Dear people of Ascension,

After a meeting of our Reopening Committee this past week, I am very happy to be able to give you some information about our return to in-person worship. As you know, our Wednesday evening Eucharists resumed at the beginning of May and have been well and joyfully attended. Dr. Keene has been providing organ music for that service and will do so when he is in town throughout the summer; it has been wonderful to hear the organ live again as well as to see some of you there.

Starting Sunday, June 20, we will offer a 9 am Eucharist in the church. Our initial capacity for that service will be 50- more than we usually have for our early service on Sunday. As on Wednesdays, we will ask that all wear masks and practice distancing whether you are vaccinated or not. We will not have any socializing indoors for now, but the garden provides a lovely space to connect with each other after the service. There will be a reservation process for that service, which I hope will go live by next Sunday. 

As for the 11 am service, we plan to return to in person worship on September 12, the Sunday after Labor Day. The choir will be present and we hope by that time to sing as a congregation too. We are working hard on identifying and acquiring technology that will allow the participation of those who do not live in New York of for some other reason cannot join in person. To help us with our planning, please complete the survey found below in the announcements.

It has been a long time, dear friends, and it will be wonderful to be together again. Throughout the pandemic, my greatest concern has been for us to keep each other- and especially the most vulnerable among us- safe. The availability of vaccination has been a wonderful gift, and I give thanks that many in our community are fully vaccinated. If you have not gotten vaccinated yet, I urge you to do so! If you are having difficulty arranging your shots, please call the parish office so that we can help you find an appointment. 

As we look forward to gathering in person with joyful anticipation, I invite you to reflect on how you and our community have grown and changed over these difficult months. What are you especially looking forward to? What ongoing transformations are we called to as we emerge from the pandemic? May God continue to bless and guide us in the weeks and months to come!

Peace,

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.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee:

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,

God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity.

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,

casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,

which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,

only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,

perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,

God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity.

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

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

Ascribe to God, you heavenly beings, *

    ascribe to God glory and strength.

Ascribe due honor to God’s holy Name; *

    worship the Most High in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of God is upon the waters;

the God of glory thunders; *

    God is upon the mighty waters.

The voice of God is a powerful voice; *

    the voice of God is a voice of splendor.

The voice of God breaks the cedar trees; *

    God breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

God makes Lebanon skip like a calf *

    and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

The voice of God splits the flames of fire;

the voice of God shakes the wilderness; *

    God shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of God makes the oak trees writhe *

    and strips the forests bare.

And in the temple of the Holy One, *

    all are crying, “Glory!”

God sits enthroned above the flood, *

    enthroned for evermore.

God shall give strength to the people; *

    God shall give the people the blessing of peace.

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Cantate Domino, canticum novum:

cantate Domino omnis terra.

Cantate Domino, et benedicite nomini eius: annuntiate de die in diem salutare eius.

Annuntiate inter gentes gloriam eius,

in omnibus populis mirabilia eius.

Sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, and bless his name:

announce his salvation from day to day.

Announce among the nations his glory,

and his wonders to all peoples.

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 We pray for all working to end racism and white supremacy and to establish racial justice in our land.

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, Todd, Lalitha, Lakshman, Shirley, Donna, Harold, Elizabeth and Katherine, Mary Fi, Mary Ann, Annette, and Bill; 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 Barbara Baker, Ivy Alanna Coombs, Larry Gabbard , Raymond Lux, Hazel Joshua, Wayne Smith, Cristena Rubio, Curtis Kekahbah, and George Floyd; 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.

I bind unto myself today

the strong Name of the Trinity,

by invocation of the same,

the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever,

by power of faith, Christ’s Incarnation;

his baptism in the Jordan river;

his death on cross for my salvation;

his bursting from the spicèd tomb;

his riding up the heavenly way;

his coming at the day of doom:

I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power

of the great love of cherubim;

the sweet “Well done” in judgment hour;

the service of the seraphim;

confessors’ faith, apostles’ word,

the patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls;

all good deeds done unto the Lord,

and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today

the virtues of the starlit heaven

the glorious sun’s life-giving ray,

the whiteness of the moon at even,

the flashing of the lightning free,

the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,

the stable earth, the deep salt sea,

around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today

the power of God to hold and lead,

his eye to watch, his might to stay,

his ear to hearken, to my need;

the wisdom of my God to teach,

his hand to guide, his shield to ward;

the word of God to give me speech,

his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,

the strong Name of the Trinity,

by invocation of the same,

the Three in One, and One in Three.

Of whom all nature hath creation,

eternal Father, Spirit, Word:

praise to the Lord of my salvation,

salvation is of Christ the Lord.

... to wish Mother Meredith a fond farewell and godspeed, and hear from her about her new ministry at St. Bart's.

Forum Series: The Church Cracked Open. Next 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 below, 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.

Resistance Cinema – please join us at 6:30pm on Tuesday evening 6/1/21 for “Disturbing the Peace” (86 minutes), a powerful film about ex-combatants in Israel/Palestine who “challenged their fate and joined together to say ENOUGH!” Click here to access the Zoom meeting. Lively discussion will follow. Thank you! If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Ed or 212-254-8620.

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 will meet June 3, 6:30 p.m. - We will watch the George Floyd Memorial Service for the first anniversary of his death, sponsored by the National Church. Please watch the service ahead of time and we will discuss the Presiding Bishop's sermon. Click here to watch the service (you will need to scroll down a bit on that page and click the video.)

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!

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.

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 – May 30 – Trinity Sunday

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.

Building & Grounds (Zoom) 12 Noon

Virtual Access Meeting (Zoom) 2:00 p.m.

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

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

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

Racial Justice Discussion (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

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

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

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

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

Sunday – June 6 – Second 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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