BY DOUG ARNOLD

The use of colors to distinguish the church’s liturgical seasons became a common practice in the fourth century. Colors used by the Western church varied considerably at first, but by the twelfth century, they became standardized: purple, white, black, red, and green.

Colors are symbolic and express emotions and ideas associated with each of the seasons of the liturgical year.

The Christian year contains two cycles: the Christmas Cycle (Advent-Christmas-Epiphany) and the Easter cycle (Lent-Easter-Pentecost). Within each cycle are a preparatory season symbolized by the color purple and a festival season symbolized by the color white. After each cycle there is an Ordinary Time of growth symbolized by the color green.

We have recently transitioned from the Season after the Epiphany (Ordinary Time) into Lent. The present season lasts forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter.

We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. On Ash Wednesday, ashes are placed on the foreheads of believers as a symbol that we came from dust and one day return to dust.

The forty days of Lent correspond to the forty-day temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and the forty-year journey of Israel from slavery to the promised land. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts and then became a time for penance by all Christians.

The season prepares us for celebrating Easter. We look inward and reflect on our readiness to follow Jesus in his journey towards the cross. This year Lent began on February 25 and ends on April 11.

The First Sunday of Lent describes Jesus’ temptation by Satan. The Sixth Sunday or Passion/Palm Sunday represents Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent passion and death.

The Great Three Days – from sunset Holy Thursday through sunset Easter Day are the climax of Lent (and the whole Christian year) and a bridge into the Easter Season. These days proclaim the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection.
Now let’s examine the colors of Lent that are reflected in clergy stoles and sanctuary paraments (decorative cloths).

Purple dye was very difficult to make and therefore very expensive; so purple came to signify wealth, power, and royalty. Therefore purple is the color for the seasons of Advent and Lent: for the coming of the King. Since as Christians we prepare for our King through reflection and repentance, purple has also become a penitential color.

Red is the color of blood, and also of martyrdom, thus it is the color for any service that commemorates the death of a martyr. It is also an alternative color for the last week of Lent or Holy Week.

Sources:
The United Methodist Book of Worship
© 1992 The United Methodist Publishing House
Copyright ©1995-2008 by the Rev. Kenneth W. Collins