Episcopal Church of the Ascension - Vestavia Hills, AL

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost, August 9, 2026

Old Testament Lesson: 1 Kings 19:9-18

Psalm: Psalm 85:8-13

New Testament Lesson/Epistle: Romans 10:5-15

Gospel: Matthew 14:22-33

Sermon: "Jesus has promised to be truly and deeply with us in everything we go through in life. Our job is simply to trust that this will be true." The Reverend Emily C. Collette

Click Here for a Transcript of Emily's Sermon

The Loaves and the Fishes!

"Jesus does not ask us to bring a perfect version of ourselves to the table…The version of you that showed up this morning is the version Jesus wants to bless."

Find Sermon Transcripts Here: http://bit.ly/4w0gSsp

Find Bulletins with Sunday's Lessons & Gospel Here: https://bit.ly/3RG4D6l

On the Road Again | Episode 5 | What is Happening at Communion?

What's actually happening when we take communion? Emily sits down with Ashley Monachelli, Director of Family Ministries at Ascension, to unpack the Eucharist — its ancient roots, the meaning behind the words and gestures at the altar, and why Episcopalians hold to the "real presence" of Christ rather than transubstantiation or simple memorial. They also talk through practical questions parents often ask: when kids can start receiving communion, the difference between the common cup and intinction, and what it means to receive a blessing instead.

Intro and outro music: "Fiddle String" by Francie Roy Williams, courtesy of Epidemic Sound.

"Until we turn on the news and see the world around us mirroring exactly the one we read about in scripture, the one that we pray for every Sunday in the Lord’s Prayer, there is still much work for us to do."

In Matthew 13;24-30, 36-43, we get a rare glimpse of Jesus explaining his parable to us. Jesus tells the crowd about a farmer sowing wheat, while his enemy follows and sows weeds among the wheat. The Farmer allows both to grow simultaneously, then separates them at harvest time. Have a listen to the Reverend Emily Collette's sermon on God's pursuit of us and invitation to do Holy work with God.

Click here for the Sermon transcript

On this episode of "On the Road Again," Emily and Jack to discuss the difference between spirituality and religion, and the purpose of being in a Christian community. Jack and Emily suggest that people drift from organized religion due to hypocrisy or institutional harm, but argue that true spirituality still relies on community, as God's own nature (and humanity's design) is inherently communal. Flipping the question, they discuss how religion can lose its spiritual core when it becomes a tool for power and self-righteousness, as seen with the Pharisees. Ultimately, they argue church membership matters because it de-centers the self.

Dive in for inspiration and encouragement! On the next episode, Ashley Monachelli with join Emily to discuss the Eucahrist.

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The Reverend Jack Alvey | June 28, 2026 | Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

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Jack Alvey is joined by his seminary friend the Reverend Geoff Evans, Rector of St. James Parish in Jackson, Mississippi, for a conversation on one of the most contested questions in Christian theology: why did Jesus have to die, and why does it matter? From a controversial seminary T-shirt to Wendell Berry's Battle of the Bulge, the conversation ranges widely — but keeps returning to the same center: the cross is where God's justice and mercy meet, and where everything gets reorganized.

"Like those first few disciples, God calls us by name, too, into work that is wondrous and challenging and far too important to ignore. " The Reverend Emily Collette

Link to Sermon Transcript