Church of the Ascension

Gathering for meals helps form us into community--ay home, with friends, and in the church.  This week's reflection looks at Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.

Sometimes I wonder why we are here...surely its not just for the food.  A reflection on I Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14 and John 6:51-58.

When the sins of the father weigh upon the sons, destruction and death often follows.  This week's reflection explores the brokenness and losses of King David through the story of the young man, Absalom, in 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33.

This week's reflection on John 6:24-35 compares the Body of Christ to a tray of pork ribs.  Which just might mean Dreamland is about as close to Heaven as it gets--at least in Alabama.  

In a culture that believes he who dies with the most toys wins, its hard to recognize real abundance.  A reflection on John 6:1-21.

The economics of man are always defined by transaction.  The economy of God offers transformation.  A reflection on Mark 6:30-34, 53-56.

Two kings of Israel--one brought honor to God and thus himself.  The other brought shame.  A reflection on the rule of King David and King Herod Antipas through the stories of 2 Samuel 6:1-5,12b-19 and Mark 6:14-29.

In this week's reflection on Mark 6:1-13, Drew+ looks at four presidents and how their courage in times of strife shaped them as persons and as presidents.  Jesus, too, was shaped in times of trouble and rejection--especially in his own home town among those who knew him best.  

Our world suffers from resistance--resistance to one another, resistance to creation, resistance to ourselves, and resistance to God.  Jesus is so non-resistant to life and healing and positive energy that even his clothes have healing properties.  We, as the church, are called to be the hem of Jesus' cloak--the place that all those who suffer can come and find renewed life.  In thi...

We often like to think of the David vs. Goliath story as one in which the archetype of the weak defeats the strong.  In the story of David and Goliath,  David goes to battle against Goliath with God not only on his side; all of Israel has chosen the side of God!  Of course David cannot lose.  This week's reflection by Drew Brislin+ explores I Samuel 17:1, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49.&nb...

Drew offers a reflection on this week's Gospel reading, Mark 4:26-34.  Planting even the smallest seed of friendship and hospitality with others will grow your friendship with God.

Too often we are told by the church that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and not that we are beloved children of God.  Approaching the world from a place of condemnation is much different and less spiritually fulfilling than a starting point of belovedness.  In today's reflection on Mark 3:20-35, we hear that those who blaspheme have no forgiveness because they deny the very God wh...

Trinity Sunday is often called "Heresy Sunday" by preachers due to the difficulty in explaining the mystery of God in Three Persons and the Unity of One Being.  Instead, Drew takes the less treacherous path of exploring how doubt is not the opposite of faith but, like Nicodemus, can be an avenue of greater relationship with God.

We have begun to weaponize our words to either a liberal or conservative persuasion regardless of context--political, social, religious, medical, etc.  On this Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit speaks in a unifying voice drawing people to God and one another.  

Just as many different threads are woven together to create a tapestry, so is life woven into relationship and fate.  In this week's reflection on John's Gospel, 17:6-19, we hear how Jesus' high priestly prayer is a prayer of connection that we might be bound together to glorify God.

The ascension of Jesus leads to the responsibility of the disciples and us by extension to be the church in the world and carry on Christ's work.  That work never becomes static but is always being renewed and that is no different for the post-pandemic church.  A reflection on Acts 1: 1-11.

A sermon reflection this Second Sunday of Easter on the power of peace and forgiveness as inspired by The Gospel of John (20:19-31) and the cartoon Bluey .

On this happy morning of Christ's resurrection,  take a moment to let the surprise of this story's ending capture you.  Based on the understanding that the shorter ending of Mark is really a new beginning into reading his entire Gospel as a post-resurrection story, this reflection opens up the wonder of Mark 16:1-8.

On this Good Friday, the Passion of Mark offers us a reflection on why we are prone to scapegoat others and how that has influenced the social constructs of justice in the world we live in today.

In this final episode of exploring The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu, Candice talks about what it means to forgive oneself, seek forgiveness from others, and how forgiveness can transform the world. 

Many of us wrestle with understanding what sin really is.  In today's sermon, we explore what sin is and why it means something more than simply breaking the rules.

In today's episode we explore the final step of the Fourfold Path of Healing--releasing or renewing the relationship.

This week we explore the third step of the four-fold path to healing - "Granting Forgiveness" - as we continue our look at The Book of Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu.

Rite I worship from The Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Montgomery, Alabama. Sermon: Rev. Candice B. Frazer

In this second step of the Four-Fold Path of Forgiving, we explore "naming the hurt".