-Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Poem: The Hill We Climb

Dear people of Ascension,

Like so many across the nation, I was mesmerized and thrilled by the words and presence of poet Amanda Gorman at the inauguration this week. Her inaugural poem spoke of the serious, longstanding challenges we face as a country, as well as the immediate traumas we have endured. Yet she named us "a nation that isn’t broken,/but simply unfinished", "bruised but whole". She stirred hope for a new day and called us to step into the future together: "If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change, our children’s birthright."

Among many, many memorable images and lines, I was especially struck by the poem's ending, quoted above. Perhaps it was because we in the church are in the Epiphany season, when our lessons, prayers and themes emphasize the growing light of Christ, the spread of the gospel message and the building of the community of disciples who are called to be witnesses to the light, light-bearers, even themselves the light of the world. Maybe it was also because, as we have said often in recent months, this is a time of apocalypse- uncovering what is hidden, seeing what we might prefer to ignore.

The poet asserts that we always have enough light for the next steps we need to take. What gets in the way, she implies, is not darkness, but fear. And so, as we pray for our country and seek to do our part, I invite you to ponder these questions. What keeps us from seeing? What is so threatening about making our witness clear and bright? How is your vision growing? How can we encourage one another to shine more bravely?

And one more- what is the relationship of poetry to democracy, and to faith?

Blessings,

Liz

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Movements from Mass for Convents

Plein Jeu

Fugue sur la trompette

Récit de Cromorne

Dialogue

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,

great David’s greater Son!

Hail, in the time appointed,

his reign on earth begun!

He comes to break oppression,

to set the captive free;

to take away transgression,

and rule in equity.

He comes with succor speedy

to those who suffer wrong,

to help the poor and needy,

and bid the weak be strong;

to give them songs for sighing,

their darkness turn to light,

whose souls, condemned and dying,

were precious in his sight.

He shall come down like showers

upon the fruitful earth,

and love, joy, hope, like flowers,

spring in his path to birth:

before him on the mountains

shall peace, the herald, go;

and righteousness in fountains

from hill to valley flow.

Kings shall bown before him,

and gold and incense bring;

all nations shall adore him,

his praise all people sing;

to him shall prayer unceasing

and daily vows ascend;

his kingdom still increasing,

a kingdom without end.

O’er every foe victorious,

he on his throne shall rest;

from age to age more glorious,

all-blessing and all-blest:

the tide of time shall never

his covenant remove;

his Name shall stand for ever,

his changeless Name of Love.

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Psalm 62:6-14 (St. Helena Psalter)

For God alone my soul in silence waits; *

truly, there is my hope.

God alone is my rock and my salvation, *

my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.

In God is my safety and my honor; *

God is my strong rock and my refuge.

Put your trust in God always, O people, *

pour out your hearts before the One who is our refuge.

Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, *

even those of low estate cannot be trusted.

On the scales they are lighter than a breath; *

all of them together.

Put no trust in extortion;

in robbery take no empty pride; *

though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.

God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, *

that power belongs to God.

Steadfast love is yours, O God, *

for you repay everyone according to their deeds.

I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Stacey Carpenter

Two Choruses from Messiah

The Lord gave the word; great was the company of the preachers.

Their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world.

Leader Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

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. We pray for Michael our Presiding Bishop, for Andrew, Allen and Mary our own Bishops.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace, especially Joe our President, Kamala our Vice-President, and the members of congress; that we may honor one another and serve the common good. We pray for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Uganda; for all laboring to end racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader 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.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

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

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, especially Robert, Ed, Janet, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Michael, Len, Liz, Gary, and Jonathan and family, give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader We commend to your mercy all who have died, especially Adela Campos, Grace Knowlton, Stacy Title, Tina Keker, David Lougee, Ernest Ryder, and the more than 405,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, as well as others around the world that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our 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.

Jesus calls us; o’er the tumult

of our life’s wild, restless sea,

day by day his clear voice soundeth,

saying, “Christian, follow me;”

as, of old, Saint Andrew heard it

by the Galilean lake,

turned from home and toil and kindred,

leaving all for his dear sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship

of the vain world’s golden store;

from each idol that would keep us,

saying, “Christian, love me more.”

