Sunday afternoon, May 20th, brought many to the auditorium at the original Ashtabula High School building. Alumni band members performed. There was a power point. Then the building was opened up for tours. This historic structure is set to be demolished. There is a chance an outside developer group could buy the property and save it from demolition. But nothing is certain yet. What is certain is if the school district demolishes the building the school district will receive state funds to complete that demolition. Other locales that are not so hard hit economically are able to save their historic schools. In Portland a local micro brewery buys and refurbishes old school sites. The town I left in Wisconsin sold its historic high school building to a developer. It now houses condos and apartments. If the Ashtabula High building succumbs to the wrecking ball it will be another sad reminder of a depressed local economy.

Sunday May 20th was the 7th Sunday of Easter Season. We did something I do not necessarily like to do. We moved the Festival of the Ascension, that would have been May 17, to this Sunday. Normally the Ascension would have received its own separate Eucharist on Thursday. But schedules are full. We observed the Ascension of our Lord, but on its nearest Sunday. Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father, we say. This is known as the "session" of Jesus. When he intercedes for us it is the Jesus who underwent the crucifixion who prays on our behalf. His scarred hands and pierced side enable him to hear our cries and feel our pain. We also say that at the ascension God the Father welcomed humanity into the godhead. Because Jesus ascended as truly human and truly divine, God subsumed humanity into deity. We are not pantheists, unbounded mystics or kabbalah when we say this. We are saying that this is another extent God takes to welcome humanity. We imitate God when we are so inviting and welcoming relationships.

The Festival of Pentecost falls on memorial day weekend this year. We will give full due to the Holy Spirit in preaching and hymns. But we will also bless our geraniums in memory of military personnel. And we will sing those great patriotic songs in the back of the hymnal.

Here are daily bible readings. For more help with daily devotions go to www.flcpittsburgh.org

Week of 7 Easter
Sunday
Exodus 3:1-12
Hebrews 12:18-29
Luke 10:17-24

Monday
Joshua 1:1-9
Ephesians 3:1-13
Matthew 8:5-17

Tuesday
1 Samuel 16:1-13a
Ephesians 3:14-21
Matthew 8:18-27

Wednesday
Isaiah 4:2-6
Ephesians 4:1-16
Matthew 8:28-34

Thursday
Zechariah 4:1-14
Ephesians 4:17-32
Matthew 9:1-8

Friday
Jeremiah 31:27-34
Ephesians 5:1-32
Matthew 9:9-17

Saturday
Ezekiel 36:22-27
Ephesians 6:1-24
Matthew 9:18-26

MAY 27 PENTECOST
or Proper 3 (RCL)

Sunday
Proverbs 9:1-12
Acts 8:14-25
Luke 10:25-28, 38-42

Monday
Proverbs 10:1-12
1 Timothy 1:1-17
Matthew 12:22-32

Tuesday
Proverbs 15:16-33
1 Timothy 1:18--2:15
Matthew 12:33-42

Wednesday
Proverbs 17:1-20
1 Timothy 3:1-16
Matthew 12:43-50

Thursday
Proverbs 21:30--22:6
1 Timothy 4:1-16
Matthew 13:24-30

Friday
Proverbs 23:19-21, 29--24:2
1 Timothy 5:17-22 (23-25)
Matthew 13:31-35

Saturday
Proverbs 25:15-28
1 Timothy 6:6-21
Matthew 13:36-43

6.3.2012 Holy Trinity
or Proper 4 (RCL)

Sunday
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
Acts 8:26-40
Luke 11:1-13

Monday
Ecclesiastes 2:1-15
Galatians 1:1-17
Matthew 13:44-52

Tuesday
Ecclesiastes 2:16-26
Galatians 1:18--2:10
Matthew 13:53-58

Wednesday
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
Galatians 2:11-21
Matthew 14:1-12

Thursday
Ecclesiastes 3:16--4:3
Galatians 3:1-14
Matthew 14:13-21

Friday
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Galatians 3:15-22
Matthew 14:22-36

Saturday
Ecclesiastes 5:8-20
Galatians 3:23--4:11
Matthew 15:1-20

June 10 Proper 5 (RCL)
Sunday
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12
Acts 10:9-23
Luke 12:32-40

Monday
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Galatians 4:12-20
Matthew 15:21-28

Tuesday
Ecclesiastes 8:14-- 9:10
Galatians 4:21-31
Matthew 15:29-39

Wednesday
Ecclesiastes 9:11-18
Galatians 5:1-15
Matthew 16:1-12

Thursday
Ecclesiastes 11:1-8
Galatians 5:16-24
Matthew 16:13-20

Friday
Ecclesiastes 11:9-- 12:14
Galatians 5:25--6:10
Matthew 16:21-28

Saturday
Numbers 3:1-13
Galatians 6:11-18
Matthew 17:1-13

June 17 or Proper 6 (RCL)

Sunday
Numbers 6:22-27
Acts 13:1-12

Monday
Numbers 9:15-23; 10:29-36
Romans 1:1-15
Matthew 17:14-21

Tuesday
Numbers 11:1-23
Romans 1:16-25
Matthew 17:22-27

Wednesday
Numbers 11:24-33 (34-35)
Romans 1:28--2:11
Matthew 18:1-9

Thursday

Numbers 12:1-16
Romans 2:12-24
Matthew 18:10-20

Friday
Numbers 13:1-3, 21- 30
Romans 2:25--3:8
Matthew 18:21-35

Saturday
Numbers 13:31-- 14:25
Romans 3:9-20
Matthew 19:1-12

June 24 or Proper 7 (RCL)

Sunday
Numbers 14:26-45
Acts 15:1-12
Luke 12:49-56

Monday
Numbers 16:1-19
Romans 3:21-31
Matthew 19:13-22

Tuesday
Numbers 16:20-35
Romans 4:1-12
Matthew 19:23-30

Wednesday
Numbers 16:36-50
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 20:1-16

Thursday
Numbers 17:1-11
Romans 5:1-11
Matthew 20:17-28

Friday
Numbers 20:1-13
Romans 5:12-21
Matthew 20:29-34

Saturday
Numbers 20:14-29
Romans 6:1-11
Matthew 21:1-11

July 1 or Proper 8 (RCL)
Sunday
Numbers 21:4-9, 21- 35
Acts 17:(12-21) 22-34
Luke 13:10-17
Monday
Numbers 22:1-21
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 21:12-22
Tuesday
Numbers 22:21-38
Romans 7:1-12
Matthew 21:23-32
Wednesday
Numbers 22:41-- 23:12
Romans 7:13-25
Matthew 21:33-46
Thursday
Numbers 23:11-26
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 22:1-14
Friday
Numbers 24:1-13
Romans 8:12-17
Matthew 22:15-22
Saturday
Numbers 24:12-25
Romans 8:18-25
Matthew 22:23-40

July 8 or Proper 9 (RCL)
Sunday
Numbers 27:12-23
Acts 19:11-20
Mark 1:14-20
Monday
Numbers 32:1-6, 16- 27
Romans 8:26-30
Matthew 23:1-12
Tuesday
Numbers 35:1-3, 9-15, 30-34
Romans 8:31-39
Matthew 23:13-26
Wednesday
Deuteronomy 1:1-18
Romans 9:1-18
Matthew 23:27-39
Thursday
Deuteronomy 3:18-28
Romans 9:19-33
Matthew 24:1-14
Friday
Deuteronomy 31:7- 13, 24--32:4
Romans 10:1-13
Matthew 24:15-31
Saturday
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Romans 10:14-21
Matthew 24:32-51