Ordinary Time Isn't So Ordinary

After the great celebrations of Christmas and Easter, and the holy seasons of Advent and Lent, the church calendar leads us into what is called Ordinary Time, which this year begins on Sunday, June 7. At first hearing, the name can sound a little plain—perhaps even dull. “Ordinary” may suggest routine, uneventful days, or a season when nothing especially important is happening.

But in the life of the Church, Ordinary Time is anything but ordinary.

The word “ordinary” in this context comes from the idea of “ordered” or “numbered” time. These are the counted weeks of the church year, marked not by one major festival, but by steady growth in faith. The color often used is green—the color of life, growth, and flourishing. That is a helpful reminder: Ordinary Time is a season when God grows things quietly and deeply.

Much of our life with God happens not in dramatic moments, but in daily faithfulness. We learn to pray. We learn to forgive. We learn to listen for Christ’s voice in Scripture, in worship, in one another, and in the needs of the world. We practice following Jesus not only on holy days, but on Tuesdays, in grocery store lines, at kitchen tables, in hospital rooms, during commutes, and in conversations that ask for patience and grace.

Ordinary Time invites us to notice the holiness woven into everyday life. Jesus spent much of his ministry in ordinary places: beside the sea, on dusty roads, around dinner tables, in homes, villages, and fields. He met people in the middle of their real lives—while they were working, grieving, questioning, hoping, and waiting. Again and again, the ordinary became the place where the kingdom of God drew near.

This season reminds us that God is not present only in the spectacular. God is present in the steady rhythm of worship, the quiet act of service, the prayer offered when no one else hears, the kindness extended without recognition, and the courage to begin again.

So perhaps Ordinary Time is a gift. It teaches us that discipleship is not simply about mountaintop experiences, but about walking with Christ day by day. It is a season to grow roots, deepen trust, and become more attentive to the grace already around us.

May we enter this “ordinary” season with open eyes and expectant hearts. For with God, no time is empty, no day is insignificant, and no moment is beyond the reach of grace. Ordinary Time is holy time—time for growing, following, serving, and discovering again that Christ is with us in all things.

In Christ we grow,

Pastor Leslie