how to keep the sacred among the secular
I can shift back and forth between sacred and secular all day long. I hear one of our kids pray for the other on the way to school. I then make a right turn at the light, change lanes and turn left on Seneca. I sit down to pen this blogpost and invite the Spirit to guide my thoughts. I hear commotion outside and recognize it’s trash day and make a mad dash just in time. Practicing the presence of God, as Brother Lawerence so famously coined it, can be done at the kitchen sink, in the minivan, standing in a line, and even pulling two trash cans frantically in bedroom slippers. His presence is not absent because the Christmas hype is behind us and the January blues creep upon us. He is with you. Emmanuel, God with us, has come to stay. Consider these 3 ways to keep the sacred among the secular:
Plan the festivals.
Participate with God.
Pray through Christmas cards.
Plan the festivals.
According to the research I’ve done, Christians have significant festivals to observe that are either recorded in Scripture or the Church instituted to draw our attention from the secular to the sacred. What is fascinating is what’s called “Ordinary Time” between festivals. The ordinary time between Pentecost and Advent is marked as a time for the Church that Christ instituted to focus on the Gospel, mission, and service. Some deem Ordinary Time to also be the days between Epiphany and Lent, others call it the Days of Epiphany. Regardless, every day is sacred to God. Every day is full of His presence. It is either the cross of Christ, the Church of Christ, the coming of Christ, the journey to Christ that are marked to remember, to celebrate, to keep the sacred among the secular. Consider marking these days on your calendar:
42 days from Epiphany (always January 6) to Lent.
Ash Wednesday is March 2, 2022.
Palm Sunday is April 10, 2022.
Good Friday is April 15, 2022.
Easter/Resurrection Sunday is April 17, 2022.
137 days from Easter (always changing) to Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the Church.
Pentecost is June 5, 2022.
353 days from Pentecost until Advent, preparing for Christ’s coming to dwell with us.
This is Ordinary Time.
First Sunday of Advent is November 27, 2022.
Advent takes us to Christmas.
12 days from Christmas to Epiphany, when Jesus was revealed to the Gentiles as represented by the Wise Men.
And a day that dates back to the Old Testament is that of Shabbat, a day for rest as God rested from His work. We can all benefit from celebrating this day.
Participate with God.
God is everywhere. This truth alone marks our need to be aware of His presence. He’s active in people searching for truth. He’s active in your neighborhood. He gives you brooms and water shoes to serve with. He’s active among those with childlike faith. He invites you to teach them to pray and model faith. He wants you to see Him at work in local businesses and participate by helping them put bread on their tables. Look up. He is working in seen and unseen ways. This is bringing the sacred into the secular and seeing His Kingdom come.
Pray through Christmas Cards.
This is just one of many ways to take something so light and fun and bring the sacred into it. Do this with any piece of mail. Pray over the businesses that send you ads, and even the businesses that send you bills! Pray through the newspaper. You can see the step by step guide in an older post here.
nieces and nephews.
friends from far away.
college friends.
neighbors who just moved in.
their cards have come to you.
telling you their year in review.
what's to become of them
when you've oohed and aahed over how they've grown
and stand in awe of what the year has shown?
gather them up and keep them somewhere visible as the new year begins
for now it's time to specifically pray for your family and friends.
wanting to create an environment where we talk to God just like we would a Father
the kids choose a card and their sweet prayers for you they offer.
when we pray for you, we often ask for God's wisdom,
that He would give you favor this year to come,
and that you would be brave to risk much for Him and His Kingdom.
so your Christmas cards become New Year's prayers!
How are you bringing the sacred into the secular?