This Week at Ascension + September 21, 2022

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

Wednesday, September 21

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

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

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

Unction will be offered for those who desire it.

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Image:  The Inspiration of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio

Sunday, September 25, 2022

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 21C

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

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

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

Image: James Tissot (1836-1902). The Bad Rich Man in Hell (Le mauvais riche dans l'Enfer), 1886-1894

From the Interim Rector

Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist

The author of The Gospel According to Matthew is not precisely known. The text does not name the author, but the superscription has been known since the second century. In the synoptic gospels, there is a “Matthew” among the twelve disciples. He is reported to be “Levi, son of Alpheus” and a Galilean. When Jesus called him, he was doing his job of collecting taxes. That occupation would have been viewed as traitorous from two perspectives. First, he was collaborating with Rome. Second, he was making a profit off of the Jewish community, contrary to the Torah.

Matthew is well attested in other traditions. In the Babylonian Talmud, he is recorded as one of five disciples of Jesus. In the Quran, Jesus’ disciples are mentioned, but not by name. A commentary on the Quran does name them, and includes Matthew. This tradition also holds that Matthew and Andrew were the disciples that brought Christianity to Ethiopia.

The Gospel According to Matthew never claims to be an eyewitness account. Probably written between 80 and 90, its placement as first in the New Testament is due to the prevalent belief that it was the earliest written. Scholarship holds that Mark was first and that Matthew and Luke are expansions of it. Matthew emphasizes Jewish tradition and refers to Jesus as “Son of David”, providing a genealogy to support his claim. Mathew quotes Old Testament scripture extensively, in an attempt to show Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecies. In a time that the Christian church was becoming increasingly ‘gentile’ (that is, not of Jewish origin), Matthew holds that Jesus came for God’s chosen people until the last two verses of the last chapter.

We commemorate Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist as a martyr. A couple of traditions hold that he was executed by the Sanhedrin. His symbol is an angel and he is the patron saint of accountants and, interestingly, tax collectors.

—Fr. Heard

We Have A Bishop!

The Rt. Rev. Paula Clark, Thirteenth Bishop of the Diocese of Chicago, is presented to the people of the Diocese during her Ordination and Consecration on September 17, 2022

Bp. Paula Clark, seated between Bp. Chilton Knudsen and Bp. William Persell, pictured with some of the clergy in attendance, including Ascension's Curate, Mtr. Meghan Murphy-Gill on Bp. Knudsen's left.

A Service of Thanksgiving for

Queen Elizabeth II

In collaboration with His Majesty's Consul-General in Chicago, St. James Cathedral will hold a service of thanksgiving for the life of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday, September 24 at 11 a.m. The service will be live-streamed on the Cathedral streaming page saintjamescathedral.org. 

Postponed: Life of the Beloved Half Day Retreat 

The new date of the retreat has not been determined. It will be announced at a later date. Please indicate your availability and interest in this retreat using this form or by emailing Mtr. Murphy-Gill.

Bible Study this Friday at 10am

Apologies to anyone who tried to join in Bible study last week. There was some confusion about the start date. Rest assured, it is on for this Friday and Mtr. Murphy-Gill will be attending. 

We’ll begin our study of the Book of Revelation this Friday at 10 am via Zoom with the good people of St. Chrysostom’s. 

Ascension Heritage Conversations

Through the years, the events in the life of Ascension have formed us, and at the same time, burdened us with recollections of the difficult times. Join us for our third discussion on September 25 in Saint Michael Hall at 10 a.m. to learn and share in exploring our history. I hope our time together will be a spark for more conversations as we think about who we, as the people of Ascension, are called to be and do for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

—Fr. Heard

Parish Picnic

The Parish Picnic will return on Sunday, 2 October, after the 11:00 Solemn Mass. The church will provide hot dogs and hamburgers, with the rest of our meal being provided by everyone else. Weather permitting, we’ll be in the Garden. This Sunday will also herald the return of the Choir of Ascension at eleven o’clock. An organ recital starts at 3:30 PM followed by Solemn Evensong and Benediction. We’ll make it a full and glorious day at Ascension – please invite others to join us!

Use this link to indicate which accompanying dish you are willing to provide.

New Ascension Parking Stickers

Ascension will be issuing new parking stickers to replace the current blue ones. Applications are hard copy only and, unless special arrangements are made, can be picked up from a Sunday morning usher and then submitted in person to clergy, Sunday usher or at the church office. Completed applications with accompanying signature and date assure compliance with all requirements, limitations and responsibilities listed on the application form. New stickers will be mailed within two weeks of approval by the vestry. The current Blue stickers will no longer be valid after Nov 30, 2022.

Please contact Ken Cozette with questions: 630-660-5293 or cozetteken@yahoo.com

Blessing of Animals, Saturday, October 8th 

Bring your pets (or pictures of pets) to the Division Street Farmers Market Saturday, October 8, between 9 am & noon, for a blessing in honor of the Feast of St. Francis.

We’re also in need of volunteers to help hand out St. Francis medals for pet collars and bookmarks with information about Ascension. Please email Mtr. Murphy-Gill if you’re able to help.

Chicago Marathon Hospitality, Sunday, October 9th

Come show marathon spectators a warm welcome with coffee and donuts, before Mass on Sunday, October 9. We’re planning to put our best face forward with bells, cassocks, and asperges for those who want a blessing. We’ll need help with coffee and setting up beginning at 7 a.m.

The Church of the Ascension has been invited to participate once again in Open House Chicago. This event, Saturday October 15 and Sunday October 16, is sponsored by the Chicago Architecture Center. It’s a free festival that offers access to hundreds of sites across Chicago.

In 2019, in our first experience with Open House Chicago, we had 500 visitors. We provided explanatory signs throughout the church, a timeline exhibit in St Michael Hall and pictures from our archives. We also offered cookies. There were several pipe organ demonstrations and the opportunity to listen to a choir rehearsal.

This is an invitation to parishioners who would like to participate in this year’s Open House Chicago at Ascension. Volunteers mainly direct visitors and answer questions. Please contact Cynthia Perrizo at cperrizo@ascensionchicago.org or Jay Jacot at jayjacot@gmail.com if you have questions and/or would like to volunteer.

Nursery Attendant Needed

We’d like to be able to show more hospitality to families with small children. One step for doing so would be to have a staffed nursery. Do you know anyone who is available on Sunday mornings? If so, please contact Mtr. Murphy-Gill for more information about requirements and compensation.

2nd Ward COVID-19 Booster & Flu Clinic: Thursday, September 29

The 2nd Ward will offer the new Bivalent booster and Flu shots at the Near North Library, 310 W Division St, beginning at 10 am to 2 pm. Please register using this link. 

Vaccines are one of the most important and best ways to mitigate the spread of the flu and Covid-19 and to protect yourself from serious illness and death.

Prayer Requests

Organ and Choral Repertoire for September 25, 2022

For our prayers: Irma, Burton Nelson, Winslow, Pablo Illás, Victor Fernandez, Claire Green,

Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins, Lee Gould, Gertrude Isaac, Marty Stenson

Birthdays: Marilyn Evans, 9/18; Christian Lopac, 9/19; Marjorie Lofgreen, 9/20;

Thomas Patrick Johnston, 9/20/2002; Michael Paul Clark, Jr., 9/20; J. Patrick Donnell, 9/20;

George Dante M. Pineda, 9/22; Ellie Roberts Simpson, 9/24

Requiescat in pace: The Rev. William Johnson, priest, 9/19/2018;

Sarah Emily Susman, 9/20/2021

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.