You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he

Dear Friends, March 28, 2011

During the 10 AM service yesterday, Rev. Canon Dr. Denise Yarbrough's sermon followed the Gospel lesson of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Her sermon pointed out that Jesus had defied the traditions of the day by having a personal and political conversation with 1. a woman, 2. a Samaritan 3. a woman of questionable reputation. She pointed out that throughout history there have been restrictions on interaction with individuals who represent a different race, ethnicity, political belief, religion, etc. Since Jesus was comfortable in defying the social restrictions of the day, it seems reasonable that as true followers of Christ, we also should be willing to enter into an open conversation. Even when we have differing beliefs and opinions, we should be willing to discuss our differences in an open forum. Please refer to this site to review sermons weekly: http://ascensionroch.blogspot.com/

Please keep in your daily prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. To assist in our spiritual life, Forward Day by Day booklets are $.85 each in the back of the Church [Tower Room].

If we want to grow and share God's prosperity of faith, we must love God, love our friends and then speak openly to them. A congregation grows starting with each faithful person. God will help us share the Bread of Life.....God will help us live into our Baptismal Covenant of sharing His word and our lives and resources [which is the true Meaning of Life]. We never know how ready a friend may be to hear a word of encouragement in faith. We never know when God will bring someone to speak to us, and enrich our own life.

CLERGY SEARCH COMMITTEE: Warden, Don Taylor, announced that the Search Committee has completed their search process and is close to scheduling a candidate to interview with the Vestry for approval. It has been a long, difficult, time-consuming project and we thank the committee for their diligent, hard work on our behalf. Please keep the wardens, vestry, committee and possible candidate(s) in your prayers as this important decision is placed before them.

WOMEN'S GROUP: Our next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 7th at Crescent Beach Restaurant at noon. If you are planning to attend, please notify Jan Wills at 621-3900 by April 3rd.

For our May meeting on May 5th at noon, we will have a presentation by the Wende Clinic on Women's Breast Health. This is the second presentation we have had in their series on Women's Health. For this interesting program, we have invited the women of the Cathedral Community to join us. I encourage everyone to bring a friend or relative to join us for this event. We will provide a salad and dessert luncheon before the presentation. Those willing to contribute a salad or dessert should let Jan Wills know.

FIX UP DAY: The first Spring fix up day will take place next Saturday, April 2nd at 9 AM. We encourage anyone who has the time available to don some old clothes and join in fellowship and some sprucing up of the Church and grounds (if the snow will ever go away). Stuart Denison has promised a batch of his wonderful chili for lunch.

LENTEN BOOK STUDY: PLEASE TAKE NOTE: This week's Book Study will begin at 11:30 am on Wed. The Lenten Book Study is using "The Last Week" by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This book is a day-by-day account of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. Anyone interested in exploring the message in this book are encouraged to attend the sessions for an inspiring discussion of the last week of Jesus’ life before his ultimate sacrifice.

CHICKEN AND BISCUIT DINNER: Our next Church dinner will take place on Saturday, April 30th. The menu for the Chicken and Biscuit Dinner consists of: Chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, vegetable, salad, cranberry sauce and homemade desserts. The cost is $9.00 for adults, $4.00 for children aged 6 to 12 and under 6 will eat free. Patty could always use additional help on clean-up. If you would like to volunteer, please let Patty know (phone: 315-986-5726 or cell: 585-615-6790). Also, if you are willing to make a homemade dessert, please notify Patty Frasca or Joan Swan.

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES: Many of us keep calendars that are filled weeks in advance. So we can all be sure to attend the wonderful and important services that are scheduled for Holy Week, I am previewing the schedule. Holy Week will begin with the celebration of Palm Sunday at 8 and 10 o'clock services on April 17th. On Thursday, April 21st, the Maunday Thursday service will be held at 7 PM. Besides the serving of the Eucharist at this service we will participate in the traditional "Washing of the feet". Following the service we will observe the vigil that will continue all night and up to the Good Friday service at noon on Friday, April 22nd. There will be a sign-up sheet for those wishing to keep silent vigil for a period of an hour at any time between these two services. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend some silent time in reflection, prayer and study and to reflect on the sacrifice that this Holy time represents. Security will be provided in the Church throughout the night. There will be a Stations of the Cross event that will take place at 9 am. I believe the event will be in the 19th Ward this year. Our first Easter Celebration will take place on Saturday Evening at 7 PM. This is the first time in a very long time that we have celebrated this most holy service at Ascension. We will celebrate with all of the traditions of this blessed service: fire, bells, music and celebration. The choir will be participating in this service. There will follow the traditional Easter Celebrations on Sunday, April 24th at 8 and 10 AM. All of these are Holy Days of Obligation traditionally in the Episcopal Church. As we prepare to, hopefully, welcome a new priest in the near future, we should all try to dedicate ourselves to this most Holy Week of the Christian year to prepare ourselves for our own personal ministry.

DIOCESAN SUBSCRIPTION UPDATES: A reminder: If you have not completed the individual and family information updates for the diocese, please go on the Diocese web site and update your information or get a form from Mary in the office to complete.

DON'T FORGET - The Ascension Piecemakers Quilt Group is offering a stunning queen-size quilt. This quilt would be a handsome addition to any decor! Coupons are $2 or 3 for $5. All proceeds will go to the Bell Tower Restoration Project. You can see the quilt and get more details each Sunday at Coffee Hour.

TIME TO MARK CALENDARS! There are memorable dinners upcoming.

