If you attend worship regularly at Laingsburg United Methodist Church, you will notice that things change through the year. The cloths on the altar and pulpit shift from purple to white to red to green. The music, readings and prayers take on different moods. Some Sundays feel quiet and reflective; others are bursting with celebration.
These changes follow the Christian year, also called the liturgical calendar. Instead of starting on January 1, the church's year begins with Advent and walks through the life of Jesus and the story of the early church. This guide explains each season and the meaning of its colors.
Why Churches Follow a Christian Calendar
The Christian year is a way of keeping time around the story of God's love. Just as families mark birthdays and anniversaries, the church marks the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Following the calendar helps us remember the whole story, not just our favorite parts, and lets the rhythm of the seasons shape our spiritual lives.
Many United Methodist congregations also follow the Revised Common Lectionary, a three-year cycle of Bible readings arranged around the Christian year. Year A focuses largely on the Gospel of Matthew, Year B on Mark and Year C on Luke, with readings from John woven throughout.
The Seasons and Their Colors
Advent: Purple or Blue
The Christian year begins with Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas. Advent is a season of hopeful waiting and preparation, both for celebrating Jesus' birth and for his promised return. Purple, a color of royalty and repentance, is traditional. Many churches use blue instead to emphasize hope. Advent wreaths with candles marking hope, peace, joy and love are a familiar sign of the season. In 2026, Advent begins on Sunday, November 29.
Christmas: White and Gold
Christmas is not just one day but a twelve-day season, from Christmas Eve through January 5. White and gold express joy, purity and the light of Christ coming into the world. Our Christmas Eve candlelight service, when the sanctuary glows with candles as we sing "Silent Night," is a highlight of the year. You can find details about our special services on the Worship page.
Epiphany: White
Epiphany, on January 6, celebrates the visit of the Magi and the revealing of Jesus to the whole world. The first Sunday after Epiphany marks the Baptism of the Lord, another white Sunday. It's a natural time to remember our own baptism. Learn more on our Being Baptized page.
Season After Epiphany: Green
The weeks between Epiphany and Lent are often called Ordinary Time. "Ordinary" comes from "ordinal," meaning counted weeks, not "boring." Green, the color of growth, reminds us to grow in faith. The season ends with Transfiguration Sunday (white), recalling the moment Jesus' glory was revealed on the mountain.
Lent: Purple
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts forty days, not counting Sundays, leading up to Easter. It recalls Jesus' forty days in the wilderness and invites us into prayer, fasting, generosity and repentance. Purple returns as a sign of reflection and repentance. In 2027, Ash Wednesday falls on February 10. Our article on how to observe Lent offers practical ideas for the season.
Holy Week: Purple, Red and Bare
The last week of Lent is the most solemn time of the Christian year:
- Palm/Passion Sunday remembers Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and his suffering. Churches use purple or red.
- Maundy Thursday recalls the Last Supper and Jesus washing his disciples' feet. Many churches strip the altar bare at the end of the service.
- Good Friday remembers Jesus' crucifixion. The sanctuary is often left bare or draped in black. Laingsburg-area churches have gathered for an ecumenical Good Friday service.
Easter: White and Gold
Easter is the most joyful day of the Christian year, and, like Christmas, it is a full season: fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost. White and gold proclaim the resurrection. Some congregations, including ours, have welcomed Easter morning with a sunrise service. Every Sunday is, in a sense, a "little Easter," which is why Sundays are not counted in the forty days of Lent.
Day of Pentecost: Red
Fifty days after Easter, the church celebrates Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples like tongues of fire (Acts 2). Red represents the fire of the Spirit. Many people wear red to church that day. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the church.
Season After Pentecost: Green
The longest season of the year runs from Pentecost until Advent. Green again signals growth as the readings explore Jesus' teachings and the life of the early church. Special days are marked with white, including Trinity Sunday (the Sunday after Pentecost), All Saints Day (November 1 or the first Sunday of November), when we remember those who have died in the faith, and Christ the King Sunday, the final Sunday before Advent.
A Quick Reference Guide
- Purple or blue: Advent (hope and preparation)
- White or gold: Christmas, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration, Easter, Trinity Sunday, All Saints, Christ the King (celebration and light)
- Green: seasons after Epiphany and after Pentecost (growth)
- Purple: Lent (repentance and reflection)
- Red: Pentecost, and sometimes Palm/Passion Sunday (the Spirit and sacrifice)
- Black or none: Good Friday (mourning)
Special Services Throughout the Year
Beyond Sunday mornings, the Christian year is marked by special services. At Laingsburg UMC these have included a Longest Night service during the week of Christmas for those carrying grief, a Christmas Eve candlelight service, Maundy Thursday, an ecumenical Good Friday service, Easter sunrise worship and an ecumenical Thanksgiving service. Service details are posted on our Worship page.
Bringing the Christian Year Home
You don't have to be in church to follow the seasons. Families can light an Advent wreath at dinner, choose a Lenten practice together, or wear red on Pentecost. Children especially love noticing the colors change in the sanctuary. For more family ideas, see our tips for bringing young children to church.
Conclusion
The Christian year turns time into a journey through the story of Jesus. Purple calls us to prepare, white invites us to celebrate, red reminds us of the Spirit's power, and green encourages steady growth. Whatever season it is when you read this, we invite you to experience it with us. Join us for worship any Sunday at 10:30 am, in person in Laingsburg or online, and see how the church year unfolds. Want to know what happens during the service itself? Read The United Methodist Order of Worship, Explained.