From the Rector - Church of the Ascension

Real Time with Jesus (April 10, 2025)

Hi Church!

Beginning this Sunday, our Lent observance shifts into Holy Week. From Palm Sunday, we walk in real-time with Jesus in his final week before the cross and through the Feast of the Resurrection.

Palm Sunday & Holy Week

There is power in marking the days of this week. In both the Great Triduum of services, beginning on Maundy Thursday, continuing with Good Friday, reaching a crescendo on Easter, and in prayer and following the narrative arc of the Gospels through the week. The Book of Common Prayer has prayers for each day of Holy Week, and this reading plan is a simple way to keep company with Christ through these days. May the Holy Spirit renew us in faith, hope, and love as we move together in step with Jesus through this week.

As we enter this week with Palm Sunday, try to arrive early to find parking (this service is usually quite well attended) and get situated before the great procession with palms that starts our worship. Parking in the Neville lot will also be limited due to roof repair work taking place over the education wing. I’m excited to worship with you in this interactive way and to see how the Lord will meet and work among us.

Parish Survey Follow-Up

Back in early February, a survey was sent out as part of the process we are moving through regarding the articulation of our identity, vision, and values. We had great participation. Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey! The results were an invaluable snapshot of our community and provided information to help shape this process and the final language.

We received nearly 350 completed surveys. The majority of those responses came from regular attendees, ranging in age and length of time worshipping at Ascension. One of the striking features of the results was the uniformity of perspective shared across these differences of life stage and duration.

The survey suggested a shared appreciation for the vibrancy and health of the community and love of the church’s worship life. Our common life is marked by deep commitment to one another and glorifying God. We also shared a desire for more opportunities for formation and equipping. We long to grow as disciples of Jesus! We also share a concern that we maintain and grow in faithfulness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, as an outpost of God’s kingdom in Pittsburgh. We desire to continue and increase as a contributor to God’s purposes in and for the city.

I will communicate more in the coming weeks regarding this ongoing process of rediscovery and re-articulation. I am excited about the work that has been done and am deeply grateful for the good work leaders among our laity, staff, and clergy have done. There will be an upcoming

opportunity on May 7th to pray, listen, and reflect together. I hope you can join us for that.

Please continue in prayer with me for the Lord’s leading in the church’s life, in this process, and especially this coming Holy Week. I am eager to worship together!

In Christ, Peter+

Introduction of the Common Cup (April 4, 2025)

Hi Church!

I hope this email finds you well in the midst of a happy and holy Lent.

I’m writing to let you know about a change in our communion practice that will take place following Easter.

Beginning on Sunday, April 27th, and in keeping with our Bishop’s desires, we will be returning to receiving the bread and wine separately. Communion servers will no longer “intinct” (or dip) on the communicant’s behalf, but each person receiving the Eucharist will receive the bread and wine directly.

The current mode of receiving the elements together from the hand of a communion server was a necessary adaptation in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you joined in worship at Ascension over the last few years, this mode of reception has been normative. However, this change in receiving the wafer and wine individually is consistent with the church’s historical practice of receiving communion and will align us with standard practice throughout the diocese.

This means that you have a few of different options as you receive the Eucharist:

After receiving the wafer from the bread-bearer, you can choose to dip your wafer into the chalice. This is known as intinction.
After receiving the wafer from the bread-bearer, you can consume the wafer and drink from the chalice itself. Between communicants the chalice-bearers will turn the cup and wipe the lip of it with a purificator (clean, small linen cloth).
After receiving the wafer from the bread-bearer, you can consume the wafer and forgo receiving the wine. The theology of the church regarding communion does not require that both elements are consumed. We do not believe Jesus is “50% present” in each element. By receiving the wafer alone in faith, you are receiving Jesus in fullness as he offers himself to us.

Feel free to receive in any of the three ways above. For those especially concerned with potential transmission, the third option may make the most sense. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found no documented infectious disease transmission has ever been traced to using a common communion cup. A theoretical risk of transmitting infectious diseases by using a common cup exists, but the risk is so small that it is undetectable, and is less than the other risks associated with gathering. Additionally, we use sterling silver chalices to further mitigate risk due to their antimicrobial properties.

We will also communicate about this in the weeks immediately preceding this change. We seek to carefully consider continued safety and the symbolic significance of receiving in this traditional mode, in line with the wishes of our Bishop and the practices of the diocese. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

In Christ, Peter+

Safeguarding (March 13, 2025)

Dear Ascension Community,

It is a bedrock conviction of the Christian faith that all people are made in the image of God. We believe that each person is of great value and precious in God’s sight.

