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At Tabernacle we follow the Christian year in our cycles of worship. Each season of the year reminds us of certain truths contained in scripture and helps us focus on what is most important about following God. The lectionary is divided into three different years with each of the synoptic Gospels taking the center stage. The Gospel of John is divided and used during special seasons during all three years. We are currently in the third year; year C which follows the Gospel of Luke. 

ADVENT:

The four weeks before Christmas are a preparation time for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. The color purple symbolizes Jesus’ royalty.  This is a season of anticipation as we wait for the Christ child to be born. We also use this time to remember that Christ will come again. The first Sunday of Advent is the Christian New Years Day. This season is most known for the lighting of the candles on the Advent wreath. Each candle is named for the theme of that Sunday, and are Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. The Christ Candle is not lit until Christmas Eve, but stays lit each Sunday for the rest of the year (with the exception of Good Friday). The colors for this season are purple or blue. 

CHRISTMASTIDE (THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD):

This is the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ, the coming of Creator God into the midst of the human family. The colors of gold and white symbolize a festival time during the twelve days of Christmas.

EPIPHANY:

Epiphany immediately follows Christmastide and its recollection of the birth of Jesus.  The Biblical basis for Epiphany is in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, verses 1-11. It is the story of the visit of scholars from a distant land to honor a new born child who would be important to the whole human race. Epiphany is a time for expanding the vision of Christian people. Stories of Jesus in the Gospels are emphasized during this season as we grow to see Jesus more clearly, it is like a light growing ever brighter.  The colors used are white, gold and green. 

Baptism of Christ Sunday 

This celebration was originally a part of Epiphany, but over time it became a holiday of its own. On this day we take the time to remember our own Baptisms and come forward to receive a drop of water on our heads as a reminder of what Baptism means to us and to our entire community of faith. The color for this Sunday is white. 

Transfiguration Sunday

Transfiguration Sunday is celebrated on the last Sunday of the Epiphany season. It commemorates the season of Jesus being revealed in the Gospels by remembering Jesus being bathed in light and revealed in his glory. In some traditions this is celebrated in August. The color for this Sunday is white. 

LENT

Beginning with Ash Wednesday, this 40-day event is a time of fasting in imitation of Jesus’ experience in the wilderness of temptation. The story is in the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11. On Ash Wednesday we remember that we are dust, and will return to dust. We mark our foreheads with ash made from palm branches used on the previous year’s palm Sunday.  It is a time of preparation for Easter and of repentance. Self examination, control of appetites, and spiritual devotion are obligations for many Christians in all world cultures during Lent. Conscious attention to the tragic evils in the human family is encouraged. We believe that it is impossible to experience the joy of Easter without walking through the trial of Lent. Colors frequently used are purple, ash gray, and red.
HOLY WEEK

The days between Palm Sunday and Holy Saturday before Easter are known as Holy Week. These days observe the events in the life of Jesus from the entry into Jerusalem through the crucifixion and burial. Palm Sunday is sometimes called Passion Sunday because of the tragic events of the week to come. This is a Sunday of celebration as palm branches are processed throughout the sanctuary in remembrance of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. The primary observances of Holy Week are: Maundy Thursday (instruction of the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper); Good Friday (the passion and death of Jesus); and Holy Saturday (the burial of Jesus). The color for Maundy Thursday is purple. On Good Friday the color is black. 

 

EASTER

The principal and most ancient festival of the Christian church year is Easter. Following the death and burial of Jesus and his resurrection, there was a renewal of the very life of Jesus Christ in the fellowship of believers in the early Church. Eastertide is the season continuing through Pentecost.  Each Sunday is a weekly celebration of the resurrection of Christ. The liturgical color for this season is purple. 

PENTECOST 

This celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit to a gathering of believers shortly after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus is a major observance for Christians. The festival is observed 50 days after Easter. The day takes place on the Jewish day of Pentecost, thanksgiving for the first fruits of the wheat harvest. For Christians, the experience of the energy of the Spirit was a “first fruit” of the new era that had dawned for the believers. In some parts of the Church, Pentecost is a special time for baptism of new believers. Throughout the Church, Pentecost is when the surprising vital energy of the presence of Creator God influences worship and challenges people to new life in Christ. Pentecost begins on Sunday and continues through the Saturday before Trinity Sunday.  The liturgical color for this season is red. 

Ordinary Time

The use of the word ordinary comes from a Latin term meaning time throughout the year. This is the longest period of the church year and is not marked by the three-fold celebrations of Christs birth (Advent-Christmas-Epiphany) or death and resurrection (Lent-Easter-Pentecost). There are several special holidays during this time. The liturgical color for this season is green. 

Trinity Sunday 

This is the day we celebrate the mystery of the Trinity. This means that God exists in three persons while still being one. The persons of the Trinity are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is an ancient belief that seeks to explain the relationship and love that exists between the three persons that make up the Trinity.  The liturgical color for this day is white. 

World Communion Sunday.

This is a relatively recent holiday on the Christian Calendar. It was begin by the Presbyterian Church in 1933 and has come to be celebrated all over the world by many denominations. It is a time to promote Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. At Tabernacle this is a very special day for us as it commemorates the anniversary of the first Burmese refugees attending services with us. The liturgical color for this day is green. 

Reformation Day

Reformation day falls on October 31 of each year. It is usually celebrated on the Sunday immediately before or after its occurrence. This is the anniversary of Martin Luther nailing 95 thesis to the doors of the Wittenburg church protesting corrupt practices in the Church. This event is largely viewed as beginning the Protestant Reformation. We take this time not only to celebrate, but also to mourn the division that exists in the universal Church today. The liturgical color for this day is red which represents the Holy Spirit and the blood of the martyrs.

