We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

2024 Sun May 12

Ascension – Start of the Mission of the Church

The Ascension is the beginning of the church’s mission.

  1. It is powered by the Spirit 

  2. It is a call to be witnesses 

  3. It is worldwide is scope  

The Ascension holds the promise of Christ’s return.

WHAT? What Happened to Jesus.

A. He ascended to a place invisible to the mortal eye

1. Acts 1:9 “A cloud received him out of their sight”

2. He did not go up into some mountain that was covered with clouds as some men have speculated.

B. Luke 24:51 “And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.”

1. He is on the right hand of God

2. I Peter 3:22 “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.”

Where is heaven ? When the early church confessed that Jesus had ascended into heaven, the emphasis was not so much on a place – the emphasis was on God’s immediate presence. The church was confessing that Jesus had entered into the divine glory – that the risen Jesus now dwelt in the immediate presence of God. This may explain the meaning of the phrase, "a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Oftentimes in scripture, a cloud represents the shekinah glory of God, the sign of God’s presence (cf. Exo. 33:7-11; Mark 9:7).

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The Ascension

Ascension Mantegna

The New Testament treats the Ascension as an integral part of the Easter event. 

It is the final appearance Jesus’ physical and resurrected presence on earth. It is the final component of the paschal mystery, which consists also of Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, Death, Burial, Descent Among the Dead, and Resurrection.

Along with the resurrection, the ascension functioned as a proof of Jesus’ claim that he was the Messiah. The Ascension is also the event whereby humanity was taken into heaven.   There is a promise he will come back again.

So when is it ? The Ascension in Luke 24 is on Easter Sunday evening or, at the latest, the next day; in John 20, sometime between the appearance to Mary Magdalene (who is told not to touch the risen One because he has not yet ascended) and the appearance to Thomas (who is invited to touch him); in Acts 1, after the forty days (which, however, are symbolic of the time of revelation; there may be no intention to suggest that the ascension actually “occurred” on the fortieth day).  We celebrate Ascension on the 40th day.

The main scriptural references to the Ascension are Mark:16:19, Luke:24:51, and Acts:1:2 and vvs. 8-10. Luke 24 says  "While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven". In Acts " he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen." Jesus commissions his followers, rather than simply blessing them; and we have an appearance from two men in white robes.

Mount Olivet, near Bethany, is designated as the place where Christ left the earth. The feast falls on this Thursday, May 9 and it is one of the most solemn in the calendar, ranking with the feasts of the Passion, Easter and Pentecost.

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Ascension Art

The Ascension has always been a challenge to understand through the scriptures. Artists have played a role in giving us a visual depiction of the event. They have been doing this for over a 1000 years.

By the 6th century the iconography of the Ascension had been established and by the 9th century Ascension scenes were being depicted on domes of churches.   

There are many traditions in Ascension art.

In some representations there may be no mountain and he may be climbing a mandorla, or be lifted towards Heaven in a mandorla by angels.

In the Eastern Church and in some western paintings, the Virgin Mary is at the center of the group of Apostles (representing the Church) who look upwards towards the ascending Christ.

In Romanesque depictions sometimes just the feet of Christ are shown as he disappears up into the clouds; this depiction became the most popular in Northern Europe, where it lingered in provincial wood reliefs until well after the Reformation.

Ascension scenes fall naturally into two zones, an upper heavenly part and a lower earthly part. The ascending Christ may be carrying a resurrection banner or make a sign of benediction with his right hand. The blessing gesture by Christ with his right hand is directed towards the earthly group below him and signifies that he is blessing the entire Church. In the left hand he may be holding a Gospel or a scroll, signifying teaching and preaching. From the Renaissance on the angels may not be present.

The earthly part of the Ascension depictions do not only represent those believed to have been present at the Ascension, but the entire Church. In some Ascension depictions both Apostle Paul and the Virgin Mary may be present. Given Paul converted to Christianity after the Ascension, and that the New Testament does not directly place the Virgin Mary at the Ascension, these depictions represent "the Church" rather than the specific individuals

More modern views often omit the disciples focusing on Jesus. The sky in many cases is not specifically shown and he is alone. One of the most radical is Dali’s horizontal Jesus.  Another type of image is a three dimensional space emphasizing Christ’s movement, accompanied by brilliant colors.  

Origin of Mother’s Day

In the photo – Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe who in the 19th century promoted the idea of mother’s day. Then 3 men who wrote about their moms, Lincoln, Edison and Churchill

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Originally Mother’s day was less about Mom but the conditions she faced in being Mom. In wartime it became a peace movement. Finally, it became about Mom herself in our time.

In the late 1850s, Ann Jarvis established Mother’s Work Day, a day dedicated to teaching mothers how to better prepare food and clean so as to prevent disease. The mission was to improve sanitary conditions. This mission was driven by personal experience, as seven of her eleven children died before adulthood. Though personal, this experience was anything but unique in a time before vaccines and a widespread understanding of germ theory. They raised money for medicine and helped families with mothers suffering from tuberculosis, among other supports.

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A Mother’s Day Poem – “To the Moms Who Are”

On Mother’s day we celebrate all mothers. The Bible is full of great mothers – Sarah: the mother who waited in the Old Testament to the New Testament, Elizabeth: the mother who believed in miracles and Mary: the mother who is blessed among Women.

This poem will be a part of our services today in honor of our mothers.