Most Sundays, nearly 600 people, each bearing the image of God, gather in Ascension’s buildings at 4729 Ellsworth Ave. As we say many weeks, we hope that each person encounters the grace and goodness of God extended toward us in Jesus. That hope necessarily entails that each of those individuals is kept safe.

Over the last years and even decades, there have been repeated reports of churches failing, often profoundly and repeatedly, to keep those in their midst who are vulnerable safe and failing to care for those who have been the victims of abuse and misconduct. The Church of England recently released the Makin Report, leading directly to the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In it, the report documented the failures of many church leaders in responding to the ongoing actions of a serial abuser overseas. Tragically, the name of one former rector of Ascension, who served here over 35 years ago, was included as a clergyperson who had not adequately responded upon being made aware of the abuse.

The inclusion of a former rector’s name is a humbling reminder and an invitation toward great care. While this occurred quite apart from Ascension’s life, the news did prompt me to want to let our community know and to highlight the work done to prevent and report abuse.

Diocesan Safeguarding

I am grateful to our diocese for establishing serious safeguarding and reporting processes to care for the various members of our communities. You can familiarize yourself with those processes here. On that same page, you’ll notice that there is an opportunity to report misconduct. I am also encouraged that the ACNA’s new Archbishop has created a Director of Safeguarding role for the province.

At Ascension, I’m grateful for the efforts of our administrative, children, and youth staff for the work they do to comply with diocesan standards, vet volunteers, and maintain safe spaces for our kids to know and experience the love of God. However, I also want you to be aware of these diocesan resources and, specifically, the means by which you can report something. From time to time, we will highlight this again.

For now, please join me in praying for Ascension to continue and grow as a community of care and blessing in Christ’s name for all who bear the image of God. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

In Christ,

Peter+

Annual Parish Meeting (March 3, 2025)

Dear Ascension Community,

It was great to be with so many of you on Sunday, March 2nd for our Annual Parish Meeting. Hopefully, as Conan O’Brien sang at the Oscars, we didn’t waste your time! If you missed it, or wanted to review what was covered, you can check out our Annual Report, which is available at the church, and the slides from the meeting which you can request.

The meeting involved reviewing the past year, with Senior Warden Mandy Jabbour reminding us of God’s faithfulness during the many changes of 2024. Treasurer Sue Crary then led us through the financial reports for 2024 and the budget for 2025, and we rejoiced at God’s faithfulness and the community’s generosity. Finally, I shared that this season is one of “gathering strength” as we discern the Lord’s leading for what comes next in our life together.

Beyond this, here are a few highlights:

We thanked Andy Halfhill, Sarah Gilmer, and James Wilson for completing their tenure on Vestry.
We welcomed Karen Scandrett, Doug McGill, and James Wilson (extending his 1 year to a full term) to the vestry moving forward.
Gary Harger and Jenn Miller will continue serving as Traditional Music Coordinator & Organist and Choir Director, respectively. They are no longer interim.
Father Josh Bennett has accepted the Director of Worship Arts position and will transition his responsibilities to this position in July. A huge thanks to Jack Walsh, Jane Banfield Hicks, Hannah Quinn, and Benn Carlucci, who served as an interview team for this position.
Mother Jess Bennett, whose curacy ends at the end of July, will be staying on full-time at Ascension beyond that, continuing her good work in the integration of newcomers, college-age ministry, and general clergy responsibilities.
Mother Lauren Scharf, who has been serving as an interim staff priest, is no longer interim and will be shifting to full-time in her role in September. We are excited for the extra capacity for ministry and care this increase in her hours represents.
With Father Josh’s responsibilities shifting, we are moving forward in the process of hiring a Youth Director. The job posting is live, and we anticipate the new candidate beginning in the summer. Depending on the new director’s level of experience, Josh will likely continue to play an oversight role with CAYG.

I am honored to be working with such remarkable servant leaders. Please join me in praying for those who serve in leadership at Ascension, lay and clergy, paid and unpaid alike. I’m grateful to God for the team He has called together among us and the ways He is working in our midst. By God’s grace we are in a season of gathering and growing strength and we can look to the future with hopeful expectation in Christ, as His Holy Spirit leads and strengthens us.

