How are your Advent preparations going? Are there interruptions that prove more important than your plans? In what unexpected ways, with what surprising faces does the Holy One come to you in this season?

Here is another beloved Advent companion.

Peace,

Liz

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

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

The service begins with the sound of a bell

and your microphones will be muted.

Ó Rinn go Rinn - a Gaeilge carol

#76 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (Winchester New)

On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry

announces that the Lord is nigh;

awake and hearken, for he brings

glad tidings of the King of kings.

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;

make straight the way for God within,

and let each heart prepare a home

where such a mighty guest may come.

For thou art our salvation, Lord,

our refuge, and our great reward;

without thy grace we waste away

like flowers that wither and decay.

To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,

and bid the fallen sinner stand;

shine forth, and let thy light restore

earth’s own true loveliness once more.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,

whose advent doth thy people free;

whom with the Father we adore

and Holy Spirit evermore.

Presider Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Come, O Holy One, 

as the water of life and refiner's fire!

Strengthen us with courage for your work of justice

that in all creation and among every people

your peace may be established

and your joy abound,

through Jesus our Deliverer. Amen.

Hymn #56 O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, Emmanuel)

O come, O come, thou Lord of might,

who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height

in ancient times didst give the law,

in cloud, and majesty, and awe.

[Refrain]

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to thee, O Israel!

O come, thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,

free them from Satan’s tyranny

that trust thy mighty power to save,

and give them victory o’er the grave.

[Refrain]

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.

You have been gracious to your land, O God, *

you have restored the good fortune of Jacob.

You have forgiven the iniquity of your people *

and blotted out all their sins.

I will listen to what you are saying, *

for you are speaking peace to your faithful people

and to those who turn their hearts to you.

Truly, your salvation is very near to those who fear you, *

that your glory may dwell in our land.

Mercy and truth have met together; *

righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Truth shall spring up from the earth, *

and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

You, O God, will indeed grant prosperity, *

and our land will yield its increase.

Righteousness shall go before you, *

and peace shall be a pathway for your feet.

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Rev. Meredith Ward

Anonymous (16th Century)

Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say rejoice. Let your softness be known unto all men.

The Lord is e’en at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in your prayer and supplication let your petitions be manifest unto God with giving of thanks.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu. Amen.

Leader          With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying "Lord, have mercy."

Leader          For the peace of the world, for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ethiopia and Yemen, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the welfare of the Holy Church of God, for Andrew, Allen and Mary our Bishops, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For Donald our President and Joe our President-elect, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For all laboring to end racism and white supremacy and establish racial justice in our country, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering; 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, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For Robert, Ed, Janet, Ellen, Joseph, Brielle, Lucas, Holly, Allejandro and Jesus, Nancy, Barbara, Dorothy, Stewart, Patricia, Judith, Marco, Tina, Hannah, Jurek, Alice, Stacy and Jonathan, Michael, Jo, Angeline, Christopher, Len, Deanna and Rodney, Francesca, Dan and family, Alyssa, Summer, and David, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For BJ Fredricks and William Barker, and the more that 270,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, as well as others around the world, for all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, let us pray to the Lord.

Leader          Defend us, deliver us, and in your compassion protect us, O Lord, by your grace.

Leader          In the communion of [ ___ and of all the] saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.

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.

#75 There’s a voice in the wilderness crying (Ascension)

There’s a voice in the wilderness crying,

a call from the ways untrod:

Prepare in the desert a highway,

a highway for our God!

The valleys shall be exalted,

the lofty hills brought low;

make straight all the crooked places

where the Lord our God may go!

O Zion, that bringest good tidings,

get thee up to the heights and sing!

Proclaim to a desolate people

the coming of their King.

Like the flowers of the field they perish,

like grass our works decay,

the power and pomp of nations

shall pass like a dream away;

but the word of our God endureth,

the arm of the Lord is strong;

he stands in the midst of nations,

and he will right the wrong.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd,

the lambs he’ll gently hold;

to pastures of peace he’ll lead them,

and bring them safe to his fold.

Go to ascensionnyc.org/give to give online

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.

Our parish can only continue its mission and ministry because of the generosity of parishioners, visitors, and friends of the parish and we are working hard to make our online giving as easy and seamless as possible.

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

It's always good to think ahead as the end of the year approaches. Remember that even is you take the standard tax deduction for your 2020 taxes, you can also claim $300 in charitable donations made in 2020 as a deduction, thanks to the CARES Act. Check out this article from the New York Times, "It’s Easier to Get a Tax Deduction for Donations This Year"

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, tea, or your favorite juice, grab a slice of banana bread, piece of fruit, or a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, and feel free to "hang out" with us online to chat!

