From The Desk of Deacon Judy

Finding God in Ordinary Time

Father Rob wrote a few weeks ago that as we enter this season of Pentecost, we begin that long, green season of “Ordinary Time”.

As I was reflecting on Ordinary Time, two of my favorite devotional books came to mind: Alive and Loose in the Ordinary by the Reverend Martha Sterne and Sanctuary by the Reverend Becca Stevens.

Martha and Becca are delightful, engaging writers with simple stories to reveal profound messages of God’s love and presence.

In Alive and Loose in the Ordinary, Martha tells “Stories of the Incarnation” in everyday situations. In Sanctuary, Becca recounts “Unexpected Places Where God Found Me”. They both begin their reflections at Kroger.

After an encounter at the salad dressing aisle at Kroger, Martha muses:

“So what amazes me day in and day out is the what-I-need gifts that show up in the parade of the day. It seems to me that what I am seeking can often be found by looking back over my shoulder at what was a nothing moment, even an irritating moment or a boring lull or a baffling misunderstanding. Or an oddly tender encounter. What looked like a waste of time has often been for me a blessing in hiding…..So I want to witness the power of the Incarnation alive and loose in the ordinariness of the world for us and through us and among us.” (p. 2)

Becca was sitting in the Kroger parking lot, the very space where her father’s church once stood, and pondered:

“I love sitting here and remembering that from this place I grew a heart for faith and for communities that offer sanctuary to everybody in the whole wide world.” (p. 17)

So where has God found you in the most ordinary of times?

May we continue to be surprised by God’s presence when we least expect it.

Pentecost Blessings, Judy Q+