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By Rev. Douglas K. Escue
Douglas K. Escue is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Originally published in Lutheran Worship Notes, Issue 29, 1994.
© 2000 LCMS Commission on Worship
Color. Color is everywhere. Color is God's
way of filling his world with beauty and giving pleasure to those who live
in this colorful world. Christians, for centuries, have used color in
divine worship to emphasize the redemptive action of God through his Son.
Color, like music, plays an important role
in the life of God's worshiping people. Just as music is the
"handmaiden to theology," liturgical color complements the
message of the seasons and occasions during the church year. Taking a
familiar seat in the nave of his/her chapel preceding worship on any given
Sunday, the worshiper's emotions and intellect are immediately engaged by
color. Liturgical colors aid in establishing a climate in which Law and
Gospel may be heard and received.
Color, like light which is its source, is
most helpful when it is pleasing as well as stimulating to the senses.
However, let's never forget its primary role in divine worship: Color
allows us to see the Light of Life, Jesus Christ. It serves to communicate
the message of salvation. And communicate it does when it reinforces a
specific "colorful" chapter in the life of our Lord and his
church, retold annually by the church calendar.
However, color and its bright message can
easily be taken for granted or mistaken in its purpose. The paraments,
vestments, altar clothes, banners, traditionally employed each Sunday,
must be seen as more than an attempt to decorate, or give accent to the
chancel. That is, no doubt, the view of some. It's true; interior design
and decoration are important. But a greater service is demanded of our
liturgical colors than merely making the surroundings "pretty."
Furthermore, when altar paraments are used
year after year without much attention given to their message, as well as
their care, the pastor, along with his faithful altar guild would do well
to throw away the key to the sacristy and refrain from using those altar
cloth "decorations." Frequent instruction about the church year
and its corresponding colors must go hand in hand with its weekly use.
How do you go about instructing and
communicating appreciation for the colors of the church year and the
seasons they support? Some liturgical creativity is in order for this
task. Think of the rainbow. The rainbow is that vivid reminder of God's
promise given to Noah and his descendants. The acronym, "Roy-g-biv,"
is a helpful device in remembering that beautiful object of hope, and its
red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet colors. Let's adapt
that helpful device for use in taking a fresh look at the colors of the
church year.
Traditionally, five basic colors of a
festive, penitential, and neutral nature have been used in most liturgical
congregations. In recent times, with liturgical renewal, three additional
colors (blue, scarlet, and gold) have been added to the basic five of
white, red, green, violet or purple, and black.
Instead of "Roy-g-biv," may I
suggest "Bg-Bgs-Pwr?" (blue, green, black, gold, scarlet,
purple, white and red) "Bg-Bgs-Pwr," enunciated Big Bags of
Power" might at first seem silly. Indeed it is! Does it have anything
to do with the message of those colors? Not really! Then, why suggest such
a ridiculous notion? Because, a humorous, yet effective memory technique,
such as "Bg-Bgs-Pwr," is what we may need to remember this
liturgical tool and the message it conveys throughout the church year.
Each "Bg-Bgs-Pwr" color has
evolved through the centuries in the community of faith to communicate a
powerful message. Proclaim: A guide for planning liturgy and music by
Concordia Publishing House, Manual on the Liturgy: Lutheran Book of
Worship, published by Augsburg/Fortress, and the recently released
Lutheran Worship: History and Practice published by Concordia Publishing
House are three helpful sources of information that elaborate on the
subject and the liturgical seasons they serve. A fresh look at the "Bg-Bgs-Pwr"
color scheme can reawaken our appreciation for this time- honored custom.
Blue,
the first color of the "Bg-Bgs-Pwr" scheme, is the more
contemporary color increasingly used by many congregations in their
observance of a new church year. Advent, a preparatory time of
waiting and watching, communicates the message of hope. BLUE-the color of
the sky-helps convey that powerful message. Our Christian faith rests on
the hope that Christ, who came in history assuming our flesh, will also
return on the last day of time from that same blue sky he ascended long
ago. top
Green,
comes next in the acronym and is by far the most common color seen during
the year. Lutheran Worship calls for its use during the seasons of Epiphany
and Pentecost. The first Sunday following the first full moon after
the vernal equinox (March 21), also known as Easter Sunday, determines the
length of these two seasons. top
The
days of Epiphany may entail a total of, but not more than, eight Sundays.
The season of Pentecost, on the other hand, can last from 22 to 28
Sundays. Green is the appointed color for all but a few of the Sundays
during these seasons. Consequently, green may be used an average of six to
eight months of any given liturgical year!
Epiphany's message of Christ's revelation to the Gentiles along with the season's
traditional emphasis on extending Christ's kingdom through missions, calls
for the use of green-the color symbolic of growth.
The Sundays following Pentecost, observed as "the time of the
church," share a somewhat similar theme as that of Epiphany.
Affectionately called the season of the "green meadow," no doubt
due to the fact of green being the established color, these Sundays also
emphasize the subject of growth. Green is a neutral color, but there is
nothing colorless about our need to grow and mature as disciples of Jesus
Christ. That's why the "green meadow" time of the church year is
so lengthy. Time must be given to encourage all worshipers to maintain
their faith through the constant use of God's means of grace.
