Ascension Accents

The 5th Sunday after Pentecost 

July 2, 2023

Dear Siblings in Christ,

Welcome to Ascension Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northern California and welcome to our Online Worship being livestreamed using Facebook. We have ceased using ZOOM.

This Sunday's Service begins at 10:00 am, July 2, 2023. You may go on your Facebook app and search for ASCENSION EPISCOPAL CHURCH - VALLEJO, CA which is a Page that I manage. 

Today’s liturgy continues the course-reading from the Gospel according to Matthew. This passage, in which Jesus talks about the division which faithfulness to the gospel will bring about, was particularly meaningful to the early Christians at the time the evangelist composed his Gospel, for that early group of Christians found themselves being rejected by family and friends because of their faith. Jesus calls on us to be faithful even at the cost of rejection by others. Our faithfulness is to be expressed in particular by ministry to those least able to help themselves.

The Old Testament reading from the Book of Genesis talks about the sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham, a test about his faith. 

The reading from Romans today is a reminder of what God has done for us in Baptism. That we have died to the world and have been raised to new life by water and the Spirit is God’s ultimate reversal of the world’s pattern of life. In Baptism that which the prophet foresaw has been accomplished. 

We gather as people who find our life in Christ rather than in the conventions of the world. Our action in worship is a contradiction of the world’s standards. Our life as we go forth from worship is to show forth our new way of existing in our ministry to the poor and neglected. 

Our usual “Order of Worship” here at Ascension Parish follows the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the 1982 Hymnal along with other music resources (GIA, Spirit & Song Hymns 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
• John Snell as Lector 1
• Terry Kenney as Lector 2 and Greeter
• Ben Cezar as Techolyte 
• Jaeame Koyil as VOW  
• Suzanna Sally as Acolyte
• Group 2 Altar Guild (Ellie and Rudy Francisco, Shirley Rabold)

*WE PRAY FOR:.

• Birthday Celebrants (John Snell, Noel Koyil, Rudy Francisco, Shamar Theus)
• Wedding Anniversary Celebrants (John and Veltha Snell) 
• The sick, the homebound and those who sent in their prayer requests. 
• For our departed (Ruperto Sr. and Encarnacion Visaya)
• Those in the military and law enforcement (Nathan, Mark, Dominic and Nicholas)  

Visit our website at www.ascensionvallejo.org

Fr. Bayani