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Ascension is a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive community of people who gather to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, to give praise and thanks to God through the beauty of worship, and to love and serve God and our neighbors.
Regular Worship Schedule
Starting April 28, "socially distanced" Eucharist services will be held on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Due to limited seating and contact tracing requirements, pews must be reserved in advance. For now, most other public services and programs of the Church of the Ascension are taking place online until further notice. Contact the parish office to learn how to attend our online services via Zoom.
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Author Archives: The Rev. Shelley D. McDade
Advent: Holding out our hands in the dark
Whatever your opinion, or lack of one, is on the Michael Brown shooting and demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, and other cities around our nation…the real truth is that people are in pain. Deep pain. And it isn’t just this one situation. People are reacting strongly to the multitude of unprecedented situations playing out in and around our everyday lives. My personal mantra in life is “to respond, not react.” Right now, people are reacting. And I don’t think we even realize how much minor transitions and developments of life are compromising and affecting our ability to think… to grow… to embrace… to respond… to activate… or rest… in God.
One World, One Faith, One God
“In the midst of transition (or change) the work is going to be about creation…about cooperating with God in re-creating ourselves…about becoming more fully what God calls us to be.” — Debra K Farrington, The Seasons of a Restless Heart, as quoted in Mother Shelley’s sermon on stewardship, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014. Read the full sermon here and learn about the parish’s plans for growth, change and ministry over the next several years.
For the Season of the Spirit
Many images, icons and paintings have tried to capture the essence of the Holy Spirit specifically from the writings of the New Testament during the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost was not a moment and, in my opinion, it wasn’t even an event. It was an expression of the power of God meant specifically to carry the message of God to all people in all languages to all nations and tribes of the world. It was not a division of race but rather an invitation of unity: unity of faith; unity of spirit; unity of God. Paintings of this subject traditionally associate the tongues of fire with the tops of the disciples’ heads. In the May 28th issue of Christian Century there is an article on a Pentecost painting by Christian Thai artist Sawai Chinnawong.
The Light of Lent: Lent 5
The nature of our existence allows for countless journeys to be experienced. The journey of time and circumstance. The journey of alliance and detachment. The journey of pleasure and regret. The journey postponed and the journey remembered. The journey of knowledge. The journey of innocence. And the journey of love. Our Lenten journey, if entered …
Lenten Reflection: Lent 4
Honoring Self in Lent In every journey there is a need for respite. A wisdom which allows us to place all else in life aside and just rest in the pleasure of how far we have come. Even if it doesn’t seem as though much has happened it still is important to stop, replenish and …
Lenten Reflection: Lent 3
Embracing the Via Media of Lent About mid-way through the Lenten season we begin to feel adrift and may have even lost the enchantment of the journey. We are reminded of some of the things we have decided to leave behind and wonder if our bodies, our hearts and our minds are capable of living …
Lenten Reflection: Lent 2
Living on the inside of Lent To step into the season of Lent is to open yourself up to the unknown. At first there is clarity. It is easy to see the habits that need to be ended, the relationships that need to be mended, and the clutter that needs to be organized. But then …
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Lenten Reflection: Lent 1
To step into Lent is to acknowledge our desire for being known. If we truly want to be known we need to open ourselves up to the possibility of a shared life with each other. A shared life often feels like compromise…something accepted rather than wanted. A compromise may feel as though we are settling …
Lent 2014
Although Lent is a serious time of reflection as we head into the Passion of our Lord….it is also a wonderful opportunity to teach the kids in a fun way about family tradition and our Christian faith. During the Children’s Lesson this Sunday we will be inviting the kids to help prepare the palms for …
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First Sunday after the Epiphany
Epiphany Proclamation: While a day like Christmas is fixed in our minds and on the calendars on December 25th, many of the important feasts of the Church year move, based upon the date that Easter is set. Easter changes each year moving to the Sunday after the “Paschal Full Moon,” and can fall between March …
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