A helpful suggestion for congregations observing summer and fall months with
one neutral color, would be to invest time and effort in obtaining several
sets of green paraments. Variety and change in shades of this color would
go a long way in keeping the season fresh and "green." Changing
the paraments every six weeks would complement the Sundays following
Pentecost and their emphasis on personal faith that is living and growing.
Black
is seen very seldom during the year. The calendar calls for its use only
twice; on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday. There's no
mistaking the message that this sober color gives. Black is the absence of
light. Good Friday, or Black Friday in combination with Ash Wednesday,
calls for sober reflection on the cost of our redemption. Without Christ's
sacrifice on the day the sky turned dark and hid the light of the sun,
there would be no bright Light of Christ to live in, nor new life in
Christ to enjoy. top
Gold
is the optional color for Easter Sunday. It is also the suggested
color for the last Sunday in the church year when that day is observed as
Christ the King Sunday (LBW). Its use may not be popular yet, but its
emphasis is undeniable. Gold represents value and worth. The golden
festival of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the event that gives our
lives meaning and worth. He is worthy of our praise as we adorn his altar
with the color of splendor. top
Scarlet
(a vivid red, or orange) is the fifth letter in the "Bg-Bgs-Pwr"
acronym that is called for use during Holy Week; from Palm Sunday
to Maundy Thursday. It is a color worth investing in because it stands in
contrast to the traditional red that is used on Festival Sundays.
Scarlet's use during the somber days of Holy Week help to offer a
different message. As the Manual on the Liturgy points out, "scarlet
is a color anciently associated with the passion . . . the color of
blood" (p. 25). top
Purple,
like black, is a penitential color, in contrast to a festive one. It is
appropriately used during Lent and, still in many parishes, during
the season of Advent. The forty days of Lent, including the six Sundays
that fall during this season, use this deep, rich color which has come to
represent somberness and solemnity, penitence, and prayer. top
Violet or purple
was a very cherished and expensive color in the world Jesus lived. The dye
used to make the color was painstakingly acquired by massaging the neck of
a Mediterranean shell fish that secreted a special fluid. It was therefore
afforded only by the rich and worn most exclusively by the royalty.
Jesus, the king of the Jews, wore a purple robe only once. As the soldiers mocked and
tormented him, the Scriptures record they placed on him a "purple
garment" in order to ridicule him and belittle the claim that he was
a monarch.
Therefore, purple is used during this penitential season of Lent as a vivid reminder of the
contempt and scorn he endured, and the subsequent sacrifice he made for
our eternal salvation. Ecclesiastical purple should remind all Christians
of their daily need to humbly give attention to leading a life of
repentance.
White
is the color of purity and completeness. The theme for the "great
fifty days" of Easter is supported by the use of white. This
color, used primarily during these Sundays, assists in bearing the message
that "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as
snow." Christ's triumph from the grave on Resurrection day is the
cause for our rejoicing. His purity before his Father becomes our purity.
White reinforces that message of joy. top
In addition to its
use during Eastertide, white is the appointed color for such festive
Sundays as Christmas and its twelve days; Epiphany (Jan. 6)
and the first Sunday following it, observed as the Baptism of Our Lord;
the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, also known as Transfiguration
Sunday; Holy Trinity Sunday; and twenty-one minor
festivals and occasions listed on the church year calendar in Lutheran
Worship. In all, white serves as the best festive color for the church
year.
Red
completes the acronym, "Bg-Bgs-Pwr." Red is a power color and is
appropriate for use on Pentecost Sunday. On this day we remember
the power and fire of "the Lord and Giver of Life," who revealed
himself as the promised one. The color red communicates the motif of
strength-strength and power the Holy Spirit gives in order for God's
people to call on the name of Jesus Christ and share that powerful name
with others. top
There is no
question that red is a compelling festive color. Consequently, it serves
well as the traditional color for the heroic martyrs of the church. The
Lutheran Worship church year calendar provides propers for sixteen martyr
festivals and recommends red as the appropriate color. Their red blood
shed in defense of the Gospel offers perpetual encouragement for God's
people to be resolute in living the faith.
Additional uses of red are Reformation Sunday; Holy Cross Day (Sept. 14); on
such festive occasions as dedications, anniversaries of a congregation and
its physical structure; festive days celebrating the office of the public
ministry, such as ordination and installation.
It is appropriate, from time to time, to
take a thoughtful and fresh look at the colors that are displayed
throughout the church year. In the end, we admit, the use of paraments,
vestments, altar clothes, banners is an adiaphoron. Even the symbolism
behind the traditional colors is somewhat arbitrary and open to additional
interpretations as generations pass. The primary source and guarantor of
their meanings is tradition.
However, the important thing to remember is
why we retain this traditional liturgical standard. The value of the
"Bg-Bgs-Pwr" color scheme rests in their purpose: to serve God's
worshiping community by assisting in communicating the holy faith from
generation to generation. In every age, the beauty and symbolism of color
in the church continues to serve us exceptionally well! Soli Deo Gloria
pro Ecclesia Colorem! top
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BLUE
Advent
GREEN
Epiphany
Pentecost
BLACK
Good Friday
Ash Wednesday
GOLD
Easter Sunday
SCARLET
Holy Week
PURPLE
Lent
WHITE
Easter
Christmas
Epiphany
RED
Pentecost Sun.
Reformation Sun.
Public Ministry |
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