In our joys and in our sorrows,

days of toil and hours of ease,

still he calls, in cares and pleasures,

“Christian, love me more than these.”

Jesus calls us! By thy mercies,

Savior, make us hear thy call,

give our hearts to thine obedience,

serve and love thee best of all.

Forum: Voting Preparations- This Sunday, January 24, each of our candidates for vestry will introduce themselves to the parish following the 11 am service, and have a chance to say a few words about their vision for Ascension. Derek Baker, who has set up our online voting process, will also walk us through it so that all of us understand how to vote. Please plan to join us! If you have any questions about whether you are eligible to vote, please contact the parish office at info@ascensionnyc.org.

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.

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

Welcome Stacey Carpenter- We are delighted to have Stacey Carpenter with us as our preacher for today. Stacey is a middler at the Seminary of the Southwest, preparing for priesthood and sponsored by Ascension. It's always wonderful to have you among us and hear your word, Stacey! Welcome home!

In accordance with the Religious Corporations Law of the State of New York, the Annual Meeting of The Church of the Ascension in the City of New York will be held on Sunday, January 31, 2021, immediately following the 11 a.m. service, for the purpose of electing a Warden for a term of two years and four Vestry members to the Class of 2020, for three year terms and one to fill an unexpired two year term in the class of 2019, and for the conduct of such other business as should come before the Parish.

Since the Annual meeting will be held online this year, the Vestry has amended the by-laws to allow for online voting. Balloting shall commence on the Sunday before the Annual Meeting and end at 9 am on the Wednesday before the Annual Meeting. If a runoff is required, notice of the second ballot shall be given and balloting shall begin immediately, ending at noon on the Sunday of the annual meeting.

For Warden (2 year term)

For Vestry (3 year term)

Click here to view Nominees' bio's.

Elections for Vestry and Warden will be held electronically this year, as described above. Eligible voters will receive their ballot in an email from the online election system we are using to tabulate our votes: ElectionBuddy.com. (If your spam filters are set especially high, please add invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com to either your contacts or email whitelist.) Each eligible voter will be assigned a unique access key which can only be used to vote once, and your voting choices will remain anonymous. (Do not forward the invitation email with the link to your ballot.)

From the invitation email, you’ll follow your personalized link to the secure ElectionBuddy site to vote. After you have made your selections you will have a chance to review your selections and submit your vote.

Join us each weeknight at 5:30 for Evening Prayer & discussion. Click this link to join: ascensionnyc.org/eveningprayer. To call in (voice, no camera), dial 929-205-6099; the meeting ID is 770 597 201.

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.

Sunday Paper Junior - The lectionary, our yearly schedule of Bible readings, carries us through Jesus’s life and teachings. The Church of The Ascension subscribes to the Sunday Paper Junior and we offer it to you and your family as a fun, creative way to study the lessons each week. Click here to access this week's paper. Please feel free to print out the pages each week and use as you desire. Check out this section each week for the current Sunday Paper Junior!

Space Use at Ascension - While the church is closed and not in general use, occasionally someone in the church will want to use one of our spaces. (Please note, that such uses are strongly discouraged.) During the pandemic we must be extra careful to coordinate these things so there is no overlap, and to schedule plenty of time for cleaning. If you think you might need the space for something, please coordinate via the church office - contact Br. Andrew at info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620.

Open Church, Tuesdays & Fridays, Noon to 3. The church is open for private prayer and meditation. Attendance is limited to a maximum of 20 people at one time and all safety precautions (properly worn masks, physical distancing, hand sanitizing, and contact tracing) will be followed.

In-Person Midweek Eucharists Remain Suspended. In light of the rising infection rates in New York City, we continue to suspend our Wednesday evening in person Eucharists.We will revisit the question early in the new year.

By the Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche

Bishop of New York

Beware of Fraudulent Emails Purporting to be from the Ascension clergy! Several people received scam emails today pretending to be from Fr. Ed, using a Gmail account under a user name that appears to be him. Click here to read more and learn what you can do.

Organ Prelude (Zoom) 10:50 a.m.

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

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

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

(Speak to Sibyl Piccone if you are interested in this group)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Organ Prelude (Zoom)

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

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

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

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