Paradigm Shift
After officiating at a wonderful wedding for parishioners Evan and Catherine in Galveston last Friday, I woke up Saturday morning, packed up my clothes and robes, and walked out to my car in a short-sleeved shirt. When I moved here, I was told that if you don’t like the weather in Houston, just wait a minute, but the significant drop in temperature was still quite a surprise. Thank goodness for seat heaters!
I think we get so used to the warm weather in Houston that chilly weather is always surprising. This is the only explanation I can come up with for having to remind my kids they need a jacket every time we leave the house. The property of Inertia describes the tendency of things to continue in the same direction until an outside force changes their trajectory. I experienced that outside force on Saturday morning for sure!
In the church we are coming to the conclusion of the season after Pentecost that began at the beginning of June. We certainly have liturgical inertia! We have been cruising through what is often called the long green season (with a few white Sundays included on special occasions), but next Sunday the 27th, you will enter church to find all the paraments to be blue. The start to our liturgical year begins with the Advent season of preparation and expectation in anticipation of the coming of our Lord into the world. All the special services, celebrations, and events in the coming month are meant to create space in us to receive the Good News of God coming into the world and into our lives. May we all prepare to be surprised by the love of God in Jesus Christ!
We love you and God loves you,
Josh Condon+