Father L. Dayton Reynolds, CEC, 2005.
July 31 is the last “red” Sunday. We use red as the color for Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday was May 15 and our church has been reminded of the Gift of the Holy Spirit and His Power for over two months.
On August 7 we turn green, or at least our church colors do. The cloth on the Communion Table will be green, the scarf on the pulpit will be green and Dn. Dan and I will wear green. We are entering what the Church calls Ordinary Times, or another name is Kingdomtide. This is the longest season as it lasts till the last Sunday in November, when the New Year starts with Advent. This is a reminder that we must live in ordinary times. An important part of the Christian life is just loving our families, loving and serving our neighbors, going to work and earning a living and being good responsible citizens.Sometimes the Christian life is presented as if we must always be experiencing something new and “exciting.”
A lot of what we see and hear in the media seems to present a constant state of “hype.” Sometimes we are tempted to become followers of the latest trend. There are even times when believers neglect the “ordinary times” and the ordinary duties to be “super spiritual.” Most days are not filled with hyper sensory stimulation and unusual manifestations of God’s Power. Most days are lived in Ordinary Times.
But Ordinary Times are to be lived as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. For the Bible tells us that we are a colony of Heaven right here on earth. We have a King. We are citizens of a heavenly country. We live our lives confessing that Jesus is Lord.
Our Lord wants us to learn how to live in Ordinary Times, so that truly they are Kingdom times. He wants us to live at home, to go to work, to live in our neighborhood as citizens of the Kingdom. I am glad that Pentecost comes before Ordinary Times. It is His Power that enables us not just to have great experiences and do great deeds of valor, but to live our ordinary lives as Christians. Folks need to see Jesus in us as we go about our day. Our most powerful witness should be who we ARE in our everyday life.
So, in August we bring out the green. Whether or not your church observes all the seasons, perhaps when you see green you will think of Ordinary Times and be thankful that the Power of the Spirit and the Presence of Christ He gives us is for Ordinary Times.
