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.

#437 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord (Birmingham)

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;

tender to me the promise of his word;

in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!

Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;

his mercy sure, from age the same;

his holy Name-the Lord, the Mighty One.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!

Powers and dominions lay their glory by.

Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,

the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!

Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord

to children’s children and for evermore!

Presider Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them. The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.” Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

Psalm 124 (St. Helena Psalter)

If God had not been on our side, *

let Israel now say;

If God had not been on our side, *

when enemies rose up against us,

Then would they have swallowed us up alive *

in their fierce anger toward us;

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us *

and the torrent gone over us;

Then would the raging waters *

have gone right over us.

Blessed be God, *

who has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.

We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; *

the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

Our help is in the Name of God, *

the maker of heaven and earth.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

The Rev. Elizabeth G. Maxwell

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)

God of heaven and earth, through Jesus Christ you promise to hear us when we pray to you in faith with thanksgiving.

We pray for one another, for our families and friends, through whom we learn to love and to be loved. Thank you for all who care for us. ​Give us grace to serve Christ by serving our neighbors and our community, loving others as he loves us.

We thank you for the unfailing love you hold out to everyone in Jesus Christ. Comfort and heal those in sorrow, need, sickness or any other trouble, especially Robert, Ed, Janet, Mary and Tom, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Tina, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Stacy and Jonathan, Michael, Lisa, Peter, Joyce, Rod and Deanna, Alfred, Rene, Carol and Roman, Kelly, Kathy, Michele, Jeannie, Abe, Peggy, and Seth. Give them courage and hope in their distress, and bless those who minister to them.

We remember with gratitude your many gifts to us in creation and the rich heritage of this land. Help us and people everywhere to share with justice and peace the resources of the earth. We pray for the people of Lebanon and Belarus, and those affected by the fires in California and the storm in Iowa. We pray for all laboring to end ​racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country. Give wisdom to those in authority among us and to all leaders of the nations.

We pray for your Church throughout the world, thanking you for all who serve Christ and his kingdom. By your Spirit strengthen your people for their work and witness in the world. Unite us in your truth and love, that we who confess your name may also reflect your glory.

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 and for all who are reopening, that they may care for one another in wisdom and safety.

We remember with thanksgiving all who have died in Christ and those whose faith is known to you alone, especially Margaret Holton, C.T. Vivian, John Lewis, Jorge Manso, Phillip Taynton, and Daniel Nickolich. We rejoice at the faithful witness of your saints in every age, praying that we may enter with them into the unending joy of your heavenly kingdom.

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

Merciful God, you look with compassion on all who turn to you. Hear the prayers of your people.

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.

#525 The Church’s one foundation (Aurelia)

The Church’s one foundation

is Jesus Christ her Lord;

she is his new creation

by water and the word:

from heaven he came and sought her

to be his holy bride;

with his own blood he bought her,

and for her life he died.

Elect from every nation,

yet one o’er all the earth,

her charter of salvation,

one Lord, one faith, one birth;

one holy Name she blesses,

partakes one holy food,

and to one hope she presses,

with every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder

men see her sore oppressed,

by schisms rent asunder,

by heresies distressed;

yet saints their watch are keeping,

their cry goes up, “How long?”

and soon the night of weeping

shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation,

and tumult of her war

she waits the consummation

of peace for evermore;

till with the vision glorious

her longing eyes are blessed,

and the great Church victorious

shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union

with God, the Three in One,

and mystic sweet communion

with those whose rest is won.

O happy ones and holy!

Lord, give us grace that we

like them, the meek and lowly,

on high may dwell with thee.

Go to ascensionnyc.org/give to give online

Please check us out at ascensionnyc.org/give to find out how easy and secure it is. Click the envelope on the right to go the Ascension Website for more information and to give, whether a one-time donation, pledge payment, or make a new pledge.

Our parish can only continue its mission and ministry because of the generosity of parishioners, visitors, and friends of the parish and we are working hard to make our online giving as easy and seamless as possible.

(If you experience any issues with Abundant Giving, please email us at websexton@ascensionnyc.org)

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!