Saturday. April 30th, 2011 CHICKEN & BISCUIT DINNER
Friday. June 3rd, 2011 LOBSTER DINNER

PLEASE MAKE NOTE!!!

Coffee Hour after the 10 AM Sunday service is a wonderful opportunity to greet friends, old and new, and catch up on news. There are opportunities to host Coffee Hour in the weeks ahead. Won't you help this ministry? If not sure how to host, you may call Nancy Lennox at 663-5805 or Stu or Gene Denison at 663-0988. To sign up - see list in the back of the church or call 458-5423. Thanks!

Please phone or visit a friend who is not able to get out or whom you've been meaning to contact. There are many who would love a call and an invitation to church or an inquiry as to when you might pay a visit. We can invite friends to accompany us to church - and take them out for brunch afterward!

To beautify our worship, in upcoming weeks there are opportunities for altar flowers. We will soon be asked to sign up for Easter Lilies to be placed on the altar in memory of our loved ones. When the fliers are put in the bulletin, please turn them in as soon as possible so Laurie can order the proper amount and can submit the list of memorials to be indicated. As you fill out the sheets, please print so Laurie can use proper spellings in the bulletin at Easter. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate, please contact Laurie Phillips, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com

EASTER LILIES: It is again time to consider providing Easter Lilies for the altar in memory of our loved ones who have passed. A reservation form was placed in the Messenger for this month and will also be appearing in the bulletins. Try to complete these forms early and submit to Laurie Phillips with the appropriate payment. You may list up to six names per lily and the cost per lily is $13.00.

If we wish to learn the true Meaning of Life, grow as Christians and share our love of God, we need to know the stories of the Bible. Thursday Bible Study is in the Library at 9 AM. Please 'Come and See'. As we progress through the Lenten season, this is a time for careful reflection on Jesus’ teachings and how we are reflecting our faith. It is a time for repentance and planning for future devotion. There is no better way to undertake self-reflection than to base that reflection on God’s Word. There is food for thought and often refreshments to share. The study is of the Gospel Lesson for next Sunday, found below. No Bible Thumping, just good conversation!!

The Rochester Interfaith Jail Ministry asks your ongoing help - by donating through United Way or directly by check to R.I.J.M., 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613. This will bring books of healing and group sessions to those needing to start lives anew. Remember the Good Samaritan... Please answer this call. To volunteer, call 254-6790. The invitation to help is ongoing, so you are not late to the party! We recently began doing visits to the young men ages 16-19 in the Downtown Jail. Many Thanks!

PRAM PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help us, we pray, to see Your face in all those who ask us for a drink of water. We do not always recognize that we are meeting You as we sit with those in prison. As they ask us for companionship and friendship, we do not realize that they are offering us Living Water. Our thirst for Your kingdom begins with their thirst for kindness and acceptance. Help us to remember, too that this goes on outside our Sunday worship and outside our regular ministries. Help us to see You in the face of the passersby on the street, on the sidewalk, at work and at leisure. We offer prayers today for the Deputies and Corrections Officers who check us in to the jails and facilities we visit.

There is God's work for each of us when we see new people on Sunday or at an event. Let's introduce ourselves and make them welcome. An invitation to chat at Coffee Hour is a great ice-breaker. So is sitting with a new person and guiding her/him in the materials, if this is their first time with us.

Do you have a pocket card to hand to a friend who asks about Ascension? Cards are on the table in the back of the church. Please take a few, and be ready to share. We have pocket crosses in the table drawer to hand to those who answer the call to "Come and See"..

MUSIC: The anthem for next Sunday is "Lamb of God" by F. Melius Christiansen. To hear a presentation of this choral work by the Concordia Chamber Choir of Athens, Georgia go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDoI5P7ElW4

In the next day or two, Paul Schwartz will post this e-letter on our blogspot. http://ascensionroch.blogspot.com/

If you have a new or better email address for yourself, or know someone who might like to receive this weekly e-letter, please send in that information.

Blessings,

Jan Wills

585-621-3900

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John 9:1-41
9:1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.

9:2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

9:3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.

9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

9:6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes,

9:7 saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

9:8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?"

9:9 Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man."

9:10 But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?"

9:11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight."

9:12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

9:13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

9:14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

9:15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see."

9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided.

9:17 So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet."

9:18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight

9:19 and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?"

9:20 His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

9:21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself."

9:22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

9:23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

9:24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner."

9:25 He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see."

9:26 They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"

9:27 He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?"

9:28 Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from."

9:30 The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.

9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.

9:32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.

9:33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

9:34 They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.

9:35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

9:36 He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him."

9:37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he."

9:38 He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him.

9:39 Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind."

9:40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?"

9:41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

RECIPE: With Easter only a couple of weeks away, I know that many are making plans to spend time with family members. Often this includes a brunch after attending Easter morning services. I am including a recipe that I used last Easter for a family brunch.

HAM AND CHEESE CORNBREAD CASSEROLE

3 slices thick bacon

4 large eggs

1/4 cu. milk

1/2 cu. butter, melted and cooled

1 - 6 oz. pkg. Cornbread mix (I used Jiffy Cornbread mix)

6 dashes hot pepper sauce (Red Hot)

1 med. onion (chopped)

1 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli (thawed and drained)

1 1/2 cu. ham cubes

8 oz. sharp shredded cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool and crumble.

Reserve 1 T. Bacon drippings and drain remaining drippings. Place the reserved dripping in a 9x9 casserole or oven proof skillet. Place in oven.

