My Favorite Story

For a time, in church, I must have used an opening line one too many times. At the beginning of one sermon too many, I began with the words, “this is my favorite story in the Bible.” Now if you do not find yourself in worship each Sunday and you happen to miss a sermon or two – how could you possibly know I used that line to begin an earlier sermon? But one young man, listening to my opening line for apparently the fourth time in a row, leaned over to his mom and said, “they can’t all be his favorite stories, can they?” Touché.

Perhaps every Bible story I have come to love as a favorite says less about the degree of favoritism and more about my love for the overarching story of God’s love for us and the ways I find each “favorite” story weaves into our lives at one moment or another. This is also true of the season of Lent. The “story” of Lent is a journey of faith. As children of God, we remember we are loved. As disciples of Jesus, we hear the call to follow. In the season of Lent, both, should be easier for us to be and do. 

It is certainly easy enough for us in Lent. Over the past couple of weeks and into the next several weeks, we will hear stories of Jesus being tempted; of a doubter struggling to believe; of a woman at a well finding forgiveness and faith; of a man born blind being healed; of a dead man come back to life; and a procession to welcome a Savior. All are stories we children of God; disciples of Jesus are hungry to hear and know in our own lives. Whether we are hearing these stories for the first time or the fortieth time in a fresh way. Still the Word of God speaks to us – our hurts, our hearts, and our hope.

Each of us walks this road of Lent – each of us chooses how closely we follow the footsteps of our Savior. At Ascension there are multiple opportunities to enrich your journey. On Wednesday nights, more than 140 will gather each week for soup at 6pm and worship from 6:45-7:15 p.m. On Thursdays, there is an hour book study entitled “The Message of Jesus” at 10:30 a.m. and a 30-minute worship with communion from 11:30am-12:00pm. JOLT and CRASH will share in their annual Shop and Serve Event on March 1st beginning at 4pm. The Chosen Video Series continues on Monday mornings and evenings. A Lenten Prayer Devotional Packet is available to mark each day of the season of Lent. You can pick one up at the Welcome Center. First Communion classes begin in March and New Member conversations will take place inviting visitors to consider making Ascension their spiritual home. And before we know it, Holy Week will be upon us with Palm Sunday announcing the arrival of our Savior into the holy city. And what an entry it will be. Palm branches and shouts of “hosanna” will fill the air. We will find ourselves in an upper room for a meal with friends and center ourselves with prayers in a garden. We will remember the arrest and humiliation of our Savior and follow his slow and difficult footsteps to the foot of the cross.

How will we find the rhythm of our steps to follow Jesus in this season? God invites us to follow. We only need listen to the One who calls our name. We are “beloved.” Wherever we have wandered, still God calls us home.

See you on the road.

Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the March 2026 newsletter

Season of Love

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

In a world where injustice, hatred, discrimination, and division continue to cause pain and death among humanity, we, the children of light, are called to show to the world that our light provides us with hope, peace, joy, and love. Considering that we are entering the season of love, I want to take this opportunity to focus my article on that this month. As children of light, the practice of love is one of our qualities that tells the world who we are and how we identify ourselves to others.

The decorative season of Christmas, New Year’s, and Epiphany is now behind us. Now, we find ourselves in a time when we are reminded of the importance of practicing love. Stores are filled with decorations and items, and the barrage of advertisements on TV and social media is constant to remind us of the season and encourage our consumerism. In the Bible, the children of light are also reminded and called to practice love in their daily lives. Texts such as:

  • “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34
  • “I have loved you with an everlasting love;I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
  • “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:18
  • “Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8
  • “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
  • “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:14
  • “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10
  • “And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2
  • “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another.” John 3:11
  • “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15

When I attended the Youth Gathering in New Orleans, I had the opportunity to get an Old Lutheran sweatshirt. Old Lutheran is a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening, educating, and helping our brothers and sisters around the world. What caught my attention on the sweatshirt were the words: Love God. Love People. The End. We Christians are called to Love God, Love People. The practice of love is how we will counteract the darkness promoted among us. We, the children of light, are called to be the difference and a clear example of Jesus’ presence in the world. We, the children of light, are called to listen to our God revealed in the person of Jesus. If the world wants to tell us to hate, to discriminate and to oppress others, we the children of the light are called to follow what God commands us.

AMA DIOS. AMA GENTE. EL FIN —LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE. THE END.

Pastor Edwin Aparicio

Living the Good Samaritan’s Call

We recently heard the familiar Gospel story of “The Good Samaritan” during a Sunday reading. Jesus recounted:

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” Jesus then asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

This powerful parable serves as a timeless reminder of God’s constant call to us: to be merciful to one another. This call continues to resonate deeply within our Christian community today.

We’ve seen this call answered in inspiring ways recently. In April, our CRASH students held a community service event at Hope Center. They rose early to prepare and serve breakfast to over 40 people. After their service, during a 10-minute reflection, the students eagerly asked about the possibility of another summer community service. Their enthusiasm led to our first summer service event, where Grandpa Art even joined us, preparing his delicious cookies with the students! Together, the students fed over 60 people, embodying the very spirit of the Good Samaritan.

Another deeply moving experience came last month when I received a call from a man in our Spanish ministry. It was news that filled me with joy, making me exclaim, “Thanks be to God!” As you might imagine, I try to stay on top of all calls from our Latino ministry families. When my phone rings with one of those numbers, I often close my eyes and pray that the call isn’t related to ICE. But this call was different. The man simply wanted to make plans to take lunch to someone sleeping under a bridge. He had just left church on a Sunday and was eager to put compassion into practice.

Jesus consistently calls us to practice compassion, regardless of who the person in need might be. Their appearance, beliefs, background, social status, or even their past should never be barriers. We are called to extend compassion to everyone whose humanity is in distress.

Like the priest and the Levite in the parable, it’s easy to let our own busyness, anxieties, prejudices, or even our established religious routines prevent us from seeing and responding to human suffering. Jesus urges us to break down these internal barriers. He calls us to actively seek opportunities to serve with love, rather than looking the other way. The Good Samaritan didn’t just feel pity; he acted, getting directly involved. This is the very essence of Christian love. It’s not passive empathy; it’s active and practical compassion. It means being willing to be uncomfortable, to step outside our comfort zones, and sometimes even to sacrifice our own resources and time for the sake of others.

Brothers and sisters, we live in a world where wars, natural disasters, poverty, injustice, and loneliness can feel overwhelming. Yet, the parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us that our calling often begins with the individual right in front of us, or with a need within our own communities that we can directly address. It could be a homeless person on the street, a struggling family down the street, an elderly neighbor in need, a friend battling a hidden illness, or communities facing persecution.

How can you “go and do likewise” in your own life today?

Pastor Edwin