Ascension members and friends are going to see the Staten Island Yankees play on Friday, July 29. We’re hoping to get a group rate (which includes a hot dog), so please let Steve Hubbard (shubbard[at]nyu.edu) know if you can join us. It will be lots of fun, and a great opportunity to bring friends of all ages.
Listen to the sermon preached by the Rev. Ed Chinery on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2025.
This week, the rector reflects on Advent’s invitation to hope when circumstances feel bleak or overwhelming. Drawing on Isaiah’s story of King Ahaz and Matthew’s account of Joseph, she explores the tension between realism and trust—between protecting ourselves from disappointment and daring to imagine what God might do. These texts challenge us to notice where cynicism or caution keeps us from hope, and to consider the risks of faithful dreaming. Advent asks whether we can trust that God is truly with us, even in the messiness and brokenness of our world.