This week, Mother Liz invites us to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis with the Blessing of the Animals following the 11 am service on Sunday. All creatures are welcome — whether in person, through photos, or even in beloved stuffed form — as we give thanks for their companionship, joy, and mystery. In blessing them, we recognize their place in God’s creation, their role in awakening our compassion and wonder, and our kinship with them as fellow creatures. May we cherish and protect them, and remember that we too are animals, blessed to be a blessing.

This week, Mother Liz reflects on Jeremiah’s symbolic purchase of a field while imprisoned during the Babylonian siege — a striking act of hope amid devastation. Though exile and ruin loomed, Jeremiah preserved the deed as a sign that “houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” In our own times of crisis and uncertainty, we are invited to consider how small, faithful actions can witness to God’s future: investing in justice, caring for neighbors and creation, and nurturing hope for generations yet to come.

This Sunday, everyone is welcome to join us for Welcome Back Sunday, a joyful celebration of returning to full parish life after summer. The season turns with the cooler air, the return of our choir, and the resumption of two Sunday morning services. (The 6 pm Sunday service of Meditation & Sacrament continues, as well.) We’ll mark the occasion with festive fellowship and opportunities to reconnect with parish programs. At its heart, “coming home” means belonging — finding shelter in God and in one another, where faith, doubts, joys, and sorrows are all embraced. Whether longtime members or newcomers, all are warmly welcomed home.

In this week’s newsletter, Mother Liz continues our observance of the Season of Creation, reflecting on a daily devotional about the wood frog (see above): an unlikely creature whose resilience and joyful song evoke awe and wonder. Connecting this to the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin, she reminds us of God’s boundless love in seeking what is lost and rejoicing when it is found. As we consider endangered habitats and fragile ecosystems, we are called to cherish all creation, to restore what is broken, and to live gratefully as part of God’s ecological whole.

This week, the rector invites us into the Season of Creation (Sept. 1–Oct. 5), a time shared with Christians worldwide to honor our place in the larger community of Earth. With the theme “Peace With Creation,” we will bring concerns for climate, land, water, and all creatures into our liturgies and forums. Opportunities include joining SunDay events focused on clean energy, participating in Climate Week, and even helping at an art build here at Ascension. Mother Liz reminds us that care for Creation nourishes our spirits as well as the Earth itself.