Dear Friends,

I am writing this on the Feast of the Ascension, which is always the Thursday before the last Sunday of Eastertide, 40 days after Easter, 10 days before the Feast of Pentecost. It’s a major feast of the church, on par with Easter, All Saints’ Day, and so on, but since it falls on a weekday, few churches “keep the feast” on the day itself. So, this Sunday, the seventh Sunday of Eastertide, we will hear the readings of the Ascension.

Now, I’ll be honest, this is a strange feast. I think we all understand Christmas as the Feast of God joining us in Jesus, Easter as the Feast of the Resurrection, Pentecost as the coming of the Holy Spirit, and All Saints when we remember all who have gone ahead, but the Ascension? Well, it’s kind of weird, Jesus is . . . lifted up? Flies away? Disappears? 

There are lots of icons, paintings, and stained glass depictions of the Ascension, and they are all weird, but my favorite are those that show everyone looking up at clouds that have two little feet dangling from them—Jesus stuck between heaven and earth, back when we assumed heaven was “up.” Those images can seem funny to we modern folks who know how the universe works and that there is not so much an “up” as there is an “around” and we’re surrounded by galaxies and the universe, not heaven in the clouds. 

But the longing is the same. We look towards God, we catch glimpses, we long towards God, and sometimes we wonder where God has gone. All those years ago Jesus ascended and for 10 days his followers, the world, were left alone until the Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost. 

So much of our lives are lived in the “between time”—between being certain of God’s presence and then waiting for God to act, between the promises of God in scripture and the ways of the world. But Jesus promised before he ascended to his Father that he would not leave us comfortless, and we know that the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and in the world. 

See you in church!

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Worship and Service at All Saints

An invitation to provide feedback re: on-line worship

Sunday, May 21 after the 11:00am service via Zoom 

Members of our on-line worship community, as well as anyone who attended a virtual worship service during Holy Week, are invited to attend a Zoom feedback session this Sunday, May 21 following the 11:00am service. 

We're looking for input on Holy Week services and any additional comments regarding on-line worship at All Saints. What was your favorite part of virtual worship during Holy Week or anytime?

All are welcome. Please use the Zoom link below (which will also be included as part of the Facebook Live broadcast this Sunday) to attend this meeting.

Thanks in advance for the help! 

Time: May 21, 2023, 12:15pm Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 876 4744 6406

Passcode: 241568 

Next weekend: Baptisms!

Baptisms will be offered during our celebration of the Feast of Pentecost during the 9:00 and 11:00am services, Sunday, May 28. If you're interested in baptism for your child, please let us know by visiting this page and filling out a Pre-Baptismal Form.

The preparation session for this service is on Saturday, May 27 at 10:00am, and little ones are absolutely welcome! If you have any questions, please email Suzanne.

Calling all young musicians, singers, their families, and friends! 

Youth Sunday is June 4, and that's just around the corner! We'd like to involve as many young musicians and singers as possible. We'd also like to have an intergenerational choir sing that morning. 

The multigenerational choir will sing one special song that day. Our Music Director Colin Collette will post the music and practice tracks online for you and your family to listen to and learn. We'll have one rehearsal on Saturday, May 27th, the week before. 

For more information or to sign up, please email Colin.

Calling All Liturgical Ministers

and All Interested in Being a Liturgical Minister

Liturgy is the “work of the people,” and it truly takes many people to create vibrant, meaningful, and welcoming liturgies each Sunday. We are so grateful for all who serve as liturgical ministers and welcome others to join.

On Saturday, June 3 from 9:00am - 12 noon, all liturgical ministers - Altar Guild, MC’s, Chalicers, Adult Acolytes, Ushers, Lectors, and Intercessors - and anyone who is interested in learning more or joining the corps of Liturgical Ministers are encouraged to join us for a time of training and reviewing, along with time for prayer and reflection. Please follow this link and sign up if you're able to join us. If you have any questions, please contact Courtney or Suzanne.

Formation and Fellowship

Masking at All Saints

As we continue to evolve our response to Covid, the Vestry affirms that masks are welcome but optional at All Saints. During services, we'll have a small supply of extra masks available - please ask ushers if you'd like one. As always, please worship with us from home on our Facebook page during the 11:00am service if you or one of your children is sick or even feeling “under the weather.”

Volunteer Gardeners Needed

We've got a large garden bed on the south side of our 3-flat at 4546 N. Hermitage. On Friday, May 19 from 3:00-5:00pm, the Building & Grounds Committee will start clearing that plot to make room for a pollinator garden for the bees and butterflies - e.g. coneflowers, daisies, and milkweed. 

All hands are welcome to help out! Call Mark Ortlieb at 312-504-1891 with any questions.

One Book, One Diocese:

All Saints Discussion, May 21

This year, the Peace and Justice Committee hosts its inaugural "One Book, One Diocese" discussion of Resurrection Hope: A Future Where Black Lives Matter by the Very Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas.

Members of the All Saints community are invited to join a discussion during coffee hour in the Rector's office on May 21. We will provide a brief summary of the sections of the book, so please join us even if you haven’t finished the book!

All Saints Book Club

The All Saints Book Club is now supporting the book sanctuary initiative. We plan to include at least one banned book each year in our 2023 reading plan. 

The All Saints Book Club meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30pm on Zoom. If you are not a regular attendee, email Mike Burke at [email protected] for a meeting invite and our spring schedule.

Our next scheduled meeting will be on June 8, 2023 during which we'll discuss The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Outreach and Justice

What Makes You Angry? Upset? Sad? 

Injustice ought to make us angry, upset, and/or saddened, especially if we or those we love are the ones being affected. Come join an All Saints Listening Session in the Parish Hall on either Wednesday, May 24 from 7:00-8:30pm or Sunday, June 11 from 12:30-2:00pm to share and hear each other’s personal stories. 

These Listening Sessions are an extremely important part of our social justice and community organizing (United Power) work and ministries. Our stories help us identify community problems so that we can bring systemic change to our community while deepening our relationships with each other. 

Won’t you join us? Sign up here.

Questions? Contact Courtney or Barbara Manley.

You can also call Barbara at 312-953-8802.

Love on a Plate

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the April 23 discussion of Love on a Plate, All Saints' care ministry providing short-term meal delivery for parishioners experiencing a life transition.

If you missed this talk and have a Love on a Plate experience to share, are interested in volunteering to cook, or just want to learn more, email Kelly McNees.

Care for Caregivers

Are you currently involved in caregiving for a parent, spouse, relative, or friend? Would you be interested in receiving information about an All Saints caregiver support group that would meet monthly to share experiences and resources and offer support around the challenges of caregiving? Please email Kelly McNees for more information. 

Did you know you can listen to All Saints sermons on Apple Podcasts?

www.allsaintschicago.org

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