Ordinary Time

Theme:

The Church fulfills the Great Commission

Dates:

The Season After Pentecost lasts from the day after Pentecost to the day before Advent. Thus it begins on 12 May 2008 and ends on 29 November 2008.

Colors:

In most churches, the decorations are green to symbolize the growth and life of the Church. You can read more about color in worship

Scripture Readings:

The Revised Common Lectionary appoints Scripture readings for use in worship during the Season after Pentecost.

The East:

In Orthodox churches, this season lasts from the day after Pentecost through 14 November.

Special Days:

The Season After Pentecost is essentially the part of the year that is left over after everything has been accounted for. The name of this season varies widely from church to church—it can be called Kingdomtide, Dominiontide, or Ordinary Time. In most churches, the general theme of the Bible readings and sermons concerns the church’s mission in the world.

The Season After Pentecost begins on the day after Pentecost. In the western Church, it ends on the Saturday before the First Sunday of Advent. In the eastern Church, it ends on 14 November.

The main holy days during this season are as follows:

The Western Church

• Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, the celebration of the Holy Trinity.
• The Transfiguration. In many churches, 6 August is the commemoration of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor. In the Revised Common Lectionary, it has been moved to the Last Sunday After the Epiphany.
• Holy Cross Day, 14 September, originally commemorates the alleged discovery of the true cross in Palestine in the fourth century. In Lutheran churches, it is the occasion for preaching on the theology of the cross.
• All Saints’ Day, 1 November, the Christian Memorial Day on which all who died for their testimony of Jesus are remembered. Many American churches use All Saints’ Day as an educational, Christian alternative to the secular Halloween, by having a party and a special service for children, who dress in costumes to represent heroes of the Christian faith. The practice of having a harvest festival to avoid the secular Halloween is ironic, since that puts us right back into the pagan things we were trying to avoid. The word Halloween itself is a contraction of All hallows’ evening, which is the original English-language Christian term for All Saints’ Eve. (‘Hallow’ is an old word for ‘saint.’)
  Lutherans celebrate Reformation Day on 31 October. Martin Luther posted his debate topics on the day before All Saints’ Day to take advantage of the crowds who would pass by on their way to services.

The Eastern Church

• All Saints’ Day, The Sunday after Pentecost, the Christian Memorial Day on which all who died for their testimony of Jesus are remembered. Eastern Christians celebrate Trinity Sunday on Pentecost.
• Holy Cross Day, 14 September, originally commemorates the alleged discovery of the true cross in Palestine in the fourth century.
• The Transfiguration, 6 August, the commemoration of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor.

Roughly speaking, the western Church consists of Protestants, Catholics, and Anglicans. The eastern Church consists of the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Orthodox Oriental churches, and the eastern-rite churches affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.

- As quoted from KenCollins.com

Rather than meaning "common" or "mundane," this term comes from the word "ordinal," which simply means counted time (First Sunday after Pentecost, etc.), which is probably a better way to think of this time of the year.  Counted time after Pentecost always begins with Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) and ends with Christ the King Sunday or the Reign of Christ the King (last Sunday before the beginning of Advent).

Many Protestant church traditions consider the Sundays following Epiphany a season of Epiphany that runs until the beginning of Lent. Those traditions that follow the Roman Catholic calendar only count January 6th as Epiphany and do not think of a season of Epiphany, so consider the Sundays following part of Ordinary Time. In either case, the Sundays after Epiphany are counted (1st Sunday after Epiphany, etc.) so technically are Ordinary Time.

The 33 or 34 Sundays of Ordinary Time (23 to 28 Sundays after Pentecost) are used to focus on various aspects of the Faith, especially the mission of the church in the world. The Lectionary readings for these Sundays tend to be semi-continuous readings through certain sections of Scripture, especially through the Synoptic Gospel of the year. However, many ministers use Ordinary Time to focus on specific themes of interest or importance to a local congregation rather than building sermons around the Lectionary readings. Even so, most pastors who observe the church year will continue to follow the Lectionary readings in public worship even if they are not the topic of the sermon in order to preserve the continuity of the spoken word of Scripture being heard by the congregation (see Word and Table).

The sanctuary color for Ordinary Time is dark green, although other shades of green are commonly used. Green has traditionally been associated with new life and growth. Even in Hebrew in the Old Testament, the same word for the color “green” also means “young.”  In Christian tradition, green came to symbolize the life of the church following Pentecost, as well as symbolizing the hope of new life in the resurrection.

However, many churches introduce variety into the color scheme during this part of the year. Some churches use colors that match the décor of the church, so that the special seasons of the church year are marked by a change of color from the ordinary. Some churches coordinate parament colors with sanctuary banners that present various biblical themes during this part of the year. The most often used alternate colors for Ordinary Time are bronze or copper, olive, and aqua with maroon showing up occasionally.

Some church traditions only celebrate Pentecost Sunday and Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost), and then begin Ordinary Time with the Second Sunday after Pentecost that runs until Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday before the beginning of Advent. Other traditions observe a Pentecost Season extending for the eleven to sixteen Sundays (depending on the date of Easter) beginning with Pentecost Sunday and running through the next to last Sunday of August. Then beginning with the last Sunday of August, they count the remaining thirteen or fourteen Sundays until the beginning of Advent as Kingdomtide (in the Methodist tradition) or Dominiontide (in other churches), climaxing with the Christ the King Sunday. This serves to break up the long stretch of Ordinary Time following Pentecost into two seasons that can carry different emphases.  

The season of Pentecost usually focuses on the evangelical mission of the church to the world and its responsibility in carrying out that mission of proclamation. Some Protestant churches also celebrate Reformation Sunday (end of October) and All Saints Sunday (first Sunday in November). These are becoming increasingly popular ways to flesh out the themes of the Church in the World during Ordinary Time by focusing on heritage and the faithfulness of those in the past.  The season of Kingdomtide celebrates Christ as King and Sovereign of the world, emphasizing God's Dominion over all of creation.  The focus in this season is often on social justice and action as an expression of the Lordship of God over his people and the world.

- Quoted from Dennis Brachter, www.crivoice.org