Beat eggs. Add millk, butter, cornbread mix and hot pepper sauce. Stir in onion, broccoli, ham and 1 1/2 cu. cheese. Remove casserole from oven and pour batter into the hot dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the casserole. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set and golden brown on top. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and parsley (if desired for color). Serves 6.

This casserole makes a nice main course for a brunch. I would also serve fresh fruit and hot cross buns or assorted Danish.

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED WEEK!

Sermon, March 27, 2011, Lent 3 - "Touchy Subjects"

“Touchy Subjects”, A Sermon preached by The Rev Canon Dr. C. Denise Yarbrough on Sunday, March 27, 2011 at Church of the Ascension, Rochester, New York

7A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.)
27Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?”(John 4:7-8,27)

There are some subjects that we all learned early in life were not appropriate to discuss in polite company, and two of the top ones on that list of taboos are religion and politics. After all, these are subjects upon which reasonable minds tend to differ and about which people tend to have rather strong opinions and feelings. If one wants to have polite cocktail party conversation, it’s probably not wise to venture into such explosive territory. Usually, we reserve such conversation for our closest circle of friends and family, and even then, only go on at length with those who most likely agree with us, for the most part. In some cultures religion and politics are so closely intertwined that its next to impossible to speak of one without the other. In our contemporary American culture, with our commitment to the separation of church and state, we try to keep the two in separate camps, but we are not always able to do so and indeed we are actually the most religious of Western secular democracies. These are topics that go to the heart of our very existence in human community, that touch upon our sense of identity as citizens of a country and of the world. It’s no wonder that they are areas that tend to arouse passion.

In the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, we see Jesus breaking all kinds of social taboos. He talks religion and politics with the Samaritan woman, and even more startling he gets personal with her too, about her own life and about his identity. This on their first meeting! Jesus is not one to dance around important subjects. He is not one to be diplomatic or to worry about what folks will think of him. He goes where he wants to go and speaks with whom he wishes to speak about what most matters to him. Commentators have long noted that Jesus’ journey to Galilee from Jerusalem through Samaria seems to have been a deliberate choice on his part to travel through hostile territory, even though there were routes he could have taken that would have kept him in friendly territory all the way. He chose to travel among the foreigners even when he had other options available to him. And while traveling, he chose to engage those foreigners in genuine, authentic conversation.

For Jesus to speak to a Samaritan woman was not simply unusual, it was downright scandalous. Judeans and Samaritans were all descendants of Jacob, the Samaritans through Joseph and the Judeans through Judah. When the Israelites were taken into captivity in the 6th century BCE, their captors took the professional people, the artists and the skilled laborers to work for them and left the “poor trash” behind. Those who were left behind intermarried with the locals, the Palestinians and thus were born the Samaritans. As between Jews and Samaritans there was no contact. It was a strict racial divide which no self-respecting Jew would cross, just as most white people in this country before the Civil Rights movement would not have considered striking up a conversation with an African American person who was not a family servant.

Then there is the sex issue. Men in that culture never engaged a woman outside their own family in conversation and certainly not in public. It simply wasn’t done. Indeed that sex segregation is still very much a part of Middle Eastern culture even today. Jesus would have been crossing a boundary to talk to a Jewish woman at the well, but he just made it worse by talking to a woman who was also a Samaritan. Its hard for us today to imagine how strong these cultural taboos were and to fully appreciate how shocking this story would have been to the first century audience for whom it was originally written. It would be as if a wealthy, Wall Street stockbroker were to seek out a homeless immigrant woman living in the subways of New York City for advice and conversation on the vagaries of the stock market. It simply isn’t done. Yet Jesus did it.

Not only did Jesus cross racial, sexual, religious and ethnic boundaries to talk with this woman, but he did more than ask for a glass of water. The two of them engaged in a conversation that touched on important religious and personal issues for each of them. The woman remarks to Jesus about the differences in their two tribes’ beliefs about where is the most holy place to worship God on earth – Mr. Gerazim for the Samaritans, and Jerusalem for the Jews. Jesus tells her that the time is coming when those kinds of religious differences will not matter, when all people will worship God in spirit and truth and those kinds of denominational differences will be immaterial. “God is spirit, and those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth”, he tells her.

Jesus is not interested in the denominational and interfaith differences between the religious traditions of humankind. He points to the divine reality behind all religious traditions – the God who is spirit and truth – and calls all of us to hold lightly the rules, regulations, ritual practices, sacred places and traditions of our own religious tradition, remembering that these are pathways to God, or containers through which we can access God, but God is beyond and greater than all of them. It is all too easy for we humans to fall prey to the sin of idolatry –to worship the trappings of our own religious tradition rather than the God to whom that tradition points. The interreligious conflicts that tear our world apart today illustrate how desperately we need to follow Jesus’ example in interacting with people of different religious traditions. Conversation, dialogue and respect for the dignity of those who worship God differently than we do are how we follow Jesus when it comes to interfaith encounter.

Jesus also broke the cultural taboo of speaking of intimate personal matters with a relative stranger. In his day, reality TV and the culture of complete self disclosure that marks our Facebook world did not prevail. One did not speak of personal matters outside of one’s immediate family. Jesus not only revealed to the woman that he knew about her personal situation, that she had had five husbands and was living with a man not her husband, but he also revealed to her his identity as the Messiah, something he rarely did with anyone. He was not judgmental about her personal life either. It is important to remember that in that culture, a woman could not seek a divorce. If a divorce happened, it was at the behest of the husband. For this woman to have had so many husbands she must have been either widowed or divorced (which was tantamount to abandonment) in each of the five marriages. The fact that she was living with a man not her husband may well have been simply a matter of economic necessity – women could not own property, could not work for wages and so were completely dependant upon men for their very survival. We don’t know the exact circumstances of this woman’s life. Jesus did not jump to conclusions about her moral rectitude based merely upon the fact that she had been married numerous times. He accepted her as she was, with her history and her “baggage” and entrusted her with the truth about himself.

