Church of the Ascension

Be kind to one another this week and in the weeks to come because our true hope does not rest in the outcome of an election, but in the moments that testify to God—the promise of the heavenly banquet, the assurance that God will wipe away every tear, and the hope of resurrection. If more of us remembered this, we might find ourselves sharing the same memes on our social media feeds in pursuit of t...

The sacrament of Confession and absolution is all about reconciliation and restoration of relationship. God calls us to do this hard work, as he gives us the love and the tools to do it. It’s not easy work but it is necessary work if we are to live into Jesus’ commandment to love God and love our neighbor’s as ourselves and to grow God’s kingdom in the here and now.

God does not order the world so that he or the divine beings might subjugate humanity—the world is ordered so that we might find our place and purpose in creation. Eisenhower would joke that calvary men believed that most horses were better than most humans and he noted that when teaching skills to a horse and helping it develop confidence, you need the same patience and kindness as when you are t...

Joshua and John may have been balancing energy in their moments, but they will become reinforcing energy and in so doing they discover that, in broadening the vision, they help to build up a kingdom of God that is built on invitation, inclusion, and empowerment of all people. They are no longer a victim of their balancing energy, but a joy and vitality in their reinforcing energy.

Most if not all of us find ourselves at different points in our lives not focused on God like we feel like we should be. That is the beauty in God’s grace that he is constantly calling out to us. For me personally I usually do not recognize when it is happening that God is doing something in my life. It requires reflection on my part, looking back as I take stock of where I am. Cursillo is very mu...

Jesus reveals his true identity to the disciples. He reveals the true Messiah.

Kings and dictators, presidents and prime ministers—the world has seen its fair share come and go.  A few of them have been notable, many have not, some have even brought great tragedy and destruction and, yet, the world continues, the sun rises and falls, the seasons change, and humanity moves forward.

As Episcopalians and most importantly as Christians let us remember that our traditions and our form of worship is a gift from God as we have received them and that they call us into community, and they call us into relationship. We give thanks so that we may come to God’s table together so that we may come to communion together.

Jesus and Judas. We don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the relationship between the two of them but maybe if we did, we might rethink how we profess our faith. It is not enough to be Jesus at church if we discover we are Judas in the world.

The letter to the Ephesians encourages the house churches there to build one another up as they are members of one another.  I can’t help but wonder if it is the building up of one another—embracing their identity as God’s beloved children—that evangelizes this community that had been so dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis.  Those who had caused riots when Paul visited, driven by their anger an...

When we come saying, “Sir, give us this bread always,” do we know what we are asking? Our journey will not always be easy. Our “teams” do not always enjoy that success, that brings us joy and elation. But when our journey is grounded in a sense of community and belonging, we find that we experience a fullness that satisfies us because all that is required is faith in our God, faith in Jesus. It is...

What are we pouring ourselves into? Who are we feeding? Are we seeking God’s grace or glory? We are God’s beloved creation made in his image. We are called to reflect his love into the world. We don’t get it right all of the time but that is why we are offered grace and forgiveness and the chance to try all over again to be representatives of God’s love in the world today.

Embracing the disorder instead of resisting it offers us an opportunity into the reordering of our lives through Jesus Christ—and when our reordering is centered on God, then it will be a righteous reordering.

If we are following a god to prosper us as individuals or even as a nation, then we are following a false god.  Our God is a god of hope and peace and love for all mankind.  Our common humanity is rooted not in our prosperity but in our suffering and our desire to be free from that suffering is a desire every human being on this earth holds in the depths of their heart of hearts. 

When do we not let go of our preconceived notions of people and let those notions get in the way of our relationships with others? What are we missing out on because of our unwillingness to believe that God can work wonders in our lives and those we have met along the way?

It's All About the Kids

Learning to trust God and giving things up to Jesus requires practice on our part. I don’t know if we ever get it right, but maybe that is the point. We are supposed to keep trying and maybe just maybe we get a little bit better with each try.

As Christians, if we are in Christ, we must choose differently—we must walk by faith not knowing where the path ahead may lead us and yet trusting that God will never lead us astray.

We cannot travel this world putting our own needs or expectations first because we believe we have a right to something and then wonder why the world seems so dark and broken.  As Christians we cannot be entitled travelers, but instead we must embrace our responsibilities as brothers and sisters and mothers to all whom we meet. 

The sabbath is a gift that gives us the opportunity to reevaluate relationships. Jesus is not saying anything new this morning, he is just challenging us to reevaluate our relationships. How do we feel when Jesus runs roughshod over those things we find in our lives that we thought were definitive of how Christians are supposed to act?” I find it challenging at first but in the end, I find myself...

When we know that love, when we live that love, then our worries can cease because we will know with every atom of our beingness that “every little thing’s gonna be alright.”

As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit on this day what are the stars of distraction in our lives and who are the Northern Lights that guide us?  Who are those steady presences in our lives who visibly manifest the Holy Spirit to us? Who draws us into community and how do we open our hearts to these new gifts of relationship?

Every day, every moment of our lives we have a choice to follow the path of the happy or that of the wicked.  To choose the path of the happy is not to choose self-fulfillment or prosperity or wealth—we will not be happy simply by getting what we want.  To be one of those who are “happy” only happens when we choose to connect to the source of life…when we choose God. 

Peter’s love for Cornelius can only be mimicked by us when we love the other—one who is different from us in race, socio-economic condition, position, influence, whatever the criteria might be.  When we can see the other, not through our differences but in how we are the same, we can discover how to love them. 

To bear fruit is to act in love, which is always a communal act and to live as a branch is to live in a community shaped by love. In order for us to take our place in this relationship we must find our own seedpods and withering flowers that must be removed so that our energy might flow into those efforts and more importantly into the people that we are being called to serve and that we are being...