September Focus

Seasons of Faith

Newcomers to the West Coast sometimes grieve and sometimes celebrate the absence of the traditional four seasons in California. We sometimes forget that for the many if not most of the world's population the four seasons have never existed at all.

The seasonal structure for that part of the world that lives in the tropical and sub-tropical zone the climate is binary: Wet and Dry. This has not hindered many people from maintaining cultural seasonal habits that do not reflect the material realities of their regions.

Over the past 400 years Europeans have migrated to every corner of the globe. They carried with them the memory of the climate patterns of their ancestral homes. Today the four seasons continue to shape behavior even in parts of the world that have never known a genuine Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer.

The New England states cash in on tourists from California and Florida who want to "experience the autumn colors." Part of the joy for Californians who enjoy skiing involves the opportunity to experience ambiance of winter without the season's hassles. And who has ever been really satisfied seeing Santa Claus in Miami wearing Bermuda shorts?

Whether we embrace the authentic climate of our region or the artificial seasons of a Northern European heritage, everyone marks time in the passing of the seasons. But not everyone has always understood the changing season in the same way.

The ancient world understood the seasons in mythical terms. Stories of rising and dying gods and goddesses made sense of organic changes in nature and agricultural cycles. Isaac Newton described the motion of celestial bodies in mathematical terms. Since then, the modern world has understood the seasons as changes of a terrestrial cog in the cosmic machine. In more recent years minor neo-pagan movements have tried to reclaim the organic significance of seasonal change.

Along side the pagan, modern and neo-pagan calendars the Church has its own way of marking time. The Seasons of Faith follow neither an organic nor a mechanistic approach. They tell the story of Jesus.

The seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany relate the meaning of God's becoming flesh and appearing in the midst of human history in Jesus. The Seasons of Lent, Easter and Pentecost relate the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection and the subsequent gift of the Holy Spirit to those who believe and gather together to become the Church.

The Seasons of the Faith mark time in parallel with the organic and mechanistic calendars. Where the organic calendar fulfills a utilitarian function: telling farmers when to sow their seeds, and where the mechanistic calendar fulfills a scientific function: helping scientists to understand the cosmos, the faith calendar fulfills an essential human function: helping us to understand the significance of our existence.

Increasingly the Church calendar gets overlooked in our public life. Not long ago schools took "Christmas vacation" and let children out for Good Friday. Today if the Seasons of Faith are to inform our understanding of the meaning of human life, we must be intentional about naming, remembering and celebrating the events they mark and the significance they disclose.

Through the month of September we will reconsider the Seasons of the Faith and rediscover the role they play in helping us to live a life of significance and meaning in an increasingly disoriented world.

Monthly Focus Archive

2006:

Easter Focus: New Covenant
Lenten Focus: A Covenantal Response to Poverty
February Focus: Moving Forward

2005:

December Focus: Longing
November Focus: The Gift of Years
October Focus: Stewardship
September Focus: Foundations
Summer Focus: The Book of Acts
Easter Focus: Tapestry
Lenten Focus: Rule of Life
January Focus: The Next Wave

2004:

December Focus: Surprising Grace
November Focus: Free Indeed
October Focus: Money Madness
September Focus: The Outrageous Promise
Summer Focus: Into the Fullness
June Focus: Thick Faith
Easter Focus: All Things New
Lent Focus: A Hungry World
February Focus: Commitment
January Focus: Unity

2003:

December Focus: Hope
November Focus: Worship
October Focus: Stewardship
September Focus: Seasons of Faith
Summer Focus: The Gospel of John
May Focus: Faith
April Focus: Resurrection
March Focus: Truth
February Focus: Covenant Groups
January Focus: Sabbath

2002:

December Focus: Shut Up and Sing
November Focus: Spiritual Gifts
October Focus: Stewardship
September Focus: Intentional Faith