Dear People of Ascension,

As New York begins early voting this weekend, how will your faith inform your political choices? Maybe an even better question is, how has your faith shaped what is most important to you (how is it shaping you still)? What difference does following Jesus make in your life as a citizen?

We might be guided by the great commandments, which figure in our gospel for this week: "Love God with your whole heart and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." Cornel West famously said that "justice is what love looks like in public", so how then can we love our neighbors?

Or we might look to Matthew's story of the last judgment, in which we hear that the nations will be judged on the basis of how they/we treat "the least of these our siblings"- the hungry, the homeless, the stranger, the prisoner. This is both a challenge for us as individual disciples of Jesus and for us as we seek to shape our common life through politics, education and community care.

Episcopalians, especially, might recall our baptismal covenant. If I seek and serve Christ in all people, how will I vote? What policies help me to strive for justice and peace among all people? If I respect the dignity of every human being, how do I envision a good, just, equitable society? What kind of world am I working to create, not only on a personal but also on a political level?

This Sunday the clergy will lead a forum on stewardship, faith and politics. We hope you will join us to share your own thoughts about these questions, and your own faith practices in the political realm.

With prayer for you as you cast your ballot, for integrity in the electoral process, and for our country in this election season.

Peace,

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.

#605 What does the Lord require (Sharpthorne)

What does the Lord require

for praise and offering?

What sacrifice desire,

or tribute bid you bring?

Do justly;

love mercy;

walk humbly with your God.

Rulers of earth, give ear!

Should you not justice show?

Will God your pleading hear,

while crime and cruelty grow?

Do justly;

love mercy;

walk humbly with your God.

Still down the ages ring

the prophet’s stern commands.

To merchant, worker, king

he brings God’s high demands.

Do justly;

love mercy;

walk humbly with your God.

How shall my soul fulfill

God’s law so hard and high?

Let Christ endue our will

with grace to fortify.

Then justly;

in mercy

we’ll humbly walk with God.

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

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended. Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses. Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 (St. Helena Psalter)

O God, you have been our refuge *

   from one generation to another.

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or the land and the earth were born, *

   from age to age you are God.

You turn us back to the dust and say, *

   “Go back, O child of earth.”

For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *

   and like a watch in the night.

You sweep us away like a dream; *

   we fade away suddenly like the grass.

In the morning it is green and flourishes; *

   in the evening it is dried up and withered.

Return, O God; how long will you tarry? *

   Be gracious to your servants.

Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *

   so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *

   and the years in which we suffered adversity.

Show your servants your works *

   and your splendor to their children.

May the graciousness of our God be upon us; *

   prosper the work of our hands;

   prosper our handiwork.

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

The Rev. Meredith Ward

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

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.

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, Mary and Tom, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Tina, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Stacy and Jonathan, Michael, Seth, Tom, Mike, Jennifer, Liz, Abigail, Zakaria, and Jocelyn. 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. We pray for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, those affected by hurricane Delta, and by the fires in California and the Pacific Northwest. We pray for all laboring to end ​racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country. We pray for all seeking elective office, for all who vote, and for the integrity of our electoral process. Give wisdom to those in authority among us and to all leaders of the nations.

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 pray for all affected by COVID-19: for the frightened and the sick, for the dying and those who mourn. We pray for all who have lost jobs and livelihood as a result of this pandemic. We pray 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 treatment and a vaccine, for those charged with making decisions about public health and public policy and for all who are reopening, that they may care for one another in wisdom and safety.

We remember with thanksgiving all who have died in Christ and those whose faith is known to you alone, especially Brendan M. Burns, Sherrie Irene Kesselman, Sally Littlefield, Andrew Stegen, and the more that 215,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, as well as others around the world. 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.

We offer you our other prayers, and our thanksgivings for all the blessings of this life.

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

Celebrant:    Let us pray. (Silence)

Lord Jesus Christ, you sent laborers to prepare for your coming: Be with these stewardship callers those who go forth in your Name, that by their witness and commitment the hearts of many will be turned to you in generosity and gratitude, You are the giver of all good gifts, and to you we give glory. 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.

#610 Lord, whose love through humble service (Blaenhafren)

Lord, whose love through humble service

bore the weight of human need,

who upon the cross, forsaken,

offered mercy’s perfect deed,

we, your servants, bring the worship

not of voice alone, but heart,

consecrating to your purpose

every gift that you impart.

Still your children wander homeless;

still the hungry cry for bread;

still the captives long for freedom;

still in grief we mourn our dead.

As, O Lord, your deep compassion

healed the sick and freed the soul,

use the love your Spirit kindles

still to save and make us whole.

As we worship, grant us vision,

till your love’s revealing light,

in its height and depth and greatness,

dawns upon our quickened sight,

making known the needs and burdens

your compassion bids us bear,

stirring us to tireless striving,

your abundant life to share.

Called by worship to your service,

forth in your dear name we go,

to the child, the youth, the agèd

love in living deeds to show;

hope and health, good will and comfort,

counsel, aid, and peace we give,

that your servants, Lord, in freedom

may your mercy know and live.

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)

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!

Forum this Sunday: Stewardship and Political Participation- following our 11 am service this Sunday, October 25, the clergy will lead a forum on how our faith informs our actions in the public square. We will explore such questions as: How do your Christian values shape your vote, and wider political action? What does stewardship have to do with politics, money, creation? Does stewardship feel different to you this year? Specifically as Christians, how do we care for the common good? Bring your own questions, and join us!

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.

In-Person Midweek Eucharist begins Wednesday evening, November 4 at 6:00 p.m. As we take our next step toward reopening the church during this time of pandemic we are opening the church on Wednesday evenings for in-person Eucharist. Click here to read more.

