The whole point of our being baptized, for going to church, for being Christian, is to go and do. We often get bogged down in the choices, frozen by our indecision. What does God want me to be involved with?
What is a symbol? It might be defined as one thing that stands in for another thing; something that represents something else that is not inherent in it. We are surrounded by symbols; we move through the world guided by symbols. They help us organize our lives; they aid us in our ability to …
Capital-F “Faith” was always a challenging concept for my long-agnostic mind. I understood it as a blind trust in a wise, bearded fellow in the sky, the puppeteer of all things. I interpreted faith as requiring a belief that God has a blueprint for each of our lives and we must trot merrily along the dotted line…
Today’s readings enrich and resonate with one another. Isaiah starts by pointing out that his people are committing righteous acts in order to be noticed, validated, and consecrated.
“Why have we fasted,” they say, “and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?”
— Isaiah 58:3
Yet, God tells the people…
The Old Testament readings seem to set up a clear dichotomy between “the righteous” and “the wicked.” Those who obey the commandments will live, and those who do not will perish. It’s enough to make anyone squirm. We all know that we have not obeyed.
Here we are in Lent, when we are told, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Flowers come off the altar, and the green vestments, green as grass and leaves, are put away. Yet I am thinking about gardens. Isaiah promises that…
Join us for a Sunday forum series exploring the power of images (including language) to shape our self-understanding, our faith and worship, our commitment to justice, our vision of wholeness, our relationship with God and more. The series will be led by the Ascension clergy, with some possible guests as well. Lent 1 (Sunday, March 10)- “Sound, Light and Movement” (Fr. Ed) Lent 2
Please join us on Shrove Tuesday, March 5th, for our traditional Pancake Celebration in preparation for the Lenten season. The celebration will begin about 6:30 p.m. , right after the 6pm service with plenty of fun, food and spirit. We are seeking volunteers, so let Father Ed or the Parish Office if you are inspired to assist or bring a dish for the community
Please join us for a Quiet Day led by Lizzie Berne DeGear, Ph.D on Saturday, March 9, 2019, from 10am-3pm. This will be a day of scriptural exploration and prayerful contemplation as we unlock access to the powerful presence of the divine feminine in the creation stories of our Bible, focusing on texts that are often overlooked or lost in translation. What is waiting
Next Sunday, February 24, 2019, we will welcome back the Rev. Sam Owen, Priest in Charge of the Haitian Congregation of the Good Samaritan, as our guest preacher and forum leader at Ascension. Father Sam will share with us the latest developments in the New York/Haiti Project which has had assistance from our parish. This project has helped build and support a school and