This past Sunday St. Luke’s had a wonderful celebration of Pentecost with our Ghanaian congregation including a love feast. It was a powerful image of what we celebrate on Pentecost, the birth of the Church, the whole Church in all its diversity and beauty. It was wonderful to intermingle with our siblings and experience a different culture, worship style, music, language and tasty food. This is part of experiencing the diverse beauty God has made the Church to be.

And now, we get into the Season after Pentecost or Ordinary time. This is the season of the Church calendar where the altar hangings and vestments are green. But also this is the time between the season of Easter and Advent spanning the summer and some of fall. There are no major seasons during this time and therefore traditionally, it is called Ordinary time. And sometimes, during the lull of summer, it can truly feel like nothing happens in church during Ordinary time. There is no great anticipation of the incarnation as in Advent. This is not a penitent season like Lent where we give up and take on something. And this is not a season of great celebration such as Easter season. Yet, there is beauty in Ordinary time. Although this is an in between time, we should not view the season as the boring time between Easter and Christmas. There is something special and truly holy about the in between time, about waiting, and the quiet.

As a child, as with many children, I loved the summertime. I would anticipate summer break with great eagerness. I would daydream about sleeping in, going to the pool, and most importantly, not having school. But every year, when summer came around, I usually ended up being lazy and not doing much all summer. Sure, I went to the pool, hung out with my friends, read for fun, but mostly, I did absolutely nothing. And it was beautiful. It was wonderful to have that time do just be and not have to do.

Of course for most of us, we hardly get that chance to do absolutely nothing and just be. I wish we could though. But we do get moments from time to time, to put the busyness down. And I think Ordinary time can give us a small slice of that since there is no major season. We are not anticipating Christmas or Easter, were things, at least in church, generally slow down. And we get a chance to reflect, to take it easy and again to just be who God made us to be.

I want to lean into that this season especially because these moments are few and far in-between. And I hope you do to. I hope that you can take this time to live into the lull, to slow down, and take some time to reflect. And in that lull, I know you will find something beautiful and holy.

Blessings,

Celal+