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We Are Family
It's been a joy over these past few weeks to have more intentional recreation and time with my family. We've enjoyed a week away, and a few days trips here and there. Importantly, the summer schedule (and daylight) allows us longer time and conversations at the dinner table.
I'm sure grateful for my family. I'm also aware of all the ways we are blessed by being a part of the Ascension Parish family.
Now is a good time to be mindful of our larger family as well, that being the greater Episcopal Church. General Convention, which happens every four years, has been taking place in Austin, Texas.
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I'll be spending time on Sunday morning sharing some of the details, decisions and initiatives coming out of Convention. They involve all manner of things, from proposed revisions to the Book of Common Prayer (gulp), to the changes in leadership structuring, to the witness of the Episcopal Church in national and international events and endeavors. If you wish to do some of your own research, I encourage you to look over the
Episcopal News Network website. There you will find more than enough information!
Blessings to you and your families,
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Dear Parish Family,
Yesterday I received my scores for the twenty-first annual William Byrd Festival with Cantores in Ecclesia. This will be the fourth Byrd Festival in which I've had the privilege to sing, and I'm excited to dive into the music we get to share with Portland this year.
The William Byrd Festival is an annual celebration of the music of Renaissance English composer William Byrd (1538-1623). Byrd was the one of the foremost composers during the period of the Reformation, and he wrote influential sacred music in both the Anglican and Catholic traditions.
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Cantores in Ecclesia, the early music choir of which I am a member, sponsors this festival, offering concerts, lectures, and liturgical services each August featuring the works of Byrd and his contemporaries.
One event which I particularly enjoy each year is the Evensong we sing at Trinity Cathedral. This beautiful service includes the setting of the
Magnificat and
Nunc dimittis from Byrd's
Great Service. You can hear a sample of this music
here, as performed by the Choir of New College, Oxford. This year we will sing our Evensong at Trinity on Sunday, August 19 at 5 P.M., and you are invited to attend!
You can read more on the
William Byrd Festival website
. I encourage you to take advantage of this beautiful opportunity to hear music by one of the great composers in the Anglican tradition!
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William Byrd
(1538-1623)
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Soli Deo gloria,
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July 21, 5:00 P.M.
Annual Summer Barbecue & Hootenanny
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Our annual Hootenanny is fast approaching on July 21! There will be music, games, and fun for all!
Hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks will be provided, as well as vegetarian and vegan options. Bring a potluck side dish or salad to share, and a bottle of wine or beer to share.
You can invite friends and follow the event on its Facebook event page!
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Recently the Altar Guild purchased a new set of wine and water cruets to replace our damaged set.
These were dedicated to the honor or long time Altar Guild member and directress, Sue Burns, who passed away this year.
Anyone who would like to contribute toward this purchase honoring Sue may put "cruets" in the memo line of the check and put it into the collection basin.
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by Eloise Gibson
Each Sunday we pass a wicker basket as a "second offering". The monies collected are sent to Episcopal Relief and Development to purchase goats for villagers in Africa. Each goat purchased provides the goat and training on how to husband these animals.
Villages receive a herd of female goats and one or two males. The milk from these goats enriches a family's diet and they can sell excess for cash. The goal is for
each village to build a herd that will enable it improve the lives of the people.
When I was in Zimbabwe, we visited a village who had received goats a few years before. They had a sizable herd by then and had been able to build separate toilets and hot water showers for men/boys and women/girls as well as helping to pay for the uniforms and books needed for their children to attend school.
This is one of our few outreach programs and is well worth supporting. Please put your loose change (or loose bills!) into the basket each Sunday and we will be able to continue this wonderful outreach. It would be great to make it to 30 goats this year.
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Read Recent Bulletins Online
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Are you traveling this summer, but you want to keep up with what's going on at Ascension?
You can access recent worship bulletins on our website.
Feel free to view them, download them, or share them with friends who are interested in what we do and how we worship at Ascension!
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July 21, 5:00 P.M.:
Annual Summer Barbecue & Hootenanny
August 18, 7:00 P.M.:
Kleine geistliche Konzerte: Concert of Baroque Music for Voices & Organ
September 28, 7:00 P.M.:
Divine Musick: A Recital of Songs by Henry Purcell and his Contemporaries
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Text L
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Reflection
Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness,
leave the gloomy haunts of sadness;
come into the daylight's splendour,
there with joy thy praises render
unto him whose grace unbounded
hath this wondrous banquet founded:
high o'er all the heavens he reigneth,
yet to dwell with thee he deigneth.
Now I sink before thee lowly,
filled with joy most deep and holy,
as with trembling awe and wonder
on thy mighty works I ponder:
how, by mystery surrounded,
depth no mortal ever sounded,
none may dare to pierce unbidden
secrets that with thee are hidden.
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Sun, who all my life dost brighten,
light, who dost my soul enlighten,
joy, the sweetest heart e'er knoweth,
fount, whence all my being floweth,
at thy feet I cry, my Maker,
let me be a fit partaker
of this blessed food from heaven,
for our good, thy glory, given.
Jesus, Bread of Life, I pray thee,
let me gladly here obey thee;
never to my hurt invited,
be thy love with love requited:
from this banquet let me measure,
Lord, how vast and deep its treasure;
through the gifts thou here dost give me,
as thy guest in heaven receive me.
- Johann Franck (1649)
Translated by Catherine Winkworth
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Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)
was a poet and translator who rendered Lutheran chorales into metrical English. According to The Harvard University Hymn Book, Winkworth "did more than any other single individual to make the rich heritage of German hymnody available to the English-speaking world." Our Hymnal is still full of her beautiful translations.
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In Our Prayers
Janet Mersereau
Those traveling this summer
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church
Today in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer
Newberg: St. Michael/San Miguel.
Wilson Ferreira, vicar; Cindra Gray, deacon
Pray for God's guidance as we seek a closer examination of the relative roles of laity and clergy in undertaking the ministries of our church.
Newport: St. Stephen.
Judith Jones, vicar; Gavin Shumate.
Collect for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecos
t
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Serving This Week: Sunday, July 15, Pentecost VIII
| 9:00 A.M. LEM |
Jim LeBaron |
| 9:00 A.M. Lectors |
Jeff Krum, Marion Edens |
| 9:00 A.M. Usher |
Susan O'Holleran |
| Sacristans |
Eloise Gibson, Janet Gallagher, Pam Howard, Shoshawna & Mia Rainwater |
| Refreshments |
Marilyn Portwood |
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Serving Next Week: Sunday, July 22, Pentecost IX
| 9:00 A.M. LEM |
Jeff Krum |
| 9:00 A.M. Lectors |
Peter Baker, Emily Guimaraes |
| 9:00 A.M. Usher |
Peter Baker |
| Sacristans |
Janet Baker, Lucy Lloyd, Jan Stuermer, Jane Wolfsehr |
| Refreshments |
Diane Hussey |
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