Advent & Christmas at Ascension

Join us for these events, activities and worship during this special time of the year.

Advent Midweek Worship

Each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in of Advent, we will gather in the sanctuary for a half hour worship with music, prayer, scripture, devotion, and communion. Join us on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17.

Annunciation Worship & Breakfast Dec. 12

On Thursday, Dec. 12, we will celebrate the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary with a 6 a.m. Spanish-language worship with a mariachi band, followed by a potluck breakfast.

“Go Tell It on the Mountain” Dec. 13 & 14

Join us for a special weekend of worship with our Advent Concert Worship services. On Saturday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 14, at 9:30 a.m., the musical ensembles of Ascension will share the music of the season in the context of worship with holy communion. We will celebrate with a potluck brunch at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. Please sign-up in the narthex with what you’re bringing.

Las Posadas Saturday, Dec. 21

Las Posadas remembers the journey of the holy family through the streets of Bethlehem where they were turned away by innkeeper after innkeeper. We begin with hot cocoa and a live nativity at 4 p.m. Las Posadas begins at 5 p.m. Children of all ages are welcome to be in costume. A dinner will follow Las Posadas with mariachi band and a piñata. Join us for this multicultural event popular with all of Ascension.

Children’s Ministry Nativity Program

Sunday, December 21st, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, will offer normal worship at 8:30 a.m. and at 10:45 a.m. we will hear the voices of children raised in song to welcome the coming Savior. A new format this year will offer some additional children’s times to tell the story of Christmas with reflections on the people and animals that found themselves invited into the story of the birth of Jesus.

Christmas Eve Worship

We worship at 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. with carols, communion, and candlelight at all three services. Our 3 p.m. worship will be led with organ and piano. Our 5 p.m. worship will be led with organ, piano, and choir. Our 9:30 p.m. worship will be led with guitar. Our Latino families will celebrate Nochebuena at 6 p.m.

Christmas Day Worship

Christmas Day Worship is at 10 a.m. and gathers our praise to “greet the happy morning” as one hymn writer offers. We offer holy communion at this worship service.

Sunday, Dec. 28, the First Sunday of Christmas will gather us for worship at our normal worship times of 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. for our English language worship and 10:45 a.m. for our Spanish-language worship.

God Is Here

The season of Advent means there is something on the horizon the likes of which we have never seen before. It is not possible to keep it from coming, because it will. That’s just how Advent works. What is possible is to not see it, to miss it, to turn just as it brushes past you. And you begin to grasp what it was you missed, like Moses in the cleft of the rock, watching God’s hindquarters fade in the distance. 

So stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. 
Behold. Wonder. 
There will be time enough for running. 
For rushing. For worrying. For pushing. For now, stay. 
Wait.
Something is on the horizon. ~ Author Jan Richardson.

Advent is my favorite time of year. Yes, some of you will accuse me of saying that about Lent and Easter, but it is really true of Advent. Last year, when several of our pastoral colleagues used the Celtic Advent Calendar, which offers six Sundays to the season of Advent, I was tempted to make the switch, but then all the things – budget hearing, annual meeting, Thanksgiving must all squish together in clunky ways and the one thing I dislike more than anything else is when things are “clunky.”


Advent, for me, has become the “great surrender.” For several years now, I have shifted the days of Advent to less running around and more opportunity for quiet. “How do you do that pastor?” Ah, well, first there is little that must be decided in a meeting in the month of December that will not wait until January or could not be concluded in November. Which means more nights at home in front of the fire with family. This new schedule means more dinners together as family around the table with the lighting of the Advent wreath before we pray over dinner so we might honor the slow progression of the days leading us to the manger. It means no JOLT on Thursdays so that there might be lingering moments with a friend over a warm cup of coffee. This surrender means that I will let go of the schedule that is always leading my days so that I might be drawn to what my soul longs for instead of what my schedule shouts at me. 

