In this commemorative worship service, we listened to historic sermons from John Winthrop, John Witherspoon, Martin Luther King Jr., and Billy Graham, while singing enduring hymns that have shaped the faith of generations of Americans. Together, we were reminded that while history changes, the gospel remains the same, drawing us to the Lord’s Table.

Jesus doesn’t simply call us to be joyful—he gives us his own joy as a gift. This is the joy our hearts long for and the joy that makes us like him, as we live under his love. When we stop keeping Jesus at the edges of our lives, stop striving to earn his love, and simply receive it, we discover the fullness of life and joy found only in him.

The depth of our Christianity is measured by our depth of love. Canon Jonathan opens the Song of Solomon, a book treasured throughout Christian history for telling the great love story between God and his people. We find such love provokes an inner hesitation we can all relate to, that of shame at our unworthiness. But God assures us of our loveliness and leads us into relationship with him.

The miracle of Jesus in which Peter walks on the water, and all that follows, are meant to teach us about our God: when the Lord summons us out onto the sea, whether we stand or sink, he is with us as our savior. There will be moments when we stand and moments when we sink. We need him in both, and he comes to us immediately to meet that need.

When Jesus called Matthew at the tax booth, Matthew immediately left it all to follow him. Why? Because in Jesus’ eyes, Matthew found not contempt but affection. As Jesus went to Matthew’s house to share a meal with him—even in his brokenness—so he invites us to come to his table despite our brokenness. Here, we find the affection of Jesus changes and heals us.

On Trinity Sunday, Canon Travis reminds us that God has always been moving toward us. When God rested after creation, he was not withdrawing but taking up residence with his creation. In Jesus’ ascension, we see the same promise fulfilled: Jesus did not leave us alone. He reigns as king and dwells with us through the Holy Spirit. From creation to ascension to right now, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit come to make a home for us.

On Pentecost, Bishop Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit awakens faith, fills believers, and faithfully continues to help, advocate for, and counsel us today. While the Spirit fills all who profess Christ, we must take care not to ignore or quench his work in our lives. At Pentecost, the Spirit gave believers languages of other nations, turning their hearts outward as witnesses. The same Spirit remains active and faithful today. Pentecost continues, and the promise is still for us.

The mission is too big, the message is too hard, and we are too weak to accomplish it on our own. In a world centered on self, the call to repentance and salvation can feel uncomfortable. Yet Jesus did not leave his disciples alone. The Ascension means that he is not absent, but completely available to the Church he sends on mission. The Lord who sends us, goes with us, gives us everything we need for the mission. And the image of the Ascending Lord shows us that this promise is guaranteed.

Jesus tells us that spiritual growth cannot be engineered—it only comes through abiding in him. The same inexhaustible love the Father has for Jesus is poured on us. And as we abide in that love, even seasons of pruning lead to the joyous result of deeper fellowship with him and fruitfulness in him. May we remain in Jesus and remember that the Christian life never moves beyond him.

In John 13–14, Jesus speaks to troubled hearts facing confusion, betrayal, and uncertainty. Though the disciples don’t understand what God is doing or their place in it, Jesus calls them to trust him as the way, the truth, and the life. Our comfort is not found in a slogan or strategy, but a person. As we abide in Jesus, we are rooted in what is true, and we find the good, abundant life—our only comfort in life and death.