"The period after Pentecost is known by a variety of names: Kingdomtide, Whitsuntide, the Season after Pentecost, and more recently, especially by Roman Catholics, Ordinary Time.
"However, there is nothing ordinary about this period of the Christian calendar. There continues to be a distinct emphasis upon telling the redemption story in all its fullness as the church gathers to remember how God has come, is coming, and will come again to redeem humankind and all creation (Romans 8:19-23).
"The church especially remembers in worship and deeds the truth that God dwells within the body of Christ and within the believer. Through the Holy Spirit, God companions, directs, and gives power, wisdom, courage, and faith to believers and the church for living obediently.
"Therefore the church - gathered and dispersed - not only represents God but also in a real way embodies God to the world. Christians seek to bring justice, peace, and love to every situation because we embody the very God we worship.
"No day can be ordinary when God dwells within. Every day is seen as blessed an holy, filled with opportunity and grace for all who put their trust in God." -Norman Sawchuck and Reuben P. Job, eds., A Guide to Prayer For All Who Seek God
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I love the irony of the modern idea of "ordinary" as being boring, yet for Christians, "ordinary" is to be anything but boring!
ReplyDeleteWe have talked about in our worship that all the things embodied in the quote above are what an "ordinary" Holy Spirit filled life should look like. :)
Exactly. :) One of our home churches has decided to start referring to Ordinary Time as "The Season of Pentecost." We quite like that, too!!
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