Ordinary time
day-in-day-outness and transformation
The longest month
January is already the longest month and, these mainly grey days in Devon, February seems long too. Days of work and routine. Not holy-days but, I would contend, ordinary time can be the most spiritual.
Gospel-inspired
This reflection is in rhythm with the lectionary, the church’s rota of readings of the Bible for teaching and encouraging. This reflection is one of a now occasional series where I indulge my sermon-giving instinct. As usual, I’m a little behind, out of step and off to the side. Hey ho, I’m no longer ‘subject to clergy discipline’. The gospel source is Baby Jesus presented in the temple (Luke 2:22-40).
Ordinary time in the church calendar
Please bear with the ‘science bit’ for a moment.
Ordinary time in the church calendar has two phases: from epiphany (Three Wise Men) to Ash Wednesday (beginning of Lent) - the current period - and Pentecost (the Holy Spirit descends) to Advent (four weeks preparing for the birth of Christ in December).
Ordinary time has the liturgical colour green; Advent and Lent, purple with a penitential feel; Pentecost, red for flames of Spirit; celebratory white and gold for Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.
Fun fact: there is a local clergy person who changes their bootlaces according to the calendar, not just vestments and altar cloths.
Green grows the grass
Green for the grass steadily growing, which it definitely does Devon-wise. Ordinary time: less drama but where the work gets done, from the roots up. Little by little there’s the composting of the extraordinary times leading to new growth.
BTW, just in case any church person is watching: I know! Ordinary comes from being numbered (ordinal). But let’s go with the common sense, not unrelated: counting the days.
40 days later: the Temple
Forty days after the history-changing event of giving birth, Mary goes to the temple in Jerusalem for ritual purification. Maybe you know that mikvah, ritual bath, is usual in Judaism, after menstruation, for instance. In modern sensibility some recoil at the thought of being considered unclean in this way, and why on earth would a new mother be considered impure?
For me, in my very limited understanding of Jewish observances, I can imagine this such a practice as liberating, an acknowledgement the reproductive life of a woman. Let’s face it, periods take up a lot of energy and consideration during the oestrogen years.
Ritual for a threshold moment
And, having a baby is an enormous upheaval in a woman’s life.
I remember a six-week visit from a nurse and about then the end of bleeding, the final healing of the placental scar. How lovely to have had some kind of ritual to mark coming down the mountain top of birth and the first six hormone-tumultuous weeks, into the (relatively) flat plains of day-in-day-out bringing up baby.
Churching is still in the Church of England liturgy, though it’s rarely done. It was something I would love to have offered, had I continued as a priest.
…and on to the humdrum
At the conclusion of the presentation in the temple lectionary selection, it tells how the young family left the temple in Jerusalem (it was utterly awesome and HUGE) and went back to the humble, humdrum new town of Nazareth. Joseph a builder, Mary a young mum:
‘…they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.’
That’s more or less all we hear about the next thirty years. Ordinary time. But there was transformation.
Day-in-day-outness…and transformation
That day-in-day-outness of raising a family, running a household: I reflect on it for myself. I’ve had the news I am to become a grandma, and the other child is off with her partner on another kind of modern ritual, a round the world trip before settling down. One way or another they leave home and it’s over: the baby has transformed into a functioning adult with unique gifts and graces and their own 30-year marker.
Revelation
An elderly temple guardian, Simeon, on seeing the baby Jesus spoke prophetic words, my eyes have seen … a light for revelation. And so, a subtitle for this January-February period of ordinary time is Revelation. Sounds great!
BTW, just in case any church person is still watching: I know! The point of the reading is Simeon’s affirmation of Jesus’ huge, world-changing role. Yes, I’ve gone with a first half a line, purification rites required by the Law of Moses, and a last half a line, but this is what speaks today.
The revelation of ordinary time
With a growing child, their gifts and graces are revealed. Mary had had affirmation from the Angel Gabriel, by the Shepherds, the Magi and by Simeon, that Jesus was somehow the Messiah. I doubt, though, she knew how that destiny would play out. Indeed, even after Jesus’ death people still didn’t (don’t) understand who Jesus is exactly. As any parent, she went forth with faith and hope.
Day in, day out - our life
How is it to consider the day-in-day-outness as time when we grow more into ourselves?
Even when we are a couple of generations on from our childhood, we continue to grow. What continues to be revealed to us?
And so, if we are (even half) awake and aware, there is the day-in-day-outness of:
daily practice to allow space for Spirit to move yoga, meditation, prayer, devotion
daily reflection on what Spirit is saying and how we have acted journalling, examen/end of day review
an eye on becoming the one God always intended us to be, with our own gifts and graces; also purpose and knowledge of how to serve
Tell me
Do comment or message about how you do (or don’t) work with day-in-day-outness.
Does this post affirm or challenge?
How would it be to make ordinary time the spiritual time of roots up green growth?
Work with me?
Develop your daily practice
classes in person or online, Quiet Retreat May 2 - 4, Silent Retreat September 11 - 15
Self-reflection
as part of day retreats, coaching
Delve authentically into who you are intended to be
Transitions Retreat May 23 -25, Perimenopause Retreat June 20 - 22, coaching
Consider or affirm how you serve in the world
Visions Retreat September 19 - 21, Embracing Elderhood Retreat August 1 - 3, coaching
Let’s enjoy this ordinary time, Fx
‘Roots up green growth’ - perfect. Love this