Dear People of Ascension,

This past week, we have received two letters from our bishops calling us to pray for our country: to pray for integrity and accountability in our government and for the grace to do the hard work of a reconciliation that is not cheap but grounded in justice and truth. Let us also pray fervently for our President-elect, Vice-President elect and Congressional representatives that they may move quickly, with wisdom, courage and compassion to address the huge challenges we face including Covid, gross economic inequity, racism, and environmental crisis, along with our deep fragmentation. You can read the first letter, in which the bishops address last week's insurrection in the capital, in the link below. I too urge you to keep our nation in your prayers, and to pray also that we may discern what is ours to do in these times- as individuals and in community with one another.

The bishops are also conducting a short online prayer service next Wednesday, January 20, Inauguration Day, at 8 am. They write, "we invite all across our diocese to tune in and pray with us, that we may be, across our differences, one people before God, raising one prayer together for the safety and well-being of our nation and peoples." You can read the full text of the letter below. A Zoom link for the service will be available soon, and we will pass it on to you when we have it. Whether you are able to join the diocesan gathering next Wednesday or not, do keep our country, our leaders, our neighbors and those with whom we struggle in your prayers. Know that you remain in my prayers too.

May our prayers strengthen and give us hope in these difficult times. May they change us in unexpected ways and draw us together in the love of God that we may be agents and signs of that love in the world around us.

God bless and keep us,

Liz

Click here to read a letter from our Bishops, The Right Reverend Andrew ML Dietsche, Bishop of New York, The Right Reverend Allen K Shin, Bishop Suffragan of New York, and The Right Reverend Mary D Glasspool, Bishop Assistant of New York, including prayers for peace gathered by our presiding bishop from the Book of Common Prayer as most appropriate to the circumstances

Online Prayer Service on January 20; 8:00 a.m. - Given the gravity of the events of next week, your bishops will be conducting a brief Zoom prayer service on Wednesday morning, January 20, the day of the inauguration, at 8:00 a.m. Click here to read more. The Diocese will post the Zoom link as soon as it is available.

If you do not have a device with a camera, you can still join with your phone by dialing the following number and enter the meeting ID: 929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 322 793 633

All of our online services, with their links, can be found on our public calendar, and are listed below.

Click this link to read up on some best practices for Zoom meetings.

Thy strong word did cleave the darkness;

at thy speaking it was done;

for created light we thank thee,

while thine ordered seasons run:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise to thee who light dost send!

Alleluia, alleluia!

Alleluia without end!

Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness,

dark as night and deep as death,

broke the light of thy salvation,

breathed thine own life-giving breath:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise to thee who light dost send!

Alleluia, alleluia!

Alleluia without end!

Thy strong word bespeaks us righteous;

bright with thine own holiness,

glorious now, we press toward glory,

and our lives our hopes confess:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Praise to thee who light dost send!

Alleluia, alleluia!

Alleluia without end!

God the Father, Light-Creator,

to thee laud and honor be;

to thee, Light of Light begotten,

praise be sung eternally;

Holy Spirit, Light-Revealer,

glory, glory be to thee;

mortals, angels, now and ever

praise the Holy Trinity.

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. The Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Then the Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.” Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He said, “Here I am.” Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.” As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.

Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17  (St Helena Psalter)

O God, you have searched me out and known me; *

you know my sitting down and my rising up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

You trace my journeys and my resting-places *

and are acquainted with all my ways.

Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *

but you, O God, know it altogether.

You press upon me behind and before *

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *

it is so high that I cannot attain to it.

For you yourself created my inmost parts; *

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I will thank you because I am marvelously made; *

your works are wonderful, and I know it well.

My body was not hidden from you, *

while I was being made in secret

and woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;

all of them were written in your book; *

they were fashioned day by day,

when as yet there was none of them.

How deep I find your thoughts, O God; *

how great is the sum of them!

If I were to count them, they would be more in number than the sand; *

to count them all, my lifespan would need to be like yours.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, “The two shall be one flesh.” But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

The Rev. Posey Krakowsky

O Lord, please hear my prayer,

In the mornin’ when I rise.

It’s your servant bound for glory.

O, dear Lord, please hear my prayer.

O Lord, please hear my prayer,

Keep me safe within Your arms.

It’s your servant bound for glory.

O dear Lord, please hear my prayer.

When my work on earth is done,

And You come to take me home.

Just to know I’m bound for glory.

And to hear You say well done.

Done with sin and sorrow, have mercy. Amen.