And like last year, I’ve added an opportunity for study and reflection with a three-week book study to focus anyone who wishes to walk the road of Advent. This year, we will reflect on the “Voices of Advent,” a book written by Dr. Matthew Skinner, a professor at Luther Seminary. You will have opportunity to sign up ahead of time and join me on either Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. or on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. beginning on Dec. 2 and 3 respectively. Along with the book study, we are offering a new opportunity for quiet, reflective worship with communion at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays in Advent, much like what some of you experienced this past Lent. A half hour worship with music, prayer, scripture, devotion, and communion. All nicely brought together in a half hour worship. It is but one additional way I surrender to the season of Advent and the call of the star to follow. 

It has been a most glorious year of ministry. As the church year closed on Christ the King Sunday and began again on Nov. 30th with the First Sunday of Advent, nightfall is longer, temperatures lead us to winter, and the weather invites us to linger in warm conversations that keep us together for a moment or two longer. And so I will practice the “great surrender” once again this season and invite you to join me. 

“Through the dark of Advent. There is hope that whispers: God is here.” A promise we have known all along – a promise, we need only remind ourselves and each other, will never not be true. May Advent be a time to stay. Sit. Linger. Tarry. Ponder. Wait. Behold. Wonder. There will be time enough for running and rushing around. For now, stay. Wait. Something is on the horizon.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Making Room

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” ~ Luke 2:7

I read a story on the internet about a Sunday School Christmas Program telling the story of Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem and looking for a room. In the program, a very pregnant Mary and Joseph move from place to place searching for lodging, but at each place they try, they’re told “there is no room for you here” and sent away.

During this most tense part of the story, one of the children playing an animal in the program stood up, strayed from the script, and loudly yelled, “Hey! Come over here by me, I’ll make room for you!”

Now I have no idea if this story is true or not, but it certainly illustrates a profound message for us during the Advent and Christmas seasons – Do I make room for Jesus? At my best, I hope the answer is yes. I hope and pray that my words and actions every day reflect Jesus, that my life is a witness to God’s love. I hope that I’m living out my faith, listening to those nudges from the Holy Spirit to take advantage of the opportunities God gives for me to love and care for my neighbors in Jesus’ name.

But I know my answer is not always yes. Life is busy, and I’m human. Even with the advantage of working in professional ministry, there are plenty of times when I miss chances to reflect God’s love or even find myself intentionally avoiding doing something I know God would want me to do. I suspect that’s true for you as well. It’s so easy for the busy-ness of life to push aside time with God. Ironically, perhaps that’s especially true in the Christmas season!

The Christmas story is a story about making room. Mary made room when she said yes to God – “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Joseph made room when he accepted the angel’s explanation of his fiancée’s pregnancy and changed his mind about ending their relationship – “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took Mary as his wife.” The shepherds in the fields made room by taking a break from the demands of their job, leaving their flocks, and hurrying to Bethlehem to see the newborn baby in the manger, then spreading the good news all over town – “So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child.” The Magi made room by leaving their homes and traveling to a far-away land on faith that a star would lead them to a king – “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” And of course, God is the one who started it, who – “emptied himself…being born in human likeness.”

As you and I celebrate the season of Christmas this year, I pray that we will all make room for Jesus, opening ourselves to the Holy Spirit who helps us to make room for what God is doing in our lives and in our world.

Wishing you and yours peace and joy throughout the Advent and Christmas seasons!

Pastor Tony

How Does Ascension Do It?

Last month I had the opportunity to visit El Salvador again to participate in an event called Encuentro. This event is held by the Salvadoran Lutheran Church every three years. It brings together representatives from all the local Salvadoran Lutheran churches and their sister churches from the United States and Europe for a week. During this time together, the churches share experiences, evaluate, and identify new ways of mutual collaboration to continue transforming lives and praying together for the needs of our communities.

