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. Liz Maxwell on the First Sunday after Epiphany, January 11, 2026.
This week, Mother Liz reflects on the Epiphany story’s blend of wonder and peril: the Magi’s awe-filled journey guided by a star, set against Herod’s fear-driven violence. She connects this ancient “realpolitik” to our own moment, naming contemporary acts of state violence and the ongoing harm to immigrant communities. Epiphany’s revealing light exposes both the world’s cruelty and God’s vulnerable, self-giving love. In that light, we are asked to choose what kind of power claims our allegiance—and to seek courage, compassion, and solidarity with our most vulnerable neighbors as we build beloved community together.