We had a fabulous Palm Sunday Service Yesterday to begin Holy Week! Services are every night this week at 7pm! (Except Good Friday which is at noon).

Be sure to bring your eggs for stuffing following the 10:30am service tomorrow! We are in desperate need of more donations for our Easter Egg Hunt. Our Easter Egg hunt is is 10:15am on Easter Sunday morning.

Join us for Formation this Sunday, Palm Sunday, in the Parish Hall as we look at the Messy Politics of Jesus (Part 2!)

Grief as a Spiritual Practice is THIS Sunday at 5pm Find out more, register and view the extended interview here: https://conta.cc/3VsPFjl

Ascension 101 is tomorrow night at 6pm! Find out more and register here: https://www.knoxvilleascension.org/#Ascension101 New to the Episcopal Church or Ascension? Join Ascension 101, a monthly series exploring Episcopal liturgy, history, scripture engagement, caring for one another, and practicing faith. Grow with us as a parish, increasing awareness of Christ's call and deepening our focus on God.

Ragan Schriver Celtic Service March 2024

Holy Week and Easter Sunday are coming fast! Palm Sunday is THIS Sunday and we have offerings every night in Holy Week at 7pm (except Good Friday which is at 12 Noon). Easter Sunday's Services will be at 6:30am, 7:30am, 9am and 11:15am.

The Altar Greens are given to the glory of God and in Thanksgiving for our Ascension Choirs, and the many ways they lead us in prayer and worship. They are also given to the glory of God and in Thanksgiving for my children and grandchildren and the Church of the Ascension by Mary Ellen and Bob Bohm

Billy Daniel Homily | March 17th 2024 | Lent 5b

This month's Celtic service will celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick of Ireland. Worship in the Celtic tradition in this service of candle-lighting, poetry, collective prayer, and meditative music. The evening's reflection will be given by Ragan Schriver.

Agape Meal Promo

Lenten Practices - Engaging With God Everywhere Pastoral Message

The Altar Greens are given to the glory of God and in Thanksgiving for all public servants and the many ways they offer their lives for the well-being of our community.

Alexander Thomas Homily Lent 4 March 10th, 2024

The Altar Greens are given to the glory of God and with gratitude for our bell ringer fellowship in Ascension's handbell ensemble by Denise and Russ Van Patten.

Lenten Practices: Co-Creating Time With God Pastoral Message with Fr Billy

Make plans to come to the concert given by the Parish Choir THIS Sunday, March 10th, at 5 pm. On the program will be the Requiem by Herbert Howells, the Missa Brevis by Benjamin Britten, and the Little Jazz Mass by Bob Chilcott, accompanied by keyboard, double bass, and drum kit.

Thank you to ALL who helped with the Work Day Clean Up on Saturday! We had around 50 volunteers come out and clean inside and outside the Church AND bring food for a potluck.

Billy Daniel Homily March 3rd 2024 Lent 3

Join us in room 211 in the children's wing for an egg-stuffing egg-stravanganza! Following the 10:30 service Sunday, March 24. Contact Rachel Thomas if you can join.

Dear Friends and Fellow Parishioners, "God, help us learn the spiritual gift of packing light; filling our physical and proverbial suitcases with lightheartedness and joy..." — Julia Chester Emery, UTO Founder. The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) and Church of the Ascension invite you to embrace the gift of packing light and to dive deeper spiritually through Lent. By participating in the national United Thank Offering (UTO) outreach, you engage in a personal practice of gratitude, focusing on the daily gifts of God’s abundance. UTO dedicates 100 percent of its contributions to the mission and ministry efforts of the Episcopal Church. It combines gifts from parishes across each diocese in the country to make significant distributions. Letters were mailed, or you can give online for Ascension’s 2024 UTO Ingathering. We thank you for continuing this unique UTO outreach practice of gratefulness. Palm Sunday, March 24 | United Thank Offering Ingathering

Our Church Wide Cleaning Day is Saturday 9am-2pm!

