We celebrate many Christian festivals throughout the year to remember the life of Jesus Christ, and to pause our routine activities and rest. Many people also travel to other locations to be together to enjoy the company of fellow believers. Many of these Holy days are celebrated throughout the world and that is why many of these are also gazetted public ‘holi’days’.
At all festivals, we typically gather together after divine service to share a meal and enjoy catching up for a chat with friends and family from all over Queensland. We welcome you to join us.
01 ADVENT festival marks the beginning of the Christian year, and the Advent period four Sundays before Christmas Day. The word ‘advent’ literally means ‘coming’ and it is a time of reflection on the coming of Christ into the world at his birth, and also a time of preparation when we think about the second coming of Christ and what we need to do to be ready for His return. During Advent, we will hear Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, & from the New Testament about the time leading up to Jesus’ birth, including His immaculate conception and the fulfilment of many other Old Testament prophecies.
02 CHRISTMAS is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. No-one is certain of the date on which Jesus was born. It was in the fourth century at a Council that consensus for the 25 December was reached. Christmas is all about God sending His son into the world as part of His plan to bring salvation to people everywhere. We also think about the ‘incarnation’ – literally meaning ‘in the flesh’ – when God became man in the form of the baby Jesus. The incarnation reminds us that Jesus is a human being, the son of Mary and his legal father Joseph (Son of Man), and that he is also Divine (Son of God).
BOXING DAY is a day of thanksgiving. In Hebrew/Greek, boxing means a flask or a container that is opened to bring forth blessings; we remember the Magi or Wise Men from the East who gave gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to represent the sacraments that Jesus Christ brought to the church. . Gold represents a kingdom, and symbolises Baptism into the new kingdom Christ is establishing. Frankincense, a sweet-smelling herb was burnt and rose upwards, signifying the Anointing of the Holy Spirit (Sealing), where the fruits of the Spirit rise up through Christ to God; when our Lord returns, that spirit that brought Christ out of the grave will also resurrect us. Myrrh, a tree sap used to embalm bodies, represents the Holy Body and Blood of Christ which ‘embalms’/protects our soul through forgiveness of sin and replaces it with Christ’s Righteousness so that when our body passes from this life to the dust of the earth, our body, soul, spirit is preserved until our Lord returns and we are resurrected to eternal life.
NEW YEAR is celebrated as thanksgiving for another year of Grace and is an opportunity to start the calendar year with a new Morning Salute – a short prayer to begin each day, which is contained with the Pastoral Letter for New Year.
04 LENT is the period of 40 days that stretches between Ash Wednesday and Easter week, to remember the 40-day period Jesus spent being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. We prepare for Easter and reflect on Jesus’ example in using God’s Word to overcome temptation. We remember Jesus’ suffering & sacrifice for the salvation of all people. Traditionally, Christians used to fast during Lent, eating small amounts of simple food. Today most Christians are more inclined to deny themselves in different ways and dedicate more time in prayer, devotion and service to others, as Jesus did.
05 EASTER WEEK: PALM SUNDAY, Christians remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Displays of palm leaves on the altar signify the victory of our Lord over sin, as the King of Kings. We remember that although Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph, he was soon to be put to death, where he would also conquer hell and death and rise again, victorious over these things that separated mankind from the Heavenly Father.
GOOD FRIDAY for Christians of is the most solemn day of the year. It is when we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. It may seem strange that a day of such sadness is called ‘good’, but we believe that on this day Jesus showed the greatest possible goodness by dying for the sake of sinful humanity. It is, therefore, God’s Friday.
EASTER Sunday is when we celebrate the day of the resurrection of our Lord. The date each year varies as the church consensus in the 4th century agreed for it to be the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, This is a day of great joy when we celebrate Jesus’ victory over death, showing that eternal life is now available to all, and hell and death have no power over us. New life is a common theme and a popular symbol of this is the egg, symbolising new life breaking out of the tomb.
06 ASCENSION day is 40 days after Easter Sunday and is a time when we celebrate our Lord’s physical ascension of his risen body into Heaven, where he was received as the King of Kings in great glory for his victory over sin, hell and death. It shows us the promise of how we will rise up to the Kingdom when our Lord returns at his second coming.
07 PENTECOST is 50 days after Easter Sunday and is a commemoration of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit promised by God the Father and sent by Jesus Christ to the first Apostles and His church (Acts Ch2), and a celebration of the continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we all experience as followers of our Lord. Our young people Confirm their faith during a special Confirmation Service on this weekend.
08 THANKSGIVING & MISSION is a 2-day weekend festival where we firstly celebrate the blessings God has provided for us in our spiritual lives and to offer thanksgiving for all that He provides us in our everyday needs. We do this in prayer, in song, in worship, in special monetary offerings to be used for the welfare of the church, and by also taking time to recommit our devotion to play our part in the mission labour in spreading the good news of love, hope and joy that Jesus Christ brings to all who believe and follow Him. We pray that the mission of our Lord, in bringing people to His Grace, may continue to grow and be sustained.