Dear People of Ascension,

How is your Advent going? 

What surprises are finding you? What griefs, what joys? How is your heart opening? Your imagination? How are you praying in this time of watching and preparation, hope and longing?

Here is a poem to accompany you in the wild vastness of Advent. 

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.

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Guillaume Nivers (1632-1714)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

The service begins with the sound of a bell

and your microphones will be muted.

#65 Prepare the way, O Zion (Bereden väg för Herran)

Prepare the way, O Zion,

your Christ is drawing near!

Let every hill and valley

a level way appear.

Greet One who comes in glory,

foretold in sacred story.

[Refrain]

Oh, blest is Christ that came

in God’s most holy Name.

He brings God’s rule, O Zion;

he comes from heaven above.

His rule is peace and freedom,

and justice, truth, and love.

Lift high your praise resounding,

for grace and joy abounding.

[Refrain]

Fling wide your gates, O Zion;

your Savior’s rule embrace.

His tidings of salvation

proclaim in every place.

All lands will bow before him,

their voices will adore him.

[Refrain]

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

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Come, O ​Liberating God,

breaker of chains and renewer of life!

Open our eyes to your presence in all the earth.

Stir us to proclaim gladly the signs of your love:

release to the captives,

healing to those frail and broken,

springs of water in all the parched places,

and the coming of our Savior Christ among us. Amen.

Hymn #56 O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, Emmanuel)

O come, thou Key of David, come,

and open wide our heavenly home;

make safe the way that leads on high,

and close the path to misery.

[Refrain]

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, thou Dayspring from on high,

and cheer us by thy drawing nigh;

disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

and death’s dark shadow put to flight.

[Refrain]

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

The Song of Mary Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *

   for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

   the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *

   in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *

   he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *

   and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *

   and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *

   for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *

   to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *

   as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

The Rev. Elizabeth G. Maxwell

Paul Manz (1919-2009)

Peace be to you and grace from him who freed us from our sins, who loved us all and shed his blood that we might saved be. Sing “Holy, holy” to our Lord, the Lord Almighty God, who was and is and is to come; sing “Holy, Holy, Lord!” Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell therein, rejoice on earth, ye saints below, for Christ is coming soon! E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come, and night shall be no more; they need no light nor lamp nor sun, for Christ will be their All!

Prayers of the People Form I

Leader          With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying "Lord, have mercy."

For the peace from above, for the loving kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the peace of the world, for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia and Yemen, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the welfare of the Holy Church of God, for Michael our Presiding Bishop, for Andrew, Allen and Mary our Bishops, and for all the clergy and people, and for Middle Collegiate church following the fire that devastated their building last weekend, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For Donald our President and Joe our President-elect, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For all laboring to end racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering; 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, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For Robert, Ed, Janet, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Tina, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Stacy and Jonathan, Michael, Angeline, Christopher, Len, Deanna and Rodney, Francesca, Dan and family, Alyssa, Summer, and David, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For BJ Fredricks, Casey Goodson, Jr., Charles Haskins, and the more than 290,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, as well as others around the world, for all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          Defend us, deliver us, and in your compassion protect us, O Lord, by your grace.

Leader          In the communion of [ ___ and of all the] saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.

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.

#597 O day of peace that dimly shines (Jerusalem)

O day of peace that dimly shines

through all our hopes and prayers and dreams,

guide us to justice, truth, and love,

delivered from our selfish schemes.

May swords of hate fall from our hands,

our hearts from envy find release,

till by God’s grace our warring world

shall see Christ’s promised reign of peace.

Then shall the wolf dwell with the lamb,

nor shall the fierce devour the small;

as beasts and cattle calmly graze,

a little child shall lead them all.

Then enemies shall learn to love,

all creatures find their true accord;

the hope of peace shall be fulfilled,

for all the earth shall know the Lord.