All Saints Day

All saints day is a time for us to remember Christians who have died, especially in the past year. This is a time for mourning, and can be very emotional. During the service we call out the names of everyone who has died in the last year. This is also a time for hope as we remember that the church is not only made up of those who are alive on earth, but those who have gone to be with Christ. We remember that God is the God of the living, and take comfort in the promise of the resurrection. The liturgical color for this day is white. 

Christ the King Sunday

This is a relativity new holiday in the Christian year. It was instituted in 1925 as a response nationalism. (specifically as a challenge to fascism in Italy). This holiday celebrates the Kingship of Christ over the entire world and reminds us that our loyalties are to Christ above all else and that Christians all over the world are our brothers and sisters.  Christ the King is the last Sunday in the liturgical year. The Sunday following this is the first Sunday of Advent. The color for this day is white.

Helpful Resources

www.workingpreacher.org

www.textweek.com

This year Tabernacle committed to providing Christmas Dinner to 100 of our friends and neighbors who are in need.  On the morning of December 19, 2015, about 50 people gathered in the Community Room in preparation for the delivery of 100 Christmas Baskets.  A light breakfast was provided, delivery procedures were explained and deliveries began.  The process was well organized and everything went according to plan.  All of the vehicles were loaded and on the road by 11:00 am, and deliveries were completed by early afternoon.

While the actual event was only a matter of hours, a lot of work and planning occurred long before the deliveries.  Things start in October when we begin getting requests for Christmas Baskets.  This year we changed the procedures to have all calls for requests go to a designated phone. Thanks to Priscilla Kinchen and Jerry Spiller for taking the calls and filling out the request forms.  Requests are recorded and reviewed before accepting the requests.  Then, all to receive the baskets are grouped by location into delivery routes and maps made with directions for each route.

Days before delivery, everyone who is on the list is called to ensure there are no address changes and to be sure someone will be home to receive the baskets the day of delivery.  Trying to contact 100 people is a big task, but this is necessary to ensure smooth deliveries.  Thanks to Jane Denzler for making the calls.

Non-perishable food is picked up the day before delivery in order to pack the boxes, perishables (turkey, eggs, and milk) are picked up on the morning boxes are delivered. Thanks to Bill Gradwell for getting the boxes and picking up the food.  And, thanks to all who helped with the packing.  Much of the canned goods in the baskets was from the Richmond Concert Band who contributed approximately 1200 items of food.

Only then are we ready for the deliveries.  It is easy to explain the process in words but very hard to describe the atmosphere and feeling that day.  This report is filled with thank yous because it takes a lot to make this event happen.  It could not take place without the volunteers’ time and money.  Cost of the Christmas Baskets was just over $4500. Enough money was raised to cover all of the costs with a little left over.

Saturday morning was fun and busy.  We had children, young adults, and not-so-young adults helping to make this a great experience.  I never think of this ministry as delivering food.  I think of families at their tables on Christmas, sharing a meal that they would not have had without the efforts and generosity of members of the church we call Tabernacle.  Someone made the exclamation, “WOW 100 baskets.”

I think of the WOW as how God has provided us with the resources and people to do this worthwhile ministry.  As it says in 1^st John 3:17-18, “…let us not love with word or tongue, but in deed.”

Many of the people who received baskets also come to the Food Pantry.  These are people who are just getting by.  This ministry is another example of helping and sharing our love for Christ.

Dick Denzler

During our recent Quarterly Business Meeting, Nelson Melton provided church members with an important update from the Construction & Renovation Committee.  That report gave our congregation an overview of actual costs of the project and the recommended sequence of construction events as we continue our fundraising efforts.  The committee members are very appreciative of the support received throughout this process of planning and fundraising for the monumental tasks before us.

Since that update, the Committee decided to address directly the reality that the construction and renovation costs are significantly higher than originally estimated(based upon additional plan requirements primarily to meet code requirements, asbestos abatement, and higher current market construction cost of materials and subcontractor pricing).  The Committee agreed to work with our architects and general contractor in a team effort to ensure that we are making wise choices in how we utilize the money you have generously given to this effort and will give in the future.  We believe that one of our most important roles in representing you is to be good stewards of the funds entrusted for creating a physical structure that meets the needs of our spiritual ministries.

Therefore, the Committee has agreed to move forward over the next four to six weeks with our lead architect to complete a professional program evaluation of the use of our existing space.  In this way we make certain that we are utilizing all of our available areas in the most efficient and effective ways.  This ensures that we as a Committee are more certain about the direction we are taking for the future of Tabernacle in meeting our needs as they change with our ongoing growth.  Even though you will not see construction begin in January 2016, we believe that you will see change begin in early 2016.  A presentation will be made in the January church business meeting that will provide you with more details.

We will also move forward with the removal of the asbestos from the row houses, as well as with patching the Williams Building roof.  Further discussions with the roofing company indicate that we do not need a new roof for this winter, saving a significant amount of money as we finalize our sequence of construction events.

We are encouraged in scripture to “run with patience the race before us”.  This is exactly the manner in which the Construction and Renovation Committee is working.  Every day Tabernacle Baptist Church takes patient and planned steps toward our God-Sized Vision.  Your gracious giving makes this possible.  We rely upon your continued support as we pursue a God-Sized Vision for our church and our future.  If you or someone you know would like to know more about how you might participate or different ways that you might become a donor, please do not hesitate to call one of our Construction & Renovation Committee members (Nelson Melton, Bill Welstead, Kathy McGraw, Jim McMurray, or Donna Soyars).