Jesus and this Samaritan woman were able to have an authentic relationship and to establish trust between them because they did not judge each other based upon racial, ethnic, religious or sexual characteristics and they did not keep secrets. They laid everything bare between them and when they did, God was able to use them both as a means to bring even more people into relationship with God. The willingness of Jesus and this woman to violate restrictive and discriminatory cultural taboos of their day, opened the way for God to infuse their relationship with love and divine energy.

 Jesus and the Samaritan woman give us much to think about, especially in the multicultural and pluralistic world we live in today. In our pluralistic and globally connected contemporary culture, it is obvious that we humans need to begin to work to cross the many racial, ethnic, religious and other boundaries that separate and alienate us one from another, and learn to engage in real and authentic dialogue with one another. Interreligious dialogue is absolutely crucial for the peace and welfare of humankind in the 21st century. As with Jesus and this woman, it is not enough to maintain a polite distance, to merely tolerate the one we call “other.” We must be willing to take risks, to talk about things that matter deeply to each of us, to begin to listen to one another so that we can find common ground. We must be willing to be non-judgmental, to see the humanity of those who are different from us, and to respect their way of being in the world. Jesus models for us an engagement across religious and cultural boundaries that is respectful, authentic, loving, compassionate and open to learning from the other as much as imparting wisdom to the other.

In our contemporary context, we have many opportunities to cross racial, cultural, ethnic and religious boundaries and to build bridges of cooperation and understanding with people who are different from us. Racism is still alive in our country today, so any efforts we make to heal the sin of racism in our country and our church is a step towards the kind of encounter that Jesus had with the woman at the well. I commend to you the Anti Racism training available through the diocese at various times during the upcoming year. That program provides a rare opportunity for people of different races to engage one another in the kind of truth telling conversation that Jesus and the Samaritan woman shared at the well. Interreligious dialogue is alive and well and active in Rochester. There are many opportunities throughout the year to cross religious boundaries and to learn from our interreligious neighbors the wisdom and truths that they have to share about God which serves only to deepen our own Christian commitments and faith.

“God is spirit, and those who worship God must worship in spirit and in truth.” To experience and know the truth of God and the spirit of God we must break down the barriers of race, class, ethnicity, sex, religious affiliation and any other category by which we push people away and dehumanize them. We cannot avoid the touchy subjects – religion, politics, ethics – the truth of God will be revealed when we can talk about those very things with authenticity and integrity across racial and cultural boundaries. Our baptismal covenant commites us to work for justice and peace and to respect the dignity of every human being. Jesus is our model. May we follow in his path. Amen.

Sermon, March 20, 2011, Lent 2

“Reborn to Keep Moving”, A Sermon preached by the Rev. Canon Dr. C. Denise Yarbrough on Sunday, March 20, 2011 at Church of the Ascension, Rochester, New York

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1)

“You must be born from above. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3)

The news this week has been sobering, as we have all watched in horrified fascination the video clips of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan just over a week ago. Images of the sea surging onto land, consuming whole villages, carrying cars, trucks, houses, boats, people and pets and leaving devastation and rubble in its wake bring tears to the eyes and heartache to those of us watching from afar. Then the nuclear plant explosions that have released dangerous levels of radiation into the air, compounding the victims’ difficulties, necessitating evacuations of villages near the plants left everyone reeling and wondering when the cascade of trauma is going to end. Thousands are dead, tens of thousands missing as relief workers the world over mobilize to try to help the victims sending food, water, equipment and medicine to stricken villages and towns. For many elderly Japanese people, this is a sickening reminder of the trauma they faced at the end of World War 2, when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastated by the nuclear bombs that ended that war. For the people of Japan, life is once again changed irrevocably in a matter of moments. The earth moved, the sea raged and life as they knew it ended. The victims of the earthquake/tsunami face what most of us hope we’ll never face, a truly defining moment when everything they’ve ever known is swept away and somehow life will have to begin anew.

Moments like these often come through natural disasters and war, but rarely do any of us voluntarily upheave our lives for anything short of a life or death emergency. If someone is dying, or is hurt seriously in an accident, or has a crisis of some sort, we might hop a plane and leave our life behind for a day or two and go tend to the crisis, but rarely are we willing to simply drop everything and go for anything short of a truly emergent situation. In the story of Abram’s call that we read this morning, we see a man who responded with just that kind of immediacy to the call of God, leaving behind all that is comforting and precious and dear to go somewhere that God sends him. In Abram’s case, he isn’t even told where he is going, simply that he must go to a land God will show him as he proceeds on the journey. This call story is challenging to those of us who live in a culture that emphasizes security and careful life planning because it flies in the face of the way we believe we need to live our lives. There’s nothing rational about God’s request or Abram’s response.

