It is a common perception that the eschaton will be of apocalyptic proportions—which just means that we think the end of the world will be filled with death and destruction. For many of us, that theological understanding of the end times comes from Hollywood and is supported by our culture, instead of a true study […]
There is a scene at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in which the evil Lord Voldemort and Harry face off in the Great Hall at Hogwarts for a final, epic duel. They are surrounded by many of the surviving wizarding world as wizards and death eaters alike have been battling it […]
A friend of mine and an old acquaintance of yours, Jonathon Chesney, tells a story of a time when he was hiking in Scotland. He describes a beautiful countryside high in the hills with long, meandering roads intersecting green pastureland and flowing creek beds. It was a beautiful blue sky day and he woke with […]
Hi everybody! For those of you who do not know me, my name is Karen Conner and I have been coming to Church of the Ascension since I was about five years old. I was confirmed here, grew up here, and learned to understand God here. Initially, when I was asked to give the sermon […]
When I first met Caroline Bartmettler, she was already in an incapacitated state and unable to communicate with me. Babette and I prayed the last rites by her bedside while Heidi joined us via Facetime. It was a holy and solemn experience and it marked the start of the next great adventure for Caroline. Those […]
When Steve and I had been married about two years, we decided it was time to try and have children. We both wanted children and were excited about this potential new chapter in our lives. After several months of trying without any success, I went to the doctor who ran some tests on me and […]
Peace, hope, and joy are words we like to associate with the Christian faith but I think it more appropriate to consider the words grief, doubt, and despair this morning. Jesus has risen from the dead and that is a joyous occasion; one we celebrate with Easter egg hunts and pretty dresses, chocolate bunnies and […]
It seems an odd day for us to be drawn to the church. The altar has been stripped, the crosses veiled.. Though we will receive reserved sacrament, we will not celebrate a Eucharist today—we will not celebrate anything. Jesus is dead. Do we come because we are drawn into suffering—bystanders rubber necking their way through […]
I have always been fascinated by church architecture. I remember when I was a little girl and our Sunday school teacher took us into the church and had us run around the space with one hand on the wall, tracing the shape of the church. When we finished she gathered us in the middle of […]