Nicole’s e-Pistle “Liturgical Colors”
August 5, 2026
Greetings, Friends!
I mentioned during the announcements on Sunday that I will be teaching a “Presbyterianism 101” class this fall. The dates and times are still tentative, but my goal is to begin the week after Labor Day on Monday evenings, so as not to interfere with other events, meetings, and choir practices. The class will be open to anyone – those who have been Presbyterian since birth, those who have been long-time members of our church but who may have been raised in other denominations, and those who have just begun to test the waters with us and would like to know more. All are welcome!
In the meantime, I thought I would share a little about how we “decorate” our sanctuary for worship each week. In many churches, banners and drapes and tablecloths are indeed just that – decoration. Not so in our church. Most of what we do as Presbyterians has meaning and purpose. The same is true for the liturgical colors we use for our paraments and my stoles.
When looking back at vestments, or the ceremonial robes and cloths worn by clergy, it is interesting to note that the mere fact of clergy wearing robes and stoles dates back to the sixth century, when everyone – clergy and lay people (non-ministers) alike wore their best clothes to worship services. Therefore, the clergy were simply dressing in the fashion of the time, with robes and drapey-styled cloth. As the fashion trends changed over time, the Roman Church opted to keep the fashion the same for the clergy. After centuries, Roman-style robes and stoles continue to be used and adapted to dress clergy, while modern fashion is, of course, very different.
As for the color of vestments and banners, there was no distinct color for hundreds of years. Over time, either light or dark cloth was used to symbolize times in the liturgical calendar. The term liturgy, or liturgical, refers to the form, or pattern, in which worship is conducted. Different times of the liturgical year represent aspects of the Christian faith. Around the year 1216, Pope Innocent III declared in De Sacro Altaris Mysterio the colors to be used would be white, red, green, and black (or sometimes violet). This continued to be the trend until the Protestant Reformation, when Calvinists (from which Presbyterianism would eventually spread to Scotland) preferred the simplicity of black to the pomp and intricacy of Catholic vestments. It wasn’t until the last two centuries that color began to make its way back into Protestant worship services.
In the PC(USA) church today, we use four colors: white, purple, red, and green. Here is an excerpt from our PC(USA) website that explains their meaning… Liturgical colors can orient us to the season of the church year and help to engage the sense of sight in worship. White and gold symbolize days and seasons of joy and mark pivotal events in the life of Christ. Red symbolizes the work of the Holy Spirit and the sacrifices of martyrs. Purple (and sometimes blue, in Advent) designates a season of penitence and preparation, such as Lent.
If you are interested to know more about the symbols we sometimes use in worship, please click the following link from the PC(USA) website:
https://centernet.pcusa.org/ministries/worship/faq/faq-signssymbols/
Happy reading and have a wonderful week!