Bo Townsend Homily | Lent 2 | February 25th 2024

The Practice of Empathy and Lent: To See as God Sees �Historically, the season of Lent was a 40-day period of self-denial that was thought to cleanse soon-to-be Christians of their earthly desires so they could focus on more spiritual goals. The practice of empathy can also release us from a narrow focus on self and broaden our vision of the world. Join us every Wednesday in Lent for a fast-paced trip through the Scriptures, evolutionary biology, and contemporary American culture. This Lenten journey also includes time for self-reflection, conversation, and prayer. The practice of empathy is not what you think, but it may be just what you need.� This will be offered by Jeff Vomund.

Walking the Way of Healing with Jesus will be Tuesday, February 27 at 4:00pm in the library. This is a time of reading and reflecting on one of the accounts of a healing by Jesus, followed by a time of praying in faith for healing for ourselves and others.

The Altar Greens are given to the glory of God and with gratitude for our bell ringer fellowship in Ascension's handbell ensemble by Denise and Russ Van Patten.

Please join us for the inaugural golf tournament benefiting Grace Point Camp and Retreat Center. This event is raising money for the recent construction of a beautiful retreat center and new cabins at Grace Point. Hit the Greens for Grace Point is on Monday, July 8th from 8am - 1pm. Please have registrations by June 15th, 2024. Individual registration is $150 per person. Team registration is $560. Register and find more at www.knoxvilleascension.org/golf

The Love Your Neighbor campaign is wrapping up so our banner will be going down this weekend. We can also remember to Love event outside of this month, #LoveYourNeighborKnox Ascension joined with many other houses of worship this month including: Ebenezer UMC Middlebrook Pike UMC Knoxville First Seventh-Day Adventist Church Heska Amuna Synagogue Church Street UMC Episcopal Church of the Ascension Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd First Church Knox First Church of Christ, Scientist Laurel Church of Christ Second Presbyterian Church Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian St. George Greek Orthodox Church St. John's Episcopal Cathedral Temple Beth El Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church United Church, Chapel on the Hill

Ascension 101 meets tonight! Join Fr Christopher for a look at Episcopal History. New to the Episcopal Church or Ascension? Join Ascension 101, a monthly series exploring Episcopal liturgy, history, scripture engagement, caring for one another, and practicing faith. Grow with us as a parish, increasing awareness of Christ's call and deepening our focus on God. Register at www.knoxvilleascension.org/#Ascension101

Lenten Practices - Ten Ways to Love Pastoral Message with Fr Billy

The Altar Greens are given to the Glory of God and in celebration and thanksgiving of Jeanie Davis, Sabra Martin and all the members of the Flower Guild by Francie Elrod.

Monika Miller Celtic Service February 2024

A Service of Prayer and Holy Eucharist, Tuesday, February 20 at 6:00pm Join us in the chapel for this peaceful service of Godly restoration and healing of the family from inherited traumas, sins and illnesses.

Ash Wednesday Homily 2024 Billy Daniel

The Season of Lent is upon us! In preparation for our Formation Offering this Sunday in the Parish Hall on "What Is Lent?" Check out this podcast episode: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ascensioncast/episodes/What-is-Lent-e2fscrq

Thank you for all who helped set up, donate and make Mardi Gras happen! We were able to raise over $30,000 for Ascension's Outreach Ministries this year. This money will go towards Justice Knox, FISH and Family Promise. The Silent Auction was run by ECW with over $4,000 raised for their ministries. Thank you to all who made this possible!

Join Ascension for the Daily Office during Lent! We pray every Monday through Friday at 7am and 5:45pm at the Church or on Zoom. Find out more at www.knoxvilleascension.org/dailyprayer

We have one more Ash Wednesday Service tonight at 7pm! Come and join us in the service or on our live stream.

Some pictures from our Mardi Gras celebration last night! Ascension's Mardi Gras helps raise money for our Outreach Ministries including ECW, FISH, Family Promise, Justice Knox and more. More pictures and updates to come!