The Encuentro program included a visit to local communities. Our sister church, El Milagro de Dios (The Miracle of God) in San Jorge, was chosen as the location where the other churches in the area met to present and explain the areas in which partnerships are working together. Two members and Pastor Blanca from our sister church, El Milagro de Dios, presented and explained the bakery project, a project supported by all the members of Ascension. The members involved in the project shared that the profits are distributed to the church, to pay for their work, and the remainder goes toward purchasing more ingredients to continue baking. Pastor Blanca thanked her sister church, Ascensión, for supporting this project and for continuing to walk alongside the families and the community in multiple ways.

After the bakery presentation, the principal of the school next to the church noticed a group of foreigners visiting El Milagro de Dios Church. Thinking it was a group from Ascensión visiting, the teacher didn’t want to miss the opportunity to thank the Ascensión community for their help in building a small storage room for the school. This school originated on the church grounds. Over the years, with the increase in students, the government decided to purchase land next to the church and build the school. However, the construction of a small storage room wasn’t part of the original plans, even though they knew it was necessary. The Ascension delegation that visited El Milagro de Dios in August donated an offering to the school to begin construction of a small storage room. The school has been able to build the walls and hopes to raise funds for the roof this year, 2026. The teacher sent greetings and wanted to give thanks to the people of Ascension for their support. 

During the same week, I had the opportunity to speak with a pastor from Germany. We shared experiences with the ministries we serve. She was impressed by what Ascension as a Christian community is doing. She even asked me, “How does Ascension do it?” In November, I also had the opportunity to attend a pastors’ retreat, and one of my fellow pastors asked me the same question: “How does Ascension do it?” My answer to everyone was simple: “All of this is possible only through the work God is doing through all the members. Ascension is what it is because we have a membership that keeps its eyes on the renewing and hopeful light offered to us in the manger.” This identity allowed us to be chosen as the multicultural church where the presiding bishop of the national church recorded his Christmas message in our building.

Brothers and sisters, in this holiday season, I wanted to share this experience I had in November. The light of the manger continues to shine in the lives of others through the Ascension community. In our last council meeting Pastor Christ mentioned that when it is time to create a picture video presentation, it is hard to add all pictures with all the things that we do as a community. My hope is that seasons of gathering with family and friends, may the light of peace, love, joy, and hope continue to guide our lives. May that light help us in our weariness, free us from the anxieties of our past and present. May that light continue to renew us spiritually as we continue to respond to God’s call. 

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~ John 8:2

May the Peace, Love, Joy and Hope be with you and your family. Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

Pastor Edwin

Enjoying the Mess of Ministry

The Swedish Chef of Muppets fame was one of my favorite characters on the television show. First, because you could not understand a single thing he said because it was in “Swedish,” apparently. Second, because in every sketch where the Swedish chef made an appearance, he also made a mess. One of my favorite moments was when he would use a mixing bowl and add excessive amounts of flour and start stirring and the flour would fly out of the bowl and form clouds of flour dust that often resulted in a fine layer of flour on every surface including the Swedish chef.

As I was reflecting on 2025 and looking ahead to 2026, I found myself reliving a feeling I often experience at this time each year – overwhelmed. Some might know that word to be frightening as when the world gets to be “too much.” I have known that feeling also. Yet, at Ascension, to use the word “overwhelmed” is to lift up all that God is doing in us and through us in celebration and joy. I am often struck by what God is up to which causes me to marvel at the mission and ministry offered in and through all of you, the people of Ascension.

So perhaps it will come as no surprise that the Stewardship theme for 2026 is: “In the Mix in 2026!” Where are you “in the mix” at Ascension? Oh boy, this will go on for miles. I hope so. We all know ministry is messy. Some of our best ideas arrive in our messiest moments. Just ask anyone who sits too close during the children’s time in worship. As we consider our strategic plan for the next ten years of ministry at Ascension, I wonder where you might see yourself “in the mix?”

