This Week at Ascension + September 29, 2021

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96
"We should talk … about Angels"
With Dr. Greg Wiebe
This evening, 5:15 - 5:55 p.m. via Zoom
See additional information below.
This evening: Wednesday, Sept. 29
Saint Michael and All Angels

5:15 p.m. "We should talk ... about Angels"
with Dr. Greg Wiebe via ZOOM

6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer
6:30 p.m. In-person & Live-streamed Mass


Image: Saint Michael, Russian Icon, late 13th century
Sunday, October 3, 2021

The Solemnity of
St. Michael and All Angels

9:30 a.m. - Morning Prayer via ZOOM
10:00 a.m. In-person & Live-streamed Solemn High Mass
followed by The Rosary: Joyful Mysteries



Image: Initial Q: St. Michael and the Dragon (Getty Images)


In the Afternoon

David White Organ Recital, 3:30 p.m.
Organ works of Messiaen, Corrette, and Demessieux 

Choral Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 4:00 p.m.
With the Choir of the Ascension

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) Evening service in C (1909)
Johann Michael Haydn (1737-1806) Benedicite Dominum
David R. White (b. 1959) O salutaris Hostia & Tantum ergo



From the Curate
I give you the end of a golden string,
Only wind it into a ball,
It will lead you in at Heaven’s gate
Built in Jerusalem’s wall.
-William Blake, Jerusalem (1815) ‘To the Christians’ (plate 77)

In the weekly writing course I’ve been taking this fall, we’ve been focusing on the practice of following the golden thread in our free writing exercises, in which we’re given a prompt and then told to write for 20 or so minutes. The instructor cited the introduction to a collection of poems by William Stafford to show us how writing prompts don’t matter so much as considering them as “the end of a golden string” that will lead us to richer, more meaningful writing. Robert Bly, the author of that introduction writes, “[Stafford] believes that whenever you set a detail down in language, it becomes the end of a thread … and every detail—the sound of the lawn mower, the memory of your father’s hands, a crack you once heard in lake ice, the jogger hurtling herself past your window—will lead you to amazing riches.”

These writing exercises have become increasingly spiritual practices for me. I find myself engaging with details of treasured memories and forgotten longings. I feel as if I’m in dialogue with the divine, as if in these prompts, God truly hands me the end of a golden string.

One doesn’t need to be a writer to follow a golden thread. Perhaps while praying the rosary, you always get an image or an idea in your mind. Or there is a person who showed up in your life just when you needed her. Maybe during mass, you find yourself wondering what it would be like to serve at the altar, serve as an usher or greeter, or stand at the ambo and read the words of Scripture for all to hear. 

Follow that thread. Don’t pull too tight. Hold it gently, and just see what happens. And, of course, if you find yourself wondering about how you might serve at Ascension, I invite you to send me an email or give me a call. It was, after all, a golden thread that led me to this faithful community.

—Deacon Meghan
Wednesday, September 29
“We should talk … about Angels.”      

With Dr. Greg Wiebe
This evening, 5:15 - 5:55 p.m. via Zoom
The conviction of the early church that angels exist was not, in fact, an arbitrary, credulous, pre-scientific assertion that there are beings "out there" that we cannot perceive. Instead, it was part of a coherent account of how the world, its peoples, and its nations work. Dr. Greg Wiebe will lead us in a discussion about what it might mean for the Archangel Michael to be the "prince" of Israel, how God "set the boundaries of the nations / By the number of God's angels," and what any of that might have to do with the angels standing eternally before the throne of God, crying out to one another, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts."

Join us this evening, 5:15 - 5:55 p.m. via Zoom
Saint Anthony of Padua Food Pantry

Help support those in need right here in the neighborhood at our monthly food pantry. We’ll meet in St. Michael Hall at 9:00 a.m. to fill grocery bags of nonperishable food and personal items. We begin handing out bags at 9:30 a.m. If you’ve never participated in this important ministry, it’s a wonderful way to get to know fellow members of Ascension while caring for our neighbors. Questions or comments? Call the church or email Deacon Meghan.
RefugeeOne Coat and Glove Drive
RefugeeOne is collecting new and gently used coats and gloves for newly arriving refugees who will experience their first Chicago winter. Men’s, women’s, and children’s size coats, warm gloves of all sizes, and one-size-fits-all glove liners are all needed. 

You may drop off donations in the bin in the narthex this Sunday or in the Curate’s office during the week by Friday, October 8. The coats and gloves will be delivered to RefugeeOne on Saturday, October 9.
Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 10

The Chicago Marathon will run up La Salle Street and pass Church of the Ascension Sunday, October 10. (Plan your travel to church accordingly! A PDF of the race route can be viewed here. We’ll be opening the alley gate for access to the parking lot.) We could use your help providing some hospitality to onlookers and runners early that morning beginning at 7:30 am. If you’d like to help, please sign up here.