If you have any questions or concerns about the meeting or information in this letter, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Beginning Lent

This week also includes the beginning of Lent in the church calendar. We will enter this season of confession and repentance with Ash Wednesday services at noon and 7pm. Be encouraged to join us as we begin our journey with Jesus to the cross.

Our journey with Jesus involves practices like prayer, fasting, confessing, resting, almsgiving, and service, trusting that the Holy Spirit works through these disciplines to form us in the likeness of Jesus and ready us for resurrection life in him. Check out some of the corporate opportunities to engage here at the church and prayerfully consider what your own journey with Jesus in this season might look like!

In this season of “gathering strength” as we seek to listen for the Lord’s leading for what is ahead at Ascension, Lent presents a fantastic opportunity to pray, grow in patience, participate in what God is doing, and to pursue intimacy with God.

Joyfully in Christ,

Peter+

Parish Survey (February 17, 2025)

Dear Ascension Family,

It was a joy to sing with you yesterday of God’s faithfulness! As I continue to learn more about this remarkable community, I find myself marveling at the story of God’s faithfulness in our midst. The drama of God’s unfolding redemptive purposes here in this community is a glorious sight to behold.

I am eager for how God’s faithfulness will continue to be displayed in the future. We live in unprecedented times, and the need for the church to be a sign, foretaste, and instrument of God’s kingdom in a world of estrangement is clear. We desperately need God’s provision, care, and leading.

Today, I’m asking you for your help in a process of discernment around our vision and values by taking a short and anonymous online survey. Even if you no longer attend Church of the Ascension, your perspective and insights are of great importance and will be very helpful in this season of listening and discernment. Please click here to take this short survey. The survey will close in roughly one week and should only take 6 – 10 minutes to complete.

Thank you in advance for your investment of time and candor into helping Church of Ascension discern the voice of Jesus for its future. Please join me in praying for God’s faithful leading of the church.

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful: Sanctify this congregation by your abiding presence. Bless those who minister in holy things. Enlighten the minds of your people more and more with the light of the everlasting Gospel. Bring erring souls to the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ; and those who are walking in the way of life, keep steadfast to the end. Give patience to the sick and afflicted, and renew them in body and soul. Guard those who are strong and prosperous from forgetting you. Increase in us your many gifts of grace, and make us all fruitful in good works. This we ask, O blessed Spirit, whom with the Father and the Son we worship and glorify, one God, world without end. Amen.

Grace and peace,

Peter+

An Opportunity to Help (January 31, 2025)

Hi Ascension,

Many of you might have followed along with the news and the effects some of the new administration changes in immigration policy are having on refugees early in the resettlement process. These effects present an opportunity for the church to offer care for neighbors in Pittsburgh in the name of Jesus.

Please check out the information below from Father Daniel Behrens and join me in praying for those who are vulnerable, those who are serving them, and for wisdom and compassion for those in authority.

An order from the U.S. State Department at 5 pm on Friday, January 24th charged local refugee resettlement agencies to “stop work.” This includes supporting refugee families who have just arrived in the U.S. legally. The order was unanticipated and has disrupted the care of families who were fully vetted and assured of basic support in gaining independence.

In the past year and a half, we have partnered with Hello Neighbor, one of our local refugee resettlement agencies, to walk with five refugee families in Pittsburgh. Now, while the Hello Neighbor staff discern what they legally can and cannot do, we as a church have an opportunity to step in to help provide food and other short-term necessities to the 17 Hello Neighbor families in temporary housing.

Here are two steps we can take as we wait for the situation to become clearer:

We are forming an Ascension Refugee Rapid Response Team. You are invited to an Informational Zoom Meeting on Monday, February 3rd at 8:30 PM to learn about steps to get directly involved. The Rapid Response Team will be poised to engage with the current needs of vulnerable refugee families in this rapidly changing situation. Register here to receive the Zoom link! If you want to be part of this team but cannot attend on Monday, send a message to Ryan Shane and Daniel Behrens.
One immediate need is food for the 17 Hello Neighbor families in temporary housing. Aldi and Walmart gift cards are needed. The Rapid Response Team will deliver the cards to the families and help them access a nearby grocery store. Please bring an Aldi or Wal-Mart gift card of any amount and put it in the offering plate!

Thanks for reading. As you pray for God’s will to be done, these prayers from the ACNA and the Book of Common Prayer, in particular, may be useful.

