Amazing Grace

Jesus told his disciples “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” This is a direct command to share the Gospel message to all those who do not yet know it. The question we should ask ourselves is what kind of Gospel has been shared? A Gospel of forgiveness, joy, peace, love and hope? Or are we sharing a Gospel of fear and punishment?

As many of you know, I had to travel to El Salvador to hold my dad’s funeral in my homeland. Funerals in my country and in most Latin American countries are different from funerals here. During the vigil, family, neighbors and friends gather to accompany the family in their grief. As soon as the community knows that a person has passed away, they arrive at the family home to sit with the family. The home of the deceased is filled with the singing of hymns, crying, praying, preaching, and eating tamales, day and night. No one sleeps until after the funeral and burial.

I made the decision to preach here and also preach in the land where I grew up. On the night of the vigil, we had a service. My former pastors from El Salvador Pastora Blanca and Pastor Julio were in charge of the evening service, and I was in charge of the funeral service. As I was preparing my preaching for the funeral, one of the things that came to mind was that the message I was going to share was going to shock everyone in attendance.

My message focused solely on the salvation that Christ brought to the entire world… The Gospel affirms that salvation is obtained by faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to pay the price for the sins of humanity… He opened the way for us to eternal life… The tomb will never be closed again… Christ defeated death, death no longer has power over us… if Christ is resurrected, we will also be resurrected…salvation is by grace and not by works…. After the death of Lazarus, Jesus told Martha, ​​“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”… A few verses later, when Jesus saw that Mary was still doubting, He said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”… Grace leads us to salvation, not works… works are the result of the work that God is already doing in us… salvation is a gift from God… Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.”

A day after this message, family, friends and pastors said that some people had said that they had never heard of God’s grace before. A pastor told me that a member of his church asked her if we are saved by grace and not by works, then why you have preached to us that we are saved by works. I knew that these reactions were going to happen. I knew it because where I’m from they don’t know about grace. They have been about punishment, fear and resentment. Catholics, Evangelicals and even some Lutherans share salvation through works and not by grace.

On my way back home to Waukesha, I was thinking about all the reactions that grace had provoked in the minds and hearts of many. More than 2000 years have passed since grace came to us and there are still people in many parts of the world who do not know it. Brothers and sisters, as we continue on this continuous journey of learning and discernment, let the light of Christ continue to illuminate us to share the message of grace with all those who have not yet received it. 

Pastor Edwin

El Salvador & Tanzania News

Pastor Julio Visiting from El Salvador

Pastor Julio will be at Ascension the first week of October. On Sunday, Oct. 8, you are invited to join us for a potluck lunch following late service to share Wisconsin hospitality with him and to hear more news from our brothers and sister in Usulután.

There is also interest in El Salvador in hosting a Bible study based on the book Grace by Max Lucado. Pastor Tony and Pastor Edwin have both been leading book studies on this book at Ascension. The Spanish-language versions of the book are $12 each. If you are interested in sponsoring a book that Pastor Julio can take back with him, you can connect with Pastor Edwin.

School Lunches for Tanzania

We hope to collect enough money in the month of October to provide all 1100 children and teachers with lunch for the 195-day school year. Because of the drought and world-wide high food prices, we need to raise $18,576. For $100, all of students and teachers in our three partner schools will have a day and a half of lunch. It is only $16.84 to feed a child for the year. Give on Sundays, but it is even easier to give online now.

New Member Meeting & Brunch

On October 15, there will be a meeting between services for those interested in learning about membership at Ascension. New members will be welcomed to Ascension with a brunch on October 22. To indicate your interest in membership, sign-up online. If you know of someone interested in membership, invite them to the meeting or to discuss it with one of the pastors.

Welcome ~ Bienvenidos!

Join us on Sunday, Sept. 10, for one special, bilingual worship service combining all our worship communities. Invite your friends and family! Stay for fun, food and fellowship following worship! This is the kickoff for a busy fall schedule of worshiping, learning, serving, and caring for one another and our Waukesha community and across the globe. What a wonderful time to be welcomed back to Ascension!

Before Sept. 10

  • Stop at the table in the narthex to let us know you’re coming or RSVP online. There is no charge, just a free will offering for lunch but we do need to know an approximate number to plan for food.
  • At the registration table you can also pick up a special Welcome Home card to give to someone you would like to invite. Be sure to check out the Sign-Up Genius to tell us how you would like to help. There are a lot of opportunities to serve in easy ways and get to know others in the church.

Who is it we are welcoming?

  • Those who have been away from church for the summer or longer.
  • Those who got out of the habit of going to church since the pandemic.
  • Those who are looking for a place to fit in.
  • Those who are looking for a church where God’s love and grace are shared every week.
  • Those who are looking for a church where children or teens are not only welcome but are a part of the fabric of the congregation.
  • Those who are looking for a church where older members serve when they can and are served in love when that is what they need.
  • Those who are looking for a church where God’s Word not only is taught but is lived.
  • Those who are looking for a church where everyone is welcome because it is truly the Family of God.