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)

It's always good to think ahead as the end of the year approaches. Remember that even is you take the standard tax deduction for your 2020 taxes, you can also claim $300 in charitable donations made in 2020 as a deduction, thanks to the CARES Act. Check out this article from the New York Times, "It’s Easier to Get a Tax Deduction for Donations This Year"

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 as we explore the story of the Annunciation through art and scripture (Luke 1:26-38) to deepen our understanding of this central event of our faith. We will begin with a brief overview of how the imagery and iconography of the Annunciation developed. We will then explore the practice of looking closely at images, and hearing Luke's text read aloud, to engage more deeply with the message of this miraculous story, and what it means for us today.

Forum Next Sunday, December 20- Poetry of the Annunciation. The miraculous story of the annunciation is poetic in itself, and it has sparked the imaginations not only of artists, but also of poets throughout history. Please join us next week to ponder how Mary's "yes" is told in the words of John Donne, Denise Levertov and Marie Howe.

Thursday, December 24

Christmas Eve Prelude Music, 6:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve Service, 7:00 p.m.

Friday, December 25

Christmas Day Service, 11:00 a.m.

Sunday, December 27

Lessons and Carols, 11:00 a.m.

Check out our Online Ascension Advent Calendar on our Facebook page, with scripture verses and images provided by parishioners for every day of the season.

Christmas Flower Offering- To help us decorate the church for Christmas with flowers and greenery this year, please email the parish office at info@ascensionnyc.org with the names of those whom you'd like to remember or to give thanks. To donate to the Flower Fund, please go to Ascensionnyc.org/give, then choose “Christmas Flowers” as the fund. If you'd like to pay by check, make your check out to "Church of the Ascension", write "flowers" in the memo field, and mail it to Church of the Ascension, 12 W 11th St, New York, NY 10011. Deadline for submission of names is December 20 (Advent 4). Donations may be sent in anytime.

is available on our

Facebook page:

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!

Open Church Resumes, Tuesdays & Fridays, Noon to 3. We are reopening the church for private prayer and meditation starting December 15. 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.

Racial Justice Discussion Group, Thursday, December 17; 6:30 p.m. Join us as we discuss two articles:

Related to this, at convention our Diocese approved a motion to celebrate the Third or Fourth Sunday of Advent as a time of thanksgiving for the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution on December 18, 1865, which abolished chattel slavery in America. Click here to read Bishop Dietsche's letter.

Join Zoom Meeting

Dial in only: 929-2056099

Meeting ID: 993 3293 9318

Sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent by the Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Bishop Suffragan of New York. Click here to see his sermon.

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.

Is God calling YOU to run for Vestry? Are you interested in exploring your own faith leadership in the church? Serving on Vestry is an opportunity to provide spiritually grounded leadership with an emphasis on our church's finances and property management. Vestry members are baptized members of the parish who regularly attend worship and have contributed financially to Ascension regularly over the past 12 months. Vestry meets the evening of the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Please contact the Nominating Committee or Mtr Liz if you would like to discern this ministry or know someone you would like to nominate.

Mother Posey & a Horror Film! In her most recent sermon, Mother Posey referenced a horror film seminar given by her close friend, actor/screenwriter/director Jonathan Penner, for NYU’s LA film school. For those who expressed interest in watching and hearing what Jonathan had to say, click here to see a YouTube presentation of the film talk.

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.

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.

Organ Prelude (Zoom) 10:55 a.m.

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

Ascension Forum (Zoom)

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

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

Lectionary Bible Study (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

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

Open Church* (Church) 12 Noon - 3:00 p.m.

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

EfM (Zoom) 6:00 p.m.

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

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

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

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

Open Church* (Church) 12 Noon - 3:00 p.m.

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

Food Pantry (12 W 11th St) 8:30 a.m.

(Speak to Fr. Ed if you would like to volunteer or are in need)

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

Organ Prelude (Zoom)

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

Ascension Forum (Zoom)

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

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

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