“Ordinary.” Ugh. What a terrible word! It’s mundane, boring, like “fine” (the official “f word” in our family), monotonous…

We are entering into the part of the church’s liturgical year called “Ordinary Time”. It is every day that isn’t Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter.

I may not like the way it sounds, but as I was walking our daughter’s dog the other day, a question captured my attention that impacted the way I think of ordinary time.

First of all, the shepherds are my favorites in the Christmas story. So I was thinking about them when a question formed.

They have this wham bam shazam encounter with a heavenly host, go to Bethlehem and meet the baby they’ve been told is the Messiah, return to their fields telling everyone the latest gossip about their experience, but then what?

It’s 30 years before Jesus starts His ministry. What do the shepherds do in the ordinary in between time?

  • What does “ordinary” life look like after their extraordinary experience?
  • Do people mock them when something different doesn’t happen right away?
  • Do they follow Jesus when He goes public?
  • Are the same shepherds alive when Jesus is crucified and comes back to life?

I think too about Mary and all the ordinary days she experienced before and after Jesus’ birth. If Mary hadn’t gotten to know God’s character on the ordinary days before the angel told her she was pregnant, she wouldn’t have been able to trust Him on the extraordinary days.

“…we live in the utterly mundane. We exist in the bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, and hallways of life. This is where the character of our life is set. This is where we live the life of faith.”

Paul David Tripp

What we do in ordinary time is important. What we pay attention to forms the foundation of our faith.

Look at all the words that Mary uses to describe the God she became acquainted with on ordinary days before the angel came.

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation.

51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones

    but has lifted up the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

    but has sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

    remembering to be merciful

55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,

    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:46-55

Mary says “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior”, NOT in her circumstances, not in the extraordinary, or the hard, or the good, or the ordinary.

So, what are we paying attention to on all the ordinary days?

Where are you experiencing God’s mercy, His might, His filling, His help on these days in “Ordinary Time”?