The Beauty of Ordinary Time

When the Presbyterians revised their worship book a few years ago, they changed the designation of how time was marked. Maybe you didn't know this, but every Sunday of the year is given a title: Third Sunday of Advent, Second Sunday of Easter, and so on. The days when nothing "happened" were once referred to as "ordinary time." That's the phrase that has been eliminated. But I believe it's an excellent description of how much of our days and weeks are spent.

Since the book manuscript was handed off to an editor, I've had a couple of weeks of Ordinary Time. How has it been spent? Mowing the yard. Pulling weeds. Straightening the garage. Visiting my mom. Paying bills. Reading books. A couple of church friends dropped off zucchini and green beans from their garden. I've done a few loads of laundry. You know, ordinary things.  

This ordinary week has been a lot of fun. It began with a gig with Mike, Tony, and Joe, playing for a fundraiser in upstate New York. The kids helped my plan a surprise cookout for my wife's birthday. I took daughter Meg to catch a train to Philly on Tuesday, and then returned in time for the rest of us to enjoy a AAA baseball game in nearby Scranton; apparently it was $2 Beer Night. Last evening, we were treated to dinner by our friend Bill for "jazz night" at a country inn in the northern Poconos. 

No fireworks. No disruptions. No drama. 

I remember an article that was printed in The Christian Century sometime before my 2013 sabbatical, entitled "The Art of Puttering." Rodney Clapp described it this way:

Puttering is marked by a gentle, even leisurely rhythm: it involves moving back and forth from one chore to another at a sedate pace. Puttering, unlike multitasking, is not marked by a sense of urgency. Puttering allows for breaks in the work, for a cup of coffee or even a burst of play. (22 March 2013)

Ordinary Time. Nothing wrong with that.

This weekend, I have two jazz gigs at the Scranton Jazz Festival. On Friday, Tony and I play with trombonist Mike Fahn at a pizza shop. On Saturday, it's a trio gig with two young musicians in the alley of a coffee shop. Ah, show biz! Both will be relaxed, simple, and fun. To mark the event, I've picked up a new Hawaiian shirt. If there's time, I will give a field report from the festival, before I head to the woods next week for a two week retreat.

Thanks for keeping up with this blog!