Dear Members and Friends of NCCS,
In the calendar of the Christian year, there is a huge segment of time known as “ordinary time”. This “ordinary time” occurs in two sections of the church calendar – one section is between Epiphany and Lent, which is about 6 weeks and the other much longer section is between Pentecost and Advent, which is about 25 weeks. We are now in ordinary time. A total of about 31 weeks, which is equivalent to about 60% of the time in a year, is considered ordinary time.
While it is good to celebrate the major Christian occasions (e.g. Easter Sunday, Christmas, etc), we are also called to recognise that there are longer stretches of time when apparently nothing much is happening. The message to you and me is clear, discipleship is as much about steady faithfulness in the daily routines of life as it is about special events and happenings!
Isn’t it true that much of life is ordinary as we all have long stretches of time when nothing much seems to be happening and we are engaging with the mundane task of daily living. Yet, here is the paradox, God can be found in the ordinary, and the ordinary can be made special! We all remember the story of Moses and the burning bush. God appeared to Moses when he was going about his daily routines (Exodus 3).
May the Lord find us faithful by his grace in ordinary times and special moments.
Yours in Christ,
Archbishop Dr Titus Chung | Vice-President
National Council of Churches of Singapore