Kingdom season
Four Sundays that Common Worship names differently from almost everyone else — which is exactly why lectionary lookups go wrong in November.
From All Saints’ Day to the eve of Advent, Common Worship marks a period sometimes called the Kingdom season: the last stretch of the year, turning towards the end of all things before the calendar begins again in Advent.
The Sundays
- All Saints’ Sunday — 1 November, or the Sunday following.
- The Fourth, Third and Second Sundays before Advent — counted backwards, which is the source of all the confusion.
- Christ the King — the Sunday next before Advent, and the last Sunday of the liturgical year.
Why lookups go wrong here
Most of the year, Common Worship’s Sunday names and the RCL’s Propers line up neatly. In November they do not. Common Worship counts backwards from Advent, so the same Sunday is “the Third Sunday before Advent” in one system and a numbered Proper in the other — and which Proper depends on the date of Advent Sunday that year.
This is why a parish that looks up readings on an American RCL site in November sometimes finds itself a week out. The readings are right; the naming is from a different scheme.
Colour
Red is common through the Kingdom season, green also entirely usual, and white or gold for All Saints and often for Christ the King. Local custom governs, as it does with colour generally.
Questions
What is the Kingdom season?
In Common Worship, the period from All Saints' Day to the eve of Advent — the Sundays before Advent, ending with Christ the King.
Why do Common Worship Sunday names differ from the RCL in November?
Common Worship counts the Sundays backwards from Advent, while the RCL numbers Propers forward. The readings agree; the naming does not, and which Proper matches depends on the date of Advent Sunday that year.