8 minute read
ERIK KHOOBYARIAN
the Colors of the Liturgical Year
BY REV. ERIK KHOOBYARIAN
There are so many meaningful symbols that are a part of the Christian tradition. At the start of confirmation, I know that our leaders took the students to the Sanctuary to look at all of the symbols and discuss them. We have done this with the children of the church as well. We talk about the beautiful cross, deep and rich with symbolism unique to Pinnacle but connecting us to the church throughout the world. We talk about the Bible, and the Table, and the presence of water which reminds us of baptism. Indeed, throughout our worship space we have symbols to remind us and to point us. These symbols remind us of God’s great acts through time and point us toward living in a way that lives out God’s faithfulness to us and to the world.
There’s another, more subtle, set of imagery that changes throughout the calendar year. Have you ever noticed the colors of the fabric stoles worn by our pastors? The colors represented on our vestments are symbolic of the seasons of the church year or special holidays within the church year. I have always enjoyed the liturgical colors as they are another way that we are able to signal to one another and remain connected with Christians worshipping throughout the world. One other added bonus is that when we see a new color, or when our colors change for just one day or a few days, it makes us ask the question – what is different about today? This can lead to an educational moment and add to our worship experience.
Pinnacle is a part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination, and our denomination and the Presbyterian denominations that came before it have encouraged the use of liturgical colors since at least 1970. It isn’t totally clear when liturgical colors originated, although there are some historical documents showing the use of colors corresponding to seasons and holidays going back to the 9th century! It was not until the 16th century, though, that uniformity came to the use of the colors. By that time, colors were regularly associated with events in the church year. During the Protestant Reformation, colors were abandoned in favor of black gowns. This was part of a more consistent movement away from the Roman Catholic tradition. But in the past 200 years there has been a resurgence of liturgical colors in Reformed churches.
I, for one, am glad for this! In fact, a few years ago I was so very blessed to receive six original mixed-media art pieces depicting the liturgical colors. A dear friend, artist Beth Bordelon, created these pieces, and you can see images of them throughout this article. These continued on page 14
abstract art pieces are intended to evoke the emotions and experiences of the various holidays and seasons of the church. While the images in these pages are wonderful, I encourage you to stop by my office to see the originals.
Beth and I served together as elders at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos where I was a member before being ordained as a minister. (Beth’s artwork can be found on her Etsy page by searching for Bordelon Artworks.)
So, let’s talk about the church year as a way of introducing the colors that are currently utilized by our denomination and at Pinnacle! Our church year starts with the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is a season with some color options. Both purple and blue are used as liturgical colors during Advent. I asked Beth to create a blue piece as I love the use of blue for Advent. It evokes newness of life, and the depth of blue which can reflect long nights of waiting and the anxious mystery of the depths of sea and sky. Advent is a time of preparation and wonder, and the star and celestial imagery on this artwork are particularly inspiring for me. As much as Advent is about waiting, it is also about ushering in the birth of Jesus and the Incarnation of God at Christmas.
On Christmas we transition to either white or gold as our liturgical color. Gold is a special color and points us toward the gifts that will be brought to Jesus by the wise ones who visited him shortly after his birth. Gold is of great value and was reserved for important people and things. The season of Christmas, which continues for us until Epiphany (January 6th), remains either white or gold.
On the first Sunday after Epiphany, we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus and we utilize the color white. White is the color of baptism. In the art piece, you can see threads of the other colors of the liturgical year – threads of life all woven against the backdrop of baptism. There’s something quite powerful about this reminder that the Sacrament of Baptism is not just one day, but it is a moment that marks God’s claim on our lives throughout the year and years.
After Epiphany, our liturgical color is green until the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday (I’ll get to that one in a moment). The two periods where there’s no season are often referred to as “Ordinary Time.” I used to think this meant that they were ordinary as opposed to extraordinary! Rather, the term ordinary in this context is related to the numbering of the Sundays. We count them and identify them using ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). These stretches of green are long, but they provide us with the reminder that God is present in all of creation. Green is a color of life and brings us hope. I also think there’s great value in celebrating
God’s presence even (or perhaps especially) in those times in between the major seasons of celebration.
Just before Lent we celebrate the Transfiguration of Jesus on the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. White is the color of the day for this service because when Jesus took his disciples up to a high space he was transfigured and his clothes were dazzling white.
Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent. From Ash Wednesday through Maundy Thursday our color is purple. Purple evokes the sense of sorrow and penitence during Lent. We are drawn into the season by acknowledging our mortality on Ash Wednesday and through the final moments in the earthly life of Christ. Purple is a color of royalty as well, and there’s some power in our acknowledgment that we follow a royal one who will be put to death. Indeed, we follow a king like no other. I appreciate the various shades of purple as well as the different patterns on the art piece. We can find ourselves in various shades and patterns throughout Lent, and particularly so when we allow ourselves to experience Lent more fully.
Traditionally, no colors are used on Good Friday and Holy Saturday leading up to Easter. After the close of the Maundy Thursday worship service or as part of a Good Friday service, the colors and symbols are all stripped from the sanctuary to signify the time that Jesus spent in the tomb.
On Easter we celebrate the Resurrection joy with either white or gold and this continues through the season of Easter until Pentecost (June 5th in 2023).
On Pentecost we wear red. The red on Pentecost symbolizes the flames of fire that were appearing above the heads of the people as they experienced the Holy Spirit in a new and different way. If you look at this art image, you’ll see invocation of the flames and the mysterious dance between the Spirit and creation. Red is also used for celebrations in the church (like ordinations and installations).
Ordinary Time begins again after Pentecost which means that our color is once again green. There are two exceptions, however! The first Sunday after Pentecost is Trinity Sunday and the color of the day is white. The last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is also the last Sunday of the liturgical year, is Reign of Christ Sunday, which is also white. After Reign of Christ Sunday, our year begins again and anew with Advent and purple or blue!
Like the other symbols of the church, the colors of our vestments and other liturgical cloths help to tell the story of our faith and our life together.
About the Artist
Artist Beth Bordelon lives in San Jose, California, with her husband Malcolm. After a career as an advertising agency art director followed by a career as a stayat-home mom of two, Beth has been having fun making art. She believes we all are blessed with gifts from God, and that creativity has allowed her to be of service in all walks of her life. She was honored to have been asked by Erik to create these liturgical color abstracts. If interested, Beth currently sells some of her art on Etsy. Scan QR code below or visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/ BordelonArtworks
THE REV. ERIK KHOOBYARIAN
is our Executive Associate Pastor. A life-long Presbyterian, he loves things decent and in order, especially when it comes to liturgical colors and practices!
