“An Ordinary Sunday

Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Last Sunday, we celebrated Father’s Day. The Sunday before, we celebrated Pentecost. So, is there anything special about this Sunday? Nope.

This Sunday is an ordinary Sunday. In fact, on the church calendar all of the Sundays until November 23 are ordinary and make up the season called Ordinary Time. The other seasons on the church calendar are Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. The period between the end of the Christmas Season and Season of Lent are also considered Ordinary Time.

This season is not called ordinary because it is mundane, ho-hum, or blaze. Rather it is called ordinary because of the use of ordinals or numbers. There are 33 or 34 Sundays in Ordinary Time, and they’re typically referred to as the first Sunday after Pentecost rather than Pentecost Sunday.

Ordinary Time is a quieter season in the life of the church. We don’t have additional worship services such as Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, or Good Friday. Neither do we have extra decorations in the sanctuary as we do for Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.

This time is an opportunity for the experiences of the other church seasons to sink in. For example, it’s an opportunity for us to reflect on how our lives are being transformed by Holy Spirit as we grew in our understanding and appreciation of the Resurrection during the season of Easter.

Ordinary Time is also a season when the worship attendance and income at GMPC drop. This is a historical trend which we have seen over many years. This suggests that folks are using this time for things other than the spiritual growth that takes place in a quieter season of life.

I encourage you to make use of this opportunity that God is giving us to grow deeper in your relationship with Him. This is a season for stillness before that Lord.

In Christ,

Pastor David