As I am writing this letter, we are around the middle of what we call “ordinary time,” which begins after Pentecost Sunday in May and wraps up before the First Sunday of Advent in November. A handy visual I often refer to describes Advent through Pentecost as “The Story of Jesus,” and ordinary time as “The Story of the People of God.” We are not immersed in the joy of Jesus’ birth or resurrection, just counting the weeks of our own ordinary lives.

 

While we are in the middle of ordinary time, we are at the end of summer. I wonder what kind of stories you, people of God, will bring back from your summer. Maybe some exciting stories about vacation, camp, or family visits. But what about you, people of God, who have not had a particularly happy or exciting summer? You, whose summer has been marked largely by exhaustion or even sorrow? Has God shown up for you in small ways regardless of how happy, sorrowful, or banal the last few months have been for you?

 

What stories could you share about your own ordinary time? The simple things that give meaning to the hours between celebrations? The small things that don’t change your life, but give you hope to take one more step? Did you share a meaningful, silent moment with a loved one? Did you read a poem or hear a song that filled your heart with that deep, mysterious…something? Did you notice a new bird or insect in your yard? Theologian Kate Bowler describes joy as “when your heart is still breaking, but, suddenly, you’re overwhelmed by the beauty of the sky.” The heartache, the happiness, the loss, the laughter, these all make up stories of our lives. And joy is something that can break into any of it in the most surprising yet ordinary ways and hold it all together.

 

When we return to our sanctuary on September 13th, after we are called to worship, we will center our worship in joy. We will have our usual opportunity to share our stories of concerns later in the service, but we will begin by sharing our stories of joys. Please continue to share the stories of recovery and accomplishments and new life so we can celebrate together. And I also encourage you to share a story of an ordinary joy, the kind you think is too simple or small to matter. Your whole ordinary story matters and is gleaming with God’s love in surprising places. And it may be just the kind of story of ordinary joy that someone needs to hear.

 

With you on the journey,

Pastor Alison