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Showing posts from March, 2015
The In-Between Times                                            Lent V, Year B; March 22, 2015 Episcopal Church of the Ascension                       The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess I. Introduction: The In-Between Times . Just this week we have seen our first glimpses of the arrival of spring in East Tennessee. Forsythia and daffodils, the first spring flowers to make their appearance, are blooming, and we have actually had several days of near balmy temperatures. But, of course, we remember that we live in beautiful East Tennessee, and therefore our weather is subject to constant and dramatic change. We are living in a time in-between the seasons. II. And it is an in-between time at Ascension as well . There is much transition in our midst. Most of you know the details. Fr. Rob leaves Ascension on April 12 th to become Rector and Priest in Charge of two parishes in Rhode Island, while Bettie Corey and I both retire on April 30 th . Suffice it to say that our equilibrium h

Jesus Cleansing the Temple of our Bodies

The Rev. Robert P. Travis Lent 3 Sermon   – 7:45am, 9am and 11:15am Church of the Ascension, Knoxville TN RCL year b 3/8/2015 Text: Exodus 20: 1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22 Sermon Text: The message about the cross is foolishness To those who are perishing. That is one of the most clear and shocking Passages of scripture for those of us with modern ears I mean, we know the gospel to be Good News. So how can the cross we love so much And even parade around, be a symbol of foolishness? But if we think about it for just a moment, We can see that the cross looks like utter failure, In a world that values success more than anything else. It’s not just the cross though, that is foolishness, As a part of the gospel, Jesus shows us in the gospel passage, That an equally foolish notion to those who are perishing And close to as powerful to those being saved, Is the notion of the temple of God Being i