Leader Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world. We pray for Michael our Presiding Bishop, for Andrew, Allen and Mary our own Bishops.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace, especially Donald our President and Joe our President-elect; that we may honor one another and serve the common good. We pray for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Uganda; for all laboring to end racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us. We pray 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

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, especially Robert, Ed, Janet, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Michael, Jean and Ed, Phyllis, Steve and Sarah, Len, Ernie and Joanne, Liz, Gary, and Jonathan and family, give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

Leader We commend to your mercy all who have died, especially Adela Campos, Grace Knowlton, Stacy Title, Tina Keker, David Lougee, Ernest Ryder, and the more than 380,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, as well as others around the world that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.

Leader Lord, in your mercy

People Hear our prayer.

 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.

Lift every voice and sing

till earth and heaven ring,

ring with the harmonies of liberty.

Let our rejoicing rise

high as the listening skies;

let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;

sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

facing the rising sun

of our new day begun,

let us march on, till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,

bitter the chastening rod,

felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

yet, with a steady beat,

have not our weary feet

come to the place for which our parents sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;

we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,

out from the gloomy past,

till now we stand at last

where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,

God of our silent tears,

thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

thou who hast by thy might

led us into the light;

keep us for ever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;

lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;

shadowed beneath thy hand

may we for ever stand,

true to our God, true to our native land.

Forum for This Sunday, January 17- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday. By the end of Dr. King's ministry, he had come to see racism, militarism and economic injustice as deeply intersectional issues that Christians must challenge and dismantle. As we ponder God's call to us on this weekend dedicated to Dr. King's memory, our forum will focus on the contemporary Poor People's Campaign, which seeks to build on this legacy. Please join us!

Forum: Voting Preparations- Next Sunday, January 24, each of our candidates for vestry will introduce themselves to the parish following the 11 am service, and have a chance to say a few words about their vision for Ascension. Derek Baker, who has set up our online voting process, will also walk us through it so that all of us understand how to vote. Please plan to join us! If you have any questions about whether you are eligible to vote, please contact the parish office at info@ascensionnyc.org.

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.

(If you experience any issues with Abundant Giving, please email us at websexton@ascensionnyc.org)

In accordance with the Religious Corporations Law of the State of New York, the Annual Meeting of The Church of the Ascension in the City of New York will be held on Sunday, January 31, 2021, immediately following the 11 a.m. service, for the purpose of electing a Warden for a term of two years and four Vestry members to the Class of 2020, for three year terms and one to fill an unexpired two year term in the class of 2019, and for the conduct of such other business as should come before the Parish.

Since the Annual meeting will be held online this year, the Vestry has amended the by-laws to allow for online voting. Balloting shall commence on the Sunday before the Annual Meeting and end at 9 am on the Wednesday before the Annual Meeting. If a runoff is required, notice of the second ballot shall be given and balloting shall begin immediately, ending at noon on the Sunday of the annual meeting. For those unable to vote online, mail in ballots will be provided. Please contact the church office (info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620) by January 15th if you require a mail-in ballot.

For Warden (2 year term)

For Vestry (3 year term)

Click here to view Nominees' bio's.

Elections for Vestry and Warden will be held electronically this year, as described above. Eligible voters will receive their ballot in an email from the online election system we are using to tabulate our votes: ElectionBuddy.com. (If your spam filters are set especially high, please add invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com to either your contacts or email whitelist.) Each eligible voter will be assigned a unique access key which can only be used to vote once, and your voting choices will remain anonymous. (Do not forward the invitation email with the link to your ballot.)

From the invitation email, you’ll follow your personalized link to the secure ElectionBuddy site to vote. After you have made your selections you will have a chance to review your selections and submit your vote.

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!

Space Use at Ascension - While the church is closed and not in general use, occasionally someone in the church will want to use one of our spaces. (Please note, that such uses are strongly discouraged.) During the pandemic we must be extra careful to coordinate these things so there is no overlap, and to schedule plenty of time for cleaning. If you think you might need the space for something, please coordinate via the church office - contact Br. Andrew at info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620.

Open Church, Tuesdays & Fridays, Noon to 3. The church is open for private prayer and meditation. 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 Second Sunday after the Epiphany, by the Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Bishop Suffragan of New York.

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.

Organ Prelude (Zoom) 10:55 a.m.

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

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

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

(Speak to Sibyl Piccone if you are interested in this group)

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

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

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

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

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

Organ Prelude (Zoom)

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

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

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

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