Ordinary - customary, usual, normal. There are two times during the Christian Year that are appointed as ‘ordinary’. The longest of these two seasons happens in the summertime. School is out! It’s time for vacations, family gatherings around the BBQ, and fun in the sun! Who doesn’t look forward to such a time?
In the seasons of the Christian Year, Ordinary Time follows the Sunday known as Trinity Sunday, which follows Pentecost. Ordinary Time extends through Christ the King Sunday, the Sunday right before the first Sunday of Advent. In worship, this is the time when “the deeds and teachings of the Old Testament of the early church, and of Jesus of Nazareth are told to nurture, calm, inspire, and animate God’s people at worship”.
So what does that mean for daily living? After all the excitement of the recent celebrations of Easter, Passover, Pentecost, and Shavuot, there is a definite need for ordinary time, rest and relaxation, and re-energizing body and soul. The summer looms long - at the moment! I am so ready for some ‘ordinary’ time!
During our recent vacation where we gathered with family, stories were told of the past. Stories were told so that younger members of the family would not only hear information but would visualize past events, people, and the significance they played in our shared heritage. (Recording these stories, either by video or audio, is a wonderful way to save and share stories! A remarkable use of technology)! A precious heirloom was handed down to a new generation along with stories of significance. The heirloom is a symbol of the past. The story is the significance of the symbol.
For the church, Ordinary Time should also be a time of great story-telling. Many churches will offer some sort of a vacation Bible school for children where they will learn about great stories from the Bible, perhaps acted out in contemporary style with lots of humor and fun staging and costuming. Middle-school and high-school students will be off to camps where they will hear rousing stories from the Bible with an emphasis on discovering what it means to be a follower of Christ. Decisions will be made, new friendships established and old ones deepened. Memories will be made that will last a lifetime. Scripture songs, both old and new, may be sung to emphasize the biblical truths learned. Music has such an important role in spiritual formation! Certainly for church leaders who are the planners of all these events it may feel like a ‘ramp-up’ and not ‘coasting though’.
Ordinary Time, then, is not ‘mundane’ but a refreshing contrast to the previous seasons and celebrations. Life is really not dull or commonplace or ordinary! The Church calendar “exists in large part to remind us that Christ has sanctified all of time, bringing us and the whole of our experience into the orbit of resurrection. What we deem ordinary, God has transformed into the extraordinary by the power of divine grace”.
So whether you are taking an extended vacation, or stay-cation, planning big Independence Day celebrations, picnics, beach days, weddings, birthdays, or nothing at all - do all unto the glory of God!
Shalom!
Comments