Dear People of Ascension,

As we enter our final week of Advent, let us join with Mary as she ponders the angel Gabriel's annunciation that she will become the mother of the Son of God. "How can this be?" she asks. Unspoken, but perhaps equally urgent, she must wonder how she will manage a scandalous pregnancy, potential rejection by Joseph, mothering a child with a remarkable and challenging destiny, her own life turned upside down.

How did this very young woman find the courage and faith to say "yes"? There is a largeness of heart and a wonder here that always moves me. Perhaps as we consider Mary's story, we will find our own hearts opening in trust, wonder and joy in response to the life-disrupting annunciations in our own lives. May we too say "yes" to the invitation to bear God in the world.

Here is a short, familiar poem to attend your wondering and waiting.

Advent blessings,

Liz

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

The service begins with the sound of a bell

and your microphones will be muted.

#268 Ye who claim the faith of Jesus (Julion)

Ye who claim the faith of Jesus,

sing the wonders that were done

when the love of God the Father

over sin the victory won,

when he made the Virgin Mary

mother of his only Son.

Blessèd were the chosen people

out of whom the Lord did come;

blessèd was the land of promise

fashioned for his earthly home;

but more blessed far the mother,

she who bore him in her womb.

Therefore let all faithful people

sing the honor of her name;

let the Church, in her foreshadowed,

part in her thanksgiving claim;

what Christ’s mother sang in gladness

let Christ’s people sing the same:

“Magnify, my soul, God’s greatness;

in my Savior I rejoice;

all the ages call me blessed,

in his praise I lift my voice;

he has cast down all the mighty,

and the lowly are his choice.”

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

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Come, O Holy One,

as the beloved child,

Emmanuel! Soften our hearts and open our arms

for your coming that we may make this a place

worthy and warm,

kindly and safe

for all your children,

in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Hymn #56 O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, Emmanuel)

O come, Desire of nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind;

bid thou our sad divisions cease,

and be thyself our King of Peace.

[Refrain]

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

and ransom captive Israel,

that mourns in lonely exile here

until the Son of God appear.

[Refrain]

When the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent." Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you." But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.

Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 (St. Helena Psalter)

Your love, O God, for ever will I sing; *

from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.

For I am persuaded that your love is established for ever; *

you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.

“I have made a covenant with my chosen one; *

I have sworn an oath to David my servant:

‘I will establish your line for ever, *

and preserve your throne for all generations.’ ”

You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: *

“I have set the crown upon a warrior

and have exalted one chosen out of the people.

I have found David my servant; *

with my holy oil have I anointed him.

My hand will hold him fast *

and my arm will make him strong.

No enemy shall deceive him, *

nor any adversary bring him down.

I will crush his foes before him *

and strike down those who hate him.

My faithfulness and love shall be with him, *

and he shall be victorious through my Name.

I shall make his dominion extend *

from the Great Sea to the River.

He will say to me, ‘You are my God, *

my savior and the rock of my salvation.’

Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith-- to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

The Rev. Posey Krakowsky

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.

He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.

Prayers of the People Form I

Leader          With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying "Lord, have mercy."

For the peace from above, for the loving kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the peace of the world, for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Uganda, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the welfare of the Holy Church of God, for Michael our Presiding Bishop, for Andrew, Allen and Mary our Bishops, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For Donald our President and Joe our President-elect, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For all laboring to end racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering; 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, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For Robert, Ed, Janet, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Tina, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Stacy and Jonathan, Michael, Christopher, Len, Deanna and Rodney, Francesca, Dan and family, Alyssa, Summer, David, Nancy, Jean and Ed, and Phyllis, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For BJ Fredricks, Casey Goodson, Jr., and the more than 308,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, as well as others around the world, for all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          Defend us, deliver us, and in your compassion protect us, O Lord, by your grace.

Leader          In the communion of [ ___ and of all the] saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.

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.

#54 Savior of the nations, come (Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland)

Savior of the nations, come!

Virgin’s Son, make here your home.

Marvel now, both heaven and earth,

that the Lord chose such a birth.

Wondrous birth! Oh, wondrous child

of the Virgin undefiled!

Mighty God and Mary’s son,

eager now his race to run!

Thus on earth the Word appears,

gracing his created spheres;

hence to death and hell descends,

then the heavenly throne ascends.

Come, O Father’s saving Son,

who o’er sin the victory won.

Boundless shall your kingdom be;

grant that we its glories see.

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)

It's always good to think ahead as the end of the year approaches. Remember that even is you take the standard tax deduction for your 2020 taxes, you can also claim $300 in charitable donations made in 2020 as a deduction, thanks to the CARES Act. Check out this article from the New York Times, "It’s Easier to Get a Tax Deduction for Donations This Year"

Ascension Gives - Each year, our budget includes support for ministries and organizations outside Ascension. This year, we are contributing to Episcopal Charities and the New York Haiti Project. We invite any of you who are considering your own charitable giving at the year's end to join us, as both are addressing unusual amounts of need this year. We also commend to you the work of our own Ascension Outreach food pantry, and of the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen in this season when so many of our neighbors are in need of food and care. There are so many organizations doing vital work. If you are able, please give as you feel moved; these are some of our favorites within the wider Episcopal Church. Click the links below to donate to one or more of these organizations:

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, December 20- Poetry of the Annunciation. The miraculous story of the annunciation is poetic in itself, and it has sparked the imaginations not only of artists, but also of poets throughout history. Please join us this week following the Sunday Service, to ponder how Mary's "yes" is told in the words of John Donne, Denise Levertov and Marie Howe.

Deadline is Today! Christmas Flower Offering- To help us decorate the church for Christmas with flowers and greenery this year, please email the parish office at info@ascensionnyc.org with the names of those whom you'd like to remember or to give thanks. To donate to the Flower Fund, please go to Ascensionnyc.org/give, then choose “Christmas Flowers” as the fund. If you'd like to pay by check, make your check out to "Church of the Ascension", write "flowers" in the memo field, and mail it to Church of the Ascension, 12 W 11th St, New York, NY 10011. Deadline for submission of names is today, December 20 (Advent 4). Donations may be sent in anytime.

Check out our Online Ascension Advent Calendar on our Facebook page, with scripture verses and images provided by parishioners for every day of the season.

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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.

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.

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!

Open Church, Tuesdays & Fridays, Noon to 3. The church is open for private prayer and meditation starting December 15. 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.

In-Person Midweek Eucharists Remain Suspended. In light of the rising infection rates in New York City, we continue to suspend our Wednesday evening in person Eucharists.We will revisit the question early in the new year.

Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, by the Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche, Bishop of New York. The last in a series of three Advent sermons by the bishops of our diocese

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.

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.

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

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

Ascension Forum (Zoom)

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)

Open Church* (Church) 12 Noon - 3:00 p.m.

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

EfM (Zoom) 6:00 p.m.

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

Vestry Meeting (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve Prelude Music (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve Service (Zoom) 7:00 p.m.

Christmas Day Service (Zoom) 11:00 a.m.

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

Parish Office Closed

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

Organ Prelude (Zoom)

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

Ascension Forum (Zoom)

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

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

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