- Raphael Warnock

Dear People of Ascension,

This quote from Rev. Sen. Dr. Warnock (I get such a kick out of that list of titles) speaks to the heart of our vocation as citizens. Our votes are prayers, indeed, and also among the most important actions we take in caring for our community. At best, they reflect our deepest values and hopes. Sometimes, of course, they are just the best we can do- strategic with an eye towards what is possible, a choice of what we believe will move us even incrementally towards the common good. That too is prayer. It is an expression of love.

In recent weeks two of my friends posted on social media about voting and love. One shared a picture of him sitting with his young adult daughter, looking fondly at her as she scrolled on her phone. It was a moment instantly recognizable to any parent! My friend, reflecting on how ordinary this is, wrote about his love for his daughter, who is trans. He shared his pride in her- her courage, her beauty, her creativity as an artist, her curiosity about the world, her empathy and compassion. He also shared his fear of politicians who would make her choices- her integrity to be her full self- illegal. He implored us to vote with his daughter in our minds and hearts.

Another friend shared a poem by Alfred La Motte entitled Election which reads in part:

"I voted. 

I voted for the rainbow.

I voted for the cry of a loon.

I voted for my grandfather’s bones

that feed beetles now.

I voted for a singing brook that sparkles

under a North Dakota bean field.

I voted for salty air through which the whimbrel flies

South along the shores of two continents."

While loons and rainbows are not literally on the ballot, the natural world is impacted by our votes perhaps more than many other actions we can take. You can read the entire poem here; as you do I invite you to remember the wild places that nourish your soul and think about how your vote can support them in turn. This is a critical time to vote for the earth and her creatures.

Who and what do you love? What is your prayer for the world, and for all of us who live together here? Please vote this Tuesday (or before). When you do, please vote your love and your prayers.

Liz

Do you know where to vote? Vote Here

On election day the church is open for prayer and meditation from noon to 3 p.m.

Join Episcopalians around the country on November 8th for Election Day Prayers from 8 pm - midnight ET.

As the COVID numbers drop and the city and state relax restrictions, we no longer require attendees to wear a mask – although we do strongly encourage everyone to be masked when indoors, and to be sensitive to the concerns of others. Clergy, servers, and choir will remain masked during services.

Click this link for this Sunday's bulletin & hymns.

How to Add Prayer Requests Online for Sunday Service - Go to Ascensionnyc.org/Prayers and type in your prayer request. Be sure to add them before the end of the sermon.

In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

Open Church - Mondays through Fridays, Noon to 3pm. If you would like to volunteer for this ministry, please contact Gretchen Dumler or contact the church office (info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620.

All Saints Days Memorial Flowers– Click here to read the names of those we remember on these Holy Days

The Rev. Posey Krakowsky - Day of the Dead Quilt - Speaker/Author/Art Historian Dennis Raverty (info here) recently wrote an article about The Day of the Dead quilt, which I made for my husband in 2005. The article was published in The Living Church this month. Click here to read the article (page 14 and following).

Spirit Driven Stitching: Quilts by Posey Krakowsky: On View: November 6 - December 31; Reception: November 15, 6-8 pm. The Rev. Posey Krakowsky, Priest Associate at Ascension, is also an artist, theologian, and writer. A lifelong fiber artist, Posey's specialty is quilting, but she also knits, weaves, paints, sews, and works with beads. Posey's quilting pieces are multi-layered and rich and take months to complete. Several of her Quilts are on display at the Heavenly Rest Undercroft Gallery (1085 5th Ave, New York, NY). Posey will lead an Advent Day Retreat at Heavenly Rest on Saturday, December 10; please email lthorpe@heavenlyrest.org for more information, Of her work Posey says, “We are Spirit-driven beings on an earthly, incarnate journey. God walks beside us every step. The ways we use our hands inform our hearts, our minds, and our souls: leading them deeper and deeper into Love.” To RSVP for the Reception with the Artist on November 15, please click here.

And a Happy Haunting to All! This year our intrepid team of volunteers once again gave the gift of a hauntingly good time to our neighborhood children (children of all ages!) Well over 500 visitors were greeted by our ghouls, goblins and haints - candy was distributed and friends were made.

Special thanks to Gale Lynch for coordinating the whole thing!

Harvest Dinner and EmberArts! Thursday, November 10th please join us in the Parish Hall at 6:30 pm for our return to an in-person Harvest Dinner. What you will remember is great food (including lasagna) and joyous community. What is new is that we have asked EmberArts, an applied theatre company, to collect memories and stories from our parish, particularly around Covid and reopening times. They will weave the collection into a narrative performance for us that night. We are also diligently working on including an online interaction for this dynamic event.

Make your Harvest Dinner Reservation Now! Because we are still aware of the threat of Covid, we are asking for everyone to reserve your spot at our abundant table. To make your reservation, please complete Harvest Dinner Reservations form, which will only take 4 minutes to complete. Be sure to submit your response by Monday, November 7.

Your reservation will help us plan, but most of all we want you to come! So even if you haven’t reserved, please join us for an evening of celebrating our community. If you’d like to come but don’t want to take your mask off, we will pack your dinner to go! Please contact Rachel Sedor (rachelsedor@yahoo.com) to arrange it.

Racial Justice Group- for our next meeting on November 16, we will begin The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham. Dr. Lanham is an ornithologist, professor and poet, and tells his own family story about land, race and the natural world. For this session we will read pp. 3-79. Please join us!

New York Episcopal Federal Credit Union – Clergy and lay in the diocese are working together to create an independent, federally accredited credit union serving the communities within the Diocese of New York. The Credit Union will open banking services to the underserved, while providing low-cost emergency loans and financial counseling. Click here to learn more and see how you can become involved.

Diocesan Prayer for the Bishop Search - The candidates have been announced. To learn about them, click here. The Search Committee for a Bishop Coadjutor asks for your prayers. Here is a prayer you might use:

Looking for ways to get involved? Ascension has many guilds and groups and one of them is bound to be the right fit for you. Take a look at our leaflet describing them and reach out to the contact person to get involved. For a description of guilds and their contacts, please click here.

Haiti Project – Ready for Classes! Thanks to your generosity the school building in Martel is finished. All the finishing touches are completed: paint, tile, doors, everything. The school is ready. Click here to read Fr. Sam’s update.

Help Asylum Seekers - Our friends at Judson Church (239 Thompson St.) have created a respite and mutual aid center for asylum seekers who have been bussed to New York from Texas. They are open every Monday from 10 am to 7 pm. You can help by volunteering time (Spanish speakers and those with medical, legal or social work training especially welcome), or by donating supplies. They need new (or like new) winter coats (men’s, women’s, & children’s), underwear (boxers preferably), and backpacks.

To learn more about volunteering, please contact the Rev. Micah Bucey at micah@judson.org. Donated supplies can be brought to Ascension, marked "mutual aid for migrants" and we will see that they get to Judson. Thank you!

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

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

With sacrament of Holy Baptism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Holy Eucharist (Church) 6:00 p.m.

Voices of Ascension Concert (Church) 7:30 p.m. (tkts: 212-358-7060)

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

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

Harvest Dinner (Parish Hall) 6:30 p.m.

Diocesan Convention – Clergy and Parish Administrator will be out of the office for Diocesan Convention.

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

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

Food pantry is available the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month. For assistance or to volunteer, please contact Amy Shaw at amyqshaw@gmail.com.

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

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

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

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

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