Colors of the Church Year
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:3-4
Red is not often used in the church year. It is reserved for Pentecost, Reformation Sunday, and occasions such as confirmation, mission festivals, and church anniversaries. The common factor found among these observances would be the Holy Spirit’s work of Sanctification. The Spirit works through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament to sanctify Christians, that is, He sets them apart as holy through faith in Jesus Christ.
The color red is a clear reference to the fire of Pentecost where the Spirit equipped God’s messengers with gifts to assist in the spreading of God’s Kingdom. The Holy Spirit’s work conveys the thought of never-ending activity and growth in God’s grace. Fire produces heat, as substances react with oxygen, causing all sorts of rapid activity. The Gospel of Jesus Christ works on a person’s heart, causing all sorts of rapid activity. This begins with the first embers of faith and develops into a bonfire of faith and its fruits. The Spirit accomplishes this by pointing to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. On Confirmation Sunday, we see the flame that began in baptism increasing in young catechumens. For a Mission Festival, we hear how the flame may be kindled and maintained in others. This can include encounters as close as our own living room and as far away as Africa. Reformation Sunday and church anniversaries focus on tending and preserving the fire of God’s Word, as God has from age to age.
O Source of uncreated light, The Father’s promised Paraclete
Thrice holy Fount, thrice holy Fire, our hearts with heavenly love inspire
Come and thy sacred function bring to sanctify us while we sing.
The Lutheran Hymnal 236