Ascension Written Sermons

Christmas: Eternity Rob Gieselmann, Dec. 24, 25, 2015 As a boy growing-up   in Vero Beach, Florida, I would ride my bike the two blocks to the beach to watch various Apollo spacecraft launch. Vero Beach is just one hour south of Cape Canaveral, so even during daytime, you could spot the white light of the thrusters propelling each craft into deep space, and when NASA would launch at night, the sky around the rocket would light-up bright orange. I would stare in awe, at the greatness of it all, the heavens, of-course, but the endeavor, as well – the quest. That mere human beings might imagine themselves reaching beyond the sphere, traveling to the moon, and beyond. It is as though the human soul is a natural repository for the quest for God, to reach beyond ourselves, physically to apprehend the transcendent. Sir Francis Drake, Ferdinand Magellan, and all the European explorers; Sir Edmund Hilary, and Mt. Everest, and even Teddy Roosevelt, who explored uncharted segments

Why I am Episcopalian: Ascension Mission Epiphany 1C, Jan. 10, 2016 1. Episcopal Jokes . Three men in hell. After a few thousand years, they start talking – Why are you here? What did you do? Hindu – vegetarian for life, but hungry, ate a half-pound burger at Bad Daddy’s. Muslim – no pork allowed, but oh, that sweet smoky bacon – dipped in maple syrup … I couldn’t resist, and well … Episcopalian – he just sighs, and looks dejected. There I was at a dinner party – everything laid out perfectly – china, crystal, flatware – they served the salad, and not thinking, I ate my salad with the wrong fork … **You know you’re Episcopalian when the preacher says something funny, and you smile real loud … You know .. when you’re willing to pay up to $1 for a church meal … Seriously … Why am I an Episcopalian Christian? 2. This past week, I found my self reading excerpts from several authors I’d read in the past - ·       Rob Bell, for one. Bell is