Ascension Accents

Second Sunday after the Epiphany 

January 15, 2023

Dear Siblings in Christ,

Welcome to Ascension Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northern California and welcome to our Online Worship using the ZOOM platform.

Our Service begins at 10:00 am, January 15, 2023. You may log on as early as 9:30 am, using the following: 

Meeting ID: 824 0222 6650

Passcode: 298654 

The liturgy today continues the theme of Epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus as the Christ. So, in today’s Gospel reading we hear the testimony of John the Baptist to Jesus. John recounts the Holy Spirit’s descent at Jesus’ Baptism and tells his followers that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Two of John’s disciples then follow Jesus, and one of them, Andrew, also brings his brother, Simon Peter.

In the first reading, one of the servant songs of Isaiah, God announces that the servant of God will bring not only the people of Israel into God’s household but will be sent to all humankind.

Throughout this Epiphany period we read from 1 Corinthians. This letter of Paul is particularly concerned with the life of the church as the Body of Christ. For the church is the ongoing manifestation of Christ in the world. The Spirit of God who rested on Jesus at his Baptism dwells in the church, and Paul explores the meaning of our membership in Christ’s Body.

Each time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we are reconstituted as the church. We proclaim the story of God’s salvation, we pray for the church and the world, and in the eucharistic feast, God  reveals our unity with Jesus in the bread and wine of Holy Communion. We are revealed by Word and Sacrament to be the Body of Christ in the world. 

Our usual “Order of Worship” follows the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the 1982 Hymnal along with other music resources (GIA and Taize). With the Holy Eucharist as our main worship, we hope to provide you a meaningful time of communing with the Holy. Our service includes readings from the Holy Bible, a Sermon, Intercessions and the Communion of Bread and Wine. We hope to also provide you with a blended church music — honoring our traditional hymns as well as contemporary praise songs. 

All baptized Christians are welcome to receive the Blessed Bread and Wine which we believe to be the Real Presence of The Risen Jesus Christ.

*THANKS TO:

• Betsy Rico as Lay Eucharistic Minister
• Linda Blanchard as Lector 1
• John Snell as Lector 2 
• Ben Cezar as Techolyte
• Tina Cezar as VOW 
• Terry Kenney as Greeter & Usher 
• Peter Krewko as Crucifer
• Rudy Francisco as Acolyte
• Group 2 Altar Guild (Ellie and Rudy Francisco, Shirley Rabold
• All who have submitted their 2023 Commitment Form.

*WE PRAY FOR:

• People impacted by the COVID-19 and the Omicron Variant.
• Birthday Celebrants (Valgene Dew)
• Wedding Anniversary Celebrants 
• The sick, the homebound and those who sent in their prayer requests (Alex, Gloria, Genevieve, Dorothea, Marcelino )
• For our departed (John Gamba, Jr., )  

Visit our website at www.ascensionvallejo.org

Fr. Bayani