Ordinary Time
The parts of the church year not included in the major seasons of the liturgical calendar. Includes the Monday after the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, and the Monday after Pentecost through the Saturday before Advent.
Ordinary Time is the name often given by Christians to the season after the Feast of Pentecost. It begins on the Monday following Pentecost and continues through most of the summer and autumn.
“Ordinary Time” is a period of the church year not dedicated to a particular event or observance. But that doesn’t mean it is unimportant. In fact, a case can be made that it is one of the most important seasons, as it focuses on how we weave our faith into our daily lives and work.
At the end of worship on Sunday, Episcopalians pray for God to, “Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness of heart.” When we pray this, we are asking God to give us the tools we need to share the Good News of God’s love for us all, no exceptions. We strive to love our neighbors, all our neighbors, not just those who look like us, worship like us, love like us.
This isn’t always easy, which is why we need God’s help.
Ordinary Time is understood as time to spend living out our Christian faith and the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in our ordinary life. You may hear it referred to as the “green season,” because green is the usual liturgical color for this period of the church year. Of course, in nature, green is also the color of living things that grow.
What are liturgical colors?
Liturgical colors within Christian liturgy signify different seasons and times of year. Each season has its own mood, meaning and type of prayer. Each color has its own meaning and feeling, and can be seen worn or hung throughout the church during specific times of year. The primary colors in the liturgical calendar are red, white, gold, violet, green, and black.
The color for Ordinary time is GREEN – a color associated with new life and growth. This is sometimes referred to as the “green growing season”. It is the green, growing season not only because of the liturgical color or because it begins in the summer months when things are growing and thriving. It is the green, growing season because this is the season that gives us the room to breathe, to explore, to learn more about Jesus and his teachings and to find where they intersects with our own lives. This season after Pentecost focuses on the mission of the church in the world and its responsibility in carrying on the work that Jesus gave us to do.
