The linens and cloth hangings used on communion tables, altars, pulpits and lecterns. The colors of the paraments reflect the traditional colors of the seasons of the Christian year. The paraments are changed as the seasons of the Christian year change. Often the paraments are embellished with specific symbols appropriate to the Christian season. In many United Methodist Churches, an altar guild of lay volunteers is responsible for the care and changing of the paraments.
Source: A Dictionary for United Methodists, Alan K. Waltz, Copyright 1991, Abingdon Press. Used by permission.