An elder member of the church called me the other day to offer some suggestions for the future. What I appreciated about the conversation is that this member offered a great moment of vision,  something that will fall right in line with our Arise 2035 vision, and I am not sure they even knew how excited I was to hear the idea. The conversation reminded me that everyone has a voice and a dream, regardless of age, if only, we are reminded that what we dream is worthy of God’s attention. So again, where are you “in the mix in 2026?”

How will God use you in the coming year? As we gather to vote on the budget for 2026 and bless the Arise 2035 vision to guide Ascension for the next ten years of ministry, where will you find a place to serve “in the mix” at Ascension? Worship? Of course. Prayer? Yes, please. Bible Study? I hope so. Communion server? Altar Guild? Choir? Council member? Habitat for Humanity? Hope Center? NAMI? Healing Hearts of Waukesha County? Hawthorne Elementary School tutor? Women’s Retreat? Young Adult ministry? Any one of those opportunities for ministry will answer God’s call on your life to get you “in the mix in 2026.”

We are in celebration mode here at Ascension. A time of thanksgiving for all that God has been up to over the past year, and all that God is preparing for us in the days ahead. The reception of new members on October 19th was a glorious moment in the life and ministry of Ascension – 37 new members – to be encouraged and nurtured in their new spiritual home while inspiring our community with their faithfulness and sharing their gifts for ministry among us all to the glory of God. An increase in giving, beyond imagination, in this moment in time. Where many churches are struggling to afford the basics of ministry, we are celebrating the generosity of this community – as long-time members are providing increases in their regular giving and new members to our community are committing to walk alongside Ascension in time and talent and resource providing for an increase in giving of more than $55,000 in the first three quarters of 2025.

Our budget for 2026 reflects an increase in revenue and expenses of more than 10%, which might cause me to pause in support, except for the fact that almost 7% of that revenue increase has already been realized in 2025 offering so far this year. Which means that our actual budget increase in 2026 is a small but mighty 3.4% or $30,000 give or take. 2026 Proposed budgets will be available beginning on Sunday, October 26th at the Welcome Center in the narthex. Pick one up and reflect with your church council about all the ways in which we serve God and our neighbor. If you have questions, we will gather for a budget listening session on Sunday, November 9th at 9:45 in the Hearth Room to review the line item budget and answer questions before our annual meeting of the congregation on Sunday, November 16th at 9:45am where we will also elect new church council members and bless the Arise 2035 Ten Year Vision for our church. 

Overwhelmed? Yes! To know this excitement in ministry as one of your pastors is a rare gift in these days of the church. Your generosity and faithfulness provide many opportunities for each of us to find our place “in the mix in 2026” and I cannot wait to see where God leads in the days ahead.

Dear friends, where will you find yourselves “in the mix in 2026?”

I can’t wait to find out! See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Thanks and Remembrance

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

November 1 marks All Saints Day in our life together as people of faith. We will observe it in worship the following day, on Sunday, Nov. 2. All Saints Day is a sacred occasion in the life of the Church, rooted in the ancient Christian tradition. It is a day to remember, honor, and celebrate the faithful who have gone before us—the saints who have lived, died, and passed on their legacy of faith; those whose lives have exemplified the grace and love of Jesus.
 
On this holy day, as many churches will remember those who have passed away in the last year, we also acknowledge that we are part of a great and unbroken communion of saints—a great cloud of witnesses, both living and departed, all bound together by the love of Christ.
 
The significance of All Saints Day lies in its reminder that our faith is both personal and communal. We run our individual race, but we do not run alone. We are inspired and sustained by the “great cloud of witnesses” who have shown us how to live faithfully. Their stories encourage us to persevere in our own struggles, and their lives serve as powerful examples to challenge and inspire us to embody God’s love in our world today.
 
