Blogs - Ascension Episcopal Hattiesburg

November Schedule

Sundays 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:30 a.m. Children Chapel and Children’s Sunday School Mondays 5:30 p.m. Choir Practice Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. Bible Study in Parish Hall Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist Note: On the 1st Wednesday of each month, the 6:00 p.m. service is a Healing Service & Holy Eucharist. Readings for the month of November are as follows: November 1, All Saints’ Day First Lesson: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on October 31, 2009 at 9:18am — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – All Saints’ Day – November 1, 2009

The Revised Common Lectionary has changed up the readings for All Saints’ Day. Back in the BCP day, the Old Testament reading was from Ecclesiasticus (“Let us now sing the praises of famous men...”) and the gospel reading was from Matthew (The Beatitudes). Now we have a reading from the Wisdom of Solomon and John’s story of Jesus’ revivification of Lazarus. These readings are suggested for the burial office, although the burial office cites Martha’s encounter with Jesus and not Mary’s. And then… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on October 29, 2009 at 6:50am — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 21 Pentecost, Proper 25, October 25, 2009

I’m almost sad that our readings from Job have come to an end. This is one of the richest books in the bible and nothing prevents anyone from reading and re-reading it. I, however, will have to find new reflection foci! The end of Job almost sounds like a recitation of the beginning of Job. He is fabulously wealthy. He owns thousands of animals. He is reunited with his brothers and sisters. He has seven sons and three drop-dead gorgeous daughters. It doesn’t get much better than this. Such a ha… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on October 23, 2009 at 11:02am — No Comments

October Schedule

Sundays 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:30 a.m. Children Chapel and Children’s Sunday School Mondays 5:30 p.m. Choir Practice Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. Bible Study in Parish Hall Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist Note: On the 1st Wednesday of each month, the 6:00 p.m. service is a Healing Service & Holy Eucharist. Readings for the month of October are as follows: October 4, The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost First Lesson: Job 1… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on October 15, 2009 at 9:39am — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 20 Pentecost, Proper 24 – October 18, 2009

Remember last week when Job could not find God? We heard a bit of Job’s lament and we felt Job’s loneliness in the face of an absent God. Fifteen chapters have intervened since then and Job has spent some more time talking about the world according to Job. Well, this Sunday God is elusive no more. Job has spent considerable time shaking his fist, defending himself, arguing with his overly-pious friends. But starting now Job may be wondering if it was a good idea to demand his day in court with… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on October 15, 2009 at 9:38am — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 19 Pentecost, Proper 23 – October 11, 2009

We’ve fast-forwarded from last week’s reading from Job that told of the onset of Job’s suffering. In the intervening chapters, his friends have all anted up some reasons to explain Job’s wretched state. Job HAD to have been a sinner. Why else would this be happening to him? Repent, Job. God will redeem you, Job. Today, Job speaks, and what he says, in a nutshell, is “where’s God?” “Wait a minute,” Job might be thinking, “Didn’t God see what was happening to his children in Israel and didn’t he… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on October 9, 2009 at 5:35pm — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 18 Pentecost, Proper 22 – October 4, 2009

Today is Sunday #1 of four for reading Job as the first lesson. We will hear more from Job for the whole of October. So fascinating is this book that, at least for today, I have lengthened the reading (the rubrics say I can!) to include all of Chapter 1 because Chapter 1 sets up, a la Paul Harvey, the rest of the story. There is something for everybody in the Book of Job. One of the most intriguing pieces early on is the presence of Satan as one of the “heavenly beings.” We’re so used to Satan… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on October 5, 2009 at 1:11pm — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 17 Pentecost, Proper 21 – September 27, 2009

Those of you familiar with Compline will recognize the last verse of the psalm since the final prayers of the day (which Compline basically is) begin with the gathering of the community with the words “Our help is in the Name of the Lord;” to which the people respond, “The maker of heaven and earth.” The final prayers (technically just before bedtime) remind us of God’s sovereignty as we are getting ready to drift off to sleep. One of the things about the offices... or anything else in the Pray… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on September 24, 2009 at 5:26pm — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 16 Pentecost, Proper 20 Stewardship – September 20, 2009

To tell the truth, I am always a little befuddled about what to say about stewardship – particularly the money part of it. We spent last Sunday finding arenas in which we could best employ our time and our talents, and there are still plenty of ministries and committees that need your help if you missed out last Sunday. Today, pledge materials are being distributed and everyone knows that the pledge card is where we focus on money. Through the years I have tried a variety of approaches from car… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on September 24, 2009 at 5:20pm — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 15 Pentecost, Proper 19 – September 13, 2009

