The New Normal

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The New Normal

by Amy Oyler

“The new normal.” How many times have we heard this phrase over the past year? Many of the protocols and safety procedures that we have had to adapt to during the pandemic have become so commonplace that we have started to call this time our new normal. At the same time…we still want to “get back to normal.” We want to do things without certain restrictions and without the fear of spreading a dreaded disease that has ravaged our world. We certainly want to participate in events that have been canceled over the past year as well.

Considering this made me think of the liturgical calendar and the periods known as Ordinary Time. In this case, however, “ordinary” does not mean “normal” or “routine”. According to the official website of The United Methodist Church, the denomination to which I belong, it refers to the "ordinal numbers" (first, second, third, etc.) used to name and count the Sundays, like the Third Sunday after Epiphany for instance. There are two periods of Ordinary Time in our liturgical calendar: one is between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, and the other is from Pentecost to Advent. Even though these periods do not technically mean “ordinary” or “normal”, they feel that way. They are the times between the special times. No holidays, no big celebrations. Just our regular, run-of-themill times. Filler.

Aren’t we sometimes guilty of living for the special occasions? I know my favorite time of year is from October to December. I eagerly anticipate this time every year. Fall, football games, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Those are the times to look forward to! Do I miss the beauty of the times in between? Maybe I do. Perhaps I take them for granted because I am looking past the inbetween times to the special occasions. Maybe some of you do the same. There may not be anything particularly great about a random Tuesday in August. But if we pay attention…maybe there could be.

All of this brings me back to my original thoughts about normality. With so much upheaval, isolation, anxiety, and grief in the past year or more, we find ourselves now living for the normal. We are desperate for the very times we once thought mundane and maybe even boring! Just for the sake of feeling safe again, we long for

ordinary activities. Even going to the grocery store or a restaurant may be a welcome distraction from the isolation we have been subjected to for the past year. Hugging a friend or family member means more to us now. Attending church in person is a joy. Anything that makes us feel like ourselves again is a blessing.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us each day our daily bread.” Our day-to-day lives are important, not just filler. While we may always be fans of holidays and special occasions, I pray that we can leave this pandemic with a new appreciation for the simple joys of a normal day.

About The Author Amy Oyler is a member of Rush Chapel United Methodist Church. She is wife to Jason, a dentist, and mother to Tanner, Timothy, and Thomas. A former English teacher, she enjoys working with the youth at Rush Chapel and “floating” where God leads her!

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