Did you know?
Our church observes the seasons of the Christian liturgical year, which help us to recall the story of Jesus:
- Advent (purple) encompasses the four weeks leading up to Christmas, as we anticipate the birth of our Savior and look for his return in glory at the end of the age.
- Christmastide (white), or the 12 days of Christmas, begins at midnight Christmas Eve and concludes with Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Magi.
- The season after Epiphany (green) (also called Ordinary Time) commemorates the life and earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, ending on Ash Wednesday.
- The forty days leading up to Easter are an important, penitential season in the church year known as Lent (purple), when we recall and give thanks for the passion of our Lord and his atoning sacrifice for all humankind.
- Holy Week (red) is the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.
- The Easter season (white) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and continues for 50 days.
- Pentecost (red) celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the believers gathered together after Jesus’ ascension. (Note: Like other churches in our conference we typically leave our paraments red until until about Labor Day – then we switch to green.)
- Ordinary Time (green) is the time between Pentecost and Advent.
Did you also know?
The distinctive cross and flame logo of the United Methodist Church was crafted in 1968 as a symbol of the denomination’s heritage and self-understanding.The cross signifies the church’s union with God through the risen Jesus Christ. The flame, composed of two individual tongues of fire (one for each of the two organizations that united in 1968 to form the UMC), invokes the anointing of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when tongues of flame were said to descend upon the Apostles s they began proclaiming the Goo News throughout the world. Methodists today are engaged in the same work as those first believers: going into the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ.The cross and flame also remind Methodists to desire for themselves the inward assurance of the Spirit concerning their identity in Christ- what John Wesley described as having his heart “strangely warmed.”