Join us this Sunday, August 23, after the 11:00 Zoom service for a discussion of where we are with our reopening plans, including opening the garden, offering space for prayer and meditation in the church, public health concerns, and ongoing Zoom services.

Click here to read the results of our recent survey.

For Your Daily Prayers - "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) During this time of global crisis and personal anxiety, we offer you this prayer form to include in your daily prayers.

is available on our Facebook page:

Stay Connected in Prayer. Join us each weeknight at 5:30 for Evening Prayer and discussion. Click here to join. To call in (voice, no camera), dial 929-205-6099; the meeting ID is 770 597 201.

Episcopal Relief & Development, in collaboration with the Anglican Alliance, is in discussion to accompany the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem & the Middle East to provide humanitarian assistance in response to the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Please pray for everyone impacted by this crisis. To support Episcopal Relief & Development’s response to the explosion and other international disasters, please consider making a donation by clicking the link above.

Racial Justice Book Group: How to be an Anti-Racist, by Ibram X. Kendi- For the rest of the summer, we at Ascension will join others in the Diocese of New York in reading and discussing How to be an Anti-Racist. The book is widely available. Our next and final meeting will be at 6:30 on Thursday, August 27, and we ask that you come having read chapters 15 through the end. Please join us via Zoom as we continue the urgent and holy work of learning about racism and white supremacy, and how each of us is called to work for racial justice. Questions? Please speak to the clergy.

Delegate and Alternate for Diocesan Convention- The vestry is seeking nominations for people who want to represent Ascension at this year's Diocesan Convention! Adapted to an online format, the convention itself will be held on Saturday, November 7 via Zoom. Convention worship will be on the afternoon of Sunday, November 1 (All Saints' Day), also online. In addition, on 8 Wednesdays from September 9-october 28, there will be online meetings held from 5pm-6 pm to allow for discussion of special topics in the life of the diocese, from congregational development to reparations.

If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, or if you have questions about this ministry, please contact Mother Liz by Sunday, August 30. The vestry will vote to elect one delegate and one alternate shortly after that.

Ordination Gift for Meredith Ward- God willing, our beloved Deacon Meredith Ward will be ordained to the priesthood on September 19, 2020. It has been a special joy to experience her ministry among us during this time of online worship! As her sponsoring parish, we would like to give her the priestly vestments for this occasion (and beyond): a white chasuble and stole. If you would like to contribute to this gift, please do so either online via ascensionnyc.org/ordinationgift, or send a check to the Church of the Ascension with "Meredith ordination gift" in the memo line (address it to Mother Liz's attention at the church office). Thank you!

Help for job seekers available- Long-time choir member Deb Feldman is cofounder at Gray Scalable, an HR and Recruiting consultancy to tech startups, based in Flatiron. Deb is offering job search advice and interview practice for Ascension parishioners who have been furloughed or laid off as a result of Covid-19. This is offered remotely via Zoom and free of charge - however, spots are limited, and offered on a first come, first served basis. Please email debsoprano@gmail.com if you're interested.

Subscribe to the AscensionNYC podcast and have our weekly sermons delivered to the device of your choice! While we have been posting recordings of sermons preached at Ascension services since February 2015, many have asked how they can listen to them on the go. Now you can subscribe to the AscensionNYC podcast to have the latest sermons and other audio content from the Church of the Ascension automatically downloaded to your phone, tablet or computer. Follow this link

to choose how you'd like to receive AscensionNYC in the podcast app you use; we’re being added to more and more directories each week!

You can also go to our website to listen to recent sermons by clicking here or going to our website.

"The Beloved Community Faces White Supremacy"

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.

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

Coffee Hour & Forum (Zoom) following the 11:00 service

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

Evening Prayer (Zoom); 5:30 p.m.

Discernment Committee (Zoom) 3:00 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom); 5:30 p.m.

Reopening Committee Meeting (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom); 5:30 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom); 5:30 p.m.

Racial Justice Book Discussion (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

Evening Prayer (Zoom); 5:30 p.m.

Rehearsal for Sunday Service (Zoom) 2:00 p.m.

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

Coffee Hour & Forum (Zoom) following the 11:00 service

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

The Church of the Ascension -- Fifth Avenue and Tenth Street

Clergy | Staff | Parish Leadership