The Christian Year: Colors

Nearly everything we’ve said about the practice of the Christian Year so far deals with its content and meaning, most of which is expressed verbally. But words alone are insufficient. Wise worship planners and leaders will draw on the power of visuals also.

If it is true, as we are told, that most of what we learn and remember comes to us in non-verbal ways, then surely we should consider non-verbal methods for communicating the significance of the Christian Year. Both the movement and the message of the Christian Year will be fostered by non-verbals. Fortunately, Christian tradition has handed us an excellent tool for this in the colors associated with the seasons of the year. Entering a sanctuary with a change of colors immediately signals to worshipers the beginning of a new season of the Christian Year.

Though there are many types of non-verbals that can be used, the colors of the Christian Year seem to saturate all of them. So attention must begin with colors.

The values, traditions, and culture of each congregation will shape and determine the extent to which these colors are used. In some congregations the colors, and the changing of the colors, will be very obvious and prominent in each season; in other congregations less. And the longer a congregation observes the Christian Year and becomes increasingly comfortable with it, the more extensive will be the use of colors as they find new and creative ways to color the season.

The locations and the manner of color usage is limited only by the physical settings of a worship center and the imagination of worship leaders. There are no standards of where they should be utilized, though there are several practices that seem most common. Primarily among those are:

• Sanctuary Banners or Streamers – perhaps the most common, the immediate recognition of colorful banners or streamers upon entering the worship space prepares the worshiper for a certain seasonal emphasis.
• Vestures – in congregations where the clergy are vested, their robes can have a stole with colors which represent the season being observed.
• Pulpit and Table paraments – a colorful parament on the Lord’s Table and on the pulpit can be very effective.
• Bulletins and Worship Sheets – where these are printed in color, they can include borders or other art work of color to represent the season.
• Projected Slides – with colorful backgrounds, border designs or other artwork that display the colors of the season.

There are many others that you may design in your own congregation, but underlying all of this is the common agreement concerning the colors of each season. Usually these are the colors which are associated with each season.

The church that observes the Christian Year, enhanced with these colors, will find their nurture in the faith richer and their worship more balanced.

We encourage you to find new and creative ways in your congregation to make their use meaningful. The way to utilize these colors is limited only by your own creativity.