Dear People of Ascension,

As we stand at the threshold where the brightness of Epiphany gives way to the Lenten descent, I offer you this prayer poem from Jan Richardson. It speaks beautifully to themes of both seasons, intertwining in a pilgrimage both interior and unexpected. May it suggest ways to following Jesus deeper into the desert places, deeper into God’s call and the way of love.

Wild blessings,

Liz

The Map You Make Yourself 

You have looked at so many doors with longing, wondering if your life lay on the other side.

For today choose the door that opens to the inside.

Travel the most ancient way of all: the path that leads you to the center of your life.

No map but the one you make for yourself.

No provision but what you already carry and the grace that comes to those who walk the pilgrim’s way.

Speak this blessing as you set out and watch how your rhythm slows, the cadence of the road drawing you into the pace that is your own.

Eat when hungry. Rest when tired. Listen to your dreaming. Welcome detours as doors deeper in.

Pray for protection. Ask for guidance. Offer gladness for the gifts that come and then let them go.

Do not expect to return by the same road. Home is always by another way, and you will know it not by the light that waits for you

But by the star that blazes inside you, telling you where you are is holy and you are welcome here.

~ Jan Richardson

Sunday Forum: The Sacralization of Nature in German Romantic Painting -- with Dennis Raverty, Ph.D., Art Historian The 19th c. Romantics elevated landscape painting from the minor art form it had been up to that point, to the bearer of the kind of serious and sublime content that had formerly been reserved for biblical or mythological subjects alone. No art better embodies the mystical season of Epiphany, which comes to a climax with the Gospel reading of the story of the Transfiguration this Sunday. Unfortunately, because technical problems beset two of Dennis's previous slide lectures at Ascension, this presentation will only be offered live and there will be no hybrid Zoom broadcast.

All Invited!

The Installation of the 17th Bishop of New York

This Saturday, February 10th at 11:00am

(please arrive by 10:30). 

Join us at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (1047 Amsterdam Avenue) for the installation of the Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd as our 17th Bishop. The service will celebrate the life of the Diocese of New York and the church's mission to heal the world. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. A reception will follow the service. Childcare for children (ages 3-10) of clergy and service participants (including choir members and others processing) will be provided. You can sign up here.

Making our Language More Inclusive- In 2018, General Convention authorized modest changes in the Eucharistic liturgies of the Book of Common Prayer in order to make the language for both God and humanity more gender inclusive. We will be using these adapted texts. You may or may not notice any changes, and some of us have been making changes on our own for quite a while. We welcome your comments about how this changes any of your perceptions and prayers.

Lenten House Eucharists – Take advantage of a long held Lenten tradition at Ascension and sign up to attend a House Eucharist in the home of parishioners. The dates are:

Wednesday, February 28

Friday, March 8

Thursday, March 14

Monday, March 18

Tuesday, March 19

The sign-up board is in the Parish Hall each Sunday during Coffee Hour. For more info, email Sibyl Piccone at [email protected].

Lent Forums at Ascension- Amy-Jill Levine returns! (on video, that is!). During Lent and for a few Sundays after Easter, we will be exploring the gospel of Mark with the help of a book and videos by biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine, The Gospel of Mark: A Beginner’s Guide to the Good News. The book is widely available and promises a lively look at the gospel we will be reading all year long.

New York Haiti Project - Annual Report 2023 - 2023 was an eventful year for the New York Haiti Project. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School in Martel is flourishing, though the country has descended further into chaos and violence. Enrollment in the school has grown to 178 students, grades pre-K through 8th grade, thanks in part to families fleeing urban centers to relative safety in the deep countryside. Thanks to the support of individuals and our partner parishes, we broke ground on our next set of buildings. Construction should be completed by April 2024 on four classrooms, an administrative building and a latrine. The school now serves grades pre-K through 8th grade. The New York Haiti Project now has 19 partner parishes in the Diocese of New York and beyond. We expect to add more partner parishes this year. Click here to read more and support this important work.

A Tip from the Ascension Security Taskforce: Many people have been suffering from respiratory diseases this winter. If you are one of them, make sure that you:

• Do not store your toothbrush in a cabinet and make sure that it is not close to someone else's toothbrush.
• Do change your toothbrush to a new one when your illness ends.
• Do run the dishwasher daily when someone in the household is sick, even if the dishwasher is not full.
• Do change your pillowcase and towels frequently.
• Do wipe your doorknobs and faucets with a bleach solution frequently especially if there are other people in the household.

