The Holy Spirit continues to guide us in our call to proclaim the living word. I remember a few years ago when Ascension only offered worship in English. Thanks to the work that the Holy Spirit has done through each one of you, today we have the blessing that we worship in English and in Spanish. 

A few weeks ago a visitor came to our Spanish service. I had the opportunity to talk and share with her the kind of community we are. The highlight in our conversation was her happy surprise at hearing the services in English and Spanish take place at the same time. She said, “Here if in a family some speak only English or only Spanish, they have the option to attend together and worship in the language of their choice?!” Her mom only speaks English, she speaks English and Spanish. Now she has found a community of faith where she has the option of coming to church with her mother and worshiping each of them in their preferred language. In the past, they were not able to go to church together.

This is not the only story. For a few weeks, a couple has been attending Spanish worship. They want to get married. The man speaks English and Spanish, the woman speaks only English, however she has been attending the service in Spanish. I had the opportunity to talk with the couple and offered them the option that if they wanted to worship in Spanish some weeks and in English other weeks, they would be welcome to do that at our church. They have the option of a bilingual wedding at Ascension so both sides of the family feel welcomed and included. I don’t know if they will take advantage of this opportunity, but they appreciate that as a family they will all be authentically welcomed at Ascension. At Ascension, families don’t have to choose between worshiping in their chosen language or worshiping at the same time as a family. 

All these things have only been possible thanks to the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in each one of us. I pray that God will continue to enlighten each of us. 

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with each of us as we find ways to use what we already have to do God’s work.

Edwin Aparicio, Pastoral Intern