Dear People of Ascension,

 

Like so many other New Yorkers, I have been thinking about what was happening a year ago at this time. This is the week that everything changed.

 

March 8, 2020 was the last time we gathered for worship in the church on a Sunday. As Mother Meredith reminded us in her sermon this past week, she served as our deacon, having been ordained just the day before. We had already made some liturgical changes because of Covid: no intinction (though still drinking from the common cup), elbow bumps and bows at the Peace instead of hugs and handshakes, lots of hand sanitizer.

 

That week, as news came from across the country of the virulence of this new disease, I began to understand that our precautions needed to increase. There was lots of information, misinformation, anxiety, talking with colleagues, watching what other churches and institutions were doing. On Thursday I sent a letter to the parish explaining that we would not be sharing the cup that Sunday "out of abundance of caution". But by Friday I no longer believed it was safe to gather in person at all. I wrote to you all again. We closed the church building and Fr. Ed and I recorded a short meditation for that Sunday, March 15. I remember that it was about finding water in the desert: God accompanying us through Lent in the time of Covid.

 

By the following Sunday, March 22, our remarkable team- Andrew our parish administrator, the clergy, Dr. Keene, John Thompson and others- had gotten us on Zoom, and we began to explore online worship.

 

I have spoken before, and surely will again, about the many losses, revelations, challenges and gifts of this very difficult year. But as we mark this solemn one year anniversary, I want to thank God, who has been with us in the wilderness and is with us still, bringing water in the desert for so much longer than any of us imagined. Our thanks include a fair share of murmuring and complaining, for sure, more than a little lament and anger and reckoning. But I am deeply aware, as I look back on the past months, that God's grace sustains and strengthens us even through the hardest days. The Ascension community is a sign of that grace. With the old spiritual we can say, "I don't believe you brought me this far to leave me."

 

As we continue our Lenten journey in the time of Covid, and as we remember the year just past, I offer you this prayer, and I hold you in my heart.

 

Liz

 

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.

Click here for link.

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

From Mount Hor the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22  (St. Helena Psalter)

We give you thanks, O God, for you are good; *

    your mercy endures for ever.

Let all those whom you have redeemed proclaim *

    that you redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

You gathered them out of the lands; *

    from the east and from the west,

    from the north and from the south.

Some were fools and took to rebellious ways; *

    they were afflicted because of their sins.

They abhorred all manner of food *

    and drew near to death’s door.

Then they cried to you in their trouble, *

    and you delivered them from their distress.

You sent forth your word and healed them *

    and saved them from the grave.

Let them give thanks to you for your mercy *

    and the wonders you do for your children.

Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving *

    and tell of your acts with shouts of joy.

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-- by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

When Christ was lifted from the earth,

his arms stretched out above

through every culture, every birth,

to draw an answering love.

Still east and west his love extends

and always, near or far,

he calls and claims us as his friends

and loves us as we are.

Where generation, class, or race

divide us to our shame,

he sees not labels but a face,

a person, and a name.

Thus freely loved, though fully known,

may I in Christ be free

to welcome and accept his own

as Christ accepted me.

Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

The Rev. Elizabeth G. Maxwell

Leader I ask your prayers for God's people throughout the world; for our Presiding Bishop Michael, for our own bishops Andrew, Allen, and Mary; for this gathering; and for all ministers and people. Pray for the Church.

Leader I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; for the well-being of all people; for this fragile earth, and for the will, wisdom and courage to care for and live sustainably with all creation. We pray for Joe our president, Andrew our governor, and Bill our mayor. We pray for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia, Yemen, Uganda, Haiti, and the Uygur people; for all laboring to end racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country.

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. On this anniversary of the first reported Covid-19 death in New York City, we pray for all affected by the pandemic: 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 Covid; 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 I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. We remember especially Robert, Ed, Janet, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Michael, Attikus, Marcy, Deb, Deacon Luis, Stephen, Martin, Marion, Sandy, Jonathan and family, Cammie and family, Ed, and Liz. Pray for those in any need or trouble.

Leader I ask your prayers for John, Adora and the child she carries, and for her safe delivery through childbirth.

Leader I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by her.

Leader I ask your prayers for the departed, especially Desaix Anderson, Jean Rice, Jeff Paley, Jack Chinery, Bill Burket, Mike Kehoe and the more than 530,000 Americans who have died from Covid-19, as well as others around the world.

Leader I ask for your other prayers and thanksgivings.

Leader Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored. Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

 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.

Celebrant: Bow down before the Lord.