But this day also invites us to reflect on our own legacy. How we are contributing to the ongoing story of God’s love in the world. Every person’s life has the potential to witness to the transformative power of God’s grace, and just as we honor all those saints who have shaped us, we too are called to live lives that bear witness to the gospel, for those around us and those who will come after us.

The arrival of November also means that the Thanksgiving holiday is almost here too. For many people this time of year is a reminder to reflect back on their lives and give thanks for all the wonderful blessings they’ve received.

Thanksgiving became official in the United States in 1863, and in his proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln made very clear whom we needed to thank. Lincoln said, “To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.” In other words, we all need to thank God for our many blessings.

From the beginning of the month when we thank God for the example of the saints and the saintly people in our lives, to the end of the month when we thank God for everything we have and everything we are, November is a time to approach God with a grateful heart.

My friends, we all have so much to be thankful for. I pray that each of us will take a moment to pause, reflect, and see all that God has blessed us with. And as we recognize these blessings, may we joyfully return our thanks to God.

Pastor Tony

Death Is Not the End

November has arrived, marking a time to remember our loved ones who have passed away and now rest in the eternal home prepared for them and for us. Early this month, we celebrate All Saints’ Sunday, which in the Latin American community is known as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). This vibrant celebration, held on November 1st and 2nd, is when families honor their dead by preparing La Ofrenda.

La Ofrenda is a beautiful altar where we place photographs of our loved ones, along with their favorite foods, drinks, and candy. We also incorporated other objects that were meaningful to them. The signature flower used in the decoration is the Cempasúchil, or Flor de Muerto (Flower of the Dead). While this flower is iconic in many places, it’s worth noting that it isn’t universal; many countries in the region simply use a variety of flowers.

The way Día de los Muertos is celebrated varies significantly. In El Salvador, for example, the focus on November 2nd is centered on the cemetery. I remember preparing towels, water, paint, candles, and flowers to take with us. Many times, I accompanied my mother to the cemetery to wash and paint the graves of my grandparents and other relatives. The main celebration in El Salvador, and in many other Latin American countries, takes place almost entirely at the gravesite, with families dedicating their time to decorating their loved ones’ resting places. When I moved to the United States, I realized that in Mexico, the Día de los Muertos traditions span both the cemetery and the home. In addition to visiting the graves, families prepare a complete Ofrenda at home.

In our Latino ministry, La Ofrenda is essential. We create an altar and invite families to contribute photographs, objects, food, and flowers. As we read their names, we thank God for the life they lived on earth and for welcoming them into the place He promised. This is a faith rooted in the hope expressed in John 14:2: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

Last year, my wife, my daughters, and I decided to establish our own family tradition by creating an Ofrenda in our house every year. We incorporated the traditional Cempasúchil flowers, other types of flowers, leaves, and even a pumpkin. This blending of elements is a way to honor the cultures of Mexico, El Salvador, and the United States within our home.

Brothers and sisters, for me La Ofrenda with the photographs of our beloved ones is more than a tradition; it is also a tradition that helps us remember that death is not the end of our journey. Though the grief may be heavy at first, we believe that death is in fact, the glorious beginning of a new and eternal life. While we are thankful for this promise every day, it is essential to have a special moment to honor those who have gone ahead of us. Furthermore, this enduring tradition allows us to continue sharing and teaching our community the powerful message that Jesus has set us free and given us the gift of salvation.

Pastor Edwin

Walk With Me

Earlier this year, a new song came across my Spotify app. The song is entitled, “Walk with Me.” The lyrics at the beginning go like this:              

Walk with me, Lord. Walk with me. Walk with me, Lord. Walk with me.
While I’m on this road, I don’t want to go alone. I want Jesus to walk with me.

The song goes on, but those are the words to carry us in the month of October and beyond. Some of you will no doubt recognize the same theme in one of our hymns in the red hymnal, “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me.” As a community of faith, we have organized our ministries into three areas: Worship, Grow, and Serve. After living with these three umbrellas for a season or two, those involved in the Serve area of ministry asked for some reconsideration of our branding for our third umbrella.