Heavenly Father, from whom every family on earth derives its name, have mercy on all those who sojourn in this world. As you sheltered your Son Jesus who fled from the tyranny of Herod, so now provide new homes for all those who flee the violence of this age that they may know the peace of Christ. Grace your people with hearts of welcome and lives of courage through Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

O Lord our heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served, but to serve: We ask you to bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; endue them with wisdom, patience, and courage, that they may strengthen the weak and raise up those who fall, and, being inspired by your love, may worthily minister to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the sake of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, send down on those who hold public office the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice; that with steadfast purpose they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well being of all people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, you created us in your own image: Grant us grace to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and help us to use our freedom rightly in the establishment of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

In Christ,

Peter+

Of Inaugurations & Instructed Eucharists (Jan 17, 2025)

Hi Ascension!

It has been a joy to begin this year with you all! As we move through the season following Epiphany, I am praying that our hope in Jesus’ kingdom and in God’s sovereignty in all things will be strengthened. I am grateful for the many reminders of Jesus’ goodness and grace in our shared life.

Our hope in Christ and His kingdom and the glimpses of His goodness and grace feel especially important in seasons of change and uncertainty. This Monday, as well as MLK Day, is the inauguration of a new president and administration. For Christians, this civic ceremony is a fresh opportunity to set our hopes upon Jesus. Administrations change, politicians come and go, and nations rise and fall, but Jesus’ light and glory are unfading.

The inauguration is also an opportunity to pray for the coming of Christ’s kingdom, something MLK spoke powerfully about with his concept of “beloved community”. We pray that our leaders will be guided in the way of justice and peace for the flourishing of all.

Beginning on January 26th, our sermons through the start of Lent will focus on the Gospel readings from Luke’s biography of Jesus. Through our attention to these texts, we will focus on the many ways Jesus’ light shines forth. I’m so looking forward to meeting Christ and receiving from him through these passages.

Before that, this Sunday, our worship will include an “instructed eucharist.” In place of the sermon, we will pause in the liturgy at a couple of points to talk about the significance and meaning behind various aspects of our worship. In my experience, this service is widely enjoyed and provides everyone, new and old hands alike, with meaningful context that enriches and deepens our gathered worship. Alongside the upcoming Foundations class, the instructed eucharist is an opportunity for us to press a little further into what it means to follow Jesus as Anglicans and be an Anglican community. I hope you can join us and find it both fun and fruitful!

In Christ,

Peter+

Ps. We won’t cover everything on Sunday at the “Instructed Eucharist.” If you’re interested in going deeper, you might check out one of these books, and one which was written by a priest formerly at Ascension.

Happy Epiphany! (January 6, 2025)

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Dear Ascension Family,

I hope that you are safe and warm this Epiphany. On this day, the church recalls the reality that in Jesus, the light of the world has shone forth to the nations. May the warmth and clarity that Jesus, the light, brings be real to you today and this season.

Yesterday, Tyler Marwood and Mandy Jabbour, Ascension’s Wardens, shared the happy news that we met our financial goal for the year’s end. Thank you for your generosity and faithfulness in participating with God in the ongoing work at Ascension. This news is a tremendous encouragement to myself and the church’s leadership. Praise be to God!

It has also been encouraging to see many of us committing to participation in 2025 through pledge cards. If you’ve yet to pledge but would like to, please do so here or drop a completed card in the offering basket this Sunday. The deadline for pledges is January 12th. You can read more about making a pledge here.

As we look to the months ahead, several ways to engage are available. Check out our Epiphany “Ascent” to read more. In keeping with the theme of this season, there is an emphasis on formation, our walking in the Light, and our mission, reflecting the Light of Christ to others. If you want to learn more about the “Chalking of the Doors,” check out this article. The bags with chalk and prayers will again be available this Sunday.

The fact that Epiphany coincides with the beginning of a new calendar year has always struck me as a fruitful connection. At the beginning of the year, we center ourselves again on Jesus and his unique glory, shed abroad and in our lives. We call for more of His light so that the darkness of our lives and the world might be driven away. This year, and in the name of Jesus, let there be light!

In Christ,

Peter+

P.S A few of you have let the church office know of some “spoof” emails being sent out in my name. This is a frustrating reality of the online world. I’m sorry for any confusion this may cause! If you ever do get a concerning email and are unsure if it is legitimate please don’t hesitate to contact the office for clarification. Also, please know that I won’t email asking you for cash or gift cards! I prefer text and phone calls for that sort of thing, j/k.

In sorrow endeth every love but thine (December 28, 2024)

Hi Ascension Family!

