Episode 79: The Transformative Power of the Christian Calendar

In this rich and reflective episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland explores how the Christian calendar offers a sacred rhythm that forms our lives around Jesus. As we enter the first week of Advent, Derek invites listeners to recover ancient practices that slow us down, reorient our attention, and root us in the ongoing story of Christ.

Rather than fighting culture wars over “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays,” Derek reminds us that followers of Jesus are called not to win culture but to make disciples, to become peacemaking servants in a world obsessed with power and control. From Advent to Pentecost to Ordinary Time, the Christian calendar tells and retells the story of Jesus, helping us live our own stories with purpose, hope, and joy.

Derek also shares how practicing the Christian year has transformed his own spiritual life, teaching him humility through tradition, attentiveness through rhythm, and joy through remembrance.

Conversation Themes

Living by a Different Story
How the Christian calendar offers an alternative to the frantic pace of modern life and invites us into the life of Jesus.

Advent and Anticipation
Why waiting, longing, and hope are essential practices for following Jesus in a distracted world.

Tradition and Transformation
Understanding tradition not as lifeless ritual but as the “democracy of the dead,” a way to learn from the wisdom of those who’ve gone before us.

Seasons of Formation
Walking through the seasons of the Christian year—from Advent to Christ the King—and how each one shapes our hearts around the gospel.

Practices for Everyday Life
Simple, meaningful ways to begin observing the Christian year, especially during Advent.

Key Takeaways

The Christian calendar invites us to live by the story of Jesus rather than the story of consumerism or productivity.

Advent is a time of hopeful waiting. A four-week season of looking at the brokenness of our world and longing for Jesus to come.

Tradition is not the enemy of faith but a means of wisdom, a way to learn from the saints who came before us.

The Christian calendar has transformative power because it:

Forms us through rhythm

Redirects our attention

Roots us in ancient community

Makes the ordinary holy

Keeps Jesus at the center

Books Mentioned in This Episode

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

Living the Christian Year by Bobby Gross

Scriptures Mentioned in This Episode

John 18:36

Proverbs 15:1

2 Thessalonians 2:15

Mark 7:8

John 1:14

Hebrews 12:2

John 3:17

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Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: https://derekvreeland.com

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