This week, as prelude to our reading from the book of Jonah on Sunday, the rector reflects on what it means to see through the eyes of others — “whales and Ninevites, enemies and foreign species” — and shares a portion of a poem, Humpbacks, by Mary Oliver. Also this week, the Sunday Forum will discuss: “What do our personal financial priorities say about our faith, and where does Ascension fit into your financial life?”
For this Sunday before the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, Mother Liz shares a prayer written by Dr. King for public worship at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. At the Sunday Forum following the 11 am service, we continue our reflections on the New Year with the question: How will you, and how will we, seek justice this year? The needs around us are many and the promise to strive for justice and peace is clear in our baptismal covenant. What are the particular issues, situations, relationships visions that call you to do justice in the coming days and months?
Since we’ll celebrate the Baptism of Jesus this Sunday (and have a baptism among our own congregation), the rector’s message this week talks about the feast that fell this year on the Saturday before it: Epiphany. Also this Sunday, we’ll hear the anthem “Honor, Honor,” a traditional African-American spiritual, arranged by composer Hall Johnson. You can read more about him — and about other activities taking place on Sunday and in the days and weeks ahead — in this week’s newsletter.
An invitation from the rector: “Christmas comes to those who are not ready. May the wonder of that love find you this Christmas. If you are able, join us for the services here at Ascension. You will be glad you did.” Merry Christmas! (And Happy New Year!)
For this Third Sunday of Advent, the rector writes: “I thought about this image when I read the text for this Sunday. … Like candles continuing to burn, our prayers bear witness to our hope, our faith, our commitments. They point us towards the Coming for which we wait. They help us prepare the way of God — in ourselves, in our relationships and in our world. ” Also in this week’s newsletter: our schedule of services for Christmas Eve, Day, and Lessons & Carols on December 31. Join us!
This week, Mother Liz shares a photo of the Judean wilderness she took recently and says: “Of all the places I visited in the Holy Land, the wilderness was perhaps the most evocative for me. It was easy for me to imagine Jesus confronting the meaning of his vocation there, or John the Baptist listening for the word that would shape his prophetic message.” And at the Sunday Forum following the 11 am service, art historian Dennis Raverty will explore images of St. Joseph in art, legend and history. Join us!
The readings for the first Sunday of Advent always feature scary images of the end times. They are apocalyptic — both in the popular sense of catastrophic ending and the more literal meaning, which is uncovering or revelation. This Sunday’s forum following the 11 am service will explore these Advent themes, asking how we find hope in apocalyptic times, and what is being revealed by the crises of our day. Learn more in this week’s newsletter.
From the rector: “In these days of heart-breaking news and busy, stressful lives, it really is an essential spiritual practice to notice beauty and stay open to delight. I hope that this Thanksgiving holiday brings you nourishment for body and soul; community and rest; and a heart tender to small (or large) moments of goodness, hope and grace.”
The rector writes about this Sunday’s Epistle reading: “Paul is emphasizing surprise and suddenness, calling the Thessalonians to prepare for a day that is surely coming but whose timing is unknowable. But I wonder how these images speak to us, as we too live in such uncertain times. They speak of stealthy presence and unexpected loss, of laboring for new beginnings and the inevitability of change.” Also this Sunday: the in-gathering of our community’s pledges to support Ascension in 2024. Haven’t pledged yet? Go here! Already pledged? Thank you!
This week, as we enter a season of giving and thanksgiving, the rector shares a poem, “The Miracle of Giving,” by D. A. Powell. Also this Sunday: we welcome the Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer (pictured above) as guest preacher and forum leader. Dr. Breyer is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York and a priest of our diocese. She has been a leader in work on immigrant rights, interfaith dialogue and activism, and Christian peacemaking, so her visit is incredibly timely! Please join us!