Question

Why doesn't the OPC follow a liturgical year as the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran Churches do?

Answer

This is a longstanding historical and theological issue. By the time of the Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) had instituted a great number of practices that lacked any biblical warrant or precedent. Many of them became established—even conscience-binding practices. As the Reformers began to plea for a purification of the church, the issue of authority became central. The question was: does the church have the authority to bind the conscience of the believer beyond what Scripture indicates? The RCC said yes, and the reformers essentially said no. Some reformers took a really strong stance on this. In time, the Reformation would birth different denominational branches, i.e., Lutheran, Anglican and Reformed. In the area of worship, the former two have adopted a more conciliatory approach and will allow the church to practice things (whether in worship or holidays), as long as the Bible does not explicitly or implicitly forbid them. This is often called the "normative principle" of worship. Those inheriting a Reformed theology (which would include the OPC) have adopted the stance that the church is only to practice in worship what the Bible actually establishes, often called the "regulative principle" of worship. Many in the Reformed tradition would exclude the practice of Lent on this basis—it lacks scriptural warrant.

Furthermore, the Bible's liturgical calendar is remarkably simple—all men are duty-bound to keep the Lord's day! While the Old Testament had a very complex system of days, all foreshadowing the redemptive work of Christ to come, the New Testament celebrates the accomplishment of that event with profound clarity and simplicity (see Heb. 3-4). Our Confession echoes an appreciation for the simplicity of New Covenant worship regarding the sacraments (WCF 7:6), worship (WCF 21:1) and the Sabbath day (WCF 21:8-9). I believe this concern for a biblical simplicity is why we don't follow the liturgical calendar. The conscience is a frail thing, and only God has the right to exercise lordship over it.

I hope this is helpful.