the Church calendar
yearly rhythms of feasting and fasting
Christ Church Madison follows the historic Christian Calendar, which is something that Christians across denominations have done for thousands of years. The Church Calendar begins in Advent and carries us through the life of Christ, from his birth, to his passion, to his resurrection and ascension, and finally to the feast of Pentecost and All Saints, where we remember the giving of the Holy Spirit and the life of the Church.
We believe that this is one of the most profound discipleship tools we have, because it takes our calendar and molds it into the image of Christ. And in turn, as we move and live life by it, we are formed into His image.
To learn more about the Church Calendar, check out this helpful resource from a sister church in our network.
To learn more about the Church Calendar, check out this helpful resource from a sister church in our network.
The Daily Office
Though we all live very different lives, we encourage everyone to engage in daily rhythms of connecting with Jesus. One of the ways the historic Church has helped Christians do this is by providing them common prayers to pray (including Morning Prayer), and a Church wide Bible-reading plan (known as the Lectionary).
MORNING PRAYER: Zoom
Join us at 7am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday over Zoom for morning prayer, readings from the daily lectionary, and intercession for one another, for the church, and for the world.
morning prayer & eucharist
Join us on Wednesday in person at 7am at 4477 Crescent Road, #2 for morning prayer. Reach out to Michael Culbertson for more details.
evensong
Periodically, when our Soup & Bread groups take a week off, we gather all together on a weeknight for prayer, worship, and scripture. Check our Events page for upcoming Evensong dates.
the lectionary
the church's bible reading plan
A key principle adopted at the Reformation was that Christians should read “the whole of Holy Scripture (or the greatest part thereof)” each year. The Lectionary was written with that in mind, and can be read in a one-year or two-year cycle.
We're going the two-year route, meaning we'll get through the Old Testament in two years, the New Testament every year, and the Psalms every 60 days.
We're going the two-year route, meaning we'll get through the Old Testament in two years, the New Testament every year, and the Psalms every 60 days.
In 2023, we're in year I of the lectionary (so the readings for January 1 are Genesis 1 and John 1.)
We've built the Lectionary into our church App, so you can access all the readings on one place to read or listen to. Click here to learn more about our App.
You can also find the Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer (2019, ACNA) starting on page 734.
resources
Word & Table Podcast
This is a great resource put out by leaders in our church network. It’s a bi-weekly podcast about liturgy, sacrament, and the great tradition of Christian worship and why it is vital in our world today. Here are some helpful episodes:
daily Office 2019
This website publishes the readings and prayers of the office every day from the Book of Common Prayer. It also has info about what it is! Check it out.