James 5:11
Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance.
Endurance – patience, stamina, staying power. Christine and I needed endurance to get to Christmas morning. Patience is not something our children have when they are anticipating the arrival of Santa and grandparents.
Although we are still in the season of Christmas in the church calendar, the holidays are essentially over – kids will be going back to school soon (for some, this means an empty house again), work beckons us back, and we settle back into the routine of life, including at church. In the church calendar, more than 60% is considered Ordinary Time. Our high from the celebration of 8 pound, 6 ounce newborn infant Jesus is followed by Ordinary Time – sounds a little boring.
Until we get to Easter, there isn’t a newborn baby to get us excited about being followers of Jesus. After Easter, there isn’t a risen Christ or the coming of the Holy Spirit to get us excited about our daily faith journey until Advent shows up again.
We need endurance (stamina) to live out our faith all throughout the year. God doesn’t need Christmas Christians or Easter Christians or Sunday Christians – God needs us every day to help bring about the Kingdom of God here on Earth as it is in heaven. We must live our lives in a way that challenges the realities of the growing divide between the rich and the poor. We must live our lives in a way that makes evident the love and care that God has for all people. But we must endure.
May we be found faithful.
Michael Kellett