• Acts 1:1-11
• Ephesians 1:15-23
• Luke 24:44-53
• Psalm 47
• or Psalm 93

https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AAscension_RCL.html

• Acts 17:22-31
• 1 Peter 3:13-22
• John 14:15-21
• Psalm 66:7-18

https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster6_RCL.html

• Acts 7:55-60
• 1 Peter 2:2-10
• John 14:1-14
• Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster5_RCL.html

• Acts 2:42-47
• 1 Peter 2:19-25
• John 10:1-10
• Psalm 23

https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster4_RCL.html

• Acts 2:14a,36-41
• 1 Peter 1:17-23
• Luke 24:13-35
• Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

https://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Easter/AEaster3_RCL.html

https://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp28_RCL.html

The lessons appointed for the day of this sermon are available here: 

https://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp20_RCL.html

Episcopal Diocese of Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Episcopal Diocese of Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Episcopal Diocese of Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Absalom Jones was born on November 6, 1746, in a house slave in Delaware. He taught himself to read out of the New Testament, among other books. When sixteen, he was sold to a store owner in
 Philadelphia. There he attended a night school for blacks, operated by Quakers. At twenty, he married another slave, and purchased her freedom with his earnings.

 Jones bought his own freedom in 1784. In 1787, black Christians organized the Free African Society, the first organized Afro-American society, and Absalom Jones and Richard Allen were elected overseers. Members of the Society paid monthly dues for the benefit of those in need. 

 The African Church applied for membership in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, and in October 1794 it was admitted as St. Thomas African Episcopal Church. Bishop White ordained
 Jones as deacon in 1795 and as priest on September 21, 1802. St. Thomas Church, Philadelphia, grew to over 500 members during its first year. Known as “the Black Bishop of the Episcopal Church,” Jones was an example of persistent faith in God and in the church as God’s instrument.

 Jones died on February 13th, 1818, in Philadelphia. 

https://www.lectionarypage.net/LesserFF/Feb/AbsJones.html

Year A

Isaiah 58:1-9a

Psalm 112:1-9

1 Corinthians 2:1-12

Matthew 5:13-20

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

• Isaiah 9:1-4
• 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
• Matthew 4:12-23
• Psalm 27:1, 5-13

New Associate for Hispanic Ministries - The Rev. Rosa M. Brown - A native of Costa Rica and a cradle Episcopalian, the Rev. Rosa M. Brown will be moving to Phoenix after serving Episcopal congregations in Arizona, California, New Jersey, and Ohio.  Rosa received her theological education at Seminario Biblico Latinoamericano (Costa Rica) and General Theological Seminary in New York.  She was ordained in November 1994, and was the  first women ordained to the priesthood in Costa Rica.  She will be serving at both Trinity Cathedral and Iglesia Santa Maria in Phoenix. 

• Isaiah 60:1-6
• Psalm 72:1-7,10-14
• Ephesians 3:1-12
• Matthew 2:1-12

• Isaiah 61:10-62:3
• Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7
• John 1:1-18
• Psalm 147 or 147:13-21

Confirm our minds, O Lord, in the mysteries of the true faith, set forth with power by your servant John of Damascus; that we, with him, confessing Jesus to be true God and true Man, and singing the praises of the risen Lord, may, by the power of the resurrection, attain to eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament

Ecclesiastes 3:9–14

What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with. He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover, he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. 

The Response

Psalm 29

Afferte Domino

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
 ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
 worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
 the God of glory thunders; *
 the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
 the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
 the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon; 

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
 and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
 the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
 the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
 and strips the forests bare.

9 And in the temple of the Lord *
 all are crying, "Glory!"

10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
 the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.

11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
 the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

The Epistle

1 Corinthians 15:12–20

If Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ-- whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died.

The Gospel

John 5:24–27

Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life. 

“Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of

Prior to her calling  to the Diocese of Arizona as Vicar at St. John’s, Bisbee and St, Stephen’s, Douglas,  Rosa, served as Associate Rector at St. Philip’s in the Hills, Tucson, AZ. , as Vicar at Iglesia de la Magdalena, Glendale, CA and has served as Priest-In-Charge/Hispanic Missioner at St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish, Paterson, NJ, as well as Associate Rector/Hispanic Missioner at Church of Our Saviour in Cincinnati, OH.

Rosa is a graduate of Seminario Biblico Latinoamericano (Costa Rica) and General Theological Seminary in New York, where she received a Master of Divinity Degree and Master in Sacred Theology.  Ordained to the Holy Orders in November 1994, Rosa became the first women ordained to the Priesthood in Costa Rica.

Fr. Jackson has a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from the University of Connecticut, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from St. John’s University, New York. He practiced law in New York and Washington, D.C. for more than 20 years, and was a law professor.

In 2002, he and his wife, Barbara, moved to the valley, and he spent three years as Executive Vice-President of the Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc., before embarking on the call and study for ordained ministry.

From 2005 to 2007, he served as Director of a faith based, non-profit service organization called VICap Faith in Action, in Phoenix. He then accepted the call to serve at Resurrection Lutheran Church.

He spent three years in liturgical study, spiritual development and training at Trinity Cathedral of the Diocese of Arizona before being called to St. John the Baptist and ordained into the Episcopal priesthood.

He and Barbara have two sons and two grandsons.