Clergy Epistle

Friends in Christ,

Today, The Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension. While the current prayer book has not retained the 1928 prayer book practice of commemorating the Ascension over eight days (The Octave of Ascension.) It is during the Ascension that Jesus offers a final earthly prophecy: “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This Sunday, we will pray: O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before. It is thought that the basis of this Collect is an antiphon sung by the Venerable Bede as he breathed his last breath at Vespers on Ascension Day in the early eighth century.  Nearly 700 years later, Cranmer modified the language of the antiphon for incorporation in the 1549 Prayer Book.  Christianity’s spread is attributed to this prophecy, and we will see its initial manifestation at the Feast of Pentecost on May 28, 2023.  In keeping with the spirit of Pentecost, we invite you to wear Red for Pentecost!

On another note, this week, I invite you to pray for your Vestry as we will gather for a planning retreat this weekend. At the 10:00 am service, you will see Vestry Members serving in various liturgical roles as a capstone to the retreat.

May you have a blessed week, and the Holy Spirit enlivens our hearts to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through word and deed.

Yours in Christ’s Service,

Manoj