Time

What time is it? This question might tempt you to look at your clock but I’m asking a deeper question. Time has more than one meaning. The Greeks actually have a couple of words for ‘time’. Chronos and kairos are the two ways to think about time. Chronos refers to chronological time. This is when you would look at your watch to answer the question above. Kairos refers to the opportune moment.  For example, “The time has come to act.”

In the church we keep time by a lectionary calendar. We celebrated Pentecost back in May and Advent begins in December. We are in-between these two celebrations on the church calendar.  Now we are in the season of Ordinary Time. Not exactly an inspiring name for a season, right? They could have just as easily named this church season ‘in the meantime’. So, is this chronos or kairos? What time is it?

The danger of thinking of this season as ‘ordinary’ is that this is where most of life happens, in the meantime. This is actually our opportune moment. It is kairos! It is time to live out our faith, by the power of the Holy Spirit, with humility and courage. The world is ready for God’s light to shine in the darkness. The time has come to act. 

See you Sunday!
Missy