Sunday, January 14, 2018

2^nd Sunday after Epiphany (2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time)

The lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:

• First Reading: I Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) | Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
• Second Reading: I Corinthians 6:12-20 | Gospel Reading: John 1:43-51
• The liturgical color for the day is: Green

So, is this time marked as “after Epiphany” or “Ordinary Time?”  The simple answer is it can be designated either way.  For many years, times that were outside of liturgical seasons and festivals were always designated as “Ordinary Time.”  Some churches found that designation to be so, well, ordinary.  In the grand tradition of the church, however, Ordinary Time was hardly understood in the way we tend to think of ordinary.  We tend to think of that which is ordinary as that which is run of the mill or average.  The designation of such time carries a different meaning in terms of the liturgical calendar—here it is ordinary in the sense of being regular or ordered.  Ordinary Time has traditionally been understood as deliberate time for the growth of the church, and a regular concentration on such growth.

No matter how one designates the day, this Lord’s Day provides wonderful passages for preaching, teaching, and liturgy.  The introspective view of the Psalm provides a good foundation as Call to Worship, as well as both Confession and Assurance of Pardon.  The First Reading, God’s First Revelation to Samuel, is a wonderful call story that augments the Gospel Lesson with the calling of Philip and Nathanael.  The invitation—“Come and see”—bears with it that personal invitation to follow.  Such also invites us in the church to raise the question of: “What are we inviting people to come and see?”  Clarity on that is both about our understanding of the call of the Gospel and the very nature of the Church.

Toward Vibrancy,
Daris