Our remaining Liturgy for
Ash Wednesday
7:00 p.m. Solemn High Mass
Blessing and Imposition of Ashes
Ascension Choir
John Tavener, Missa Brevis



Sunday, March 10
First Sunday in Lent
  The Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins,
Bishop of Springfield,
will preside and preach
at the 9am and 11am Masses



Don't forget!

Daylight Savings
Time Change

Sunday, March 10
Spring ahead
one hour




This Week at Ascension + March 6, 2019


 
IN THIS NEWSLETTER

From the Rector
Also From the Rector
Sharing Lunch, Sharing Blessings
Ascension Connection Happening
Bp. Anderson House Spring Benefit
Ascension Book Group Rescheduled
This Sunday at Ascension
The Parish Prayer List
Approved Vestry Minutes Online
The Last Word

FROM THE RECTOR

Lent

"I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the
observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance;
by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and
meditating on God's holy Word."

- Ash Wednesday Liturgy, Book of Common Prayer, p. 265

Dear people of Ascension,

Our Lenten and Holy Week ministries have shaped up nicely over the past week, and I hope and pray that you will choose to frequently take part and that you and others will be blessed by your doing so. One important Friday evening tradition begins this week:

Stations of the Cross and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
Fridays at 6:30 p.m. March 8, 15, 22 and 29; April 5 and 12.
Good Friday at Noon (no Benediction)
 
This coming Sunday, March 10, the First Sunday in Lent , we will be blessed to welcome the Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins, Bishop of Springfield (as highlighted above). He will officiate and preach at both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. masses. Bishop Martins and his wife Brenda often worship with us at Ascension when they are in Chicago and presently plan to move to Chicago permanently when the Bishop retires. You can read Bishop Martins' brief biography on the Diocese of Springfield website here.

Our Wednesday Lenten gatherings this year will feature singular, diverse topics that I trust will capture the interests of many.

Wednesday, March 13
Mass at 12:05 pm followed by 'Sharing Lunch, Sharing Blessings' (More information below.)
Meal, fellowship and conversation: Sharing our favorite Ascension and Lenten Traditions
Evening Prayer, 6:10 p.m.; Low/Said Mass, 6:30 p.m.
(No evening program)
 
Wednesday, March 20
Mass at 12:05 pm. Evening Prayer at 6:10p.m. Mass at 6:30 pm
Meal and program after the evening mass.
Stations of the Cross: The Passion Isn't Over , The Very Rev. Joy Rogers
Mother Joy Rogers, retired Dean of St. James' Cathedral, Chicago, and assisting priest at Church of the Atonement, Chicago, will discuss how the traditional Stations of the Cross finds expression in diverse contexts. Particular forms of the Stations often intend to better connect those who take part to contemporary local, cultural or global issues of justice.

Wednesday, March 27
Mass at 12:05 pm. Evening Prayer at 6:10pm. Mass at 6:30 pm.
Meal and program after the evening mass.
Shame, shame shame , with Brené Brown (and Father Raymond+)
Brené Brown's 2010 'TED Talk,' The power of vulnerability has been viewed nearly 39,000,000 times. (At lest three of those times by me.) Sharing her research as a social psychologist, she walks in the back door with different lenses and perspectives to examine many of the fundamental human concerns that we endeavor to address by way of our 'self-examination' in Lent. We will view Brown's 20-minute talk (linked above) and I will facilitate the conversation in response.
 
Wednesday, April 3
Mass at 12:05 pm. Evening Prayer at 6:10pm. Mass at 6:30 pm
Meal and program after the evening mass.
The Ministry of Ordained Women: Past, Present & Future , The Rev. Eileen Shanley-Roberts
Mother Shanley-Roberts, a Medievalist by training, served for eleven years as Rector of Christ Church, Waukegan, and presently serves as Assistant Director of Formation and Contextual Learning and Lecturer in Practical Theology at Bexley-Seabury (Episcopal) Seminary, Chicago. With this diversity of background, Mother Shanley-Roberts will be well equipped to share her experiences, answer questions and facilitate conversation in the context of the Ascension Vestry's January 2019 resolution encouraging the Rector "to move ahead with integrating women priests and deacons into the sacramental life and ministry of the Church of the Ascension ..."
 
