Worship, religious activity in all of its aspects - what we do and how we do it, as well as what we say and how we say it - underlies religious belief.  Leonel L. Mitchell (in Praying Shapes Believing) The liturgy at Ascension changes seasonally. While the service's framework remains the same, these changes help accentuate each season and draw attention to what we are saying. This Easter season, we are using a recently approved set of revisions to help our service be more expansive. One change that many have noticed is in the Nicene Creed. Where we usually say, “and was made man ..read more

We have emerged from the season of Lent into Easter and a season of Resurrection! Listen to a paraphrase of this passage from Ephesians: “I pray to the Father for the Spirit to continuously re-create resurrection in our lives, so that Jesus [lives in] us, in order that we overflow with love of Christ.” You may wonder, how do we access the Spirit of the Resurrected Jesus? Through prayer, we not only access the Spirit, thereby Jesus, and the loving power of God through Christ, but we also open ourselves to transformation. Prayer connects us to God; it is the critical spark that brings the S ..read more

Holy Week challenges us to step outside ourselves so asto attend to the needs of others: those who long for a sympatheticear, those in need of comfort or help. We should not simply remainin our own secure world, that of the ninety-nine sheep who never strayed from the fold, but we should go out, with Christ, in search ofthe one lost sheep, however far it may have wandered.  Pope Francis  Holy Week is a special time in the life of the church. The Book of Common Prayer has designated liturgies for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and The Great Vigil of ..read more

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.  Nelson Mandela Palm Sunday recalls a great dichotomy as Christ arrives in Jerusalem. Great crowds gather with shouts of “Hosanna” and hail him as a king. Yet Jesus knows that others await and will seek to convict him, torture him, and kill him. Still, Jesus is compelled to embrace all that is to come, trusting that God’s will is fulfilled. This Sunday, our liturgy is designed to mirror the intense emotional journey of Christ and ..read more

“We adore you, and we bless you, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all the churches which are in the whole world because, by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.” Stations of the Cross Holy Week is fast approaching. It begins with Palm Sunday (March 24) and culminates with Holy Saturday (March 30). Palm Sunday and Easter tend to draw a crowd. They are a bit different from the other Sundays of the year, both special in their way. Palm Sunday includes a festive procession reminiscent of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Easter is what every Sunday is modeled upon: a joyous cel ..read more

What does mysticism really mean? It means the way to attain knowledge. It's close to philosophy, except in philosophy you go horizontally while in mysticism you go vertically. - Elie Wiesel One of the Lenten offerings at Ascension this year is Atheism for Lent. Many have participated in the readings and reflections, as well as our sessions each Wednesday evening. It seeks intellectual enrichment and paradigm-shifting and offers personal transformation. During the first week, we heard various philosophical rationales for the existence of God. In the second week, we heard critiques of these rat ..read more

Blessings ..read more

The Annual Parish Meeting, which takes place this Sunday, January 28th, at 9:00 a.m., is a great opportunity for every member to participate in our church's leadership. The meeting has three main aspects:   We will elect members to the new Vestry and will also elect members as delegates to the Diocesan Convention. The Vestry works in tandem with the clergy to provide ongoing leadership. The members review business decisions and practices and support the ministry of the parish. Similarly, the convention delegates represent Ascension at the annual Diocesan gathering, which is reminiscent o ..read more

In the course of their Christian development, those baptized . . . are expected . . . to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop.  - Book of Common Prayer (page 412) The sacrament of Confirmation is an important rite in our church. Not only does it create an opportunity for a profession of faith, but it also connects us with the broader church since it requires a Bishop. Rightly, confirmation pairs with reception and reaffirmation. This bears some explanation, more than we ..read more

The Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) is an independent, lay-led, and inclusive organization that helps build, vitalize, and transform Episcopal faith communities, focusing on formation, finance, and resources.  They offer a weekly email with tips and creative ministry ideas. I thought this week’s idea was excellent, so I’m sharing it below: Make good use of the Christmas cards you’ve received.  When I store the decorations for another year, I’m always faced with a dilemma: What should I do with the Christmas cards? It’s the one time of year that folks send a snail mail card, and ev ..read more