Not So Ordinary Time

Second Friday of Advent

Originally posted Tuesday, June 18, 2013 – SUMMERTIME

Laying on my back at the dentist office while the hygienist prepared her tools to clean my teeth, the music coming over the sound system prompted me to sit up and ask, “Is that ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,’ I’m hearing?” The hygienist stopped her work, listened, and sighed, “Yes, the system keeps switching to Christmas.” She left the room for a moment and by the time she returned I was hearing the usual, ordinary, nondescript light jazz.

I wasn’t offended by the Christmas music – as I might have been had I heard “Jingle Bell Rock” or a syrupy Kenny G rendition of “White Christmas.” The acoustic guitar arrangement had a pleasant, folky style, and for all I know “God Rest Ye . . .” comes from a folk song, as “What Child is This?” is derived from “Greensleeves.” I was just surprised to hear a Christmas carol in June.

We, the church, are now in that broad span of “Ordinary Time” that falls between Pentecost and Advent. The grand processions and solemn candlelight services are over for now. What’s more, its summertime and the pews are less full as families go on vacation and kids go to camp. It’s a season when it can feel as if there is less going on at church, and as such we may be tempted to take a sort of vacation from the spiritual life.

But hearing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” during Ordinary Time is a good reminder that there is nothing ordinary about our God, this creation, and this life. What’s more, hearing the words “let nothing you dismay, remember Christ our savior . . .” reminds us that even under the boiling heat of summer – or whatever else in life is melting our spirit and resolve – the hope we celebrate at Christmas is year-round. 

I’m not a fan of those “Christmas in July” events that some organizations have because I think they mostly emphasize the commercialism and gift-giving and not the central story of our faith. It’s good to save a special time for our Christmas liturgies and traditions, making them more meaningful and intentional. Still, while it may be six months before we roll out the Christmas story again, the Christ story is always right here and now.