The Church and Her Technicolor Paraments

J.J.

No, this isn’t a post concerning a review on that (horrible) Broadway musical. But a recent Facebook discussion concerning the three feast days at the end of December as well as a conversation with a member of my congregation’s altar guild and the seemingly constant changing of banners and paraments this time of year sparked an interesting revelation. It was noted that the liturgical color of the Feast of St. Stephen (December 26) and the Feast of the Holy Innocents (December 28) is red, and that liturgical color for the Feast of St. John (December 27) is white. This distinction led me to realize that it may be helpful for us to, before we dive into the feasts and commemorations of the Church Year, review the colors which adorn the furniture of our churches and the necks and shoulders of our pastors.

History of Liturgical Colors

Since the Lutheran Reformation in 16th century, the Lutheran Church has used a specific set of colors “to express the spirit of the days and the seasons of the church year” [1]. Those colors are white, red, green, violet, and black. On special occasions, the color of rosemight be used. Each of these colors depict and present a different “flavor” of the season in which the Church finds herself. And, as is always the case, these colors are meant not to draw attention away from Christ, but to point to him and his saving work.

Lutheranism: What do these (colors) mean?

In keeping with the tradition of Luther and the reformers, nothing in the Church is done arbitrarily or without purpose. This is often found in the question, “What does this mean?” Today we ask the same question concerning the liturgical colors of the Church Year.

White

The color of white is the color of the Godhead, of the glory of Jesus Christ, of heaven and eternity, and of the angels. The color is meant to elicit thoughts of purity, joy, perfection, and even power. Often the color gold is mixed with the use of white, bringing the festive nature of the day to an even greater level.
The liturgical color of white is used on the major festivals of Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter. The Sundays of Christmastide and Eastertide also use the color white, while during the season of Epiphany the color changes to green. White used on the minor festivals of the Presentation of our Lord, the Annunciation of Mary, the Visitation of Mary, the Transfiguration of our Lord, the Ascension of our Lord, Holy Trinity Sunday, All Saints’ Day, and Christ the King. Finally, white is used on the commemorative festivals of, among others, St. John the Evangelist, the Conversion of St. Paul, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene.

Red

The color red is the color of fire, zeal and fervor, blood, martyrdom, and love. The color is meant to draw attention to the fire of faith in Christ and the zeal of those who preach and teach it. To put it another way, it symbolizes “the victorious truth of Christian teaching based on the blood and righteousness of Christ” [2].
The liturgical color of red is used on the major festival of Pentecost. The minor festivals of all of the apostles (with the exception of St. John) and any other saint who was martyred are celebrated with the color red because of their martyrdom and shedding of blood for Christ. It is also used on the the commemorative days regarding the events of the Lutheran Reformation. Finally, red is also used in commemorating and recognizing works of the church, especially ordinations, installations, and commissioning of ministers of the Gospel.

Green

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The liturgical color of green is used to depict the life-giving message of Christ to the Church. This is why the Sundays following Epiphany use the color green, as the appointed readings for those days are instructive as Christ goes about his ministry preaching and teaching the people about his service and work. The color green is also used during the Sundays after Pentecost, as the church learns and listens to the words of our Lord concerning Christian life and service.

Violet

The color violet is the color of royal mourning and repentance. This color is used during the seasons of Advent and Lent, which both have a penitential focus. During the season of Advent, Christians are beckoned by St. John the Baptist to, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” During the season of Lent, Christians are reminded, “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”

Black

Black is symbolic of death. Used on Good Friday, black reminds us of the death that matters––that of Christ, our Savior. While many congregations may not have black paraments, the colors of the church are removed, and the church stands bare, without color. This action is another reminder of death, as the color of life is drained from a body that has died, so also the life of our Savior has been taken.

Rose

Rose is a lightened color of violet. As was noted earlier, rose is often used on the 3rd Sunday of Advent (known as Gaudete Sunday; perhaps your congregation has a rose-colored candle in the Advent wreath) and on the 4th Sunday in Lent (known as Laetare Sunday). Both of these Sundays fall in the middle of their respective seasons of the Church Year. And both of these Sundays serve as a sort of respite from the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent. The focus of these Sundays is joy and rejoicing. Thus, the liturgical color of purple is “lightened” to rose for this day.

Blue

A modern movement within Christianity has been the inclusion of the liturgical color of blue. While not a historic color of the church, the color is used in place of purple during the season of Advent. Blue is the color of the skies, the place from which our Lord has told us he will come when he returns. The use of blue elicits the feelings and lives of preparation, as we prepare our hearts for and await his second coming on the Last Day.

Conclusion

As we all know, communication is an important facet of daily life. Everything we do communicates something, whether it be a smile or a frown, a shrug of the shoulders or a menacing glare. So it is even with the colors of the Church Year. As the Church centers her life on Christ, the colors adorning her altars and pastors preach a message each week, too. Next time you enter the Lord’s house, see what color she is sporting that day, and thank God for the amazing work of his Son which those colors represent.

S.D.G.

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[1] Lang, P.H.D. “Ceremony and Celebration.” Emmanuel Press: Fort Wayne, Indiana. 2012. p. 187
[2] Lang, p. 187