Following the Church Year Can Help Us Feel Less Alone

If you follow the rhythms of the liturgical seasons, have you noticed how following the church year helps you feel less lonely?

I don’t follow the church year with the intent of diminishing my loneliness. I observe it to know more intimately the life of Jesus, his work in the lives of those whom he has rescued and redeemed, and the hope of the “not yet” on this side of heaven. I also enter into the liturgical seasons because they help us wait, lament, hope, celebrate, and acknowledge the full spectrum of the life of the Christian and the life of the church. But one blessing I have received from engaging the church year and its rituals is an increased sense of belonging to myself, others, and God.⁣
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As we consider Jesus throughout the course of the year and give our attention to his life, death, and resurrection, we can ask God to help us see those whom Christ sees. Who is suffering, grieving, lost, or alone? How can we invite others to join us as we observe and celebrate the life and work of Jesus? How can we have conversations with other Christians during Advent or Lent or Ordinary Time about how the current season is or isn’t helping us connect with ourselves, others, and God? How can we be, as James K.A. Smith wrote, a people of memory and expectation while “praying for and looking forward to a coming kingdom that will break in upon our present as a thief in the night”?⁣
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Read the rest of this essay at Christianity Today.

*Image and words originally posted by Charlotte Donlon on Instagram.

More Than One Thing Can Be True

When we write or speak about why we are grateful, we aren’t claiming other things aren’t also true.⁣
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When we write or speak about why we are lamenting, we aren’t claiming other things aren’t also true.⁣
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It’s all about the “both and.” We can be grateful for things worthy of gratitude. We can lament things worthy of lament.⁣
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And we can honor those who are led to express one but not the other at this particular time or another particular time. We can honor those who can’t express anything right now. We can honor those who just need humor and distraction. ⁣
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Of course, there are holidays and liturgical seasons and other emotional and spiritual prompts that help us navigate our hearts and minds and souls. But our current personal experiences and circumstances may not line up with all of that. And that’s okay!

Holidays and liturgical seasons can encourage us toward certain truths that don’t feel natural or easy to believe in that moment. That can be a good thing!

But no one is making you focus on gratitude or the coming birth of Jesus when you NEED lament and the Resurrection ASAP.
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Really. It’s all okay. (I mean. Within reason.) Jesus came to free us from so many things. He frees us from cultural and religious and societal holiday expectations that we really don’t have to give in to. Be free. Lament, grieve, be thankful, be joyful, wait, don’t wait.
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It’s impossible to write or speak or explore the whole story every minute of every day. But we can write, speak, and explore pieces of it. We can uncover some of what’s hidden, we can explore some of what’s been revealed. ⁣
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That’s why we keep writing, speaking, and exploring.
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So, let’s be free with our stories. And let’s honor others and their stories.
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Okay. Carry on with figuring out how to prepare your Thanksgiving turkey which will most likely be dry and bland anyway. (Did I just say that?)

*Image and words originally posted by Charlotte Donlon on Instagram.