Ascension Written Sermons

The Rev. Amy Morehous Year B, Proper 7 June 24, 2012 One of the participants in the Wednesday women’s Bible study told a story about her grandchildren. One morning, they were crouched outside their parents’ bedroom door. They had been given instructions not to wake their parents too early, so they were trying to be patient and wait, but it was getting harder and harder, because they were getting hungrier and hungrier. Their parents, of course, were already awake, and were lying in bed listening to them whisper to each other. One child, patience pushed to the limit, finally turned to the other and said, “Do you think they even remember that they have children?” I am fond of this Gospel passage. I even have an icon of it propped on my desk just beside my phone, because I need to be reminded of it frequently. Sometimes hourly. But contemplating this Gospel all week, I found myself in the boat with the disciples. And this time, I didn’t particularly like it.  I hear ...

Pentecost III, Year B (June 17, 2012)   The Episcopal Church of the Ascension  The Mustard Seed and A Young Boy’s Story          The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess The Introduction : Those of us who live and thrive in the culture of East Tennessee understand well the power of a story. Skillful story-tellers paint images that capture not only our intellect, but also our imagination. Our culture is filed with stories – about hardy Scotch-Irish settlers who crossed the mountains to settle here, football players, those who served in the armed forces, and, as I first learned in Kingsport, moonshine. When we gather, you can see how much we love to tell our stories to one another. As a Christian community, we also have a story that deeply helps define who we are. It’s a story about creation, sin, covenant, freedom from slavery, and prophetic voices. At the center of our Christian story is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came to be one of us – to ...

The Rev. Robert P. Travis Pentecost 2 nd Sunday Sermon – 8am and 10:30am Church of the Ascension, Knoxville TN RCL Proper 5 Year B 6/10/2012 Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20 , Psalm 138, 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, Mark 3:20-35 Sermon Text: How well do you know your brothers and sisters? In the scene that we have in today's Gospel, from the early part of Jesus' public ministry, His siblings and mother don't seem to know him that well. They come to restrain him, to take him out from what he's doing, because people think he has lost his mind. From the things he is saying, the things people can see and hear immediately, he is acting crazy, and it is a reasonable argument that he is demon-possessed and a shame to his family. So they come to try and take him away, and people around him tell him, “your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” They don't have the courage,...