Wednesday, April 10
Mass at 12:05 pm followed by 'Sharing Lunch, Sharing Blessings'
Meal, fellowship and conversation: Sharing our favorite Ascension and Lenten Traditions
Evening Prayer, 6:10 p.m.; Low/Said Mass, 6:30 p.m.
Meal and program after the evening mass.
Speaking Love's Name: Being Gay and the Anglo-Catholic Christian, The Rev. Robert Petite and Parishioner Gary Alexander.
Father Petite and our Junior Warden Gary Alexander hope to encourage safe and open conversation about related matters at Ascension over time. They will share some of their own experiences of faith and relationships in the church as gay men. More information will be provided as the program date nears.
 
My aspirations for us this Lent are great enough that I have far transcended my usual 300 word pastoral letter limit! Please keep in prayers all who will lead, serve, cook, talk, minister, question and otherwise take part as we begin our common annual journey with Christ to the cross.




ALSO FROM THE RECTOR
Ever been curious about the burning and making of the ashes? I tried to capture the process yesterday using the 'story' feature on our ascensionchicago Instagram account. If you regularly use Instagram and view Ascension's postings, you can go there and click on the logo. Or, I believe you'll be able to view the sequence of short videos by clicking here, but I also believe these 'stories' disappear after 24 hours, so you'll have to click by about 5:30 p.m. today. The photos to the left show the burning of the palms and the finished covered crystal container of ashes, alongside some lemons and a lavabo bowl used to cleans the priest's hands after the Blessing and Imposition of Ashes in the Ash Wednesday liturgies.

Our Inaugural Nursery Sunday was a great success due to 100% participation by all (three) households with age-appropriate children, and due to Joy Haataja's evident, competent care for the kids and due to the welcome that many of you extended to Joy. Thanks to those of you who stopped by the nursery to introduce yourselves. Please join me in continuing to pray for ... more of the same, in coming months and beyond.
Sacramental Confession, also known as Penance or Reconciliation is always available and particularly encouraged by the Church during Lent and Holy Week. Priests are available to hear Confessions every Sunday year round here at Ascension 10:30-10:45 a.m. Arrangements can be made to hear Confessions at other times and places, and any of our clergy can suggest other priests to those who may prefer to offer a Confession to someone outside the parish. In a letter to parishioners for Lent 2018, I included the Redemptorist/Ligouri publication, 'How to Make an Examination of Conscience.' I believe it could be of good value to those who have never said Confession or to those well familiar with it who want to renew the practice. We have a number of additional copies at the church that can be shared with anyone. Call or send an email to the parish office.

SHARING LUNCH, SHARING BLESSINGS

Our first gathering during the Lenten season will be on  Wednesday, March 13th.  During this time after the 12:05 p.m. Mass, we will enjoy a relaxing lunch and share some reflections on this Holy season. If you have a special Lenten tradition, please come prepared to share your story with all of us. If you want to offer a prayer, a psalm, a poem that might be included with our handout, please respond to me by email

Our lunch will include savory lentil soup, green beans, a spinach salad, mashed potatoes (with toppings), bread, cookies.  This is  a vegetarian lunch (for Lent)  with lots of green (for St. Patrick)!   Please plan to join us!!  Any questions may be directed to me. ~ Cheryl Peterson

ASCENSION CONNECTIONS HAPPENING

Preston Bradley Hall Tiffany Dome
Our next Ascension Connections outing will be a trip to the Chicago Cultural Center to attend a Dame Myra Hess concert. In the survey asking parishioners to indicate what they would enjoy doing, the Dame Myra Hess concert series was very popular. The concert series has been presented in Chicago at the Cultural Center since 1977. It honors Dame Myra Hess who organized a series of free noontime concerts in London during World War II.
 
The free concerts take place at 12:15 p.m. every Wednesday at the Cultural Center, 78 E Washington in the beautifully renovated Preston Bradley Hall on the 3rd floor. We will attend the concert on Wednesday, March 27, which features Richard Lin, violin and Chih-Yi Chen, piano.
 
