Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!
The church practices a way of being that matches the seasons of the earth (at least for the northern hemisphere) to a pattern of living intentionally. Not be months, but seasons of varying sizes. Advent, Christmas, the season after Epiphany, Lent, and Easter. Then the great expanse of Ordinary Time.
The currents of our time, especially as we experience the fifty days of Easter, feel atypical. Our way of keeping time really is anything but ordinary.
This is an asset to the church and to us. If we’re willing to accept those currents as something more than novel.
Last week I reminded us of seeing this time after Lent and before Ordinary Time to reflect on what we learned in our fast. What happens when we attune our lives closer to the will of God? And also choose to not just pretend like that was a good practice that came to its seasonal end.
What if you, like I a decade ago, discovered that a life with fewer sweets makes a life with more flavors? When I had the shocking realization of what sweetener hides from us, I didn’t want to go back to it!
Taking time to experience and reflect in Lent requires time to joy in change in Easter. Change that may be about behaviors. Or expectations. Or hopes. To joy in who we are. And could be. And may yet discover is still possible.
This takes time. Holy time. Precious time we might ordinarily squander. Or spend on normal things. Things with no chance of changing us. Or even producing any, let alone lasting joy.
With love,
Drew