Sacred Ordinary/Ordinary Sacred

Posted on by Michele Morin

Annie Dillard has (famously) said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”  This is a cautionary saying for those of us who live our days as the sandwich-makers, the sock sorters, and the finders of misplaced library books.  Therefore, Liturgy of the Ordinary has landed upon my reading list like a benediction, for in Tish Harrison Warren’s words, I hear the husky contralto sound track of Peggy Lee’s musical question “Is That All There Is?” Thanks be to God, Tish arrives at a resounding “No!”  The daily, mundane tasks that comprise civilization and self-maintenance on this planet are clearly not “all there is.”  On the contrary, they are shot through with the sacred — even all the repetitive and seemingly Sisyphean tasks that, while admittedly are sacrificial, seem hardly to be sacramental.

Liturgy of the Ordinary pushes back against the dualism that differentiates between answering emails and writing sermons, between talking theology over coffee and talking science fair project over milk and cookies because, for believers, ministry and everyday life are “intrinsically part of one another,” (p. 89).

Trish celebrates the reality that the spiritual disciplines that sustain the following life are quiet, reflective, and homely.  The trappings of devotion, even the elements of the Eucharist, can be found in any North American kitchen, and the inhale and exhale of communion with God around a verse of Scripture can, literally, be done with one’s eyes closed.

Since liturgy is, by definition, “the work of the people,” the faithful have been commissioned to do whatever is needful in the name of Christ.  Tish’s liberating thesis works itself out in the unfolding of the ordinary day of a wife, mum, ministry professional, and friend, a woman who chafes against the routine, who longs for a good night’s sleep, and who delights in the simple beauty of a vanilla steamer alongside a great novel.

The Glory of the Embodied Life

When we wake, no matter how  we wake (instantly bolt upright or groping toward consciousness), we begin our day beloved by God, and the staggering truth is that nothing we do in the course of each day will either magnify or diminish that standing.  Beginning each new day echoes that “first gleam of dawn” which characterizes “the path of the righteous” (Proverbs 4:18) at the outset of the Christian life.

Careening toward the age when it takes twice as long in front of a mirror to look half as good, it is a joyful thing to be reminded that “what we do with our bodies and what we do with our souls are always entwined,” (p. 39).  In taking on flesh, Christ decimated the false notion that the body is an evil burden and not worthy of respectful treatment and conscientious care. 

“Because of the embodied work of Jesus, my body is destined for redemption and for eternal worship – for eternal skipping and jumping and twirling and hand raising and kneeling and dancing and singing and chewing and tasting,” (p. 48).

Let There Be Peace on Earth

Living as redeemed and God-breathed dust on a fallen planet is not without its vexing moments in which the self is uncovered in an unflattering light, particularly when lost keys and broken appliances hook faithless ponderings around theodicy faster than the gripping news feed from Aleppo.  Repentance like “a steady drumbeat” (57) is the posture that counteracts brokenness, and it is also true that a life of wholeness is sustained by proper nourishment.  The preparation and consumption of a humble meal points the heart toward God’s abundant provision in the Word, the true Bread of Life, while also serving as a pale adumbration of the gathering and gratitude that happen around the cup and the simple loaf.

There is paradox in the truth that the soft answer to my husband or children that turns away wrath in my home is inextricably linked to the larger mission of peace that embodies the believer’s “everyday work of shalom,” (74), and becomes an integral component of the larger work of reconciliation that Paul outlines in II Corinthians 5.

The Third Way

As a gardener, I delight in the cooperation with God that is crucial to success.  I weed; God waters.  God provides a bountiful crop; I harvest and preserve it.  Down in the dirt picking green beans or uprooting pesky cow vetch from the tomato patch, I believe that I am doing holy work, and 14th century monk Walter Hilton would agree with me.  He would have described my Mary-like approach to Martha-work as a “third way,” a mindset that infuses the daily round with meaning and points to a future day in a millennial kingdom where we will “long enjoy the work of our hands,” (Isaiah 65:22).

This opens the way for a truce in my on-going battle against the clock.  As a “do-er,” a three on the Enneagram, I share Tish’s need to see things happen in a “timely manner,” and this question is a howl that put words around the frustration of my own heart:

How can I live as one who watches and waits for the coming kingdom when  I  can barely wait for water to boil? (104)

For those of us who struggle to find our way into the “alternative chronology” of the Christian life, the liturgical calendar provides much-needed handholds, guidance in the disciplines of preparation and waiting, training wheels for the cycles of mourning and celebration.  Tish’s reminder that “we are a people in training, together learning to wait” (109), gives me permission to enter into worship for its own sake as part of my learning process for living in the present while also waiting for the ultimate redemption of all things.

The Ministry of Friendship, the Sacrament of Coffee, and the Gift of Rest

The call and response of worship shows up in Christian friendship, particularly in Tish’s “friends of the right hand,” for we tell each other the truth:
Who we are;
Who God is;
How this impacts on good times and bad.

When we sow this practical Gospel into each other’s lives, we become community because we have communed. As the entity that first invented coffee (Ethiopian monks?  Who knew?  131), the church is uniquely positioned to lead the way in the art of enjoyment and pleasure.

