Ascension Day - Thursday, May 30, 2019

Greetings all,

Today is Ascension Day, the day we remember Jesus ascending to heaven 40 days after His resurrection. Here is a link to Bishop Barron's 8 min. video on this feast day and why the Ascension of Jesus is important to us. Remember, the Ascension is specifically named in the Creeds which indicates its importance in the minds and life of the early church. It has something significant to teach us! Here is the link: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxDTY_9w6ws#action=share

This Sunday we will not only remember the Ascension, but we will also be covering the second message in preparation for Pentecost Sunday, June 9, when Canon Bill Lester will be with us. That WILL be a special Sunday in that we will have a different service, but still with all the parts, and then some. God will touch every person present. Pentecost should be not merely an event we recall with fondness, but something we experience in our own personal lives and as God in His love and sovereignty chooses for us to experience it. This Sunday we'll continue to prepare for Pentecost, waiting as the first Apostles did for 10 days after Jesus' Ascension. 

I've asked all to be in prayer for what God will do on June 9. That is in keeping with what the Apostles did as they waited. Acts 1:14 says, "They were all continually united in prayer..." (CSV) So please do pray for this. Every believer needs God's empowerment to live for His glory.

This morning, and right in step with this call to prayer, Margaret and I read a devotional that we read from every morning. The devotional is called, "Mr & Mrs." Today's reading is the following: 

Get Away with God
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:16)

Is there room in our lives for solitude? It's difficult to find a quiet moment once the demands of work, family, and commitments take over the day. Even if there's a lull in the busyness, our minds keep racing through our worries and to-do list. We pick up our phone or turn on the TV, uncomfortable with silence.

Jesus knows how we feel. He was constantly surrounded by crowds hungry for healing and teaching. There was always one more question. One more sickness. One more problem. In His wisdom He crated time and space to be alone with His Father. He knew He couldn't fully hear the voice of God with the voice of the world in His ears.

Create a "lonely place" for yourselves today. Carve out hours from your schedule to seek God's face. Rearrange your home to include a private, quiet corner to pray. Shield each other from the interruptions of children and phone calls during your prayer time. Experience the peace that comes from rest in the presence of God. 

Lord, rescue us from our hectic pace. Draw us away to meet with You. Teach us the priceless value of faithfully seeking You in prayer.  Amen.

​Have a most blessed day! Pray without ceasing!

Fr. Andy+​

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