🌿✨ Ash Wednesday Services ✨🌿 @KnoxvilleAscension Swipe ➡️ for service times & details! 🕖 7 AM | 🕛 NOON | 🕖 7 PM (with Choir 🎶) This Ash Wednesday, step into a season of reflection and renewal with us. Whether you're seeking a moment of peace to start your day, a midday spiritual pause, or an evening of worship accompanied by our beautiful choir, we have a service for you. 🌟 The 7 PM service will be graced by the harmonious voices of our choir and shared with our wider community through a livestream. 🌟 Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you're welcome here. Let's embrace the path to Easter together. 🕊️ 🔗 Livestream link at www.knoxvilleascension.org! #AshWednesday #LentSeason #EpiscopalChurch #Ascension #Choir #Livestream #SpiritualJourney #Reflection #Renewal

Reserve your spot for Ascension’s 2024 Mardi Gras celebration, on Tuesday, February 13th , from 6:00-9:00 PM!* Come experience the crowning of a Mardi Gras King and Queen, a children’s parade, music, lots of food from Lakeside Tavern, a live and silent auction, and one of the best parties in the area! This event will be a success ONLY if you participate by attending and donating an auction item. We are asking all participants to donate based on what they can afford (suggested donation of $20.00 per person or $50.00 per family for the dinner and festivities). All proceeds fund Ascension’s community outreach endeavors. Please reserve your spot, so that we may have an accurate headcount for those attending. Till then, laissez le bon temps rouler (Let the good times roll)!! *Childcare is provided. Please specify Childcare in the memo field.

Rachel Thomas Homily | February 11th, 2024 | Last Sunday After the Epiphany | Church of the Ascension Knoxville, TN

All Possible Possibilities of God Pastoral Message with Fr Billy

Mark your calendars for Ash Wednesday! We will be holding Ash Wednesday services at 7am, 12 Noon and 7pm. All are welcome.

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God, and in Thanksgiving for all who seek justice through kindness, for all who listen generously to the poor, who fight to free prisoners, who give sight to the blind, and who comfort the oppressed.

Ascension hosted an Annual Justice Luncheon on Sunday! Our Justice leadership team said this: Ascension’s first Justice Sunday was very special. The service included music about our call to work for justice and Father Billy’s sermon led us to realize that loving and serving our neighbors heals us. After church, 56 people enjoyed lunch and a lively discussion about justice and mercy and our participation in Justice Knox. We hope Justice Sunday becomes an annual event at Church of the Ascension!

Billy Daniel Homily | February 4th, 2024 | Epiphany 5 | Church of the Ascension Knoxville, TN

What does it look like to follow Jesus as resident aliens (1 Peter 2:11) in Knoxville and its surrounding communities? What does it mean to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8)? Who are we, the people of Ascension, called to be as witnesses to God’s unconditional love for creation? Join us for our first annual Justice Sunday, Lunch & Dialogue, hosted by your Ascension Justice Ministry Team, on Sunday, February 4, 2024, immediately following the 10:30AM service. This will be the first annual Justice Sunday in Ascension, and an important step toward living into our baptismal commitments to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ, seek and serve Christ in all persons, and respect the dignity of every human being.

Some pictures from our ECW who helped provide headphones to a school in need here in Knoxville. Our February ECW meeting is set for Tuesday, February 6, with our business meeting starting at 11:30 and the program set for 12:00 noon. (Please note the change in the usual day of the month.) Because of illness, Robert Booker, well-known author and News Sentinel columnist, who was scheduled to speak will not be available for our meeting. We are very fortunate to have as his replacement Briana Flanagan, who is the primary archivist for the Beck Cultural Exchange Center. Briana will be speaking on the vast community resource of over 50,000 objects at the Center representing Knoxville’s Black history and culture, spanning over 200 years. Please bring your lunch. Beverages and dessert will be provided by your ECW board members. No RSVP required. All women in the church are welcome to attend.

Ascension is blessed to be a family-friendly church with so many amazing families who serve! Are you looking for a church to serve in? Many of our children volunteer in our acolyte ministry.

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in thankful celebration of 66 years together in marriage by Jim and Ann Lamb. They are also given in celebration of our 54th wedding anniversary by Jeannine and Paul Weeks.

Alexander Thomas Homily | January 28 2024 | Epiphany 4 | Church of the Ascension Knoxville, TN

Ascension's heat is fixed!!!! Come experience the newly-comfortable climate for yourself this Sunday!

