My favorite season on the church calendar is ordinary time. Ordinary time is the space between Pentecost and Advent. I’m not sure why I like this long season. Maybe it’s because I enjoy being an ordinary person experiencing each minute of each day in ordinary time. I like being reminded that I don’t have to try so hard to be special. I can just be a human being and yet be fully loved just as I am right now. Ordinary time is a time to delight in the constant, steady, and patient presence of an ever-present God.
Here is how I experience ordinary time in Los Angeles:
Long contemplative bike rides. An activity with a constant rhythmic movement for your body helps clear out the clutter in your mind and soul. Check out 8 amazing bike rides in Los Angeles.
Remember what God has done. I like to visit neighborhoods I’ve lived or worked in before to see what has changed.
Volunteer at an urban garden. For those times you can’t get away, find a local place to watch things grow. I like to volunteer once a month to see the change from barren soil to abundant harvest.
Give water. Ordinary time is hot. In this time, I think of those sleeping in tents on the sidewalk or in hidden corners of the city. Although the homelessness that plagues LA will take a lot more of our effort and collaboration, at least on this ordinary day I am reminded that we all have a right to the same basic human needs: water, food, safety, and a home.
Finding Eden 