The fourth day of Christmas (today) is a strange one. While still in the midst of celebration, the church calendar directs our attention toward what has been called “the Massacre of the Holy Innocents,” described in Matthew 2:16-18. For fear of Christ’s coming, King Herod ordered the murder of every male child below the age of 2 in Bethlehem.

The commemoration of this atrocity so soon after Christmas is a reminder that Jesus entered into a world of evil and brokenness, the world we know, to overcome and undo those realities through His sacrificial life and death. As this ancient song reminds us, it is “a weeping world” that the child Jesus enters alongside those who will ultimately cause his death. Jesus’ work is triumphant and victorious, but there is sadness and grief as His good work is opposed. The clash of kingdoms is at the heart of Christmas and Jesus’ ministry, and this day invites us to remember and grieve over that reality.

The Book of Common Prayer invites us to pray in this way today:

Almighty God, out of the mouths of children you manifest your truth, and by the death of the Holy Innocents at the hands of evil tyrants you show your strength in our weakness: We ask you to mortify all that is evil within us, and so strengthen us by your grace, that we may glorify your holy Name by the innocence of our lives and the constancy of our faith even unto death; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who died for us and now lives with you and the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

I hope you can join us for worship tomorrow, the first Sunday of Christmastide. We will worship at our regular 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. times. Thank you to everyone who has generously supported our life and work this past month. Your participation in what God is doing at Ascension is a tremendous encouragement.

We’ve come a long way over these past weeks! On Monday, the 23rd, our need was $160,000. As of this writing, we need just $55,000 to close the gap in our budget for 2024. Thank you for prayerfully considering how you might contribute to closing that gap. Gifts can be given in worship, online, or through our normal channels, and they must be dropped off or postmarked by December 31st.

In Christ,

Peter+

The First 90 Days (December 5, 2024)

Dear Ascension Family,

It was a joy to enter into the Advent season with you this past Sunday. This coming Sunday, December 8th, the second of Advent, will also be 3 months since I began as a rector here with you. I wanted to mention a few things I’ve observed in these first 90 days.

Ascension has deep roots. This almost goes without saying: Ascension is historic and has long-held traditions. But I mean something more. At Ascension, a depth of relational history and community ties bind people together. Many of y’all (or yinz) have done hard years of life together, putting the hours in and investing in one another at community groups, in service together, and informally as well. What a profound gift. Several of you have shared with me how this thick community experience is what first drew you or what is most important to you about the church.

Beyond these deep shared relationship roots, I have also observed how this community is well-rooted in Christ. Much like the individual described in Ps. 1:1-3 and Jeremiah 17:7-8, Ascension exhibits the confidence and fruitfulness that come from being dependent upon God.

Ascension has an expansive reach. So many people at Ascension are strategically placed throughout the city. I have been amazed at the array of talented people in every sector and geographic region that God has brought together here. The community seems poised to bless Pittsburgh further and serve Jesus in the city and region.

God is moving in our midst. This past Sunday, someone committed themselves to Jesus for the first time. Connected to their community experience through Ascension members and our shared worship, they desired to know the peace that Christ alone offers. What a remarkable thing! That is but one small example of how God is moving in the life of Ascension. As a community rooted in the love and mercy of God, dependent on Jesus, we joyfully celebrate the signs, great and small, of the Holy Spirit’s activity among us.

Ascension is beloved. This has little to do with Church of the Ascension itself. Rather, it concerns the character of the One the church is formed around. Christ loves his church. Christ loves Church of the Ascension. When we gather on Sundays, I sense the Triune God’s delight. As we are taken up in song, prayer, word, and sacrament, I have the deep sense that He sees Ascension clearly and loves us.

Three months in, and it already feels like “us.” Your participation in worship, on mission, in service, and your financial support help make this community all that it is. I’m grateful to be a part of this community.

Thank you to all those who have already made pledges for the year to come and who have given so sacrificially this year. If you have not already done so, please complete your pledge for 2025 here or in person on an upcoming Sunday (pledges are needed by January 12th). Read more about making a pledge here.

Please also prayerfully consider financially contributing to our life and mission this year before December 31st. Much of the funds needed for the church’s work and ministry come in during the month of December, and this year is no different. A total of $380,000 is required to meet Ascension’s budget goal by year-end. That is similar to amounts that have come in previous Decembers, and your prayerful contribution as an expression of participation in Jesus’ work at Ascension is appreciated.

Joyfully with you,

Peter+