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In recent years, land acknowledgments have become common in many progressive churches—a first step toward recognizing the Indigenous peoples whose lands we inhabit. Yet even as we speak words of respect, our church calendars often remain untouched: built on European rhythms, disconnected from the lands we claim to honor, and unaware of the Indigenous ways of marking time that have existed for millennia.
What if we went beyond acknowledgment? What if we committed to decolonizing the church calendar itself?
Calendars are not neutral. They teach us what to celebrate, when to rest, what stories to remember, and what realities to ignore. The Western Christian calendar, shaped by European seasons and colonial empires, has long set the rhythm of church life—without regard for the diverse places and peoples around the world.
For Indigenous communities, however, time is often cyclical and relational, tied to the land’s cues: the first frost, the salmon returning to spawn, the blooming of specific plants, the migration of birds. These markers carry not only ecological significance but spiritual meaning. Colonization disrupted these Indigenous calendars, imposing rigid systems like the Gregorian calendar to standardize time for commerce, conquest, and control.
Our liturgical calendar shapes everything—from what stories we tell to what we prioritize in worship. When churches continue using colonial calendars, we risk centering European experiences and ignoring the spiritual knowledge embedded in local ecosystems and Indigenous wisdom.
Decolonizing the church calendar means rooting our liturgical life in the seasons and stories of the land we inhabit—especially those of the Indigenous peoples who have cared for that land since time immemorial. Here’s what that could look like:
Align with Local Seasons: Replace imported liturgical seasons with local ecological cycles. For example, rather than “Ordinary Time,” communities could observe a “Season of Ripening” in late summer or a “Season of Returning Rains” in spring.
Honor Indigenous Stories: With permission and partnership, integrate Indigenous stories tied to local landmarks, plants, and animals—recognizing these narratives as sacred teachings that can deepen Christian ecological understanding.
Celebrate Indigenous Calendars: Many Indigenous nations have their own moon cycles, harvest ceremonies, and times of fasting or feasting. Learning about these and adjusting church rhythms accordingly can express solidarity and respect.
Ecological Awareness: Ground worship and prayer in the Earth’s realities—praying for the land during times of drought, celebrating the first snowfall, or holding lament services for environmental devastation.
When we reshape the church calendar to reflect the cycles of the land and Indigenous seasons, we not only decolonize our faith practices but also draw closer to creation itself—seeing God’s revelation in the rhythms of nature. This approach aligns with Christian ecological theology, which affirms our responsibility to care for the Earth and recognize its sacredness.
With humility and consent, churches can invite Indigenous voices to share stories that connect faith to place—challenging Eurocentric narratives and honoring the Creator’s work through the diversity of cultures. By integrating Indigenous liturgical calendars and storytelling into worship, we foster reconciliation and deepen our spiritual understanding.
Start small: Add prayers or blessings tied to local seasonal markers.
Learn together: Host educational events about the Indigenous calendars and ecological knowledge of your region.
Build relationships: Partner with Indigenous leaders to discern together how your congregation can honor local time cycles.
Commit to accountability: Ensure this is part of an ongoing journey toward decolonization—not a one-time gesture.
This work must move at the speed of trust. Churches should not rush to adopt Indigenous practices without building relationships with local Indigenous communities, seeking consent, and listening deeply. Decolonizing the calendar is not about appropriation but about reorienting our time toward justice, healing, and creation care.
As followers of Christ, we’re called to honor the image of God in all peoples and to care for creation. By moving beyond land acknowledgments into the very fabric of our timekeeping, we can align our faith communities more closely with both. May we have the courage to decolonize our calendars—and in doing so, find ourselves more deeply rooted in the land, in right relationship with our Indigenous neighbors, and in step with God’s rhythms of justice and renewal.
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