New to the Episcopal Church or Ascension? Join Ascension 101, a monthly series exploring Episcopal liturgy, history, scripture engagement, caring for one another, and practicing faith. Grow with us as a parish, increasing awareness of Christ's call and deepening our focus on God. Every 4th Thursday starting tonight! 5 Sessions January 25: We Are Our Movements February 22: Episcopal History March 28: Reading Scripture April 25: Our Care for Each Other May 23: The Faith We Practice Register at https://www.knoxvilleascension.org/#Ascension101

Join us tonight at 6:30pm for New Path Through the Old Testament led by Ragan Schriver. We have two remaining sessions together, where we learn about different ways to read, and understand the historical and literary aspects of the Hebrew Bible, commonly known as the old testament. After our initial overarching discussion, we will look at the Torah, the prophets, and the psalms. This will be an interesting time to look at all the different literary styles and historical influences on our sacred scripture.

The Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God and in Thanksgiving for all who brave the storms of life to help those in need of warmth and relief.

On January 21st we celebrated the baptism of Fredrick Charles Witmore Vittetoe, son of Melissa and William Vittetoe. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon this your servant the forgiveness of sin, and have raised him to the new life of grace. Sustain him, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give him an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.

Christopher Hogin Homily January 21 2024

Winter Update and Services Tomorrow Bulletins and Livestream at www.knoxvilleascension.org

Church grounds are cleared and salted! We WILL be having the 8am and 1030am services tomorrow. Formation, nursery and the evening Celtic Service are cancelled.

Schedule Updates for Sunday, January 21 Sunday Morning Services at 8:00am & 10:30am will continue as normal. Formation for all ages, including nursery care, is cancelled. Celtic Service is cancelled. The Ministry Leadership Lunch is cancelled. Youth Group is still planning to meet Sunday night as scheduled. We will update if there are any changes. Offices Hours on Monday, January 22, are expected to resume as normal. Stay tuned for further updates.

Snowy church grounds!

The parish office will be closed on Thursday, January 18 due to weather conditions. All meetings and activities are also canceled for Thursday. We will communicate any further updates to the schedule via email. To receive text message updates, text "Start" to 865-800-8119. Sunday services and formation groups will carry on as normal, barring anything unexpected. Stay safe, everyone!

The offices will be closed and all activities are cancelled on Wednesday, January 17. Check back for more information regarding weather related closures and cancellations.

The altar flowers are given to the Glory of God and in Thanksgiving for all who seek justice and serve the public good

The parish office will be closed on Tuesday, January 16 due to weather. All meetings and activities are canceled for Tuesday as well. We will communicate any further updates to the schedule via email. To receive text message updates, text "Start" to 865-800-8119. Stay safe, and enjoy the winter slowdown!

Billy Daniel Homily January 14th 2024

Fr Bo and others getting some new trees planted! There is 1 dogwood, 5 maple sugar, 5 maple red, 3 allee elm, 8 oak trees, and 3 magnolias. Thanks to a generous grant from the Ascension Endowment Committee, we will be re-foresting the area where we lost three large oaks recently from the tornado, as well as many others in the past. After some discussion with landscape architects, it made sense that the area in the front of the church property, which has never been considered viable for much of anything, to be an area to reforest. Below the labyrinth is a similar situation. The trees to be planted here will help manage cost and environmental impact of lawn maintenance. Trees help with erosion, wildlife, and aesthetics, as well as the air we breathe, and, given the size of the trees we are planting, we will see an immediate effect and a benefit for generations to come.

Seeing Possibilities - Pastoral Message

Yesterday we celebrated the baptism of Josephine Inez Meyer, daughter of Mary and Greg Meyer. May we remember her all in our prayers.

Billy Daniel Homily January 7th 2024

Our January 9, 2023, ECW meeting will be held in our Parish Hall at 11:30 am. We’ll have a really special opportunity to hear from Laura Miller, Ascension Church member’s Kathy Ambrose’s daughter, about her new book “Take Root,” exploring the meaning of all eight Beatitudes. We’ll also be planning Ascension’s decorations for Mardi Gras and for the Mardi Gras silent auction. Mardi Gras is coming up on February 13th! Please bring your lunch. Your ECW board team will provide drinks and dessert. All women in the church at invited! No reservations are required.

The doors are marked for Epiphany! Be sure to join us tonight at 6pm for our 12 Night Festival. On the doors are written Christus Mansionem Benedictat, which means “May Christ bless this house.”

Formation Resumes THIS Sunday and Wednesday Night!