“To the Moms who are struggling, to those filled with incandescent joy.
“To the Moms who are remembering children who have died, and pregnancies that miscarried.
“To the Moms who decided other parents were the best choice for their babies, to the Moms who adopted those kids and loved them fierce.
“To those experiencing frustration or desperation in infertility.
“To those who knew they never wanted kids, and the ways they have contributed to our shared world.
“To those who mothered colleagues, mentees, neighborhood kids, and anyone who needed it.
“To those remembering Moms no longer with us.
“To those moving forward from Moms who did not show love, or hurt those they should have cared for.
“Today is a day to honor the unyielding love and care for others we call ‘Motherhood,’ wherever we have found it and in whatever ways we have found to cultivate it within ourselves.”

– Hannah Kardon, Pastor at Elston Avenue United Methodist Church

Photos, ECM work day Sat. May 11,2024 – 3 projects

Notes

1. We had 8 men working on a glorious Sat morning, somewhat cool. (Thanks to Ken Pogue, ECM chair, and Larry Saylor, Junior Warden for organizing it). The ECW provided lunch

2. 3 projects. 1 project was completely finished (C), One is a work in progress to be completed next week (A). A third one needs external review.(B)

A. New water pipe from the parish house to the church to be installed by a plumber on Monday, May 13. We need to dig trenches to find the main line from the parish house and prepare the connection for the plumber. The line going into the church needs to be reviewed. Finally, refill the trenches and make sure firm.
DONE! Awaiting the plumber on Monday. (Photos before and after).


B. Handicapped ramp needs painting. Scraping needs to be done. Concern was wood damage. PARTIALLY DONE. Some scraping done but much remains. It is very time consuming! We need a third party to review and advise on the stability of the ramp and whether the ramp can be repaired and life extended. (Photos before and after).

C. Segment on the fence in the rear graveyard was bent. DONE! (Photos before and after).

Photo Gallery of the day


(full size gallery)

Sermon, Easter 7, Year B – “Eternal Life”

“The Sacerdotal Prayer” – Eugène Burnand (1850-1921)

Today is Mothers’ Day.  Mother’s Day is not a religious holiday, but like Fathers’ Day, coming up in June, we tend to acknowledge these two holidays in church because they have a lot to say about love. My mother, age 96, still lives in the house where I grew up.  I talk with her every day by phone, and I am filled with gratitude that I still have the joy and privilege of going home and finding my mother, full of love, waiting with open arms. 

But going home isn’t quite the same as it used to be since my father died in 2021.  I still long for my father’s open arms—he gave the best hugs in the world.  But since his death, I’ve had to get used to my father’s physical absence.  Most of us gathered today have experienced in one way or another the pain that death brings, that physical separation from someone we have loved and who has loved us in this lifetime. 

Part of our Christian life is to believe that our lives extend beyond our physical deaths, and that “through the grave and gate of death we pass with Christ to our joyful resurrection,” as one of the prayers for burial states in The Book of Common Prayer.  And this prayer also says something about our beliefs in the life to come, that we have in this life “the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope, a joyful expectation of eternal life with those we love.” We believe that even death cannot separate us from those we love. 

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Highlights, “Thy Kingdom Come”, Day 1, Ascension

May 9, 2024, the first video featured Right Rev. Stephen Cottrell. the second-most senior bishop of the church and the most senior in northern England.

Key parts

“At supper with his friends on the night before he dies the other Judas asks Jesus a question in John chap 14:22. He says to “Jesus why is it that you reveal yourself to us but not to the world now now thisis a really interesting question in fact ”

“It’s a question that takes us right to because the great focus of thy kingdom come is that we pray for people who do not yet know Jesus but here’s Judas asking Jesus the question that we ask Jesus. So why is it that we need to do this. Why is it that you reveal yourself to us but not to others ? why is that why do we have to pray for these five people ? Lord why don’t you just reveal yourself to them ? Jesus tells us elsewhere in the gospels that our father knows what we need before we ask him so so why do we have to ask him so anyway

“The answer is in John 14:23. Jesus answered him, those who love me will keep my word and my father will love them and we will come to them and make our home with them.

“I think he’s saying something profoundly beautiful about the nature of prayer itself. Prayer isn’t just us asking stuff from God, it isn’t what if we could just get enough signatures on the prayer petition maybe God wou ld change his mind on this one.

“It’s about placing ourselves in right relationship with God that God will change us that we will become channels of God’s beauty, God’s goodness, God’s purposes for the world we are praying in this period between Ascension when Jesus Takes our Humanity into heaven to Pentecost the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”

“Come Lord Jesus Come Holy Spirit make your home in us and when we pray thy kingdom come when we pray Lord Jesus take your place at the center of my life when that happens we do indeed become channels of God’s grace, that God is at work through us and we dare to Hope and dare to believe and even see this happening in our world others coming to know Christ and even the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ.

On Mothering

“God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.” – A Jewish Proverb

“There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. – Chinese Proverb

“A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.” -An Irish Proverb

“As truly as God is our Father, so truly God is our Mother.” -Julian of Norwich

“A mother understands what a child does not say.” -Jewish proverb

“The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children. -Elaine Heffner

Mother’s Day Prayers

Mother’s Day prayer – “We give thanks and pray for our mothers and for all who have loved and cared for us as mothers in this life. We pray for mothers who rejoice; shield them. We pray for mothers who are weary, frustrated and overwhelmed; give them rest. We pray for those who have lost children; comfort them. May we love one another with your own tender compassion. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.”

Mother’s Day prayer – BCP 829 #46 (adapt for “mothers”) Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give to all mothers calm strength and patient wisdom as the bring them up, that they may teach them to love whatever it is just true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Mother’s Day prayer – “Dear Lord, we come before you today to thank you for those who have brought new life into this world. We thank you especially for Mary , the mother of our Savior Jesus Christ, who brought to birth your Son who shared our human nature and lived and died as one of us. Give us the grace, all of us, to welcome you into our hearts and minds and spirits and bring your love to birth in this world. In the name of your song and through the power of the Holy Spirit we pray. Amen”