Bridgeport Seasons

In 2006, the Worship Team began to think about the traditional seasons of the Christian year. Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time (all 33 weeks of it!) -- each tells part of the Christian story and has its own rhythm as well as scripture selections. We love these seasons, but we wanted a way to make them more relevant to our congregation. Inspired by the work of a church in Delaware, we decided to take up the challenge of bringing the traditional church year more into the unique context of Bridgeport United Church of Christ.

Through a process of prayerful reflection over a period of several months we came up with our own Bridgeport Seasons. Several of them are based on the values we identified during our 2004visioning process, while others reflect the overall feeling of the seasons.

Of course, the Bridgeport Seasons will not replace the traditional days and seasons of the church but will provide a both a broader and a more specific context and perspective through which to experience them. We continue our traditions (like the Epiphany stars) and have started some new ones, too. Our banners, music and other parts of the worship service (as well as the sermons) reflect the themes.

We are excited about how the Bridgeport Seasons have enriched and enhanced our church life over the last 18 months and we welcome your feedback. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Diane@BridgeportUCC.org.

The Season of Wonder (Advent 1-Epiphany Sunday):
In the Season of Wonder, we wait in awe for God to break into the world once again; and we celebrate the presence of Emmanuel: God With Us.
Color: yellow, bronze, the golden pink of dawn
Symbols: the horizon with light breaking in, shooting stars, candle flames, flower buds, clock, expressions of awe

The Season of Inquiry (Epiphany 2 - Easter Sunday ):
In the Season of Inquiry we explore what it means to develop and deepen our relationship with God through the experience of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ.
Color: silver, reflective, opalescent
Symbols: compass, wilderness, desert, map, labyrinth, the voice of God, sun and moon

The Season of Justice and Compassion (Easter 2 -Pentecost Sunday):
In the Season of Justice and Compassion we put our faith into action, practice forgiveness, and speak the truth in love to create justice, build community and promote spiritual growth.
Color: Oceans of blue
Symbols: scales of justice, olive branch, hands reaching toward each other, peace sign

The Season of Community (Pentecost 2 – August 31):
In the Season of Community we celebrate the creation of our church community in all our diversity, support one another in every phase of life, and strive to mature in our faith.
Color: red, rainbow colors
Symbols: bridges, the planet, hands together, balloons, fireworks, musical notes

The Season of Integrity (September 1 - Christ the King Sunday):
In the Season of Integrity we celebrate the privilege and responsibility we have as stewards of our resources and our relationships. We seek accountability, openness and trust in our decisions, and thoughtfully invest in our future together.
Color: fall colors, earth tones
Symbols: the earth, trees, family trees, water falls, resources