What is the Liturgical Calendar?
As human beings, we’re all designed for a life full of rhythms — day and night, summer and winter, work and rest. When we observe these rhythms, we thrive. The church, too, has historically followed rhythms. Since the Old Testament days of festivals and feasts, we’ve allowed the calendar to deepen our faith as we celebrate, grieve, wait, and remember. Today, many Christians around the world observe these rhythms through the liturgical calendar.
If you’re new to the idea of the liturgical calendar, don’t worry — it’s a lovely practice to step into at any time! It can serve as a great tool in teaching our kids about faith, and it can teach us a lot about our own faith (and ourselves!) too.
If you’ve never been to a church that follows the liturgical calendar, you may be looking for ways to get started. Perhaps you’re familiar with Lent or Advent, but the rest of it is brand new to you. I’m excited for you to begin the deeper journey! Here’s a quick overview: the liturgical calendar is an annual cycle that structures the entire year around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s a beautiful way to reflect in every season. There are six liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmastide, Ordinary Time, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Ordinary Time comes around twice each year!
Even if you don’t attend a church that observes these seasons, you can absolutely engage with each one in your own home, with your family, or in a group of friends. These resources can help you do just that!
Bake and Pray by Kendall Vanderslice
This book was designed to help you incorporate spiritual practices into your everyday baking. Inside, you’ll find breadmaking liturgies and historical recipes to bake through a variety of liturgical holidays and seasons! It’s a great companion all year long.
Sacred Seasons by Danielle Hitchens
If you want to embark on a family journey through the liturgical year, Danielle’s book provides an engaging, meaningful, and fun roadmap! It’s full of activities, recipes, and liturgies to help you follow along with each season.
Little Way Chapel
Little Way Chapel is a fantastic online resource that centers around following Jesus by following the church calendar. With an affordable monthly membership for families and lots of beautiful standalone resources, it’s a simple, meaningful way to teach your kids about the seasons of the liturgical calendar.
