St Edmund's Episcopal Church San Marino

The First Sunday After Pentecost Trinity Sunday, June 11th, 2017

Does color matter in worship? Despite what probably many believe, color has a tremendous significance in worship. Last week in our first Family Worship service, students noted the use of red in stoles, the frontal (a.k.a. altar cloth), the parament (the cloth that hangs off the pulpit) and even the flowers.

Despite what the students thought, red is only for Pentecost, Holy Week, ordinations and installations. The most common color is green, which it what we will see this Sunday. With the exception of Christ the King Sunday, green is the liturgical color until advent. Covering a span of several months, it symbolizes the spiritual growth we are to be experiencing. The first Sunday of Advent everything changes to the royal colors of blue or purple in preparation for the birth of the king. As we celebrate Christ’s birth white or gold are used and continue to be the color until the Sunday after Epiphany when it changes back to green. After Ash Wednesday the liturgical color is again purple or blue. White or gold return for Easter and through the Sundays leading to Pentecost.

This week in Family Worship we will be looking at the use of candles, what fire represents and why one special candle is always burning in the sanctuary.

Family Worship begins every Sunday at 10 am in the chapel and is open to everyone. Please note that the participants are children learning how to lead worship. Our service concludes around 10:30, adults are free to enjoy the worship in the Sanctuary or assist in our post-worship discussion.

Rev. Heather Blackstone

The lessons appointed for June 11, 2017, Trinity Sunday, are here.

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