This Sunday begins our observance on the church calendar of Ordinary Time. This season lasts from June 16^th – November 17^th. It is the longest season for us to hold and most likely why we don’t know as much about it. Like how New Year’s Resolutions that are supposed to last a year and then a few months in, we forget why we started and get distracted by everything life is asking of us during the warmer weather months.  It can be difficult to continue a habit if we start to slack off. At the beginning of this year with a few friends, we committed to reading the bible Chronologically through the YouVersion app…I’m currently 29 days behind. I started slacking and now have to catch up. I let myself get so distracted, I forgot to remember why I’m doing it and why it is important.

Our most famous seasons such as Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter remind us of who Jesus is. Ordinary Time is when we discern what to do with that information. One tradition explains Ordinary Time in this way, “The Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time… take us through the life of Christ. This is the time of conversion. This is living the life of Christ. Ordinary Time is a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ.” It’s pretty easy to believe in Christ and prepare to meet him during Advent and Lent…but Ordinary Time is just that: ordinary. In our ordinary days, are we inviting Jesus into our hearts on a daily basis when we don’t have the reminders of those major holidays? Are we inviting Jesus into our out-of-school routine? Our travels? Our relationships? Our daily maintenance of fields, gardens, and souls? When cleaning out the dishwasher? When we say hello to a friend? When we get groceries? When we clean our cars? When resetting the internet? When we’re doing the dishes? When we’re driving to our next appointment? God is not only with us through the highs and lows of life, but He is also here in the mundane. And that is what is so special and sacred for this time.

As James reminds us, we can’t just read the word and not do what is says. There is a lot of God’s Word to study and align ourselves with and so it takes an intentionally long time and energy to align ourselves with it. In this season of Ordinary, we should renew our striving to align ourselves with God’s Word.

 

Make it Personal: Which piece of God’s Word is He wanting you to align your life with Him right now? Take it one step at a time. He will never leave you to figure it out on your own. Take the time this week to stop and see where God is leading you into deeper relationship with Him this week.

 

I pray we all continue to Build God’s Kingdom Here on earth, Pastor Ashley Litwiller