We have worked with intentionality and integrity to develop and design our ministries outside our walls to encompass the model of accompaniment – the idea of walking alongside our ministry partners instead of “bringing our ideas to their doors.” In earlier days, this area of ministry was called “Mission Outreach.” In the month of October, we are redefining and reforming our meaning and purpose once again to align our ministry with the important work of accompaniment. Those involved in the hands-on work of accompaniment asked us to consider rebranding this area of ministry under the umbrella of “Walk.” It makes sense. The renaming allows us to focus our ministries outside our walls on a parallel track alongside those who invite us to “walk” with them in our local, national, and global ministries.

As we look to the dreams of our Arise 2035, our Ten-Year Strategic Plan and Vision, your voice and your dreams for your church are important contributions to the days ahead. Beginning in October, you will have the opportunity to add your dreams to the “action items” on the posters in the narthex/lobby of the church. As you dream, consider sharing your ideas on those posters, so that we can offer the greatest imagination to the work God will lay before us in our future.

The hymn in the red hymnal begins with these words:

I want Jesus to walk with me. I want Jesus to walk with me.
All along my pilgrim journey. I want Jesus to walk with me.

I believe that is all any of us ever want in this life. I, for one, am happy to have each of you to walk alongside me on this journey of faith and life. To God be the glory.

See you in church,

Pastor Chris

This Spooky Season, Do Not Be Afraid

Lately I’ve been noticing that people have started to decorate their houses and yards for Halloween. Which coincidently prompted my wife to ask if I want to put ours up this coming weekend. “Okay, sure” (thanks-a-lot, over-achiever neighbors). The decorations people choose run the spectrum from cute and silly to absolutely grotesque and terrifying. There was a time long ago that I enjoyed looking at scary decorations and doing things like going to haunted houses, but these days I think we have more than enough going on in our world and in our lives that causes us to be afraid and I for one don’t have any desire to add one more.

Do not be afraid. Over and over, we hear those words spoken in the scriptures. The first time is to Abram when God comes to reaffirm a promise that Abram fears might never be fulfilled. Those words are spoken to Hagar as she seeks shelter and sustenance in the wilderness for her and her son, Ishmael. The words are spoken to Isaac, and to Joseph, to Moses, to Samuel, to David, to Mary and Joseph, and to so many others.

Often those words are spoken by angels, and if the Biblical description of angels having six wings, four faces, hundreds of eyes, or just being engulfed in flames can be believed, then a calming word was probably necessary. Sometimes the words are spoken by prophets seeking to comfort the people in the middle of trying times. Jesus says those words more than a few times to disciples who are overwhelmed by and underprepared for the work ahead of them. Do not be afraid.

The truth is, we all have reason to be afraid from time to time. These are trying times in which we live, and I often find myself feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of hurt in the world and underprepared to do much to change it. Sometimes, perhaps more often than I’d care to admit, I am afraid. And I need to be reminded – sometimes gently, sometimes firmly – do not be afraid.

But I do not believe that these words mean that we should never feel fear. Rather, I think they serve as a reminder to not let fear be our guiding principle. Do not be afraid means that we should not let fear be what drives our decisions. We cannot let fear change who God made us to be. We cannot let fear deter us from doing what God has created us to do.

Do not be afraid. Fear is a powerful manipulator. There are those who would capitalize on our fear as a way of turning us against our sisters and brothers who look, love, and live in ways that seem different to us. And there are even some who would use fear as a weapon to divide and destroy and dehumanize. But that’s not who we were made to be.

The voice of Jesus still calls out to us, urging us “do not be afraid.” We were made to be in relationship – with God and with one another. So may your fears be calmed, and your faith strengthened. May you trust in the One who calls you by name. And may you follow the example of Jesus, who took every opportunity to cast fear aside by drawing closer to the other.

Pastor Tony