GOD IS MAKING US NEW Pastoral Message with Fr Billy

Make plans to attend the Festival Eucharist for the eve of Epiphany on Friday, January 5th, at 6pm. The Parish Choir will sing carols of Appalachia for this Twelfth Night service

Several more volunteers are needed to support our Family Promise week at Ascension from January 7-14. YOU CAN HELP with supplying part of a meal, doing a bag of laundry, or spending the night at Ascension. Comment below if you can help!

Christopher Hogin Homily January 1st 2024

Christmas Eve Homily 10:30pm 2023 Billy Daniel

Why Does the Incarnation Matter?

The Altar Greens are given to the Glory of God and in Thanksgiving for the many people who stand as witnesses to human grief and suffering in this world, so that trauma is released, transcended, and transformed, giving way to renewal, reorientation, and realignment in Spirit

You Can Never Trust God Too Much

We are so thankful for our amazing Flower Guild for working hard all week on these amazing Christmas Flowers! Join us Christmas Eve at 9am, 5pm, 8:00pm or 10:30pm or Christmas Day at 9am to see all these flowers!

🎄✨ Celebrating the Joy of Christmas! ✨🎄 A big round of applause for our little stars in the Ascension's Christmas Pageant! From angels to shepherds, each child brought the story of Christmas to life with their charm and enthusiasm. Swipe to see these adorable moments! Their performances filled our hearts with the true spirit of the season. Thank you to everyone who supported this magical event. Wishing you all a merry and blessed Christmas! #ChristmasPageant #knoxvilleascension #FestiveSeason #KidsInCostumes

Join us for our Christmas celebrations! Our Christmas Eve Services are at 5pm, 8:00pm and 10:30pm

On the third Sunday of Advent, known as "Gaudete" or Rejoice Sunday, we light the pink candle. "O God, As we faithfully await the birth of your son, Jesus, Let us be glad and rejoice. In our families and our schools and in our lives, Help us to share the joy of Christ's love with others. Amen."

Our monthly Celtic Service is full of spiritual practice from lighting candles, to sitting quietly, guided meditation, listening to scripture and a reflection, collective prayer, Communion, and listening to moving, Spirit-filled music. This month's reflection will be given by Carrie DeMartini who recently returned from Scotland where he led a group in exploring Celtic spirituality. The service begins at 5:00pm. All are welcome and come as you are!

On December 15th we celebrate the Rev. SuZanne Seavey and her 33 years of ordained ministry!

The Altar Greens are given to Glory of God and in Thanksgiving for all of our ministry leaders in Ascension, especially our Wardens, Vestry, and Parish Staff by Fr. Billy and Amanda Daniel.

The Rev. Christopher Hogin, Associate Rector for Pastoral Care at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Knoxville, has agreed to serve as the Secretary of Convention for the 40th annual diocesan convention. His work as Secretary of Convention plays a critical role in ensuring a healthy process and the engagement of all the various committees and bodies involved in diocesan governance. In his capacity as the Secretary of Convention, he may be reached at secretary@dioet.org. Please be advised that his in-office hours at the diocesan house are limited, and thus initial inquiries are best suited to email.

This week we set out a White Rose to celebrate the birth of Mary Michael Hale, born on Dec. 3. Daughter of Andrew & Morgan Hale. Granddaughter of Terri & Tom Hale

Grace-filled Christmas Service For most of us, this is a season of great joy as we approach Christmas Day. But it can be particularly challenging for many who have suffered loss and experience grief during this time. On Wednesday, December 13th at 5:30 p.m., the Stephen Ministry group will offer a service entitled A Grace-Filled Christmas. It is a time where all people can experience the holiness of the season in a quiet, contemplative manner that both affirms the dignity of those who struggle during the holiday season, while at the same time emphasizes hope and light. The service will be held in the Chapel with Eucharist. We encourage anyone who is struggling with grief or loss during this holiday season to attend this special service.

Christmas is Coming! Celebrating the Incarnation

Ascension is blessed to have so many wonderful volunteers and people who serve!

Billy Daniel Homily - December 10th 2023 - Advent 2

Join us for Breathing Under the Stained Glass this Sunday, December 10, 5PM. #breathe

Christmas flower dedications are now available online here www.knoxvilleascension.org/#flowers! The Christmas Eve service leaflet will feature a listing of all those who have given donations to the Christmas flowers; to have your name included, please register for this "event" and write your dedication when prompted. Dedications can be given for any dollar amount. The deadline for dedications in December 18th.