Abram was doing fine, living his life with Sarai and their servants and household when God showed up one day and told him to leave his father’s house, his kindred, his country and go to a land that God would show him. He had no roadmap, no Google directions or GPS device, no cell phone to accompany him on his journey. He had to uproot not only himself but also his wife, his nephew Lot and their entire household including animals and servants. They set off on a journey to an unknown destination purely on the basis of a promise from God that God would bless Abram and that he would then become a blessing to many and would have offspring who would also be blessed. That he would have any offspring at all was in itself an unbelievable promise, since he and Sarai were well on in years and she had been unable to bear children. And yet, Abram went because God told him to do so. He literally dropped everything, uprooted his life and went into the unknown future that God held out for him. Whether he is an example of extreme faithfulness and courage or complete foolhardiness is a legitimate question when examining this story, especially given the meager information he had to go on when God told him to “Go.” Unlike the victims of natural disasters, Abram could have chosen not to upheave and uproot his life but to stay right where he was safe and comfortable. Instead, he voluntarily turned his and his family’s life upside down and went hundreds of miles to a foreign country trusting in the God who sent him.

Then we listen in on Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, a devout Pharisee who was a leader in his community, a practicing Jew and teacher of other Jews, who seeks out an audience with Jesus. Nicodemus is curious about Jesus and wants to engage him, but chooses to seek him out in the dark of night so as not to be seen by others. While he is committed to his faith he is not eager to be too public about his interest in what Jesus is all about and he wants to keep his religious curiosity separate from his public life. He and Jesus then engage in an enigmatic conversation in which Jesus challenges Nicodemus and suggests that to deepen his faith he must be open to being “born again” a concept that Nicodemus struggles to understand. Jesus’ choice of birth as the image of what it means to grow in faith and spiritual maturity was a provocative and shocking image in his day and Nicodemus’ struggle to understand what Jesus is saying is a pretty predictable response to Jesus’ words.

Both of these stories illustrate the risk that is involved in the life of faith and the unpredictability of our journey with God. Often God shows up as we are going about our daily lives minding our own business, secure and content with how things are for us, just as Abram and Nicodemus were. When God shows up all that comfort and security inevitably goes out the window. God is not unlike an earthquake or tsunami! God’s entry into our lives is also quite similar to the arrival of a newborn into the household. All that was normal before is not normal now, life is irrevocably changed and our challenge is to move confidently into that new place with optimism, faith and trust. When taken as metaphors for the journey of faith, these stories remind us that a life lived with God is a life fraught with change and surprise. Faith in God and response to God almost always means that things will constantly shift and move, that God will always be out one step ahead of us and we will be called to follow and go to places we never heard of, either literally or metaphorically. The life of faith, seen as a journey in response to the call of God becomes not a talisman against life’s ups and downs, but often the very source of those ups and downs, all of which lead to a deepening intimacy with God which in the end brings blessing to us and those we love.

The image of being born from above that Jesus uses with Nicodemus is an earthy image, the power of which may be lost on those of us 21st century mainline Christians who have heard the phrase “born again Christian” in reference to fundamentalist and evangelical Christians whose spirituality we don’t necessarily understand and with which we are not entirely comfortable. Jesus uses a deceptively simple image, that of "birth" to describe a complex and lifelong process, what Margaret Guenther describes as "the birth of God in the human soul." Spiritual birth or rebirth is as profound and life changing an experience as is physical birth. If we are attentive to God's signals, and surrender to God's timing as God is being born in our souls, our lives will be transformed as fundamentally and irrevocably as are the lives of parents on the day their child is born.

The process of being born from above of which Jesus speaks is very much like the process of giving birth, particularly the point in the birthing process known as transition, when the birth of the child is near and the intensity of the labor is at its peak. Life always has its ups and downs, which can often be managed and controlled. At some point, however, a major transition event will hit. It is often at times of extreme chaos and pain, times of grief or loss due to death, illness, divorce, loss of employment, times of physical transition like moving, or graduating from school, or retiring after many years of working, or facing the empty nest as the last child leaves for college, that we are most likely to experience God being born in our soul. In those chaotic and painful times, as we experience emotional and/or spiritual exhaustion, when we feel forsaken, lonely, and ill prepared for the trial at hand, we may be on the brink of our spiritual birth, and more receptive to God's saving grace than at any other time in our lives.

In the process of being born again spiritually, we participate in the birth process both as one giving birth and one being born. As we struggle to survive whatever version of transition we experience, we also emerge from it as a newborn child of God. Through the process of physical birth, that painful, bloody, messy process, a child leaves the darkness, security, quiet, calm and comfort of the womb, and is thrust, usually screaming, into the light, into a world of sights sounds, colors, relationship to others and a life journey to a destination that God will offer. Spiritual birth takes us from the darkness of our own pain or complacency or apathy, into the light of relationship with God and neighbors that may not always be comfortable nor feel safe but that is certainly rich and colorful. Jesus encouraged Nicodemus to move from living his faith in the dark of night, to proclaiming it in the light of day. God nudged Abram out of the security and comfort of his life in Ur, to the new challenges and opportunities that would await him in the foreign land of Canaan, promising that he would be blessed and be a blessing to the world by surrendering to that call to “Go.”

As you at Ascension get closer to calling a new leader, you are approaching the kind of spiritual transition time that Jesus and Nicodemus talked about. Things will change, new challenges will come your way, new ministries will emerge in your midst and you will be called to respond to God’s new call to you to be a blessing to your community in ways you might not have considered to date. Fortunately, you have not had to endure an earthquake or tsunami in the physical sense. You will continue to do ministry from this building and in this neighborhood, but the challenges and opportunities you will be invited to embrace in order to be born again as a vibrant Christian community may, at times, feel like the aftershocks of an earthquake. As you move together into what is still an unknown future, remember the words of God to Abram – “I will bless you so that you will be a blessing.” This community is in the process of being reborn in the spirit so that you can keep moving to the land that God will show you. Happy birthday and bon voyage! Amen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him."

