The Liturgical Year in Non-Catholic Churches

[dharmasister]

Yesterday after going to Mass, my brother (a non-Catholic Christian) asked me if I wanted to go with them (his wife and sister-in-law) to the new Church they have found - Salem Baptist. I went with them. I was surprised when I looked in the bulletin and saw that the preacher was giving his talk on Habbakuk. There was no sign or mention of the fact that yesterday was Pentecost Sunday - the day that Christ sent the Holy Spirit as promised to lead his Church. When I inquired about it being Pentecost Sunday, my family just looked confused, like they weren’t even aware that yesterday was the day he sent the Spirit. Is it common in all/most non-Catholic churches not to follow some sort of schedule that acknowledges the other important days in the life of Christ and the beginning of the early Church? Easter and Christmas are remembered, but what about the ascension of Christ into heaven (celebrated last week) or Pentecost, or any of the other milestones we remember?

Just wondering.

 

[KarenElissa]

In, a baptist church, yes, what you experienced is very normal. As a general rule, they will celebrate Christmas and Easter, but nothing else. As for protestant churches in general, there is a pretty big range, you will get everything from Christmas and Easter only, to maybe a bit of Lent and Advent, to most of the same major liturgical days we observe.

 

[Domnall]

Karen is right about the wide variety among denominations.

The baptist church I’m friendly with holds a tenembre service as well as full holy week services leading up until Easter.

A good friend of mine is a minister at a Reformed Church in America and they have a full liturgical calendar as well as a cycle of readings. The Episcopal Church as well as the entire Anglican Communion follow a liturgical calendar.

The Orthodox church (Obviously) does as well. Um…I think some Methodist churches will follow a liturgical calendar as well.

The two Congregational Churches (United Church of Christ) in my area celebrate major feast days, including Penetecost.

I hope this helped.

 

[Redratfish]

Karen is right about the wide variety among denominations.

The baptist church I’m friendly with holds a tenembre service as well as full holy week services leading up until Easter.

A good friend of mine is a minister at a Reformed Church in America and they have a full liturgical calendar as well as a cycle of readings. The Episcopal Church as well as the entire Anglican Communion follow a liturgical calendar.

The Orthodox church (Obviously) does as well. Um…I think some Methodist churches will follow a liturgical calendar as well.

The two Congregational Churches (United Church of Christ) in my area celebrate major feast days, including Penetecost.

I hope this helped.

I actually spoke to some of my Methodist friends the other day about Pentecost, and was greeted with blank stares. I don’t believe they celebrate other than Easter and Christmas

 

[CountrySteve]

speaking as a former baptist yes that is very normal by the way i know this is off topic but i remember when i was 12 or maybe 13 the pastor at the baptist church said that baptist was the true and original church and John the Baptist was a baptist

 

[EnglishTeacher]

Yes, that is normal. I used to be a Baptist, and the only liturgical holidays that we celebrated were Christmas and Easter. Some of the churches that I attended wouldn’t even observe Good Friday, presumably because it was “too Catholic.” Chances are that no one in the church you attended even knew that yesterday was Pentecost.

But plenty of non-Catholic churches do observe some sort of a liturgical year. Lutheran and Episcopalian/Anglican churches observe a liturgical year very close the the Catholic one, and I’m sure they celebrated Pentecost yesterday.

 

[Publisher]

While Friends don’t follow the liturgical year…many of us are aware of it and some of us even acknowledge it if led to offer vocal ministry during Meeting.

 

[GKC]

Yes, that is normal. I used to be a Baptist, and the only liturgical holidays that we celebrated were Christmas and Easter. Some of the churches that I attended wouldn’t even observe Good Friday, presumably because it was “too Catholic.” Chances are that no one in the church you attended even knew that yesterday was Pentecost.

But plenty of non-Catholic churches do observe some sort of a liturgical year. Lutheran and Episcopalian/Anglican churches observe a liturgical year very close the the Catholic one, and I’m sure they celebrated Pentecost yesterday.

Taking the chance on generalizing, you are correct on Anglicans. As in my parish. Red sacerdotal vestments, much incense and the appropriate hymns.

GKC

 

[Nicea325]

I actually spoke to some of my Methodist friends the other day about Pentecost, and was greeted with blank stares. I don’t believe they celebrate other than Easter and Christmas

Yeah and Catholics are accused of not being “Biblically” correct or adhere to it enough? Go figure?

 

[Nicea325]

speaking as a former baptist yes that is very normal by the way i know this is off topic but i remember when i was 12 or maybe 13 the pastor at the baptist church said that baptist was the true and original church and John the Baptist was a baptist

Really? The pastor said the Baptist Church is the true and original church? Evidently the pastor is blind to the fact there is a thing called history. To bad for him denial of historical facts does not change an iota that the Baptist Church is NOT the true and original church.

 

[puzzleannie]

Is it common in all/most non-Catholic churches not to follow some sort of schedule that acknowledges the other important days in the life of Christ and the beginning of the early Church? Easter and Christmas are remembered, but what about the ascension of Christ into heaven (celebrated last week) or Pentecost, or any of the other milestones we remember?

Just wondering.

yes it is common for many denominations that the preacher simply choses a text to preach on, and may preach for a series of weeks on a topic, or on a specific book of the bible, without regard for seasons of the liturgical year. Not all denominations even observe or acknowledge traditional feasts outside Easter and Christmas and in many attendance, even then, is still optional. Many do not observe Advent and Lent for instance, or feasts of the Lord (certainly not Marian feasts or saint days).

there are some mainline denominations, however, including some branches of Lutherans for instance, who have adoped the 3 year lectionary cycle of readings, who do observe the seasons and feasts of the year, even some saint days such as John the Baptist.

 

[KarenElissa]

I actually spoke to some of my Methodist friends the other day about Pentecost, and was greeted with blank stares. I don’t believe they celebrate other than Easter and Christmas

Methodist have a pretty wide range. Some are pretty liturgical and follow the lectionary with the major days. Others, like your friends, fall on the totally non-liturgical side, and many somewhere in the middle.

 

[Publisher]

Methodist have a pretty wide range. Some are pretty liturgical and follow the lectionary with the major days. Others, like your friends, fall on the totally non-liturgical side, and many somewhere in the middle.

Agreed…I lived in small isolated area that had no Friend’s Meeting…so I attended the local Methodist congregation…even though very rural…they were very “liturgically” minded…the Methodist order of service is very “Episcopalian” in order and practice…not surprising as their spiritual heritage is from the Anglican communion.

 

[hn160]

Lutheran’s have a full liturgical calendar and colors. It is optional for our churches to use three year lectionary or the historic one year lectionary.