THIS WEEK’S WORSHIP SCHEDULE

Wednesday 9/29
6:00 pm: Evening Prayer via ZOOM
6:30 pm: Mass (In Person and livestreamed


Sunday 10/3 
9:30 am: Morning Prayer via ZOOM
10:00 am: Solemn High Mass (In person and livestreamed
followed by The Rosary: Joyful Mysteries

3:30 pm Organ Recital
followed by
4:00 pm: Choral Evensong & Benediction
(Recital, Evensong & Benediction are In person and livestreamed



UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday 9/29
5:15 pm We Should Talk about
Angels with Dr. Greg Wiebe via ZOOM

Saturday 10/2
9:00 am St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry


Wednesday 10/6
5:15 pm We Should Talk about
Praying the Rosary via ZOOM

Sunday 10/10
Chicago Marathon


Also Upcoming at (or via) Ascension

Solemnity of Michaelmas, Sunday, October 3
Procession and Solemn High Mass, 10:00 a.m.
Organ Recital, 3:30 p.m.
Choral Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 4:00 p.m.

All Souls Day, November 2
Requiem Mass TBA

Solemnity of All Saints Sunday, November 7
Procession and Solemn High Mass, 10:00 a.m.
Organ Recital, 3:30 p.m.
Choral Evensong and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, 4:00 p.m.

If you anticipate or wish to inquire about Holy Baptism
on the Solemnity of All Saints, please inquire with
any member of the Ascension clergy.
Mask Reminders ...
  • Yes, they are or can be miserable to wear.
  • Yes, our cultural imbroglio about masks is disheartening.
  • Yes, we all wish we could all be mask-free all the time.
AND
  • Yes, we ask you to honor the best intentions of our own parochial mask requirements (those intentions being your best health + the best health of others) by wearing an appropriate mask and by appropriately wearing it.
The Rev. Dr. Robert Petite's sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 9/26/21, may be read here. 
Organ Repertoire for October 3, 2021
ORGAN
Fantaisie pour la Fête de Saint-Michel [1919]
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
 
Hymn in procession to Shrine of St. Michael
282 CAELITES PLAUDANT
 
At the Offertory
Hymn 453 JACOB'S LADDER
 
At the Communion
Hymn 324 PICARDY
 
At the Retiring Procession
Hymn 618 LASST UNS ERFREUEN
 
ORGAN
Festival Toccata for St. Michael's Day [1914]
Percy Fletcher (1879-1932)

About our 2021 Repertoire
As I develop a long-range plan for repertoire each year, I choose a theme or area of emphasis, often complete works or a complete large-scale work by one composer. During 2021, organ music by women composers and African-American composers is being and will be featured in voluntaries and recitals throughout the year. There are some little-known gems waiting to be discovered, as well as music by major composers, with whom works for the organ are not generally associated. Enjoy!


Between Masses, please don’t forget that The Choir of the Ascension has recorded upwards of 60 tracks that you can listen to anywhere you have an internet connection. They can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/choir-of-the-ascension
Ascension Connections
(with your click and God's help)
Participate in Ascension masses at our YouTube Channel. (Look for other connections options soon.)
Meeting ID:
792 031 7452
Password: 1133
Join-by-Phone Option: (312) 626-6799

Weekly Ascension Schedule

For connections:
via Zoom (click here)
except for Morning Prayer, Mon-Fri,
via Facebook (click here).

SUNDAYS
9:30 a.m. Virtual Morning Prayer
10:00 a.m. Live-Streamed Mass
11:00 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour

MONDAY-FRIDAY
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom

WEDNESDAYS
6:30 p.m. Low Mass
Please give generously as you are able.
Treasurer Susan Schlough has asked me to remind you of Ascension's ongoing expenses at this time. To the extent that you are able, payment on your pledges or the offering of Holy Day or other special gifts will be greatly appreciated. You may still write a check and mail it to the church, or online payment is possible through the buttons at various places on our website. Thank you!
THE PARISH PRAYER LIST
For our prayers: August 'Augie' Alonzo, Jim Berger, Sarah Ponder, Taffy Wehe,
The Rev. Canon Paula Clark, Andrew McLean and family, Beth Hall, Steven Upmeyer, Sue Lenz, Ben, Thom Ehlen, David D. Jones, Carys and Joshua Benjamin, Mike Rieman and Alexandra Olsavsky, Chris and Beth Cole, Fr. Laurence Larson, Heather Miller and Jeffrey O’Malley 

Birthdays: Gianna Marie Keller, 9/26/2006; , Jason Kanazawa, 9/29; John Hedley, 10/1;
Brooke Raymond, 10/1, Deacon Meghan Murphy-Gill, 10/2
Anniversaries: Trevor Peterson & Paloma McDonnell Peterson, marriage, 9/26/2020

Requiescat in pace: Robert Peerling Coale, 9/27/2006; Scott D. Thatcher, 9/27/2008; 
Rita P. Abbott, 9/27/2013; Robina Cooper Johnson, 9/29/2014, Ella Saunders, 9/30/2012;
Fr. Gary Peter Fertig, Priest, 15th Rector, 10/2/2014; Rich Pace; Sarah Susman
 
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.

The Rev. Patrick Raymond, Rector

The Rev. Meghan Murphy-Gill, Curate

Susan Schlough, Treasurer

Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office
Vestry of Church of the Ascension
Cheryl Peterson, Sr. Warden; Kenneth Kelling, Jr. Warden; Kelly Colomberti, Marilyn Evans, Lynette Hector, Jim Lo Bello, George Pineda, David Reeves, Samuel Sommers, Enrique Vilaseco, Amber Zelazny

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.