We saw his light break through the cloud of glory

Whilst we were rooted still in time and place

As earth became a part of Heaven’s story

And heaven opened to his human face.

We saw him go and yet we were not parted

He took us with him to the heart of things

The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted

Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,

Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,

Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,

Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness

And sing the waning darkness into light,

His light in us, and ours in him concealed,

Which all creation waits to see revealed .

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.

Hail the day that sees him rise

glorious to his native skies;

Christ, awhile to mortals given,

enters now the highest heaven! Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits;

lift your heads, eternal gates!

Wide unfold the radiant scene;

take the King of glory in! Alleluia!

See! he lifts his hands above;

See! he shows the prints of love:

Hark! his gracious lips bestow,

blessings on his Church below. Alleluia!

Lord beyond our mortal sight,

raise our hearts to reach thy height,

there thy face unclouded see,

find our heaven of heavens in thee. Alleluia!

Celebrant:   Alleluia. Christ is risen.

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

God is Sovereign,

clothed in splendid apparel; *

    God is robed in majesty

    and is girded with strength.

God has made the whole world so sure *

    that it cannot be moved;

Ever since the world began,

your throne has been established; *

    you are from everlasting.

The waters have lifted up, O God,

the waters have lifted up their voice; *

    the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the sound of many waters,

mightier than the breakers of the sea, *

    mightier is the Holy One who dwells on high.

Your testimonies are very sure, *

    and holiness adorns your house, O God,

    for ever and for evermore.

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Jesus said to his disciples, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

O clap your hands, all ye people;

  shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

For the Lord most high is terrible;

  he is a great King over all the earth.

God is gone up with a shout,

  the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;

  sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;

  sing ye praises, everyone that hath understanding.

God reigneth over the heathen,

  God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

Sing praises unto our King.

  sing praises, sing praises.

   —from Psalm 47, King James Version

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, Lacksman, and Shirley; 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.

May God the Father, who has given to his Son the name above every name, strengthen you to proclaim Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. Amen.

May God the Son, our great high priest, who has passed into the heavens, clothe you with power from on high. Amen.

May God the Holy Spirit, who pours out abundant gifts upon the Church, make you faithful followers of the risen Christ. Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Crown him with many crowns,

the Lamb upon his throne;

Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns

all music but its own;

awake, my soul, and sing

of him who died for thee,

and hail him as thy matchless King

through all eternity.

Crown him the Son of God

before the worlds began,

and ye, who tread where he hath trod,

crown him the Son of man;

who every grief hath known

that wrings the human breast,

and takes and bears them for his own,

that all in him may rest.

Crown him the Lord of life,

who triumphed o’er the grave,

and rose victorious in the strife

for those he came to save;

his glories now we sing

who died, and rose on high,

who died, eternal life to bring,

and lives that death may die.

Crown him of lords the Lord,

who over all doth reign,

who once on earth, the incarnate Word,

for ransomed sinners slain,

now lives in realms of light,

where saints with angels sing

their songs before him day and night,

their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown him the Lord of heaven,

enthroned in worlds above;

Crown him the King, to whom is given

the wondrous name of Love.

Crown him with many crowns,

as thrones before him fall,

crown him, ye kings, with many crowns,

for he is King of all.

Forum Series:The Church Cracked Open. This Sunday, May 16, we continue 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.

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.

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.

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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