The soul has its seasons. “There is a time to be born, a time to die.”

The Bible has its seasons. The biblical New Year begins at the appearance of the first "new moon" of spring, when nature comes to life. 

The West has its seasons. The New Year begins in the depths of the winter, which is often when the new comes, in the midst of winter, the soul most often coming to life in the wintry seasons of life.

The church has its seasons.

In the church our “seasons” are not determined by climate changes or a vernal equinox. Instead of fall, winter, spring, and summer, the church calendar recognizes seven “seasons:”

Advent
Christmas
Epiphany
Lent
Holy Week
Easter
Pentecost
Kingdomtide (unique to Wesleyans and Presbyterians)

Unlike those other “four seasons” that neatly divvy up the year into…