For 200 years the Church of the Ascension has served our community with inspiring worship, spiritual nourishment, social engagement, and world-class music. In this celebratory Bicentennial Year, please join us in supporting Ascension with your annual pledge that will help us plan for tomorrow and perpetuate this beautiful gift for current and future generations.
In this week’s newsletter, Mother Liz reflects on Paul’s call to rejoice in God and think on what is true, honorable, and just—a spiritual discipline that counters our negativity bias. And as Dr. Clay Williams begins a three-part Sunday Forum series on “Being Human in an Age of AI,” the rector invites us to practice joy by noticing wonders of human care and grace.
Listen to the sermon preached by the Rev. Ed Chinery on the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, October 4, 2026.
For St. Francis Day, Mother Liz shares Galway Kinnell’s poem about St. Francis blessing a sow, reminding us of the sacred work of “reteaching a thing its loveliness.” Through tenderness and touch, we honor the intricate beauty in all creatures. May we see and bless the loveliness in all God’s creation, including ourselves.
Listen to the sermon preached by the Rev. Liz Maxwell on the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 27, 2026.
In this week’s newsletter, Mother Liz reflects on the Israelites’ wilderness journey, questioning where God is amid fear and scarcity. She explores how we recognize God’s presence—in beauty and answered prayers, but also in our loneliest seasons of loss and injustice. Drawing on the miracle of water from stone, she invites us to notice the hidden, unexpected grace that sustains us through all our journeys and seasons.
Listen to the sermon preached by the Rev. Ed Chinery on the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 20, 2026.
For Welcome Back Sunday, Mother Liz explores the parable of workers hired throughout the day but paid the same wage, provoking questions about abundance and what we fear in sharing generously. She welcomes back summer travelers and the returning choir, inviting us to trust in God’s abundance and practice generosity as we gather to do the urgent work we’re called to together.
Listen to the sermon preached by the Rev. Liz Maxwell on the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 13, 2026.
On the 25th anniversary of September 11, Mother Liz invites us to remember those lost, the first responders’ sacrifice, and the courage and compassion that arose amid devastation. Ascension will be open for prayer and reflection from 8 am to 5 pm, with bells tolling at 8:46. She shares a prayer from Bishop Allen Shin, calling us to confront hatred, resist violence, and make peace.