WE WELCOME ALL VISITORS AND SEEKERS OF GOD

ALL BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS ARE INVITED TO RECEIVE THE HOLY COMMUNION.

LORD, LET US PRAY AND WORK TO HEAR YOUR WORD, CHANGE OUR HEARTS
AND GO FORTH TO DO YOUR WILL, EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT


Dear Friends, March 14, 2011

During the 10 AM service yesterday, our guest celebrant, The Rev. Deborah Brown, preached on the Temptation of Jesus. She pointed out that this period in Jesus’ life occurred prior to the beginning of his ministry and just following his baptism. She explored the idea that we are all faced with temptations and challenges. These challenges are not placed before us to defeat us, but rather to prepare us to face our ministry and future as followers of Christ. With faith in the Holy Spirit we can face any challenges. I requested that Rev. Brown‘s sermon be placed on our website early in the upcoming week.

Please keep in your daily prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. To assist in our spiritual life, Forward Day by Day booklets are $.85 each in the back of the Church [Tower Room].

If we want to grow and share God's prosperity of faith, we must love God, love our friends and then speak openly to them. A congregation grows starting with each faithful person. God will help us share the Bread of Life.....God will help us live into our Baptismal Covenant of sharing His word and our lives and resources [which is the true Meaning of Life]. We never know how ready a friend may be to hear a word of encouragement in faith. We never know when God will bring someone to speak to us, and enrich our own life.

WOMEN'S GROUP: Our next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 7th at Crescent Beach Restaurant at noon. If you are planning to attend, please notify Jan Wills at 621-3900 by April 3rd.

BLANKET DRIVE: As usual, the generous parishioners at Ascension made the blanket drive a record success. Our final total was 344 blankets. This is an outstanding accomplishment. Thank you to Ellie for her devotion to this effort.

LENTEN BOOK STUDY: The Lenten Book Study is using "The Last Week" by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This book is a day-by-day account of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. Sessions are held on Wednesdays at noon. It was announced that the books for this study are sold out. However, anyone interested in exploring the message in this book are encouraged to attend the sessions for an inspiring discussion of the last week of Jesus’ life before his ultimate sacrifice.

DIOCESAN SUBSCRIPTION UPDATES: A reminder: If you have not completed the individual and family information updates for the diocese, please go on the Diocese web site and update your information or get a form from Mary in the office to complete.

DON'T FORGET - The Ascension Piecemakers Quilt Group is offering a stunning queen-size quilt. This quilt would be a handsome addition to any decor! Coupons are $2 or 3 for $5. All proceeds will go to the Bell Tower Restoration Project. You can see the quilt and get more details each Sunday at Coffee Hour.

TIME TO MARK CALENDARS! There are memorable dinners upcoming.

Saturday. April 30th, 2011 CHICKEN & BISCUIT DINNER
Friday. June 3rd, 2011 LOBSTER DINNER

PLEASE MAKE NOTE!!!

Coffee Hour after the 10 AM Sunday service is a wonderful opportunity to greet friends, old and new, and catch up on news. There are opportunities to host Coffee Hour in the weeks ahead. Won't you help this ministry? If not sure how to host, you may call Nancy Lennox at 663-5805 or Stu or Gene Denison at 663-0988. To sign up - see list in the back of the church or call 458-5423. Thanks!

Please phone or visit a friend who is not able to get out or whom you've been meaning to contact. There are many who would love a call and an invitation to church or an inquiry as to when you might pay a visit. We can invite friends to accompany us to church - and take them out for brunch afterward!
To beautify our worship, in upcoming weeks there are opportunities for altar flowers. We will soon be asked to sign up for Easter Lilies to be placed on the altar in memory of our loved ones. When the fliers are put in the bulletin, please turn them in as soon as possible so Laurie can order the proper amount and can submit the list of memorials to be indicated. As you fill out the sheets, please print so Laurie can use proper spellings in the bulletin at Easter. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate, please contact Laurie Phillips, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com

EASTER LILIES: It is again time to consider providing Easter Lilies for the altar in memory of our loved ones who have passed. A reservation form was placed in the Messenger for this month and will also be appearing in the bulletins. Try to complete these forms early and submit to Laurie Phillips with the appropriate payment. You may list up to six names per lily and the cost per lily is $8.00.

If we wish to learn the true Meaning of Life, grow as Christians and share our love of God, we need to know the stories of the Bible. Thursday Bible Study is in the Library at 9 AM. Please 'Come and See'. As we progress through the Lenten season, this is a time for careful reflection on Jesus’ teachings and how we are reflecting our faith. It is a time for repentance and planning for future devotion. There is no better way to undertake self-reflection than to base that reflection on God’s Word. There is food for thought and often refreshments to share. The study is of the Gospel Lesson for next Sunday, found below. No Bible Thumping, just good conversation!!

The Rochester Interfaith Jail Ministry asks your ongoing help - by donating through United Way or directly by check to R I J M, 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613. This will bring books of healing and group sessions to those needing to start lives anew. Remember the Good Samaritan... Please answer this call. To volunteer, call 254-6790. The invitation to help is ongoing, so you are not late to the party! Someone recently made and ongoing United Way designation for R I J M. Many Thanks!

There is God's work for each of us when we see new people on Sunday or at an event. Let's introduce ourselves and make them welcome. An invitation to chat at Coffee Hour is a great ice-breaker. So is sitting with a new person and guiding her/him in the materials, if this is their first time with us.

