Dear People of Ascension,

As we ponder heatwaves and hurricanes, habitat destruction and hatred, as we seek to love and care for each other and the more than human world, here is a prayer poem for your practice.

Wild Blessings,

Liz

From Thinking Like a Mountain

Spirit that hears each one of us,

hears all that is-

Listens, listens, hears us out-

Inspire us now!

Our own pulse beats in every stranger's throat,

And also in the flowered ground beneath our feet,

And- teach us to listen!-

We can hear it in water, in wood, and even in stone.

We are earth of this earth, and we are bone of this bone.

This is a prayer I sing, for we

have forgotten this and so

the earth is perishing.

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.

Online phishing emails are becoming more and more rampant these days and the church is not exempt from vulnerability. Please read our notice below in the announcement for ways to protect yourself and others.

   Plein Jeu

   Récit de Hautbois

   Dialogue sur les Grands Jeux

O God of earth and altar,

bow down and hear our cry,

our earthly rulers falter,

our people drift and die;

the walls of gold entomb us,

the swords of scorn divide,

take not thy thunder from us,

but take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches,

from lies of tongue and pen,

from all the easy speeches

that comfort cruel men,

from sale and profanation

of honor, and the sword,

from sleep and from damnation,

deliver us, good Lord!

Tie in a living tether

the prince and priest and thrall,

bind all our lives together,

smite us and save us all;

in ire and exultation

aflame with faith, and free,

lift up a living nation,

a single sword to thee.

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

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, 'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.' " And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'”

I will listen to what you are saying, *

    for you are speaking peace to your faithful people

    and to those who turn their hearts to you.

Truly, your salvation is very near to those who fear you, *

    that your glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth have met together; *

    righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Truth shall spring up from the earth, *

    and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

You, O God, will indeed grant prosperity, *

    and our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness shall go before you, *

    and peace shall be a pathway for your feet.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

King Herod heard of Jesus and his disciples, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes;

and I shall keep it unto the end.

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, Harold, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Michael, Todd, Nancy, Sonia, Seely, Katherine and Elizabeth, Anne, Peter, Gus, and Charles. 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. Today we remember particularly the people of Haiti. 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 Jason Kazor, James Locker, and Kathy, mother of Charles Goldman. 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.

O day of God, draw nigh

in beauty and in power,

come with thy timeless judgment now

to match our present hour.

Bring to our troubled minds,

uncertain and afraid,

the quiet of a steadfast faith,

calm of a call obeyed.

Bring justice to our land,

that all may dwell secure,

and finely build for days to come

foundations that endure.

Bring to our world of strife

thy sovereign word of peace,

that war may haunt the earth no more

and desolation cease.

O day of God, draw nigh

as at creation’s birth,

let there be light again, and set

thy judgments in the earth.

The Church Cracked Open - our forum series - will conclude on Sundays, July 18 & 25. 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.

Tuesdays and Fridays - The Church is open from prayer and meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Volunteers Needed for Open Church! We would like to start opening the church from Noon to 3, Monday through Friday, but we need volunteers to make that happen. If you would like to volunteer, please call or email the parish office (212-254-8620; info@ascensionnyc.org)

Racial Justice Discussion Group... Of Interest: Books, Seminars, Meetings, Etc...

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.

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 – July 11 – Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

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

Meditation with Prayers & Music (Facebook.com/AscensionNYC)

Evening Prayer (Zoom) 5:30 p.m. 

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

Church open from prayer and meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

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

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

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

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

Church open from prayer and meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

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

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

Sunday – July 18 – Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

In-Person Holy Eucharist (Church) 9:00 a.m.

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

Meditation with Prayers & Music (Facebook.com/AscensionNYC)

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