by Carle Howell We all have had our “burning bush” moments where God has appeared to us. Many have recognized His calling and, like Moses, looked for the why; others have acted upon the calling. Others have unconsciously passed by the “burning bush” and moved on with their lives. And most of us have lived all three “burning bush” moments, much as we live the four stages of the seeds. Ascension has been “Called to be a Blessing” in all the years I have been a member. We embrace genuine love and do not hold fast to what has been good, as Paul tells us in Romans. We strive to be a blessing to al ..read more

By Robert Orton Today’s Old Testament reading from Exodus chronicles the time the Jews turned away from God, cast a golden calf, and made sacrifices to it. Moses had to advocate for the people of God to prevent a catastrophic calamity. I identify with the people who became confused by the bright shiny object in the absence of Moses. My own shiny object was science, and it dazzled me for most of my life. I grew up a liberal in the very conservative West Texas town of Odessa. I attended St John’s Episcopal Church up until the age of 13, when I felt I was too grown up for such religious nonsense ..read more

By Kabir Masters In the readings today, we keep hearing the words COMPASSION, HUMILITY, and LOVE. How do we incorporate these gifts into our lives? How do we live Jesus' words? We may worship weekly, say all the right words and prayers during service, and greet each other in the name of Christ. But, as we leave our church service every Sunday, how does this continue in our lives? I grew up Muslim in a liberal, cosmopolitan family without a huge emphasis on prayers and church, but mom prayed at home, and I regularly attended religious events with her. However, my father always insisted…. "Do g ..read more

By Ashley Rector For almost 15 years, I have spent most of my time with children. First, I spent 7 years as an elementary school teacher. And for the past seven years, I’ve been home with four children of my own. My first thoughts when reading Matthew’s telling of the parable of the landowner made me think of the many times I have heard comments like, “Why did she get more than me?” or “That isn’t fair – I want that, too!” The workers complain and complain that those who started work late in the day are paid the same generous sum as those who put in a full day’s work. I think we can all recal ..read more

By Sterling Moore The faded brown Chevy clunker edged past the bell tower of Ascension Church as though uncertain whether the Church was open on Saturday. When it sputtered twice and came to a stop, a raspy, old voice called out, “Your sign says you have a food pantry.” The vegetable garden, then at the south end of our Church, needed weeding; thus, I was there. “You won’t be able to get anything today lady. It’ll be open one day next week.” “I don’t need anything,” Joyce said, then gestured to the back seat and added, “I brought some things.” There in the car, in the hundred-degree heat, sat ..read more

by Laurel Johnson by Laurel Johnson WORD in antiquity is both a noun and a verb. Christ is the WORD of God, and the WORD of God created our heavens and earth. Blessed and blessings continue this activity of God and of creation. As crops and wheat ripen, and trees and vines bear fruit, we are also directed to produce and share our “first fruits” in gratitude to God. Stewardship season is harvest season for a reason, and we need to examine who we are, what we have, and how we are called to share our “first fruits.” Our readings this week assure us who we are. We are God’s people; how we are to ..read more

The reading from Exodus this Sunday describes the infant story of Moses, who was saved and nurtured by the midwife and his mother and then rescued and raised by Pharoah's daughter. Whether they thought about it or not, the midwives, Moses' mother, and the Pharoah's daughter used their gifts to nurture Moses to be a future leader for the Israelites. Paul, in the passage from Romans, describes some of the gifts that various members of the body of Christ have and encourages them to identify which gifts they have and to use them for the glory of God. In the reading from Matthew, Jesus asks His di ..read more

August 20 | Called to Be A Blessing Stewardship Reflection By Jane Burruss The church of my childhood was loving and supportive in so many ways, but there were few discussions of ideas such as calling or living with intention. We truly were treated as blessings, yet rarely were shown directly how to pay it forward or be a blessing to others. Gratefully my parents modeled the being Christ’s “hands and feet” concept, and quietly, often anonymously, blessed those they could in many ways, and often told us that those who can do for others, should. As I got older and traveled through many areas of ..read more

Dear Ascension Family, I hope this email finds you and your family in good health and high spirits. I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you regarding our beloved Youth Group! We are finally giving our youth room a much-needed facelift with a complete refurnishing project. The current state of the youth room has been a concern for some time now, and we believe that creating a space that feels comfortable, welcoming, and inspiring is essential for our youth's growth and development. Thanks to the generous contributions from our church, we have been able to gather the necessary funds ..read more

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” - Saint Augustine Loving and serving our community are long-held values at Ascension. I want to highlight a few of the ways these happen, to celebrate the wonderful outreach we provide, and invite you to participate. Feeding at Austin Street Center: At Austin Street Center, clients can access emergency housing and much-needed hope for a plan and a path forward. Quar ..read more