Do you have a pocket card to hand to a friend who asks about Ascension? Cards are on the table in the back of the church. Please take a few, and be ready to share. We have pocket crosses in the table drawer to hand to those who answer the call to "Come and See"..

Due to continuing illness issues in the choir, John will not be making a decision on the anthem for next Sunday until Wed. evening’s rehearsal. Hopefully the weather will soon cooperate and everyone can recover from the rash of respiratory illnesses that have been a challenge in the past several weeks.

If you have a new or better email address for yourself, or know someone who might like to receive this weekly e-letter, please send in that information.

Blessings,
Jan Wills
585-621-3900

*******************************
John 3:1-17
3:1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.

3:2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."

3:3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."

3:4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"

3:5 Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without
being born of water and Spirit.

3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

3:7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'

3:8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

3:9 Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"

3:10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

3:11 "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.

3:12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

3:13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

3:14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

3:15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

3:17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

RECIPE: This week many of us will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday by preparing a corned beef dinner. In case you have leftovers, here is an easy recipe that will allow you to feature the left over corned beef in a slightly different presentation.
REUBIN PIE
8 oz. can sauerkraut
½ lb. diced corned beef
4 oz. shredded swiss cheese
1 cu. Milk
¾ cu. Bisquick
1/3 cu. Mayonaisse
2 Tablespoons Chili Sauce
3 large eggs
Drain sauerkraut. Treat a pie plate with Pam. Sprinkle pie plate with corned beef, cheese and sauerkraut. Beat milk, Bisquick, mayonaisse, chili sauce and eggs until smooth either in a blender or with an electric mixer. Pour egg mixture over the beef, cheese and sauerkraut in the pie pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees, until pie is set and browned on top.
This recipe is like a Reubin Quiche and will make its own crust. This is a quick and easy recipe that could fit nicely into a Saturday evening schedule allowing everyone to follow the action of March Madness.
HAVE A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED WEEK!

Six Quiet Days

WELCOME TO

Church of the Ascension

2 Riverside St.

Rochester, NY 14613

585-458-5423; fax 585-458-7226

www.ascensionroch.org

"'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

. WE WELCOME ALL VISITORS AND SEEKERS OF GOD

ALL BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS ARE INVITED TO RECEIVE THE HOLY COMMUNION.

LORD, LET US PRAY AND WORK TO HEAR YOUR WORD, CHANGE OUR HEARTS
AND GO FORTH TO DO YOUR WILL, EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Dear Friends, March 7, 2011

During the 10 AM service yesterday, Rev. Denise preached on the transfiguration. More specifically, she explored the six days prior to the transfiguration. This was a time that we know nothing about. The assumption was that this was a time of waiting and restful preparation for the blessed event that was to come. She equated this time to the current time at Ascension as we patiently wait for a priest. Her challenge is to have faith in the search committee and be prepared for the "transfiguration" that will occurr with new leadership. We have a challenge ahead so we must be trusting, patient and have faith that the Lord will challenge us in the future. Rev. Denise's full sermon will be available early in the week at: http://ascensionroch.blogspot.cIom/ Please visit this weekly feature to reflect on her words.

Please keep in your daily prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. To assist in our spiritual life, Forward Day by Day booklets are $.85 each in the back of the Church [Tower Room].

This report goes to some of our parishioners who are away for the winter months and are not able to share all of the announcements made on Sunday mornings. I therefore am saddened to report the passing of Albert Roberts this past week. Al is a long time faithful parishioner and has served Ascension in many capacities. Our prayers are with him and his family at this time.

If we want to grow and share God's prosperity of faith, we must love God, love our friends and then speak openly to them. A congregation grows starting with each faithful person. God will help us share the Bread of Life.....God will help us live into our Baptismal Covenant of sharing His word and our lives and resources [which is the true Meaning of Life]. We never know how ready a friend may be to hear a word of encouragement in faith. We never know when God will bring someone to speak to us, and enrich our own life.

WOMEN'S GROUP: Our next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 7th at Crescent Beach Restaurant at noon. If you are planning to attend, please notify Jan Wills at 621-3900 by April 3rd.

BLANKET DRIVE: As usual, the generous parishioners at Ascension made the blanket drive a record success. As of Sunday morning we had reached a total of 336 blankets. That is an overwhelming advance over last years total. Good work all.

MISSION TRIP TO AFRICA: Marcial and his team returned home from their mission to Uganda safely. Thank you for all of your prayers. We hope that Marcial will be able to share his trip with us in the near future.

SPAGHETTI DINNER: The Spaghetti Dinner was held on Saturday evening. It was also a huge success with almost 100 served. Thank you to Stuart and Patty and all of the hard working volunteers that made this event such a huge success.

PANCAKE SUPPER: In preparation for Lent, there will be a Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper held on Tuesday, March 8th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm in the great hall. This event is hosted by the Ascension Men's Club. There is no charge for this supper but donations will be welcomed. Reservations can be made on the sign-up sheet in the Narthex or by calling the Church office at 458-5423.

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES: Services for Ash Wednesday, on March 9th will be held at 9 AM and 7:30 PM. The Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes will be offered at both services.

LENTEN BOOK STUDY: The Lenten Book Study will be using "The Last Week" by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This book is a day-by-day account of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. Sessions will be held on Wednesdays at noon. If there are six or more interested, there will also be a session held at 6 pm on Wednesdays if we have six people sign up. As of Sunday morning the numbers needed for the evening session had not been reached. The series will begin on March 9th and run until April 13th. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex or you may call the Church office. Books can be purchased at the Good Book Store at a 10% discount.

