IX. The TRINITY SEASON, the completed Revelation; the moralities of
the Gospel.
In addition to these great divisions or seasons, there are the
Holy Days dotting the Calendar--SAINTS' DAYS commemorating the
grace given unto God's {54} faithful servants, and other Holy Days
each having its special Scriptural teaching. (See FASTS, TABLE OF,
also FEASTS.)
The value of the Christian Year cannot be too highly estimated,
for after all has been said, the fact remains, that no better
instructor in the truths of the Bible can be found than what is
commonly called THE CHRISTIAN YEAR.
Christmas Day.--Christmas is preeminently a Church Festival, and
observed on December 25th. On this day the Church celebrates with
joy, gladness and exultation the Nativity of her Lord, who became
Incarnate (_i.e._, took our nature upon Him) and was born of a
pure Virgin. As the angels at His Birth, so mankind ever since has
hailed the Day of His Nativity with exceeding great joy. The
Puritans strove with all their ardor to destroy it, but happily
did not succeed. The argument used against it, that the Birthday of
the Child Jesus is not known, and, therefore, cannot be preserved,
does not prevail against the universal longing to celebrate in
some way this great event. We are not surprised, therefore, to find
that from the very earliest period Christmas was observed. St.
Chrysostom, in the fourth century, speaks of it as being even then
of great antiquity. In one of his Epistles he mentions that Julius
I, about A.D. 350, had caused strict inquiry to be made and had
confirmed the observance of Christmas on December 25th.
Christmas has always been observed with several celebrations of
the Holy Eucharist, three at least taking place; one at midnight,
another at early dawn and the third at midday. The growing devotion
of the {55} American Church has demanded this celebration of
Christmas and, therefore, at the last revision of the Prayer Book
a second Collect, Epistle and Gospel for this day was inserted. It
is customary to decorate our churches on Christmas with evergreen
as symbolical of the eternal nature of our Lord; to deck the Altar
with white symbol of joy and purity, and in some places with
lighted candles to typify our Lord as the Light of the world.
Church.--The word used in Holy Scripture for Church is _ecclesia_,
from the Greek word _ek-kaleo_, meaning to call out. An ecclesia,
therefore, is a body _called out_. The Rev. Francis J. Hall has
given the following explanation, "The Church is called the
_ecclesia_ because her membership consists of those who are called
of God, and adopted as His children and heirs of everlasting
life. The name teaches that the origin of the church was due,
not to any human act of organization, but to Divine operations
and a Divine ingathering of the elect. The mark by which the
elect are distinguished in Holy Scripture is membership of the
Church by Baptism, although ultimate salvation requires further
conditions." The use of the term _ecclesia_ came originally from
the calling out of Israel from Egypt; "out of Egypt have I called
my Son;" this is the first use of the word. The true conception
of the Church is a body called out from the world, and set apart
to the service of God, as such it is called the Kingdom of God,
over which God reigns and in which they who are called serve Him.
(See UNITY, CHURCH; KINGDOM OF GOD; CHURCH CATHOLIC; also ANGLICAN
CHURCH). {56}
Church Building Fund.--A very important and helpful organization
exists in the American Church known as "The American Church
Building Fund Commission." It was established October 25th, 1880,
by the General Convention and consists of all the Bishops, and
one clergyman and one layman from each Diocese and Missionary
Jurisdiction appointed by the Bishop thereof, and of twenty
members-at-large appointed by the Presiding Bishop. Its object is
to create by an annual offering from every congregation, as
recommended by the General Convention, and by individual gifts,
a Fund of One Million Dollars, portions of the principal to be
loaned, and of the interest given, to aid the building of churches
wherever needed. In order to hold property and carry on the work
of loaning money on mortgage in a safe and legal manner, it was
necessary to organize a corporation and this was done under the
laws of the State of New York, the title of the organization being
that given above. This commission is one of the most efficient
agencies in Church extension; many a mission through its aid being
enabled to erect a House of Worship, which otherwise would have
had to give up in despair and abandon all hopes of having the
Church's worship and administration of the Sacraments.
Church Catholic, The.--The kingdom of Christ, partly visible here
on earth, partly invisible behind the veil. The Church Catholic
embraces three great divisions:
I. THE CHURCH MILITANT, here on earth, struggling, fighting
(which militant means) against sin to overcome it. {57}
II. THE CHURCH EXPECTANT where the soul abides after death in a
state of expectancy of the final Resurrection; called, also, the
INTERMEDIATE STATE (which see).
III. THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT in Heaven where the soul reunited to
the body has its perfect consummation and bliss in God's eternal
and everlasting glory.
Church Chronology.--Under this head may be given certain dates
and events which may be regarded as "Turning Points" in the history
of the Christian Church: