The Day of Pentecost - May 31, 2020

The Church of the Ascension

in the City of New York

12 West 11th Street, New York, NY 10011

212-254-8620 www.ascensionnyc.org

God of Pentecost,

Come among us as fire. As flames burn around this country, protesting the racist killing of your beloved Black children, so let us make no peace with oppression, but blaze up with the power of your justice.

Come among us as a mighty wind. Sweep away excuses and lies, take away our arrogance and shame, lead us deeper into truth. Show us our complicity in the sin of white supremacy, and reveal the mystery of your amazing costly grace. Blow where you will, move us as we need. Help us to change. Keep us keeping on.

Come as new tongues, spoken and heard. Help our hearts listen to lives different from our own, especially those silenced by fear, violence and racism. Help us learn and tell the whole truth of our own stories. So may we discover your saving presence with us in the midst of suffering, grief and rage. So may we cry out, sing, and breathe freely, together.

Come, Holy Spirit.

How to Join the Service

From your computer, laptop, pad, smart phone, or other device, click this link:

https://zoom.us/j/322793633

If you do not have a device with a camera, you can still join with your phone by dialing the following number and enter the meeting ID: 929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 322 793 633

All of our online services, with their links, can be found on our public calendar, and are listed below.

Click this link to read up on some best practices for Zoom meetings.

The Day of Pentecost

Choral Prelude

May 24, 2020; 10:53 a.m.

Gloria (from Missa Papae Marcelli )

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Nikolai Tolstiakov (1883-1958)

The Day of Pentecost

Worship Service

May 24, 2020; 11:00 a.m.

All gather online

The service begins with the sound of a bell

and your microphones will be muted.

Introit

Gregorian Chant

Welcome

Hymn

#511 - Abbot’s Leigh ; Holy Spirit, ever living

Please join in the singing of the hymn.

Holy Spirit, ever living

as the Church’s very life;

Holy Spirit, ever striving

through her in a ceaseless strife;

Holy Spirit, ever forming

in the Church the mind of Christ;

thee we praise with endless worship

for thy fruits and gifts unpriced.

Holy Spirit, ever working

through the Church’s ministry;

quickening, strengthening, and absolving,

setting captive sinners free;

Holy Spirit, ever binding

age to age, and soul to soul,

in a fellowship unending

thee we worship and extol.

Easter Acclamation

Presider Alleluia. Christ is Risen

People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Collect of the Day

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

1st Reading - Acts 2:1-21

Reader: Vin Knight

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."

(The preceding phrase is then read in various languages.)

(The reading continues in English.)

All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: `In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "

Psalm 104:25-35, 37 (St. Helena Psalter)

O Holy One, how manifold are your works; *

in wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the great and wide sea

with its living things too many to number, *

creatures both small and great.

There move the ships,

and there is that Leviathan, *

which you have made for the sport of it.

All of them look to you *

to give them their food in due season.

You give it to them; they gather it; *

you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

You hide your face, and they are terrified; *

you take away their breath,

and they die and return to their dust.

You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *

and so you renew the face of the earth.

May the glory of God endure for ever; *

may the Holy One rejoice in all creation.

God looks at the earth and it trembles; *

God touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to God as long as I live; *

I will praise my God while I have my being.

May these words of mine find favor; *

I will rejoice in the Holy One.

Bless the Holy One, O my soul. *

Alleluia!

2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

Reader: Eve Beglarian

No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ

According to John

John 20:19-23

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Sermon

The Rev. Elizabeth G. Maxwell

Renewal of Baptismal Vows

On the feast of Pentecost, dear friends, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, forming people of many nations, races and languages into Christ’s body, the Church. By water and that same Spirit, we are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, gathered into a new community, and sent forth to witness to God’s saving love for all. Let us, therefore, renew the vows we made at our baptism, that we may be strengthened and empowered continually by the Spirit within and among us. ( link)

Anthem

Dum Complerentur

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)

Dum complerentur dies Pentecostes,

erant omnes pariter dicentes, Alleluia:

et subito factus est

sonus de coelo, Alleluia,

tamquam spiritus vehementis,

et replevit totam domum, Alleluia.

When the day of Pentecost had come

they were all together talking, alleluia:

and suddenly there was

a sound from heaven, alleluia,

as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled the whole house, alleluia.

The Prayers of the People - Form IV

Please send your own prayers through the chat function on Zoom, and the leader will read them at the end of the intercessions.

Deacon or other leader

Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

We pray for Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Andrew, Allen and Mary, our bishops, and for all people of faith in this community, especially the Church of the Ascension. Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common good. We pray for all laboring to end white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation. We pray especially for Robert, Ed, Janet, Mary and Tom, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Jorge, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Amy, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Tina, Hannah, Jurek, Michael, Alice, Stacey, Michael, Jonathan, Norma, David and family, Camden, Lisa, Annabelle, Bob, Richard and Barbara, and all affected by the floods in Michigan.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

We pray for all affected by COVID-19: for the frightened and the sick, for the dying and those who mourn. We pray for all who have lost jobs and livelihood as a result of this pandemic. We pray for all healthcare workers, especially Scarlett, Madonna, Trudie, Nancy, Anna, Sarah, Endine, and Terese, for all whose labor supports our common life, sometimes at the risk of their own lives; for those developing treatment and a vaccine, and for those charged with making decisions about public health and public policy.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

We commend to your mercy all who have died, especially Donald L. Cholcher, Jerry Rice, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, William Henry Marquess, Amy Spencer, Byrd Turner, Arthur B Whitcomb, Jane Ingenito, Andrew Slaby, Nita Pippins, and George Floyd, that your will for them may be fulfilled. We also pray for the more than 100,000 people who have died from COVID-19, and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

We offer you our other prayers, and our thanksgivings for all the blessings of this life.

Prayers received on Zoom chat are read by the intercessor.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

The presider adds a concluding Collect.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

Announcements

Blessing

May Almighty God, who enlightened the minds of the disciples by pouring out upon them the Holy Spirit, make you rich with his blessing, that you may abound more and more in that Spirit for ever. Amen.

May God, who sent the Holy Spirit as a flame of fire that rested upon the heads of the disciples, burn out all evil from your hearts, and make them shine with the pure light of his presence. Amen.

May God, who by the Holy Spirit caused those of many tongues to proclaim Jesus as Lord, strengthen your faith and send you out to bear witness to him in word and deed. Amen.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

Hymn

There's a Sweet, Sweet Spirit

(To see a PDF of this hymn, click here.)

Please join in the singing of the hymn.

There's a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,

And I know that it's the Spirit of the Lord;

There are sweet expressions on each face,

And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.

[ Chorus]

Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet heavenly Dove,

Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love.

And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise;

Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived,

When we shall leave this place.

There are blessings you cannot receive

Till you know Him in His fullness and believe;

You're the one to profit when you say,

"I am going to walk with Jesus all the way."

[ Chorus]

If you say He saved you from your sin,

Now you're weak, you're bound and cannot enter in,

You can make it right if you will yield,

You'll enjoy the Holy Spirit that we feel.

[ Chorus]

Easter Dismissal

The people respond

Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.

Coffee Hour

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, tea, or your favorite juice, grab a slice of banana bread, piece of fruit, or a peanut butter & jelly sandwich , and feel free to "hang out" with us online to chat! This Sunday we will experiment with small groups (in Zoom breakout rooms) to allow us more substantive conversation. We'll explain how to do this after the service on Sunday!

We offer you this form for your prayers in this time of global crisis and personal anxiety, adapted from the Prayers of the People used at Washington Cathedral on Sunday, March 15, the first Sunday after our church suspended in person services.

Announcements

Sunday Meditation with Prayers & Music is available on our Facebook page: facebook.com/ascensionnyc

Stay Connected in Prayer. Join us each weeknight at 5:30 for Evening Prayer and discussion. To join , follow this link: https://zoom.us/j/770597201 . To call in (voice, no camera), dial 929-205-6099; the meeting ID is 770 597 201.

National Day of Mourning, June 1, 2020 - Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has joined other faith leaders in calling for a national day of mourning and lament on June 1 as the United States exceeds 100,000 documented deaths from COVID-19, and he invites Episcopalians to commemorate the victims during worship services this weekend. Watch the Presiding Bishop's video here.

Meditation for the Seventh Week of Easter, by the Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool, Bishop Assistant of New York. Click here to hear the Bishop Mary's meditation.

Zoom Wizards Needed! We need to build a guild of people who can moderate our Sunday services. John Thompson has been doing this work for eight weeks, and has done a phenomenal job; it's time for others to step forward and share the ministry. It involves acting as "host" in the Zoom meetings that are our Sunday services: muting and unmuting participants, sharing slides and one's screen, and trouble-shooting any difficulties that arise. We are looking for folks who are comfortable with Zoom and technology in general, and able to commit to brief Saturday afternoon rehearsals as well as Sunday mornings. John is able to help you learn what you need to know, and offer some support as you begin. He assures me that it is easier than it sounds! You just need reliable technology and attention to detail. If you would like to help us in this vital way, please contact Mother Liz at egmaxwell@ascensionnyc.org. Everlasting gratitude!

Rector's Discretionary Fund - How to give in honor of Mother Liz's fifth anniversary as Rector. You can make your donations in one of the following ways:

By check mailed to Church of Ascension, 12 West 11th Street, NY NY 10011. On the memo line clearly write "Mtr Liz Discretionary Fund"
For credit card or wire transfer donations please email the church's part-time book keeper, Laurie Ross, at email: laurie@ascensionnyc.org. OR call the parish office: 212-254-8620.

Mother Posey's Art Quilting Website - At last Sunday's Zoom coffee hour, some of the members of the Needlework guild asked Mother Posey to send a link to her art quilting website. You will find photographs of many of her beautiful quilts there!

Forum Next Sunday, June 7- Our beloved parishioner Stacey Carpenter has finished her first year at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. She will spend the summer in Olympia, Washington doing Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) as a hospital chaplain. Next Sunday June 7, after the 11 AM service, she will join us via Zoom to tell us what this past year has been like, how her sense of vocation has grown and developed, and what she is learning and looking forward to in the next few months. Please join us!

Ongoing Financial Support - During this time of suspended social gatherings, we are having to be a bit creative. Since we aren’t able to pass around the offering plate at a Zoom service, here are some ways you can continue to give :

Mail your gift to Church or the Ascension, 12 West 11th St., NYC, NY 10011
Contact our bookkeeper (bookkeeper@ascensionnyc.org) to set up a one-time or recurring gift via credit card.
Set up a wire transfer from your bank (ACH)

Give while shopping - We all seem to be relying on online shopping more and more these days. The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5 percent of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the nonprofit you choose. Even these small sums can add up for us. Click here to find out how.

This Week At Ascension

Sunday – May 31- The Day of Pentecost

Church Service ( Zoom); 11:00 a.m.

Ascension Forum (Zoom); following the 11:00 service

Meditation with Prayers and Music ( Available on our Facebook page)

Monday – June 1