Dear People of Ascension,

Earlier today our warden Isabel Spencer and I attended a meeting on the NYC Recovery Agenda, bringing together faith communities from across the city to talk about the various needs we are experiencing in this time of emergence and change. The rich and lively conversation sought to identify priorities for both the use of recovery funds coming into the City and our own ministries and possible collaborations going forward. At the Zoom table were quite a few Episcopalians, and also other Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist representatives as well as interfaith organizations from across New York City.

Many of the issues participants named have already been part of our conversations at Ascension. Hunger and food insecurity, affordable housing, mental health for individuals and communities, vaccine access, economic development especially in Black and brown communities, schools and youth, police reform and community safety, criminal justice reform, the needs of transgender people of color and the safety and thriving of immigrant communities were all mentioned multiple times. So too was the role of religious communities in fostering dialogue and a welcome for everyone. As Isabel wisely noted, there is so much we don't yet know about how we have changed in these months of Covid and racial reckoning. We don't necessarily want to go back to the way things were!

These conversations will continue, and I would welcome your thoughts about how we at Ascension can be part of healing and transformation in our city. What are the needs you see, from where you sit? What are your dreams for New York's healing and thriving? What should our priorities be as a community of faith, here on the corner of 5th Ave. and 10th St., witnessing to God's love for all?

May this summer be a time of rich imagining and listening to the Spirit's promptings.

Liz

If you do not have a device with a camera, you can still join with your phone by dialing the following number: 929-205-6099, and enter the 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.

Christ is made the sure foundation,

Christ the head and cornerstone,

chosen of the Lord, and precious,

binding all the Church in one;

holy Zion’s help for ever,

and her confidence alone.

All that dedicated city,

dearly loved of God on high,

in exultant jubilation

pours perpetual melody;

God the One in Three adoring

in glad hymns eternally.

To this temple, where we call thee,

come, O Lord of Hosts, today;

with thy wonted loving-kindness

hear thy servants as they pray,

and thy fullest benediction

shed within its walls alway.

Here vouchsafe to all thy servants

what they ask of thee to gain;

what they gain from thee, for ever

with the blessèd to retain,

and hereafter in thy glory

evermore with thee to reign.

Celebrant:   Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Out of the depths have I called to you;

O God, hear my voice; *

   let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

If you were to note what is done amiss, *

   O God, who could stand?

For there is forgiveness with you, *

   therefore you shall be feared.

I wait for you, O God; my soul waits for you; *

   in your word is my hope.

My soul waits for you,

more than sentries for the morning, *

   more than sentries for the morning.

O Israel, wait upon God, *

   for with God there is mercy.

With God there is plenteous redemption; *

   God shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

The crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,

And with fear and trembling stand;

Ponder nothing earthly-minded,

For with blessing in his hand,

Christ our God to earth descendeth,

Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,

As of old on earth he stood

Lord of lords, in human vesture

In the Body and the Blood

He will give to all the faithful

His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven

Spreads its vanguard on the way,

As the Light of Light descendeth

From the realms of endless day,

That the powers of hell may vanish

As the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six-winged seraph;

Cherubim with sleepless eye,

Veil their faces to the Presence,

As with ceaseless voice they cry,

Alleluia, alleluia,

Alleluia, Lord most high. Amen.

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.

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.

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, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Michael, Todd, Lalitha, Lakshman, Shirley, Donna, Harold, Elizabeth and Katherine, Mary Fi, Mary Ann, Annette, Bill, and Nancy. 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. Give wisdom to those in authority among us and to all leaders of the nations. We pray especially for those seeking to end white supremacy and establish racial justice.

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 remember with thanksgiving all who have died in Christ, especially Barbara Baker, Ivy Alanna Coombs, Larry Gabbard , Raymond Lux, Hazel Joshua, Wayne Smith, Cristena Rubio, and Curtis Kekahbah . 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.

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

God of all mercy,

we confess that we have sinned against you,

opposing your will in our lives.

We have denied your goodness in each other,

in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us,

the evil we have done,

and the evil done on our behalf.

Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

 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.

Father eternal, Ruler of creation,

Spirit of life, which moved ere form was made,

through the thick darkness covering every nation,

light to our blindness, O be thou our aid:

[Refrain]

Races and peoples, lo, we stand divided,

and, sharing not our griefs, no joy can share;

by wars and tumults love is mocked, derided;

his saving cross no nation yet will bear:

[Refrain]

Envious of heart, blind-eyed, with tongues confounded,

nation by nation still goes unforgiven,

in wrath and fear, by jealousies surrounded,

building proud towers which shall not reach to heaven:

[Refrain]

Lust of possession worketh desolations;

there is no meekness in the powers of earth;

led by no star, the rulers of the nations

still fail to bring us to the blissful birth:

[Refrain]

How shall we love thee, holy hidden Being,

if we love not the world which thou hast made?

