Zac Hicks provides an interesting post which contrasts the difference between a calendar oriented sense of time and a biblical worship-oriented sense of time.
Hicks folds in the cyclical observances which Jesus observed as grounds for recognising the benefit of recognising some sort of ‘church year’.
Helpfully, he then points out the difference between Jesus’ fulfillment of the very calendar which he observed and how various aspects of the church year continue to hold forth and imprint God’s redemptive purpose in Jesus on the Christian’s being.
I’d also observe that these observances tie us to the people of God, and enhance the essential nature of church for Christian growth.
Some quotes:
“Our sense of time is governed by usually one of two things. Either we “feel” time according to the January-to-December calendar year, or we “feel” it according to the summer-break-fall-kickoff routine engrained in us from the schooling system. This sense of time shapes our decision-making and behaviors. For instance, think of how your sense of work and rest is related to summer and fall. Summer is a time to relax, and fall is a time to get serious.”
“One question often asked is, “Did Jesus have a worship-oriented sense of time?” The answer is, yes, He most certainly did. We forget that first century Jews were intensely liturgical beings, and therefore Jesus was.”
“Jesus didn’t come to abolish believers’ sense of liturgical time; He came to fulfill it. In this sense, then, it’s not just a “cool tradition” or a fun option to celebrate the Christian calendar year. It’s actually a biblical idea. When we have a worship-oriented sense of time, we are claiming continuity of practice with the ancient believers of old. And I’m not just talking about medieval Catholic liturgy, here. I’m talking about the family of Abraham, into which we’ve been ingrafted.”
mgpcpastor's blog 