All good things are a gift from God’s hand, and one of those very good things is rest.  Tish turns the lens of liturgy last on sleeping, for “both gathered worship and our sleep habits profess our loves, our trusts, and our limits,” (141).  I will sacrifice sleep for those I love and to pursue what I consider a worthy goal.  I will neglect my body and skew my priorities to pursue a misplaced affection for work or entertainment.  However, if I truly believe that “the Lord watches over the city,” or, in my case, the country hill (Psalm 127:1), I will savor His good gift of rest and trust God with my “[my] sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life,” (Romans 12:1, 2 MSG).

Truly “plac[ing] it before God as an offering,” brings the sacred close, and with remarkable steadiness of attention, Tish Harrison Warren draws a clear line of connection between the activities of her daily routine and the pursuit of holiness.  Liturgy of the Ordinary is an invitation to bring belief and praxis into alignment around the daily work of sanctification and the never-ending duties that will become, after all, the way we spend our lives.

This book was provided by IVP Books, an imprint of InterVarsity Press,  in exchange for my review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four married sons and a growing fleet of adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

62 thoughts on “Sacred Ordinary/Ordinary Sacred”

  2. Wow! Sounds like an inspiring book that’s just down my alley, Michele! I’ll have to check it out. Thank you so much for being the voracious reader, who then serves up morsels for us to taste each week at you table. Always a pleasure to visit, my friend!

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  4. Michele,
    Thank you for the continually needed reminder that I can neither magnify nor diminish my standing before a loving God. Also love the thought that Mary or Martha is not always an either /or proposition. Sounds like wisdom I can relate to.
    Blessings,
    Bev

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  6. This sounds like a delightful book. We live our lives mostly in ordinary ways and times so this is where we need to enjoy our spirituality the deepest. Thanks for sharing this, Michele.

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  7. Oh, this sounds like a book for me! I love this: “When we wake, no matter how we wake (instantly bolt upright or groping toward consciousness), we begin our day beloved by God, and the staggering truth is that nothing we do in the course of each day will either magnify or diminish that standing.” Amen! Thanks for sharing this title so beautifully- I can’t wait to check it out!

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  8. Hi Michele, your book reviews are always so thoughtful. I would be honored for you to review my latest book. It’s a free download on Amazon through the end of day today, Jan. 10. See my latest blog post for details. If you would provide a review for Newness of Life, I’ll connect it to my blog and both our audiences will benefit. What do you think? Blessings to you!

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  9. This sounds like a book I need to read, Michele! It is so true that sometimes I get frustrated when I realize how much of my time goes into just living and maintaining my family. So hard to remember that this, too, is ministry. And you’re cracking me up about having to spend twice the time in front of the mirror to look half as good. You and me both, honey! (And I’m surrounded by beautiful young women, like Chef Girl and Poet Girl, who remind me of those days in the past when I could still look great on 5 hours sleep. For them, it’s effortless!)

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    1. Ha! Yes, we do need our sleep (and our makeup!). And we’re so blessed to be up to our fetlocks in serving our families in this season. Thanks for stopping by with encouragement and a smile.

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  10. I love faith in real life, sacred in mundane, extra in ordinary. It makes God feel approachable to me because I have a whole lot of real mundane ordinary in my days. Finding him in those places makes all the difference.
    And this: “ministry and everyday life are “intrinsically part of one another,”” This is the heart of it. Amen!

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  17. Love this: “it is a joyful thing to be reminded that “what we do with our bodies and what we do with our souls are always entwined.”” It is so easily forgotten in my busy days. Thank you for the reminder!

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  20. I’ve put this book on my list! It sounds like a good book to help “balance” back into shalom! I especially liked this: “When we wake, no matter how we wake (instantly bolt upright or groping toward consciousness), we begin our day beloved by God, and the staggering truth is that nothing we do in the course of each day will either magnify or diminish that standing.” How that gets rid of so much of each day! Shalom, Mary! ~ Maryleigh

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  23. This book reminds me of Brother Lawrence’s “The Practice of the Presence of God.” I’m all about finding that “connection between the activities of her daily routine and the pursuit of holiness.” Because, I’m so not there yet! I think I’m going to have to add this book to the TBR list.

    Thanks, Michele, for sharing at The Loft today!

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  24. “shot through with the sacred”….oh how I love that!! This book sounds like a practical one that would help us walk through this life and make a difference in the lives of those around us. Thanks for telling us about it. Stopping in from The Loft.

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  25. Thank you for visiting my blog at the Loft link up! I really enjoyed reading your blog for the first time. And, as I sip my hot evening caffeine free tee with a bit of lemon I think we are kindred spirits. God is good. God is in the warm moments of his Word and ours. Jenn

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  28. Happy New Year, Michele!
    I breathed a sigh of hope as I read this because for sure, there has to be more to this life than this. While I’m glad I’ve found something much more meaningful in Christ, too often I slip into the mundane. But reading your words today reminded me to see the sacred in the small, seemingly ordinary moments of my day. Thanks for sharing Tish and her lovely book with us.
    Marva | SunSparkleShine

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  32. Oh how this is beautiful! Those ordinary days, moments, things that we want to discount are but secret and so sweet to our Savior. Thank you for this gentle reminder.

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