Bind us in thine own love for better seeing

thy Word made flesh, and in a manger laid:

[Refrain]

Forum Series: The Church Cracked Open. This Sunday, June 6, we continue our study of The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline and new Hope for Beloved Community by the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers. We focus this week on chapters 5. & 6. This new book is a gift to the Episcopal Church in this particular historical moment, and we encourage everyone to read and participate! it is widely available from Church Publishing and from Amazon.

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 Note about Using Abundant Giving: When you donate and pledge through the Abundant Giving app or go through the website, you need to direct your donation to the correct category. There are multiple categories to choose from:

These categories change as we update categories during the year. (An example would be when we delete the Easter flowers category after Easter and add Christmas flowers for the weeks leading up to Christmas.)

To donate through your app or the website, click the link above. The next screen will prompt you: "How Much Do You Want To Give?" Next to that, is a drop-down list of categories. Offering plate is always listed first. Click on the little arrow and the list will appear. Click on which ever category you want your donation to be credited. It is important to identify which category you are donating to so that your year end statement will be correct.

You should have received your year-end statement for 2020. Please review it carefully and contact the parish office immediately if there are any issues.

Through the summer, Ascension will continue to offer online services on Sundays at 11 am to facilitate worship at home. We are offering in-person worship on Wednesday evenings, and beginning June 20th, we will offer in-person worship on Sundays at 9 am. However, the Reopening Committee is exploring how we will continue to use technology and online services once we return to in-church services at 11 am early in the fall.

Please take a few minutes and click here to complete the survey and help us plan for future online and in-person services and events. We value your input as we develop a plan that will work best for our unique parish and in ways that will ensure the health and safety of all who wish to return to in-person services.

Steve Hubbard

The Reopening Taskforce

In-Person Midweek Eucharist - As we begin to reopen the church we are celebrating the Eucharist in person on Wednesday evenings. To reserve a seat, please click the button to the left, or visit us at Ascensionnyc.org/Reservations. If you have problems making a reservation, please contact the church office.

In-Person Sunday Morning Eucharist, 9:00 a.m. Beginning Sunday, June 20th we will have in-person Holy Eucharist at 9:00 a.m. in the church. To reserve a seat, please click the button to the left, or visit us at Ascensionnyc.org/Reservations. If you have problems making a reservation, please contact the church office.

Open Church, will be suspended until Tuesday, June 15th due to the installation of a new fire alarm system in the church.

Len Bowman's Retirement, End of June. You are invited to contribute to a farewell gift for Len. You can do that through Abundant Giving (select "Sexton's Retirement Gift" from the Fund menu), or by sending a check to the parish office with "Sexton's retirement gift" in the memo line. Please keep Len and Sandra in your prayers in this time of transition. News is coming soon about plans for a celebration of Len and Sandra.

Racial Justice Discussion Group, Thursday, June 17; 6:30 p.m. – Join us as we explore the larger discussion of reparations strategies. We will be looking at Peter Driscoll’s Inspire Campaign, an article from the NY Times about VTS reparations initiatives and another about the failures around reparations in Tulsa.

Voices Heard - A Diocese Explores Pathways Toward Reparations. A series of panel discussions sponsored by the Reparations Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Click here for more information.

The Church Cracked Open- Over the next several weeks in forums and other settings, we will be exploring Stephanie Spellers' new book, The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline and New Hope for Beloved Community. Spellers serves on the Presiding Bishop's staff as Canon for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation, and she has written a prophetic word of challenge and hope for our church in exactly this moment. A launch event for the book was held this past week, featuring poetry, music and a panel discussion as well as comments from Canon Spellers herself. Be sure to buy the book (which is widely available) and begin reading!

Fraudulent emails, Facebook accounts, instagram and Messenger accounts are on the rise! These annoying and scary intrusions into our lives go by many names, but most commonly they are referred to as spoofing, phishing, or cloning. They usually start out friendly enough - enough to lure you in - but sooner or later they will ask you for money.

It seems there is little you can do to stop someone from spoofing your account, but you can be smart about it if you are on the receiving end. Here are some things you should know and look out for:

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.

Sunday – June 6 – Second Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday Service, (Zoom) 11:00 a.m.

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

Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m. (The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

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

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

Reopening Taskforce (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

Finance Committee Meeting (Zoom) 11:30 a.m.

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

Midweek Eucharist (Reservation Required) 6:00 p.m.

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

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

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

Sunday – June 13 – Third Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday 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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