The Prison of a Calendar
For most of the history of marriage husbands have been able to ignore a written calendar, forget to look at it, or stop filling out their pocket diaries halfway through the year. Then by some dark magic, which we call technology, husbands and wives have been brought together by phone and computer to share in the same calendar. It has brought us together for better or for worse. Husbands and wives are united. Work places are united. Everyone knows what everyone else should be doing all the time…and it is a prison. Just admit it.
But some calendars still exist for good. There are some that still exist for the purpose of freedom. Even when it is a discipline that leads to freedom. The Church calendar is like that.
The Freedom of the Calendar
Church calendars have a very important purpose even for us busy, intellectually advanced, and modern people. It pulls us all together from our divergent seasonal and weekly experiences into a cohesive story. It unifies and creates community. It de-centres us selfish individuals and re-centres us as being in Christ and being a part of his body.
Creates a Cohesive Story
Some of us pour into church excited to be there. Some walk in ready to leave and get on with the day. Others already have their mind on the worries of the week that follows.
That is all normal. Another thing that is normal is that each of us come with the world pulling us in different directions. The music you listen tells you one way of living. The shows you watch play out another way of life. The books you read or listen to may give you a lot of wisdom and practical steps for making your life better. The internet will give you a thousand lists of everything you can do but we all know you are not going to do it.
Everything you consume, with eyes, ears, mouth, or otherwise, wants to create a story for your life. And maybe just maybe the scripture that you have read or heard lately is not scratching you where you itch.
One of the things that the church calendar offers are seasons. Season like Easter and Advent. Along with that comes a tradition of rotating readings from scripture which remind us that we already have a story. We do not need someone to make a new one for us.
The story that we are reminded we are a part of this Advent and Christmas season is that we are sinners who are saved from forever separation from God because he mercifully took on our human-ness and our sin and died in our place so that we could be saved.
The story of God saving his people is your story.
Creates Community
The seasons of the Church Calendar are celebrated not by crossing off days on diary but are experienced together. The Word of God being read, preached, prayed, praised with, and pictured different and specially during these seasons is called tradition and it is a kind of tradition that creates community.
It kidnaps each of us out of the world that we are engrossed and consumed by. It reminds us of the identity that we share in Christ and that our other identities which seem so important to others are not what make us or give us comfort.
We are called to be set apart as the people of God and a calendar is a great tool to show the distinctiveness that we have in Jesus.
Creates our Centre
You are selfish. And you are also Saint, that is saved because of what Jesus has done for you.
Advent is your story but you may notice the scripture readings that we have during this season do not seem to mention you very much. I mean if I was going to write something about myself I would use a whole lot of I’s and Me’s.
Advent puts Jesus at the centre and it takes you out of the centre.
Over the next weeks of Advent place Jesus at the centre. Read the Christmas story. Follow along with the lectionary. Listen closely on Sunday. Re-listen to the sermon later in the week. Do what you have to do to take yourself out of the centre and instead be reminded of the Good News about Jesus our King and Saviour, taking on flesh and saving his people.