Just. A. Few. More. Hours. Weekend
freedom is just around the corner! I’m wrapping up another busy week and
getting ready to head to Michigan with HighRoad early in the morning. It’s
always a treat to hear them play live. After returning home to Nashville on
Monday, I’m looking forward to binge watching the College World Series
throughout the next week. Although Ole Miss bowed out of the tournament last
weekend, I’ve adopted the Michigan Wolverines (surprise, surprise!) as my team
of choice for the week. Before you call me a bandwagoner, you must know that
I’m a die-hard Michigan football fan. It also just occurred to me
that college football is only about two and a half months away! Can you believe
it? Where has 2019 gone? It can't be mid-June!
Speaking
of seasonal change, this past Sunday (Pentecost Sunday) marked the end of the
Eastertide season. As of Monday, the liturgical calendar has officially flipped
to ordinary time. Some of our low church brethren may never have heard of
ordinary time or even know that such a thing as the liturgical calendar exists.
For those liturgical calendar novices out there, ordinary time runs from the
day after Pentecost through the advent of the Advent season (See what I did
there?). There is also a small period of ordinary time between the end of the
Christmas season and the beginning of Lent. All in all, ordinary
time consumes approximately half of the church calendar.
The
Easter attendance swell has come and gone, school has ended, and church
activities may have ceased for the Summer. What do we do now? How do we
maintain our walk with Christ through this seemingly “ordinary” season of life?
As Christians, we should embrace the ordinary time portion of the Christian
calendar and use these months as a time of directed spiritual
growth. In fact, the color associated with ordinary time is green.
Many ministers (or priests, if you’re Catholic) will wear green vestments or
stoles during this season. Green symbolizes growth! During ordinary time there
are no pesky holidays, few school activities, and work often slows down. We
have no excuses not to grow in our relationship with God the Father and God the
Son. None! Not one!
Here are a few things I’d suggest trying in order to continue
bearing spiritual fruit this ordinary time season:
Establish a spiritual routine – During the Summer, our routines often go down the drain.
We may often find ourselves lugging our way through lazy, directionless days. I
know this happens to me all the time! To combat this, I’d suggest establishing
a routine. Something consistent that you can follow through on each day. This
could be as simple as prayer time on the way to work. I find that spending just
a few moments in prayer on the way to work gives me peace that God is sovereign
and in control of any events that are to come that day. I’m guilty
of being sporadic in this practice. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 convicts me in
this regard saying, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” If
you have a family, be sure to establish a routine that includes the whole
family. This could include nighttime prayer, daily scripture readings, or
family service projects. Regular prayer and scripture reading instills a sense
of spiritual discipline that children can call on later in
life. Teaching children to serve others at a young age will stick
with them for a lifetime. I wish I had performed more service projects as a
young child and developed a love for the Holy Scriptures at an earlier age.
Engage with Outside Content – With church activities slowing during the Summer portion
of ordinary time, it’s important to replace that content to ensure that your
mind remains on the things of Christ. Romans 12:11 warns us “Do not
be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” When I persistently
engage in faith content, it stokes a fire in my heart to walk closer to God and
to know Him more intimately. I'd suggest listening to sermons from
churches where you do not normally attend. Hearing different perspectives and
angles on Biblical truths is never detrimental, provided the Word is being
preached faithfully. Also, there are many excellent podcasts out there that can
fill an entire work week. I love podcasts and listen to multiple shows daily
while at work. If podcasts aren’t your thing or you can’t listen to
them while you work, read a few books! I’ve read a few books here lately that I
would gladly recommend.
“Scripture Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine” – By RC Sproul
“Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God” – By Tim Keller
If these books don’t interest you, I’d suggest plundering your
local Lifeway store before they close. Man, I’m going to miss those stores.
What a treasure trove of material!
But
embracing ordinary doesn’t end with ordinary time. It extends to all facets of
our lives. I’m reminded of the answer to question 1 of the Westminster Shorter
Catechism: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him
forever”. Enjoying Him forever includes enjoying Him in the
seemingly ordinary aspects or our day to day lives. It means enjoying Him when
it doesn’t seem like he’s moving at all. So, enjoy God while sipping that
ordinary morning cup of coffee. Enjoy God while star gazing on a clear Summer
evening. Enjoy God while taking that pre-dusk stroll through your neighborhood.
Never take the ordinary for granted. God created the ordinary so that we may
continuously be reminded of his presence. The truth is, when you are in Christ
there is nothing that is truly ordinary.
In Christ,
Kendal May
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