October 22 - Kinley Belcher
My Episcopal roots began to form at St. Christopher’s in Tampa, Florida where I was baptized as a baby, attended with my family, and began taking Communion. In my 20’s, I was confirmed at St. Andrew’s, also in Tampa. I have always felt most at home in Episcopal congregations. There’s just something about Communion every week, at an altar and with wine, that makes me feel like I’ve actually been to church.
When our kids were born, Kris and I started looking for a church home. We tried a few places around Denver but nothing quite fit. When we heard about Ascension we attended on a few holidays, and in 2022, decided as a family to start attending regularly. We still remember being so warmly welcomed at the red doors and feel that Ascension has continued to meet each of us right where we are.
In addition to Sunday mornings, we have gotten involved with PB&J-making and lunch-packing for the Women’s Homelessness Initiative. Lachlan has been a faithful acolyte, and Morgan has helped in the nursery. I’ve become part of the Women’s Bible Study on Thursdays and have served on the planning committee for two Women’s Retreats. Over the last four years, our roots have grown deeper and deeper at Ascension.
In March of this year, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. That statement itself is the worst part in many ways. Despite the scary diagnosis, there were countless blessings. The tumor was small and non-aggressive. It was found early. I was in the care of an incredible medical team. Multiple treatment options were available, all of which were projected to be extremely successful. My brother and sister-in-law offered to come into town to help. My husband went with me to every doctor’s appointment, assuring me that we were in it together. And what I learned very quickly was that we were surrounded and uplifted by amazing family, friends and community.
When I called Cheryl, she asked if I wanted to be added to the prayer list. As a believer in the power of prayer, I accepted. As word got out, the Ascension community offered my family and me an outpouring of prayer, hugs, cards, rides and meals. On numerous occasions, fellow parishioners shared with me their own experiences with cancer - stories that filled me with hope.
When people asked how I was doing, I said I felt very “held” by everyone around me. While that was true, it didn’t capture the amount and varied types of support my family and I received.
Was I blessed? Absolutely. (“Too blessed to be stressed,” I started saying when asked how I was.)
Was I overwhelmed by the outpouring? Yes, but “overwhelmed” carries a negative connotation and I was trying to name a very positive feeling.
My search for the right word continued.
The week of my surgery, Cheryl invited me to Preach & Teach to be prayed over. I showed up that Wednesday, the day before my surgery, with the pink prayer shawl my mom had knit for me. In addition to the prayers, love, hugs and support that were offered during the service, God gave me, through Scripture, the word I had been seeking.
From Lamentations 3: Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
Abundance. That was the word. The picture that came into my mind was a cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables. While typically associated with Thanksgiving, it was the perfect metaphor for the way I was experiencing the season I was in. I had received a dreaded diagnosis and was heading into a major surgery. But the abundance of God’s love had been shown to me through family, friends and Church of the Ascension.
October 15 - Barb Watson
I grew up in the Episcopal Church in the Detroit suburbs. While we didn't go to church much, my mother was a pillar in the St. Michaels Thrift Store. My dad and older brothers were very active in Boy Scouts, and the Scout philosophy embraces God and community. As such, religion and faith have always been a presence in my life through various avenues.
In 1978, after graduating from nursing school, I had one year in Salt Lake City before my dad asked me to come home and take care of him with his new diagnosis of terminal lung cancer. I came back to Detroit and went to my knees in prayer. My dad was a pharmacist and didn’t want any rough cancer drugs; he just wanted to stay at home, eat ice cream and walk the dog.
During this difficult time, help came from many directions including our church and friends. Community can be precious when we need a hand. I started going back to church, as did my brothers, and we soaked up many blessings.
Fast forward to Denver in 1989 when I started looking for a church again to baptize our daughter, Leah. We found Father Jim Short at Ascension, who was very welcoming, and decided to join.
I'm thankful for many aspects of Ascension that have grown over the years:
· Our leadership: Cheryl, Cindy, Emily, vestry and staff
· Children's and youth ministry, especially Godly Play and all Tina is growing
· Cindy's music ministry
· Our growing Outreach ministry through Chris Nazar's leadership
· Special events like the Christmas Pageant, Blessing of the Animals, and Easter Egg hunts
· Bible studies, book studies, senior lunches and faith formation
· Pastoral care, prayer teams and Cora's emails
· Building upgrades and maintenance
I believe in giving and supporting our Episcopal and contemplative organizations and am grateful for the variety of ways Ascension supports our community and those in need.
October 8 - John Wright
I had a recent revelation when sitting in the pew during an early September service. It was around this time some 66 years ago that I attended Ascension for my first time. We had recently moved here from Maryland leaving the only church that I had ever known behind. Subsequently, here at Ascension, I was confirmed and served as an Acolyte for some number of years. It is one of those things that goes both ways in that it doesn’t seem that long ago and, conversely, it seems like a long time ago! A strong emotional Ascension connection for me is that back then my mother, along with several other parishioners, needle pointed many of the cushions that we all admire and use today. I wish I could claim that I never missed a service in all those years but that wouldn’t hold up to any minimal amount of scrutiny. No matter, during those intervening years, Ascension was always my place of religious and emotional support, refuge and solace. Then, about 10 years ago, I felt a strong calling to return on a regular basis which I am enjoying and supporting nowadays amongst the growing, warming, faith filled community that is the Ascension of today. I’m pleased to have heard that calling!