained glass windows at St. John’s! This month, Pastor shares the meaning behind a small group of the disciples.