Christ revealed our frailty and our falling,

our trespasses and our humiliations.

Christ also revealed his blessed power,

his blessed wisdom and love.

He protects us tenderly and sweetly when we are in greatest need;

he raises us in spirit

and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.

God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature;

God is the true father and mother of natures.

We are all bound to God by nature,

and we are all bound to God by grace.

And this grace is for all the world,

because it is our precious mother, Christ.

For this fair nature was prepared by Christ

for the honor and nobility of all

and for the joy and bliss of salvation.

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.

[Refrain]

Here in Christ we gather, love of Christ our calling.

Christ, our love, is with us, gladness be his greeting.

Let us fear and love him, holy God eternal.

Loving him, let each love Christ in one another.

[Refrain]

When we Christians gather, members of one Body,

let there be in us no discord but one spirit.

Banished now be anger, strife and every quarrel.

Christ, our God, be always present here among us.

[Refrain]

Grant us love’s fulfillment, joy with all the blessèd,

when we see your face, O Savior, in its glory.

Shine on us, O purest Light of all creation,

be our bliss while endless ages sing your praises.

[Refrain]

Celebrant:   Alleluia. Christ is risen.

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O just and merciful God, you have provided for your people in times of famine as well as times of harvest. In your wisdom, you have called us to care for one another, loving our neighbors as ourselves. We ask that you strengthen our hearts to fulfill this call so that all your people may live with dignity. Grant us this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

Sing a new song to God, *

who has done marvelous things.

With your right hand, O God, and your holy arm, *

you have won for yourself the victory.

You have made known your victory; *

your righteousness have you openly shown in the sight of the nations.

You remember your mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *

and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

Shout with joy to God, all you lands; *

lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.

Sing to God with the harp, *

with the harp and the voice of song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn, *

shout with joy before God who reigns in majesty.

Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *

the lands and those who dwell therein.

Let the rivers clap their hands, *

and let the hills ring out with joy before God,

who will come to judge the earth.

God shall judge the world in righteousness *

and the peoples with equity.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Love is strong as death. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus; ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Leader Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world. We pray for Michael our Presiding Bishop, for Andrew, Allen and Mary our own Bishops.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

Leader Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace, especially Joe our President, Andrew our Governor, and Bill our Mayor; that we may honor one another and serve the common good.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

Leader Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

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. 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.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

Leader Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, especially Robert, Ed, Janet, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Michael, Stephen, Kenneth, Lalitha, and Lacksman; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

Leader We commend to your mercy all who have died, especially Fr. Jack Smith, Patty Tuck, Barbara Baker, Ivy Alanna Coombs, Larry Gabbard, Raymond Lux, Duante Wright, Adam Toledo, Ma'Khai Bryant, and Andrew Brown, Jr.; that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

Leader We offer you our other prayers and thanksgivings.

 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.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Hearts and voices heavenward raise:

sing to God a hymn of gladness,

sing to God a hymn of praise.

He, who on the cross a victim,

for the world’s salvation bled,

Jesus Christ, the King of glory,

now is risen from the dead.

Now the iron bars are broken,

Christ from death to life is born,

glorious life, and life immortal,

on his resurrection morn.

Christ has triumphed, and we conquer

by his mighty enterprise:

we with him to life eternal

by his resurrection rise.

Christ is risen, Christ, the first-fruits

of the holy harvest-field,

which with all its full abundance

at his second coming yield:

then the golden ears of harvest

will their heads before him wave,

ripened by his glorious sunshine

from the furrows of the grave.

Christ is risen, we are risen!

Shed upon us heavenly grace,

rain and dew and gleams of glory

from the brightness of thy face;

that, with hearts in heaven dwelling,

we on earth may fruitful be,

and by angel hands be gathered,

and be ever, Lord, with thee.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Glory be to God on high;

Alleluia! to the Savior

who has won the victory;

Alleluia! to the Spirit,

fount of love and sanctity:

Alleluia, alleluia!

to the Triune Majesty.

Forum Series:The Church Cracked Open. This Sunday, May 9, we begin our study of The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline and new Hope for Beloved Community by the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers. 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. Our first session will focus on the introduction and first 2 chapters.

Episcopal Charities Sunday, This Sunday, May 9. Last May, 10% of New Yorkers reported not having enough food to eat. In December, that number jumped to 14%. That means 2,723,000 of our neighbors lack the ability to provide for their basic needs. Please join us in celebrating Episcopal Charities Sunday in support of the life-saving work of the 62 feeding programs Episcopal Charities funds, including our own Ascension Outreach food pantry. 100% of your donation will go directly to these crucial food pantries, soup kitchens, and brown-bag programs. To donate, visit ec-ny.org/ecsunday or text SUNDAY to 91999.

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.

In-Person Midweek Eucharist - As we cautiously reopen the church during this time of pandemic we are opening the church on Wednesday evenings for in-person Eucharist. To reserve a seat, please click the button below, or visit us at Ascensionnyc.org/Reservations/.

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.

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: 9441 7380 331.

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.

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.

Confirmation/Reception Opportunity- Are you interested in being confirmed or received in the Episcopal Church? Bishop Dietsche has written that there will be three confirmations at the Cathedral this summer for those who have been waiting to take this next step in their faith. If you would like to participate, please speak with Mtr. Liz or Fr. Ed as soon as possible, so that we can prepare and plan. The services will have limited attendance and careful public health protocols. Bishops will begin their regular parish visitations in the fall, so we will have another opportunity for confirmation here at Ascension in the coming year.

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.

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.

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.

Sunday 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.

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

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

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

Ascension Day Service (Zoom) 6:00 p.m.

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

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

If you would like to volunteer or are in need, please contact Fr. Ed

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

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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