This Week at Ascension + November 16, 2022

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96

Wednesday, November 16

Margaret Queen of Scotland, 1093

Evening Prayer at 6:00 p.m. via ZOOM

In-person and Live-streamed Mass at 6:30 p.m.

Unction will be available for those who wish it.

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Sunday, November 20, 2022

The Last Sunday after Pentecost:

Christ the King (Proper 29)

8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via ZOOM

9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass

with Organ and Hymns

11:00 a.m. In-person & Live-streamed

Solemn High Mass

The 11 a.m. Order of Worship may be found here.

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

Image: Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, woodcut, Albrecht Durer, 1511, British Museum, London

Save the Date:

A Service of Advent Lessons & Carols

Sunday, November 27, 4 p.m.

Choir of the Ascension

A Festive Reception to follow.

Readers for A Service of Advent Lessons & Carols: Are you interested in serving as a Reader for A Service of Advent Lessons & Carols on Sunday, November 27? If so, please contact Joshua Simpson or George Pineda to let them know you'd like to be considered. While we may not be able to place all who are interested at this service, your willingness to help is greatly appreciated, and we always welcome new additions to our regular Sunday lector team as well.

From the Interim Rector

Over that past several weeks, you might have noticed a theme to the weekly pastoral letter. That theme is “stewardship”, and we looked at it from a few perspectives. As I write this, your annual pledge letter and card are on their way to your mailboxes. It’s that time of year: We articulate our financial commitment to Ascension for the next calendar year.

You are not being asked to pledge to a budget. In fact, the only guidance for us comes from scripture. A couple of weeks ago, Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. In it, the Pharisee somewhat proudly proclaims that he gives “a tenth of his income” as evidence of his righteousness. In Genesis 28, Jacob promises to give to God “one-tenth of everything” that God gives to him. In contrast to the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, Jacob’s promise is to give first fruits, not the leftovers. Jacob perceives this as giving from his abundance. In our time, we might think of giving first fruits by writing our check when we get paid rather than waiting until we see what we have left.

Your pledges to Ascension help us to continue ministry in this time and place. We have been greatly blessed by benefactors that do the lion’s share of maintaining the properties and programs. Our gifts will help Ascension continue to be the hands and heart of Jesus to the broken and hurting world in which we live.

—Fr. Thomas Heard

Preparing for Our Final Journey

“You only are immortal, the creator and maker of mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and to earth we shall return. For so did you ordain when you created me, saying, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” All of us go down to the dust, yet even at the grave, we make our song: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.” – BCP p. 499

On Sunday, November 20, at 10 a.m., we will gather in the Library to delve into topics that many wish to avoid and some ignore altogether. Fr. Heard will take us through considerations for funeral options, planning our own burial rite, and how we convey our desires for our final rites.

185th Diocesan Convention This Saturday

The 185th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago will take place this Saturday. In addition to clergy, Ascension is sending three lay delegates: Ken Kelling, Ellie Simpson, and George Pineda. Convention is remote again this year. Whether it takes place remotely or in person, Convention is always open to all, and you can participate as a non-voting member by watching the proceedings on YouTube. 

Please pray for Ascension’s delegation as we elect leaders, consider resolutions, and hear reports from across the diocese and the wider church.

If you would like to learn more about convention and whether you might want to be a delegate in the future, please speak to Fr. Heard or Mtr. Murphy-Gill.

November’s Anglo-Catholic Conversations

Thanks to all who were able to attend Richard Kiekhefer’s talks this month. If you were unable to join, you can view the Zoom presentation and download the handout to follow along using the links below:

All Things Bright and Beautiful: Hymns Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic

This talk covered the development of the 1982 hymnal and made a case for why it is a particularly Anglo-Catholic hymnal.

Notable Anglo-Catholic Churches in England and America

Prof. Kiekhefer looked at the historical development of the Anglo-Catholic movement through particular churches in England and the United States. 

Mental Health 101 and De-escalation Techniques

On January 14, 2023, St. Peter's - Belmont will host a Deanery-wide training in mental health 101 and crisis de-escalation techniques. Taking this training is one very practical way for us to become more skilled at loving all our neighbors, including those dealing with mental health disturbances when they join us in worship or come by the church. This will also give us skills for helping people we meet in our daily lives.