We will meet at 11:30 a.m. at the Washington entrance of the Cultural Center. Please let me know if you plan to come, so I can reserve seats for you. Thanks.
 
Cynthia Perrizo
Senior Warden and Chair of Ascension Connections

BP. ANDERSON HOUSE SPRING BENEFIT
SAVE 20% ON BISHOP ANDERSON HOUSE SPRING BENEFIT TICKETS
 
Healing One-Healing the World,  our spring benefit, comes to the Chicago Cultural Center on Sunday, May 19, 2019, 5 to 8 p.m.*  Featuring spectacular views of Millennium Park, specialty drinks and dining, and a Teddy Bear surprise, this is always an evening to remember.
 
This year we celebrate the successful completion of our Campaign for the next 70 years, and are honored to present the Marion Faldet Volunteer of the Year Award to our very special guests, Dr. Toyin Falusi Adeyemi and Rev. David O. Kyllo.
 
Save $25 per person today. Price per ticket now through March 15 is $125.  Purchase now.  After March 15, ticket price per person will be $150.00.

*
Fr. Petite is on the board of Bishop Anderson House and is interested in putting together an Ascension Table at the Benefit to support the ministry of Bishop Anderson.  If you are interested in joining him please contact him at 
petite.robert@gmail.com .

ASCENSION BOOK GROUP RESCHEDULED

Due to multiple conflicts, The Ascension Book Group has rescheduled their discussion of Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. They will meet next on Sunday April 7 between coffee hour and Evensong.  Refreshments will be provided. For questions contact Ken Kelling at (773) 853-2337 or kjjjk07@gmail.com.

THIS SUNDAY AT ASCENSION

The  Sunday Lectionary readings Schedules of Acolytes, Lectors & Ushers as well as Hymnody, Motets and Organ Voluntaries for  Sunday, March 10, 2019  may be found by clicking  here The Lector's Pronunciation Guide may be found here .

THE PARISH PRAYER LIST

Please remember these people in your daily prayers
Geoffrey Wainwright, Fr. John Graham, Dorothy Murray, Mary Lou Devens, Michael Milano, Thomas Holden, Brenton Boitse, Charley Taylor, August 'Augie' Alonzo, Kenvert Samuel, Ted Long, Jim Berger, Ethel Martin, Rachel Barton Pine, Demos Kukeas, Norb Bragiel, Yuka Asai, Dean Pineda, Fred Malek, Pastor Fred Overdier,  Kristen Halvorsen, Helena Wilson
 
Prayers for the departed
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord: and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
 
APPROVED VESTRY MINUTES ONLINE

The Approved Minutes of Vestry meetings are now available online to parishioners who request the link.  If you would like Internet access to the Approved Vestry Minutes, please email the  Church Office and request the link. 
 
Once you access the web page, you can read all recent Approved Vestry Minutes.  In addition, if you click on the subscribe button at the top right, you will be given email notice whenever a new set of Approved Minutes is added. 

THE LAST WORD

Eternal Lord of love, behold your Church
walking once more the pilgrim way of Lent,
led by your cloud by day, by night your fire,
moved by your love and 
toward your presence bent:
far off yet here the goal of all desire.

So daily dying to the way of self,
so daily living to your way of love,
we walk the road, Lord Jesus, that you trod,
knowing ourselves baptized into your death:
so we are dead and live with you in God.

If dead in you, so in you we arise,
you the first-born of all the faithful dead;
and as though stony ground 
the green shoots break,
glorious in spring time dress 
of leaf and flower,
so in the Father's glory shall we wake.

- Hymnal 1982, #149
Text: Thomas Cain (b. 1931)
Music: Old 124th, melody Pseaumes octante trois de David, 1551
Harmony: Charles Winifred Douglas (1867-1944)






Fr. Patrick Raymond,         praymond@ascensionchicago.org
Rector

Susan Schlough,                finance@ascensionchicago.org
Treasurer

Parish Office                      office@ascensionchicago.org