Our mindsets get shaped by holidays. We look forward to major events, to “breaks in the action,” to highlights in our lives. In our life in the U.S., we have some built-in breaks, Christmas and New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving. About every 6 weeks, we get a little special time. Many would certainly inject Halloween into the equation as well. These events drive the marketing. They strike our eyes every time we go into a Target store or any of the others.

The church has its own special days, with special visual colors to strike our eyes. Advent (blue for royalty) anticipates our Lord’s birth. Christmas (white for purity) celebrates our Lord’s birth. Epiphany (white and later green) celebrates the magi coming from the gentile nations to worship the newborn king. Transfiguration (white) reminds us that the plan for salvation was worked out long ago. Jesus speaks of his upcoming death and resurrection with Moses and Elijah. They alone spoke with God at Sinai and continue the conversation with God the Son. Lent (purple, also for royalty) reminds us that Jesus came on a mission, to die in our stead, but that He stayed faithful during His time of temptation. Holy Week has a variety of colors (red, white, black, white) to remind us of the tremendous events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. Easter (white also for the light of God, sometimes gold) proclaims the victory over eternal death. Pentecost (red for the blood of the martyrs who followed faithfully) reminds us that the Holy Spirit poured out the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection on the disciples and the hearers. He sent them forth to pour out the blessings of our Lord on all they would meet. They (and we, who follow in their train) tell the good news. The Sundays after Pentecost (green for life) focus on the many ways in which the Lord brought healing and taught about a new restored relationship with God and security, identity, and meaning in Him.

Just as we celebrate Jesus’ entire earthly life each year, we celebrate our entire human life each Sunday. We begin by confessing our sinfulness, and we hear the joyful words of forgiveness. We kneel or bow our heads before the mighty God. We stand to sing songs of praise as we are welcomed into His presence as adopted daughters and sons. We sit to be instructed from Holy Scripture about the great things God has done on our behalf and about our role in carrying out His mission. We confess to one another that we believe in the Triune God. We respond with our gifts to carry out His mission. We unburden ourselves as we lay our troubles and concerns before the Lord, that He might carry us. “Traveling light,” then, we are invited into the presence of the King of all Creation to be fed and strengthened not only with the gracious words of the Gospel, but with the very body and blood of our risen Lord. Fed and strengthened, we go out for another week in His name and power to brag about our Savior and to live life as restored Christians. We go out with our fellow members and ask for the Lord to guide us to do His will. Blessed Epiphany! Blessed New Year!

In Christ our Lord and Savior,
Pastor Thomas Trapp