Our trainers come to us from Thresholds, an organization that provides direct services to people in a broad range of difficult situations. Thresholds also provides training to clinicians, social workers, retail and restaurant employees, and groups like us-- people who want to be better-skilled at recognizing and responding effectively when someone is in a mental health crisis. We will leave having learned the basics of crisis de-escalation and having gotten to practice simple techniques. 

This isn’t happening until January. We’ll re-post this in the newsletter in mid-December, but if you can’t wait to get signed up for it, please use the following link to do so: https://forms.gle/cKfB7232xCLZiwy89

Greening of the Church for Advent

The Flower Guild is requesting your help in greening the church for Advent. The date is Saturday, Nov. 26, at 10 a.m. Please contact Claire Green if you can help. 

Community Thanksgiving dinner

After an absence of several years, the Vestry is restarting our Thanksgiving Dinner neighborhood outreach. This will not be a sit down dinner. There is still concern about flu, pneumonia, and Covid, so we’ll be filling clamshell boxes for take-out. The dinner serving hours are from 1:15 p.m. until approx. 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, 2022 with preparation before and clean-up afterward.

Advent Formation Opportunities

Advent Quiet Morning Saturday, December 10

Take a break from the holiday rush with a quiet morning of reflection and prayer this Advent. Mtr. Murphy-Gill will lead this half-day retreat on the theme of Waiting. 

We’ll gather for a light breakfast and fellowship at 8:30 a.m. and begin the retreat at 9 a.m. 

As we get closer to the date, an RSVP link will be available so we can get an idea of how much food to provide.

Waiting with the O Antiphons,

Sundays during Advent

Advent is a time of waiting in the darkness for the light of Christ. But it is not passive waiting. In this darkness, we actively seek the light of Christ, in prayer calling out the ancient names for the Incarnate One in what are known as the O Antiphons.

Following coffee hour after the Solemn High Mass (around 1 or 1:30 pm), we’ll gather in the Library to learn more about the antiphons, their use, and how we might use them to prepare our own hearts for the birth of Christ. We’ll listen to these Antiphons chanted in Latin, read them in English, and reflect on them using Malcome Guite’s O Antiphon-inspired sonnets. 

Bring your own lunch. Copies of Waiting on the Word are now available. Suggested donation is $5. Please see Mtr. Murphy-Gill for your copy. 

Prayer Requests

Organ and Choral Repertoire for November 20, 2022

For our prayers:

Natalia & Victor, Dorothy, Betty, David Schrader, Jean Simon,

Burton Nelson, Winslow, Pablo Illás, Victor Fernandez, Claire Green, Beth Hall, Sue Lenz,

Brenda Martins, Lee Gould, Gertrude Isaac, Marty Stenson, Steve Dionne

Birthdays: Juan Soria, 11/13; James Jimason Robinson, 11/13; Jett McAlister, 11/14;

Shakira Malone, 11/15; Andrew Abbott, 11/16; Jana Holt, 11/17; Cheryl Peterson, 11/18

Requiescat in pace: Jean Waterhouse, 11/14/2017; Alvin Joyner, 11/17/2006;

Mary Margaret Skanes, Religious, 11/17/2009; Richard Earl Pistole, Priest, 11/18/2008

 

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them;

May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.



Vestry of Church of the Ascension

Ken Kelling, Sr. Warden; LaVerne Rollé Saunders, Jr. Warden;

Ian Barillas-McEntee, Jim Lo Bello, Ken Cozette, Marlea Edinger, Sean Hansen, George Pineda, Joshua Simpson, Sam Sommers, Clerk, Enrique Vilaseco

Susan Schlough, Treasurer

Finance@ascensionchicago.org

Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office

Office@ascensionchicago.org

Approved minutes of Vestry meetings are always available online to parishioners who request the link. If you would like Internet access to these Vestry Minutes, please email the Parish Office and request the link. Once you access the web page, you can read all recent Vestry meeting minutes.

The link remains live indefinitely. Any parishioner who has the link will not need to request a new link from month to month.