DIOCESAN SUBSCRIPTION UPDATES: A reminder: If you have not completed the individual and family information updates for the diocese, please go on the Diocese web site and update your information or get a form from Mary in the office to complete.

DON'T FORGET - The Ascension Piecemakers Quilt Group is offering a stunning queen-size quilt. This quilt would be a handsome addition to any decor! Coupons are $2 or 3 for $5. All proceeds will go to the Bell Tower Restoration Project. You can see the quilt and get more details each Sunday at Coffee Hour.

TIME TO MARK CALENDARS! There are memorable dinners upcoming:

Saturday. April 30th, 2011 CHICKEN & BISCUIT DINNER
Friday. June 3rd, 2011 LOBSTER DINNER

PLEASE MAKE NOTE!!!

Coffee Hour after the 10 AM Sunday service is a wonderful opportunity to greet friends, old and new, and catch up on news. There are opportunities to host Coffee Hour in the weeks ahead. Won't you help this ministry? If not sure how to host, you may call Nancy Lennox at 663-5805 or Stu or Gene Denison at 663-0988. To sign up - see list in the back of the church or call 458-5423. Thanks!

Please phone or visit a friend who is not able to get out or whom you've been meaning to contact. There are many who would love a call and an invitation to church or an inquiry as to when you might pay a visit. We can invite friends to accompany us to church - and take them out for brunch afterward!

To beautify our worship, in upcoming weeks there are opportunities for altar flowers. We will soon be asked to sign up for Easter Lilies to be placed on the altar in memory of our loved ones. When the fliers are put in the bulletin, please turn them in as soon as possible so Laurie can order the proper amount and can submit the list of memorials to be indicated. As you fill out the sheets, please print so Laurie can use proper spellings in the bulletin at Easter. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate, please contact Laurie Phillips, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com

EASTER LILIES: It is again time to consider providing Easter Lilies for the altar in memory of our loved ones who have passed. A reservation form was placed in the Messenger for this month and will also be appearing in the bulletins. Try to complete these forms early and submit to Laurie Phillips with the appropriate payment. You may list up to six names per lily and the cost per lily is $8.00.

If we wish to learn the true Meaning of Life, grow as Christians and share our love of God, we need to know the stories of the Bible. Thursday Bible Study is in the Library at 9 AM. Please 'Come and See'. The season of Epiphany presents us with an exploration of the life of Christ and his teachings. There is food for thought and often refreshments to share. The study is of the Gospel Lesson for next Sunday, found below. No Bible Thumping, just good conversation!!

The Rochester Interfaith Jail Ministry asks your ongoing help - by donating through United Way or directly by check to R I J M, 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613. This will bring books of healing and group sessions to those needing to start lives anew. Remember the Good Samaritan... Please answer this call. To volunteer, call 254-6790. The invitation to help is ongoing, so you are not late to the party! Someone recently made and ongoing United Way designation for R I J M. Many Thanks!

There is God's work for each of us when we see new people on Sunday or at an event. Let's introduce ourselves and make them welcome. An invitation to chat at Coffee Hour is a great ice-breaker. So is sitting with a new person and guiding her/him in the materials, if this is their first time with us.

Do you have a pocket card to hand to a friend who asks about Ascension? Cards are on the table in the back of the church. Please take a few, and be ready to share. We have pocket crosses in the table drawer to hand to those who answer the call to "Come and See"..

This week the choir will be singing at the evening Ash Wednesday Service at 7:30 on Wednesday. The choir will be performing Farrant's "Lord for Thy Tender Mercies Sake". I encourage everyone to attend this service. To hear a performance of this anthem by the Tyler Junior College Chamber Singers from Tyler, Texas, go to the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpVL3jSz7u0

If you have a new or better email address for yourself, or know someone who might like to receive this weekly e-letter, please send in that information.

Blessings,

Jan Wills

585-621-3900

*******************************
I AM INCLUDING TWO GOSPEL READINGS THIS WEEK. THE FIRST IS THE GOSPEL READING FOR ASH WEDNESDAY AND THE SECOND IS THE READING FOR NEXT SUNDAY:

ASH WEDNESDAY READING:

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
6:1 "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

6:2 "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

6:3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

6:4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

6:5 "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

6:16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.

6:17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

6:18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal;

6:20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.

6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT: MARCH 13TH:

Matthew 4:1-11
4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

4:2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished.

4:3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

4:4 But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

4:5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple,

4:6 saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

4:7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor;

4:9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."

4:10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

4:11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

RECIPE: Since this week is the beginning of the Lenten season, I thought it appropriate to include a fish recipe. Many of us try to follow the tradition of eating fish on Fridays. This recipe can be made with sole, flounder, orange roughy or tilapia.

STUFFED FILLETS

6 fillets (try to select fillets that are roughly the same size)

2 tablespoons butter

1 can flaked crabmeat (drained)

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

3/4 cup bread crumbs

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

White Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1/2 white wine

In saute pan, melt 2 T. butter. Add mushrooms and crabmeat. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add bread crumbs and mix until crumbs absorb the liquid. Place large spoonful of stuffing mix in the center of each fillet. Roll up fillets and secure with a toothpick. Place fillets in a greased baking dish and set aside.

Wipe out saute pan and melt 4 T. butter in pan. Add 2 T. flour. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Mix in wine. Pour sauce over fish and bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Good served with buttered rice and a green vegetable like broccoli or asparagus.

This is a good entree for a dinner party or when inviting guests. It can be prepared in advance and placed in the oven when guests arrive. That allows time to chat while the main course is baking.

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED WEEK!