The church calendar has a period of the year called Ordinary Time.
Historically, after Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost, the church enters a long period known as Ordinary Time — stretching from the day of Pentecost (or, in the Anglican Church, Trinity Sunday) to the start of Advent — about half of the liturgical year. As foreign as it might seem to some Protestants, this division of the year is still adopted by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Anglicans. I stumbled upon this discovery only recently, and was intrigued by it.
How do you choose to live during ordinary time? Are you generally bored and blah? Or do you open yourself to what a moment may have to offer?
Living in the moment is learning how to live between the big moments. It is learning how to make the most of the in-betweens and having the audacity to make those moments just as exciting.
Morgan Harper Nichols
Learning how to live between big moments, in the moment, as plain and as ordinary as it might seem. We are called to this ALL OF THE TIME. Awake. Aware of the Lord in our midst. Sparked to life by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Maintained by God’s strength. Eyes fixed on Jesus, heart surrendered. Looking about for the inspiration that comes from the Trinity. Beyond our own selves, thoughts, ideas.
Living in the Moment. Have you ever tried that? How long can you maintain it? Frank Laubach tried it. Below is a description of his writing about the matter.
Frank Charles Laubach (September 2, 1884 – June 11, 1970), from Benton, Pennsylvania was a Congregational Christian missionary educated at Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University, and a mystic known as “The Apostle to the Illiterates.” One of his most widely influential devotional works was a pamphlet entitled “The Game with Minutes.” In it, Laubach urged Christians to attempt keeping God in mind for at least one second of every minute of the day. In this way Christians can attempt the attitude of constant prayer spoken of in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians. The pamphlet extolled the virtues of a life lived with unceasing focus on God. Laubach’s insight came from his experiments in prayer detailed in a collection of his letters published under the title, Letters by a Modern Mystic.
I first heard of Frank Laubach when I was trained in the Adult Literacy Program. Laubach had written a program (still in use today) to teach reading to adults. It was quite rewarding to work with adults who wanted to learn. About the same time I had discovered Brother Lawrence and have for all the years since then tried to Practice the Presence of God daily, hourly. It is no easy feat, especially in this current world of constant distraction. Laubach wrote of his attempt to do the same thing Brother Lawrence lived. They inspired me to continue on with the practice.
Ordinary time. Not a holiday. No Christmas gifts or turkeys or penitent heart of Lent. Just living day-by-day with Christ in me, the hope of glory.
25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1: 25-27 NIV
On any ordinary day would the Lord who searches hearts find you listening for His voice, practicing His presence, at any given moment? How about a moment later than that? It is a discipline that has benefits I struggle to describe. He is nearer than we realize. He is our constant Companion. Perhaps this is how the early disciples lived and followed Him after His death, resurrection and ascension? They had no hymnals, no published Word, no organized church as we understand it. Pursue Him and be rewarded by your efforts. Listen to the first 15 seconds of the video below! Sums it up for me!
I have been printing my poetry and placing it in the collection notebook. I am amazed that so far there 168 poems in the notebook. Some are a few lines long. Some are many verses. Some still need editing (not a task I like to do)!
Having spent much of Lent reflecting on Jesus asleep in the boat with me and the other disciples terrified in the storm I think it is perhaps time to share this poem. I am actually uncertain which poems i have shared and which ones I have not. Yes, I should have taken greater care with keeping a record of these!
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 A windstorm suddenly arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a dead calm. 27 They were amazed, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?”
Recently I attended a soul collage one day retreat led by Mooydeen Frees, retired Deacon of the Episcopal church and so many other titles and skills. She shared this blessing written by Jan Richardson. I was so moved that I want to share it with you, too. I pray you will read it once. And then read it again prayerfully with yourself in mind.
Blessing the Body
The blessing takes one look at you and all it can say is holy.
Holy hands, Holy face, Holy feet, Holy everything In between.
Holy even in pain. Holy even when weary. In brokenness, holy. In shame, holy still.
Holy in delight. Holy in Distress. Holy when being born. Holy when we lay it down at the hour of our death.
So friend, Open your eyes (holy eyes). For one moment see what this blessing sees, this blessing that knows how you have been formed and knit together in wonder and in love.
Welcome this blessing that folds its hands in prayer when it meets you; receive this blessing that wants to kneel in reverence before you; you who are temple, sanctuary, home for God in this world.
Isn’t that wonderful? Jan Richardson is new to me but I would say she certainly has a ministry writing blessings! “The blessing takes one look at you and all it can say is holy.”
Regardless of what you may think of yourself at times; regardless of what the accuser says about you, know that God loves you always. Are you willing to align your thinking with His?
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The bluebells seemed to have died. Then this spring they jumped up in splendid life! The first flower formed and I was delighted. A couple days later the flower had been eaten. Another flower formed and I hoped the first tasted nasty and no one would return to eat this one. Well, either it tasted good or another garden visitor took a taste because that flower is gone now, too!
Remember my disappointment that the bulbs I planted came up as crocuses? Well, I was SO WRONG! Seems I planted the chionodoxa bulbs on top of crocus bulbs, (so hard to remember where everything is underground in November). After the crocus, the Chionodoxa bloomed and they are lovely!
In autumn the trees delight me with multicolored leaves. This spring seems especially nice as the treetops are “laced” with blooms of various colors.
The sad news is the beagle, Lucky, seems to get more lame. The vet wants to do x-rays and blood work which last week cost $90. She says the last medication made her liver values worse. We are uncertain exactly how old she is, 7 or more years? We do not want her to be in pain, but we also do not treat our animals as if they were human in terms of medical care.
We took her to the woods with us for a romp. After a little bit, I was afraid we might need to carry her back to the car. She could not jump over small fallen branches and trees as in the past. She was obviously suffering. Oh my heart misses her already. She is my companion and has her quirks as she is a rescue, but what to do for her? Yellow lace, red lace, so much joy!
Walking in the woods I found little yellow bud covers / cases and wondered what they were from? Then a few more steps and I found this broken branch.
There was not a naturalist in the State Park office, but the women working there took a photo and sent it to one. Later that day I got an email stating this is a male Eastern Cottonwood! I was amazed. I used to wait for a ride to high school under a cottonwood tree and never once saw this! We have walked under cottonwoods in New Mexico, too.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every]purpose under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Just in time for the pandemic, this release drew Christians around the world together in praise of our Mighty God online. There is a saying if you sing, you pray twice. What a praise declaration to our God!
Knowing how many thousands of groups around the world posted this song just makes me smile. Some fussed because Christ Tomlin recorded the song and received great acclaim. Andrew, who wrote the song, was not perturbed and knew that if Jesus is proclaimed the target was hit spot on!
I love when the guy in the beret reaches over and kisses his wife after the line “From all peoples and tribes.” And those dimples when Andrew smiles! Bet God smiles, too!
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 