This piece of the letter of James takes me way back to my childhood days, when a group of us would be playing and somebody would get mad at somebody else and call her something awful like “four eyes” (if you wore glasses, as I did) or “dooty-face” or some other wretched epithet designed to cut that person to the quick. Our parents and our teachers had given all of us the same retort for such situations: “sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” So the injured party wo… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on September 24, 2009 at 5:12pm — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 14 Pentecost, Proper 18 – September 6, 2009

Remember back in school (without fail, those days that you hadn’t quite gotten around to the reading assignment) when the teacher uttered those dreaded words, “Okay, class. Take out a piece of paper...” Something in your gut had warned you about this. You’d meant to finish that last chapter... Well, surprise! “Okay, class. Take out a piece of paper...” (It’s been a long time since I’ve had the occasion to say that, but there’s still a thrill in remembering the color draining from the faces of m… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on September 24, 2009 at 5:06pm — No Comments

September Schedule

Sundays 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:30 a.m. Children Chapel (Resumes on September 13.) Note: Sunday, September 13, 10:30 a.m. service only followed by Rally Day and the blessing of a statue of St. Fiacre. Mondays 5:30 p.m. Choir Practice Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. Bible Study in Parish Hall Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist Note: On the 1st Wednesday of each month, the 6:00 p.m. service is a Healing Service & Holy Eucharist. Re… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on September 5, 2009 at 5:35pm — No Comments

Rector’s Reflection – 10 Pentecost, Proper 14 – August 9, 2009

Just when I thought people didn’t read newspapers or watch the news on TV, I find out that I am wrong. I have been stopped twice in the last few days by people who (a) wanted to know if I was a nun, and (b) wanted to know, in general, what I was. When I told them I was an Episcopal priest, each one of these people knew about the turmoil in the church. Perhaps they didn’t know correct information, but when did correct information ever really matter in having an opinion? And then each asked, ‘how… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on August 11, 2009 at 3:26pm — No Comments

August Schedule of Services and Events

Sundays 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:30 a.m. Children Chapel Note: Children’s Chapel stops after Sunday, May 31, for the summer. It will resume on September 13. Child care will continue to be provided. Mondays 5:30 p.m. Choir Practice Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. Bible Study in Parish Hall Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist Note: On the 1st Wednesday of each month, the 6:00 p.m. service is a Healing Service & Holy Eucharist. Rea… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on July 28, 2009 at 10:14am — No Comments

July Schedule and Services

Sundays 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:30 a.m. Children Chapel Note: Children’s Chapel stops after Sunday, May 31, for the summer. It will resume on September 13. Child care will continue to be provided. Mondays 5:30 p.m. Choir Practice Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. Bible Study in Parish Hall Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist Note: On the 1st Wednesday of each month, the 6:00 p.m. service is a Healing Service & Holy Eucharist. Read… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on June 28, 2009 at 4:10pm — No Comments

Schedule for June

Sundays 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite I 9:15 a.m. Choir Practice 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite II 10:30 a.m. Children Chapel Note: Children’s Chapel stops after Sunday, May 31, for the summer. It will resume on September 13. Child care will continue to be provided. Mondays 5:30 p.m. Choir Practice Tuesdays 10:00 a.m. Bible Study in Parish Hall Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist Note: On the 1st Wednesday of each month, the 6:00 p.m. service is a Healing Service & Holy Eucharist. Readin… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on June 1, 2009 at 4:50pm — No Comments

Official Ascension Website at http://ascensionhattiesburg.dioms.org

Vance Downey has our official website now up at http://ascensionhattiesburg.dioms.org/ Also, the Diocese of Mississippi website is at http://www.dioms.org/index.html The national website for the Episcopal Church is at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ You can find links to other Episcopal sites from these sites. We are slowly creeping our way into the 21st Century! Hooray! Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on August 3, 2008 at 5:03pm — No Comments

The unofficial website of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Hattiesburg, MS

Hello folks! Here is the first try at an unofficial website for Ascension. We, our church family, are waiting on the Diocese of MS to get a place for us to produce an official website for our church. We, the vestry, thought having an unofficial site would be nice, too. Here we can post pictures, have a place for different groups to show their news, information, as well as to sound off. Don't worry, we will have an administrator to edit and/or delete any rants that are not appropriate. Gads, cens… Continue

Added by William W. McKinley on April 26, 2008 at 5:00pm — No Comments

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