| Skiing Through the Church Year |
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| GrowFaith | |||
| Written by Diana Bridges | |||
| Friday, 22 January 2010 07:45 | |||
 My last year in college I was invited to take part in a spring break ski trip. I’d never skied before and had a miserable first day—spent mostly sprawled in the snow. I hated it. When I finally learned to stay on my feet and figured out how to snow plow, everything changed. I took the ski lift to the top of the mountain, which overlooked the Continental Divide. Having no need for speed, I slowly crisscrossed the slope, working my way down the long, easy trail, enjoying the view from every angle and for much longer than those who zipped past me in a rush to friends or hot chocolate at the bottom. I repeated the same long trail again and again for two days, never growing weary of it.
Following the church year allows me to adopt the same pattern in my non-skiing life. I start with the high points of Advent and Christmas--all twelve days. When the most pokey of my neighbors has stored away his award-winning yard decorations until next year, I slowly begin working my way through Epiphany, one of the seasons of light. I recall the visit of the Wise Men, Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, the first miracle at Cana, and the Transfiguration. The old stories hold new wonder when seen at a leisurely pace from one side and then another. Each day and season is observed in turn. There’s no need to hang on to the past or race through the present. Each observance has a purpose and all are informed by what has come before. You can’t fully understand the coming of the Messiah apart from the centuries of faithful waiting that came before. The revelation of Christ to the Gentiles would be rather puzzling without the words of the prophets that prepared the way. Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Easter are filled with pathos and joy in turn. The drama of Pentecost awaits, but by then we’re already in the seasons for which there are no Hallmark cards. The great events in the life of Christ have been remembered and rehearsed. Ordinary time arrives and half the year—half the mountain slope—remains. There’s still much to learn and experience if these days are received as a gift rather than a chance to merely mark time. Finally, the easy slope gives way to flatlands and the journey seems to be over. But it’s not. It’s time to ride to the top and begin again. Each repetition is similar, but not identical, enriched by insights and skills gained the last time around. Photo Credit
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