Issues, Etc. A Primer on the Church Year – Pr. Will Weedon, 12/10/25 (3443)
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Dec 10, 2025 Pr. Will Weedon, an assistant pastor and renowned author on Lutheran worship, explores the intricacies of the church calendar. He reveals how Jewish festivals influence Christian celebrations like Easter and Christmas. The discussion includes the significance of Advent as a time of penitence, branching into the joyous extensive feasts of the Christmas season. He elaborates on Lent's 40-day fast and the celebratory nature of Easter. Concluding, he explains how maintaining the church year helps Christians stay anchored in their faith amid worldly distractions.
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Church Year Sanctifies Time
- The church year orders and sanctifies time by the Word of the Lord to keep Christ central.
- Weekly Easter (the Lord's Day) is the deepest layer anchoring Christian worship and identity.
Jewish Feasts Shaped Christian Year
- Jewish feasts (Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles) shaped the Christian annual cycle by being fulfilled in Christ.
- Pascha (Easter) became the chief feast around which the yearly cycle formed.
Feasts Overflow Time
- In Lutheran practice each major feast historically spanned multiple days like First, Second, Third Christmas.
- Eastern liturgy sometimes prescribes more worship than fits into 24 hours, showing feasts overflow time.
