Pastor's Corner

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The grace of our risen Savior, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

This Sunday, we observe the great Feast of the Ascension. Don't overlook this often forgotten feast! In these anxious times, the ascension of our Lord stands as a powerful reminder. It shapes our hope, faith, and mission as believers.

One of the striking features of St. Luke’s Gospel and the book of Acts is the centrality of the ascension. Luke ends his Gospel there, and he begins Acts there. He wants us to see that the Ascension is not an afterthought. It matters. It helps explain how a fearful, confused, and rather disorganized band of disciples became a people ready to bear witness to Christ.

And the disciples really were afraid. They had seen the death of Jesus. Even after His resurrection, they still did not know what the future would look like. They still asked anxious questions. We know something about that ourselves. We know what it is to worry about the future, to feel unsettled by change, to wonder what lies ahead for the Church, for our families, even for a congregation we love.

But our Lord does not leave His people in fear. He comes to them, eats with them, and opens the Scriptures. He sends them out to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. And He promises power from on high, the Holy Spirit, so that fearful disciples may become faithful witnesses.

That is good news for us at St. Peter’s. The ascended Christ has not withdrawn from His Church. He reigns for her good. He still speaks, gives His gifts, and strengthens His people. And so we need not live by fear. We can live in hope, in prayer, and in confidence that the risen and ascended Lord is still with us.

Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!



In Christ,

Pastor Danny