In Spring we are surrounded by explosions of new life: Trees budding out with fresh leaves. Daffodils peeking out of hibernation. Gardens multi-colored with fresh vegetables. Honeysuckle and wisteria fragrance wafting through the air.
In the creation we catch glimpses of the glory of the Creator. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes,
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.
Not only do we experience the glory of God in the visible creation of individual blackberry bushes, but we see his glory within the changing of seasons: The exuberance of Spring. The fullness of Summer. The transformation of Fall. And even the dormancy of Winter.
This predictable and reliable rhythm is echoed in the church calendar: We anticipate the arrival of the Messiah during Advent. We celebrate his birth at Christmas and during the 12 days of Christmas tide. Epiphany is all about revelation—of the Gospel, of Jesus as God’s son at his baptism, and of Jesus’ power. Then comes Lent, the 40 days of fasting and prayer in preparation for Easter. All this culminates in Eastertide when we dive headlong into 50 days of unbridled celebration of new life in Jesus.
Now, if you do the math, you’ll notice something striking: all those seasons only take about half a year. What, then, is the church to do for the rest of the time? The answer is remarkably simple: grow in faithful living. This large expanse of time between Pentecost and Advent is a time for growth. For maturity. For living out the work of Christ in our everyday lives.
This season is called Ordinary Time, but “ordinary” does not mean “mediocre” or “insignificant”. It is in the ordinary movements of daily life that we meet Christ and are transformed more into his image: Washing the dishes. Grocery shopping. Paying bills. Mowing the lawn. All opportunities to “abide in” Jesus: “Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” (John 15:5)
You may also have noticed that each season in the Church calendar has a corresponding color. It is no accident that Ordinary Time is green: Life, growth, flourishing. So when you see the green of Ordinary Time, recognize it as an invitation: Come and grow! Little by little. Slow but steady. In the ordinariness of your life, become more like Jesus for the sake of others.
Note: This originally appeared as the main article in the June 2026 edition of our church’s monthly newsletter, The Flame.