We will welcome each other in a bilingual worship service and then in bi-culture fellowship. There will be activities for all ages and a chance to get to know each other better. This is the kickoff for a busy fall schedule of worshiping, learning, serving, and caring for one another and our Waukesha community and across the globe. What a wonderful time to be welcomed back to Ascension!

Youth Gathering 2024 Information Meeting

The Big Easy. Crescent City. N’Awlins. New Orleans is such a vibrant city that it has earned a number of nicknames. Ascension youth who are entering grades 8 through 12 have the opportunity to visit New Orleans and attend the life-changing 2024 Youth Gathering as we celebrate “Created to Be,” July 16 – 20, 2024.

Students and guardians are invited to attend our information meeting on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 11:15 a.m. following the conclusion of 10 a.m. services.

If you are interested in attending the gathering, but unable to attend the meeting, please contact Pastor Edwin.

Be Hopeful

Grief touches all of our lives. So does joy.  If you would like to join others on their journey forward with grief and joy this group might be for you.

Intentions

  • Honor each other’s grief story and personal journey (we travel at different paces and that’s o.k.)
  • Have opportunities for outreach that helps/supports others in our communities.
  • Have opportunities for learning

Dates

  • Wednesday, Aug. 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Ascension (dessert, sharing, and a project)
  • Thursday, Sept. 7, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Ascension (dessert and guest speaker Gail Cullen about her book Owning Grief).

Contact Teri Quam or Pastor Tony with questions.

El Salvador & Tanzania Partnership Committee

Ascension has long been an over-achiever when it comes to our partnerships, but we took things to a whole new level this summer when we hosted a delegation from El Salvador back-to-back with a large group going to Tanzania. These visits helped revitalize our partnerships after years of not seeing each other due to the pandemic. With renewed energy, stronger friendships, and an abundance of new information, our partnership committee is looking forward to resuming in-person meetings. The first one will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8.

Who:

  • Anyone planning to travel to El Salvador or Tanzania in the future
  • Anyone who has previously traveled as part of a delegation
  • Anyone who has a heart for our brothers and sisters in El Salvador and Tanzania; no travel required!

What:

  • Reflect on this summer’s visits
  • Plan for the future and goal-setting
  • Beginning a deeper look at education in El Salvador and Tanzania
  • Talking about our trip to El Salvador, approximately July 29 – August 5, 2024

Please note that as our partnerships deepen, our leadership and the pastors have made it a goal for future partnership visits to El Salvador and Tanzania that all travelers will have at least a year of regular (at least 75%) participation in our partnership committee prior to travel. If you are interested in traveling in the future or interested in joining the committee, but unable to attend the August 8 meeting, please contact Sarah Aparicio.

Music Opportunities

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. (Psalm 100:1-2)

Come and sing or ring a new song with Ascension’s music ensembles! Rehearsals resume in September. Contact Vicki Taylor with questions or to sign up.

Ascension Choir 

The Ascension Choir provides musical leadership in worship approximately three Sundays a month, primarily at the 8:30 service (occasionally at 10:45), and at special evening worship services throughout the church year. 

  • Ages: high school through adult
  • Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Sanctuary
  • Begins: September 6

Ascension Ringers Handbell Choir 

Joining the Ascension Ringers does not call for previous experience with handbells, but does  require the ability to read music. Reading music is an acquired skill and those interested in learning to read music with the goal of joining the handbell choir are encouraged to contact Vicki Taylor, Director of Music Ministries to arrange learning opportunities.

The handbell choir rings 5 octaves of Malmark handbells and 5 ½ octaves of Malmark handchimes. Ascension Ringers provide music in worship once per month, primarily at the 8:30 service (occasionally at 10:45), and at special services throughout the church year. 

  • Ages: high school through adult
  • Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 6-7:15 p.m., Sanctuary
  • Begins: September 6

Ascension Children’s Choir

The Children’s Choir sings approximately every 4-6 weeks, rotating between the 8:30, 10:45, and Spanish Language worship services.

  • Ages: Grades K-7
  • Rehearsals: Thursdays, 5-5:40 p.m., Music Room
  • Begins: September 21

Sing for a Season

Love to sing but not sure about a year-long commitment? Sing with the Ascension Choir for the Advent/Christmas season (rehearsals begin in November).

Instrumentalists

Instrumentalists of all ages and stages are invited to offer their musical gifts in worship. Contact Vicki Taylor to indicate an interest. 

Welcome!

Welcome home! The first words Amy and Tamie and Pastor Edwin spoke when the bus arrived from O’Hare with our Tanzania mission team. A hug from my wife and a wet nosed welcome from our Golden Retriever Baxter in the church parking lot and almost everything was right with the world once again.