A Time for Giving - In NYC last year 120,000 children were homeless. This does not include all of the migrant children NYC received in the past year. Most of these students do not have warm clothing to wear. Our Crafters Guild has made 132 items to donate to an elementary school in the East Village which has a large group of students who live in shelters. Now we have also been asked to donate to a high school in downtown Manhattan. Since the need for winter outerwear is great, we are asking for you to help us provide these children with hats, scarves or gloves. The age range of all these students is from 5-18 with high schoolers wearing adult sizes. So open your heart and make a child a little warmer this winter. If you can help, please bring your donation to the parish hall where it can be deposited into a large bin for distribution.

No Evening Prayer this Wednesday!. The Ash Wednesday service conflicts with the Evening Prayer this week. Please Join us in-person or online for our 7:00 p.m, for our Ash Wednesday service.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper - Tuesday, February 13, 6:30 pm. Join us for our Mardi Gras festivities! Be sure to bring your palms from last year, and after the festivities we will burn them to make ashes for Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday Services, February 14:

Ash Wednesday liturgy at:

8:00 a.m.

!2 Noon

7:00 p.m. with full choir at 7:00 p.m. (7:00 p.m. service will be livestreamed at Ascensionnyc.org/Webcasts)

Ashes imposed at the front gate throughout the day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m

Lenten Devotional Books - The 2024 Lenten devotional is available in the Narthex. Please take the opportunity to pick up your copy and use it as a daily reader during the Lenten season. The devotional is made up of 40 personal reflections from members of the parish and clergy at Ascension. Suggested donation: $5, or more if you are so moved, to help defray the costs to produce it. 

The long-awaited repairs to the wood and brownstone of our Fifth Avenue tower are proceeding right on schedule and, unbelievably after all the years of studying and planning, the work is due to be generally finished by the winter. This means that payments to the architects and contractor are coming due, starting now. The Church of the Ascension is the recipient of a $300,000 matching grant from the Manton Foundation. The key word here is “matching.” And our generous donors have indeed pledged to match the grant. In general, the wardens and vestry requested pledges that could be paid in full by the first quarter 2024. Now would be a good time to complete the payment of your pledge. Remember, when you pay by check to put “Tower Brownstone” in the memo line. If you pay through Abundant, select Manton matching grant” from the drop-down menu. Finally, if you have not pledged, we hope you will consider a gift. The Manton match and pledge payments do not cover the entire cost of the job. With this work on the tower, our Fifth Avenue façade is gradually being restored to its 1841 look and our garden and entrance are becoming safer places to enjoy.

Sunday – February 11

Holy Eucharist (Church) 9:00 a.m.

Holy Eucharist w/ Music (Church & Live Stream) 11:00 a.m.

In person and online (Ascensionnyc.org/Sunday)

Join us for Coffee Hour following the Service

Ascension Forum (In Person Only) after 11:00 service

Meditation & Sacrament (Church) 6:00 p.m.

Monday – February 12

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Budget Reduction Taskforce (Zoom) 4:00 p.m.

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

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

Finance Committee Meeting (Zoom) 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday – February 13

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

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

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper (and burning of the ashes) (Parish Hall) 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday – February 14 – Ash Wednesday

Services with Imposition of Ashes

Ash Wednesday Service (Church) 8:00 a.m.

Ashes to Go (Front Garden) 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Ash Wednesday Service (Church) 12:00 Noon

Ash Wednesday Service w/ Music (Church) 7:00 p.m.

Thursday – February 15

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

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

Racial Justice Discussion Group (Zoom) 6:30 p.m.

Friday – February 16

Church open for prayer & meditation; Noon to 3:00 p.m.

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

Saturday – February 17

Food Pantry (12 W 11th St) 8:30 a.m.

The Food Pantry operates on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month. For assistance or to volunteer, please contact Fr. Ed (fatherchinery @ascensionyc.org) or Amy Shaw ([email protected]).

Sunday – February 18 – First Sunday in Lent

Holy Eucharist (Church) 9:00 a.m.

Holy Eucharist w/ Music (Church & Live Stream) 11:00 a.m.

In person and online (Ascensionnyc.org/Sunday)

Join us for Coffee Hour following the Service

Ascension Forum (Hybrid) after 11:00 service

Meditation & Sacrament (Church) 6:00 p.m.

In this time of seasonal weather changes, as happens every year, we are all becoming more mindful of even small changes in how we feel. As such, we ask that you give careful consideration to public health best-practices. And in light of the increase in Covid infection rates, please feel free to use a mask when you attend worship services, particularly if you could be considered at higher risk of infection.

If you have any question, or need assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to contact the parish office or your clergy members. Remember, we’re better together! Because together we can and do make a difference!