An article on Pentecost by Ashley Tomlin Wallace.
Pentecost & Ordinary Time
Pentecost
Pentecost, the long-awaited day in which the Holy Spirit was given to all believers (Acts 2), inaugurated the age of the church. Now, with the outpouring of the Spirit, Jesus’ followers are empowered to share the gospel with all nations.
Additional Resources
Listen to our curated Pentecost playlist.
Emilio Alvarez's book about Pentecost from the Fullness of Time series.
Ordinary Time
After Pentecost we enter Ordinary Time, which carries a double connotation. Ordinary comes from ordinal (numbers), a system for counting the weeks after Pentecost. The longest season in the church calendar, Ordinary Time can extend to “the thirty-fourth week after Pentecost”! To modern ears, the word ordinary also conveys a sense of non-specialness, which is appropriate to the meaning of this season: the church’s ordinary life is characterized by the mission of God in the fullness of the Spirit.
The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green. This reminds us of growing things, and of the world that God is making new. Our prayer during this season is that we would continue to grow up “in every way into Him…Christ” (Eph. 4:15).
Ordinary Time ends with the Feast of Christ the King, a day that anticipates the great harvest to come at the end of history when Jesus returns to reap what was sown in His name. On that day, the verdant green of God’s Kingdom will come to full flower and we will celebrate in its shade.
Additional Resources
A Rookie Anglican Guide to the Ordinary Time by Joshua Steele.
Listen to our curated playlist for Ordinary Time.
Amy Peeler's book about Ordinary Time from the Fullness of Time series.