Of course, our original mission team was split into three separate groups – Pastor Tony had flown home earlier from Ethiopia once Bob was out of the hospital; the Wards were beginning to explore Ethiopia as they waited for clearance for Bob to fly; and the seven members who went on to Tanzania after our original layover in Ethiopia arrived back at Ascension. Not exactly what I expected to happen as we loaded the bus for Tanzania on Thursday, June 29th. I should not be surprised; God has a way of allowing our journeys to unfold without us knowing fully the road before us.

Tanzania was everything I expected and more. The incredible heartfelt welcome of our sisters and brothers at the airport, every church, each school – so much joy and wonder and a little healthy skepticism. I wonder about the questions that probably ran through the heads of the members of our partner churches and students at the schools:

Who are these people from America?
What do people at Ascension think or know about us?
What does that white guy keep saying up front during worship?
Why does the whole school stop what it is doing when these people arrive?
What do you do with that frisbee thing?

In my own mind, there were other questions I was asking:

How can every tea offered to us be so much food?
How can we eat lunch after worship when just had tea an hour before?
Will there be Chapati (my favorite Tanzanian food)?
Will Pastor Nathan remember to translate for me at the front of the church?
What does the home life look like for each of these students?
Where does this overwhelming spirit of joy flow from for our friends in Tanzania?

The stories will continue to be told of our mission team visit. The prayers and concern for Bob offered from Pastor Nathan and our sister churches. The joy of being together after five years of being apart. Remembering faces that we met in 2018; renewing friendships, relationships, and making new connections. Hearing the stories of appreciation and gratitude for food for our partner school students and the gift of clean water. Remembering the looks on the faces of students for the presentation of soccer balls. No frisbees next time – just soccer balls…lots more soccer balls. Celebrating stories of success told with pride and joy for students success and their commitment to a well-rounded education including taking care of their needs for care and support. Every time we visit the schools, I want to spend twice as much time not only listening to reports but actually talking to teachers, sitting in on classes, actually playing soccer with the students. Every visit is simply the hook that makes me want to return to spend more time with them. Every church visit is a powerful reminder of the promise of God’s love across language barriers and customs. How the hospitality of a smile and a handshake can change our whole world.

It is always a humbling experience to travel to our sister parishes and be reminded that we are wholly dependent on them for our care and well-being. Always do our sisters and brothers reach far beyond what is expected to take care of us. Pastor Nathan, Eludi (our sister parish committee chair) and the partnership committee are one of the most beautiful gifts of grace I have ever experienced. God’s grace often comes to us in unexpected ways in this life. I am grateful for these glimpses of grace when I least expect them.

May these last days of summer offer you moments of God’s grace through the gifts of family, friends, sisters and brothers in Christ, moments of worship, times of reflection and rest, and the presence of the One who is the way, the truth, and the life…Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

Peace be with you and I hope to see you in church. And if not – well – Sunday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. is our Welcome Home Sunday. One service for the whole church. We will look for you then to once again tell you, Welcome Home!

Pastor Chris

Finding God in the Unexpected

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
~Philippians 4:4-7

On the 16-hour flight home from Ethiopia, I found myself spending a considerable amount of time reflecting on and processing the diverse experiences of that unexpected journey. And the more I reflected, the more a recurring theme surfaced – overwhelmed. Almost the entire journey from the get-go was a non-stop and unexpected roller coaster of events, feelings, expectations, and emotions., and certainly not the trip I had been looking forward to nor what the Ward family could have ever imagined in their wildest dreams.

There were profound moments of difficulty – from a beloved member of our community suffering a major medical emergency while traveling abroad, to being stuck in an airport for an uncertain amount of time with no easy to choose or clear-cut solutions. There were moments of deep sadness and guilt at the extreme poverty and hunger that surrounded us and yet simultaneously we were constantly surrounded by people whose welcome, and hospitality, and compassionate care were so selfless and filled with grace that I hardly knew how to receive it all.

And then there were unbelievable moments where the grace and love and mercy of God were so evident that I found myself overcome with emotion that it was impossible to hide or comprehend.

But as I shared in my sermon reflection on July 23, this was not a trip to elicit pity or sadness for the difficulties or things that were hard to see, hear, and experience. Instead, this unexpected journey was an opportunity to have our eyes, hearts, minds, and faith broken open wide in order to see what God deems as important while experiencing the absolutely unbelievable love and grace and wonder of God.

Thank you for the great honor to serve as one of your pastors and walk this journey of life and faith alongside you, and for your ongoing encouragement and support and care and love throughout all that we have and will experience together. My hope and prayer is that in the days to come we will continue to open ourselves to what God desires for us and trust God to follow wherever the Holy Spirit leads. And then my dear friends, together we can be overwhelmed by all that our amazing God has in store for us.

Pastor Tony