The Church is open for prayer and meditation on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12-3 pm. Masks, contact information and use of hand sanitizer is required for all guests. We are very excited about opening our space again. The garden is open every day from 9-5, and is a lovely place to enjoy quiet and the beauty of creation.

is available on our Facebook page:

Stay Connected in Prayer. Join us each weeknight at 5:30 for Evening Prayer and discussion. Click here to join. To call in (voice, no camera), dial 929-205-6099; the meeting ID is 770 597 201.

Deadline for All Saints Memorial Names is Tuesday October 27! For centuries, Christians have commemorated those who, having professed faith in the living Christ in days past, now have entered into the nearer presence of our Lord. We will celebrate the Feast of All Saints on Sunday, November 1 this year. To include the names of loved ones in the All Saints Memorial List this year, please email the church office at info@ascensionnyc.org with your names by Tuesday, October 27. If you would like to make a memorial donation please give via our Abundant Giving (Ascensionnyc.org/Give) and select All Saints Memorial from the dropdown menu; or send a check to the church office with "All Saints Memorial" in the memo line.

Special All Saints Organ Prelude, Sunday, November 1 at 10:50 a.m. - Join us early Sunday morning via Zoom: JS Bach's Fantasie in G

Thank You to the Production Crew! There are countless people behind the scenes that make our Sunday worship happen, and we would like to offer special thanks to three very key people: John Thompson (Zoom host and manager), Vin Knight (Facebook Meditation compiler), and Hai-Ting Chinn (our wrangler of singers and sound mixer). Hat's off to these three amazing people!

Holding on to Hope - A National Service for Healing and Wholeness - Live from Washington National Cathedral - Sunday, November 1; 4:00-5:30 pm. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will lead a live-streamed prayer service from Washington National Cathedral on All Saints Sunday. In the midst of a pandemic, racial reckoning, and a historic election, the live-streamed service will gather Americans for prayer, song, lament, hope, and a call to love God and neighbor. The event will be simulcast in English and Spanish.

Join us live on our webpage or on our Facebook page. Consider hosting a watch-party and inviting friends and neighbors to join you online for the service.

A Season of Prayer for an Election- From October 27-November 4, the Episcopal Church invites us to a novena for our national election. A novena is an ancient tradition of nine days of devotional prayers, often with a specific intention. In this case, we will pray for discernment in voting and for the well-being of our nation. You can sign up to download materials in English or Spanish and to receive daily emails here; ​let us join in prayer with others all around our church. Together, let us offer to God our fears and frustrations, our hopes and dreams for our country, our communities and ourselves.

Early Voting in NYC - New York voters can also vote before Election Day. The early voting period runs from Saturday, October 24, 2020 to Sunday, November 1, 2020, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live.

For a list of dates, times and locations, go to vote.nyc/page/early-voting-information

Our Diocesan Convention Roll-out Meetings are every Wednesday evening, 5pm - 6pm, from September 9 through October 28. To attend the Zoom presentations go to dioceseny.zoom.us/j/91561537149. The Convention Day Bishops’ Addresses/Elections/Resolutions/Budget) will be Saturday, November 7 - Zoom details will follow;

Oct. 28 - Reparations

(Nov. 4 - Reserved for possible additional Zoom meeting)

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Upper West Side Open Hearts Initiative (UWSOHI) - Many of you will perhaps have heard or read about the ongoing controversy on the Upper West Side this summer over the city housing homeless individuals in the empty hotels in the upper 70s near Amsterdam and Broadway in order to protect them from Covid by reducing crowding in the normal shelters. The Upper West Side Open Hearts Initiative is a group that formed in that neighborhood to support the men who are housed in the hotels and to push back against the active and vocal group that is trying to remove them from the neighborhood completely.

UWSOHI is organizing an effort to help kit the men out with supplies for when they move into permanent housing. If you would like to contribute to that effort, the details of how to do so are below. You can order the wish list for one full (or parts of a) supply kit on Amazon at the link below, and it will go a long way to helping them be ready when they are assigned long term housing. A full complement of supplies cames to around $325 total.

Click here to purchase portions of, or a full kit. In Amazon, when you go to shipping, select the UWS OpenHearts Housewarming option and it will be shipped to the home of the person who is doing the organizing. For privacy’s sake, you will not see that address, but it will go to them, and they will in turn take it to the Lucerne or the Belleclaire.

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.

General Convention Task Force Survey - The Task Force on Theology of Social Justice Advocacy invites Episcopalians to participate in a survey, “Social Justice and the Episcopal Church: A Call for Stories”. The members of the Task Force would like to gather stories and deeper perspectives to support their work on behalf of the Church and invite Episcopalians to consider sharing their experience by completing the survey, Click the link to read more about it an to take the survey. Deadline, November 5

Help for job seekers available- Long-time choir member Deb Feldman is cofounder at Gray Scalable, an HR and Recruiting consultancy to tech startups, based in Flatiron. Deb is offering job search advice and interview practice for Ascension parishioners who have been furloughed or laid off as a result of Covid-19. This is offered remotely via Zoom and free of charge - however, spots are limited, and offered on a first come, first served basis. Please email debsoprano@gmail.com if you're interested.

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!

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.

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

Forum: Stewardship, Faith & Politics

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)

Deadline for receiving Alls Saints Memorial Names

Church Open for Prayer and Meditation* (Church) 12 noon - 3:00 p.m.

Reopening Taskforce Meeting (Zoom) 4:00 p.m.

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

EfM (Zoom) 6:00 p.m.

Diocesan Convention Rollout Meeting (Zoom) 5:00 p.m.

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

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

Church Open for Prayer and Meditation* (Church) 12 noon - 3:00 p.m.

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

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

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

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

Ascension Forum

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

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

Clergy | Staff | Parish Leadership