Look down in mercy, Lord, on your people who kneel before you; and grant that those whom you have nourished by your Word and Sacraments may bring forth fruit worthy of repentance; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Morning glory, starlit sky,

soaring music, scholar’s truth,

flight of swallows, autumn leaves,

memory’s treasure, grace of youth:

Open are the gifts of God,

gifts of love to mind and sense;

hidden is love’s agony,

love’s endeavor, love’s expense.

Love that gives, gives ever more,

gives with zeal, with eager hands,

spares not, keeps not, all outpours,

ventures all its all expends.

Drained is love in making full,

bound in setting others free,

poor in making many rich,

weak in giving power to be.

Therefore he who shows us God

helpless hangs upon the tree;

and the nails and crown of thorns

tell of what God’s love must be.

Here is God: no monarch he,

throned in easy state to reign;

here is God, whose arms of love

aching, spent, the world sustain.

This week's forum: Honor Thy Father and Mother - This Sunday our forum will dive into the topic of intergenerational responsibility and trauma, specifically as it relates to what it means to follow the commandment “Honor thy father and mother.” Using the work of Hebrew Bible scholar Lizzie Berne DeGear, we will open up our understanding of the full breadth of this particular aspect of living into Beloved Community in our time and how it connects to justice work in the 21st century.

Sunday Forums in Lent - Justice, Reconciliation and Forgiveness

Sundays from February 21 through March 21, following the 11:00 service.

... Two weeks ago many of us were moved and challenged by the words of Bryan Stevenson about the injustices of the criminal justice system. One way that New Yorkers of faith can make a difference locally is through Faith Communities for a Just Re-entry. This link will tell you more about how you can get involved in this ministry, which focuses specifically on the needs of people released from Riker's Island, calling on the Mayor and other city officials to ensure that they experience a safe transition, have access to housing, and are supported by a coordinated reentry system.

Lenten Community Suppers - Join us at 6:30 p.m. for Lenten Zoom Gatherings for Food, Prayer and Conversation this Lent. There will be 5 gatherings (see below), each hosted by one of the clergy. Participation is limited to 10 participants for each gathering. Out of consideration of others, please only register for one gathering. There are plenty of open spots, so register today!

To Register, go to ascensionnyc.org/lent-suppers and click the "Reserve a Spot" botton. If you have any questions, please contact the church office by email at info@ascensionnyc.org or by phone at 212-254-8620.

Thursday, March 18

Wednesday, March 24

Lenten Devotional Books Are Here! The devotional is made up of 40 personal reflections from members of the parish and clergy at Ascension. The booklet is available online and in hardcopy (limited supply), with original artwork by Matthew Snow. To download the PDF of the Lenten Devotional, go to ascensionnyc.org/lent-devotions and follow the instruction to download or read online. The daily meditations from the booklet will also be available on our Facebook page starting Ash Wednesday. To request a hard copy (suggested donation $5), please email the Parish Office at info@ascensensionnyc.org. If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Adams. Thank you to all our writers for their work to make the devotional a reality.

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)

A COVID-19 Day of Remembrance, March 14, 2020. New York City’s first known COVID-19 death was confirmed on this day. Since then, we’ve lost thousands of our beloved New Yorkers to this virus. They were our family, our friends, our frontline and essential workers, and – above all else – our fellow New Yorkers. This year, March 14th, 2021 will be an official day of remembrance in our city. If you have lost a loved one to COVID-19 you are encouraged to participate in the City’s memorial event. Click here for more information.

"Lessons To Be Learned From The 2020 Pandemic", by Stanley Weinberg - When it's all over, what will we have learned? How will the pandemic have changed our lives; or how could it change our lives? Click here to access Stanley’s article, soon to be published in the Episcopal New Yorker,

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.

Easter Flower Memorials - To include the names of loved ones in the Easter Flower Memorial list on Easter Day (April 4), please contact the parish office with your names (info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620). The deadline for submitting names is Palm Sunday, March 28. You can donate to the Easter Flower Fund via Abundant Giving or by sending your checks to Church of the Ascension (be sure to write “Easter Flowers” in the memo, but remember that in order to include the names you must contact the office!

Episcopal Relief and Disaster (ERD) Response in Texas. Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting the Episcopal dioceses of Dallas, Texas and West Texas as they provide emergency relief to individuals and families impacted by the unprecedented ice storm, low temperatures and power outages last week. Click here to learn more and help support their relief efforts.

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!

Vaccine Registration Assistance? Do you need help scheduling your vaccine appointment? Are you a tech-savvy and patient person who would like to help register people? Please contact Madonna Stack-Barker at m.stack@rcn.com for more information.

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.

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.

Daylight Savings Time Begins

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.

Vestry Meeting (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

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

Lenten Community Supper (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

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

Food Pantry (12 West 11th Street) 8:30 a.m.

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

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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