From the Rector

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: 

  1. 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.
  2. 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 and Instructed Eucharists (January 17, 2025)

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.

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+