Join us this Sunday after the service for our 2nd Sunday of Advent forum exploring a particularly unusual painting of John the Baptist and the Baptism of our Lord. Using the Contemplative Gaze process of group contemplation of art, we will start in silent observation, then pivot to talking first about “what we see” and “how we experience the painting,” and finally move into theological reflections. “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” (Mark 1:8)

Ascension Advent Calendar- This season, focus your prayer and preparation with scripture and photographs from Ascension parishioners. Each day on our Facebook page you will find a bible verse and an image- check it out! There are still a few days open. If you would like to participate, please email Mother Liz.

(Watch this space for details!)

A time of refreshment using scripture, music, art and poetry, led by the clergy

Zoom Information: zoom.us/j/98439897017

Thursday, December 24

Christmas Eve Prelude Music, 6:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve Service, 7:00 p.m.

Friday, December 25

Christmas Day Service, 11:00 a.m.

Sunday, December 27

Lessons and Carols, 11:00 a.m.

Christmas Flower Offering- To help us decorate the church for Christmas with flowers and greenery this year, please email the parish office at info@ascensionnyc.org with the names of those whom you'd like to remember or to give thanks. To donate to the Flower Fund, please go to Ascensionnyc.org/give, then choose “Christmas Flowers” as the fund. If you'd like to pay by check, make your check out to "Church of the Ascension", write "flowers" in the memo field, and mail it to Church of the Ascension, 12 W 11th St, New York, NY 10011. Deadline for submission of names is December 20 (Advent 4). Donations may be sent in anytime.

is available on our

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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!

Annual Toy Drive This Year – Many people have asked about the annual toy drive for Children’s Aid in partnership with the New York Marriott Marquis. Unfortunately, the hotel will not be conducting their annual toy drive due to the current circumstances. However, there is another option for those who would like to make a toy donation this year. City Council Speaker, Corey Johnson, in partnership with the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, is a conducting a toy drive. His office will be collecting new, unwrapped toys on Tuesday, December 8 from 12:00pm – 5:00pm. You can bring toys to his office at 224 West 30th Street, #1206. They will be collecting toys or gifts for children ages 5 months to 17 years old. For more information, you can call his office at 212-564-7757.

Advent Around the Diocese - Below are links to various happenings around the Diocese.

SUSPENDED

In-Person Midweek Eucharists and Open Church are currently suspended. In light of the rising infection rates in New York City, our Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Andy Dietsche, sent a letter encouraging all churches to set careful attendance benchmarks for attendance at worship. The Reopening Taskforce has been following the city's guidelines for school shut downs - an infection rate of 3% over a 7-day rolling average, and had already suspended our Wednesday evening in person Eucharist when that number was reached last week. In order to ensure our health and safety, in person worship will be suspended throughout Advent and Christmas, and we will revisit the question early in the new year.

Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent by the Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool. The first in a series of three Advent sermons by the bishops of our diocese

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.

Is God calling YOU to run for Vestry? Are you interested in exploring your own faith leadership in the church? Serving on Vestry is an opportunity to provide spiritually grounded leadership with an emphasis on our church's finances and property management. Vestry members are baptized members of the parish who regularly attend worship and have contributed financially to Ascension regularly over the past 12 months. Vestry meets the evening of the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Please contact the Nominating Committee or Mtr Liz if you would like to discern this ministry or know someone you would like to nominate.

Mother Posey & a Horror Film! In her most recent sermon, Mother Posey referenced a horror film seminar given by her close friend, actor/screenwriter/director Jonathan Penner, for NYU’s LA film school. For those who expressed interest in watching and hearing what Jonathan had to say, click here to see a YouTube presentation of the film talk.

Subscribe to the AscensionNYC podcast and have our weekly sermons delivered to the device of your choice! While we have been posting recordings of sermons preached at Ascension services since February 2015, many have asked how they can listen to them on the go. Now you can subscribe to the AscensionNYC podcast to have the latest sermons and other audio content from the Church of the Ascension automatically downloaded to your phone, tablet or computer. Follow this link

to choose how you'd like to receive AscensionNYC in the podcast app you use; we’re being added to more and more directories each week!

You can also go to our website to listen to recent sermons by clicking here or going to our website.

Give while shopping - We all seem to be relying on online shopping more and more these days. The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5 percent of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the nonprofit you choose. Even these small sums can add up for us. Click here to find out how.

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

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

Ascension Forum (Zoom)

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

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

Lectionary Bible Study (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

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

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

EfM (Zoom) 6:00 p.m.

Finance Committee (Zoom) 11:30 a.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.

Ascension Forum (Zoom)

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

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

Clergy | Staff | Parish Leadership