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When I was a kid, I used to start counting down the days until Christmas already in July. It was, and still is, a magical time of year. After the 25th, a youthful melancholy would set in. The days seemed gray and long, and thoughts of next year were a long way off.
This is the time of year for busy-ness and its cousin, distraction, for making and then quickly giving up on New Year’s resolutions. And, especially for those of us in the northeast, it’s often the time for seasonal affective disorder syndrome–whether diagnosed or not.
It is also a kind of valley in the liturgical year. The liturgical Season of Lent begins on February 18th, Ash Wednesday, and it is coming up quickly. Little time to prepare but no choice… It is technically called “Ordinary Time” until Lent begins, but maybe we feel there is nothing ordinary about how quickly the seasons move this year. How do we consider of this time of year positively instead of just an empty, “in between” time?
Well, we make meaning in the “In Between”. We can engage in Bible study, mission work, fellowship time, and finding new ways to connect with each other and God. We can also spend some time leaning into silence. It does work leaning into periods of rest and regeneration to refocus on renewing the rhythms of the season and remaining grounded in hope.
How will you spend the time?
RB
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