"Pray always. Do not lose heart."

Dear people of Ascension,

Last week after I preached on prayer, justice and the importunate widow, a parishioner made a comment that underlined for me the most immediate relevance of this passage. They spoke about their fears for our country. "What will we do if we lose our democracy?" they said.

It feels as if we have had many years now of politics that get crazier and crazier: assaults on voting rights, reproductive choice and bodily autonomy; racism and other bigotry; polarization and lack of trust; and of course, the climate crisis that threatens our earth and every creature that lives on it. I get weary and sometimes scared. Perhaps you are too.

The persistent widow is a useful guide. She cries out for the justice she believes in. She reminds me to keep praying- to center myself in God's love as best I can, ask for help for myself, others and our hurting world, and ask God to hold all of it- the grief, the fear, the anger, the love. And then, to keep taking what actions I can: writing postcards to voters, having conversations, making donations, making phone calls, educating myself, participating in whatever ways seem to be especially mine to do. Voting, of course. Sometimes the prayer and the actions flow from and fuel one another and that is grace.

The truth is, we trust that God is in our work for justice, but we don't know the outcome of any particular situation. There is plenty of suffering and struggle in the world, and also so much beauty and joy. As the prophet of hope, Rebecca Solnit writes, "If we can recognize that we don’t know what will happen, that the future does not yet exist but is being made in the present, then we can be moved to participate in making that future."

There is reason to hope- in the goodness of God, in the power of community, in the efficacy of our work and in the unexpected wild winds of the Spirit. But hope is also a practice- and it is strengthened by prayer and action, personally and together. 

Friends, in these challenging times, let us persist in our spiritual practice; let us do the next right thing for justice, mercy and peace; let us care for one another in all the changes and chances of life. Step by step, let us keep on. Do not lose heart.

Liz

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.

Update on Live Stream Sound Quality Issues - We are aware of the loud hiss/hum and low volume issues with the live stream and we are working to track down and resolve the problem. Thank you in advance for your patience.

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.

We strongly encourage everyone to wear masks while indoors and to be sensitive to the concerns of others.

Vaccination is strongly encouraged.

All Souls and All Saints Days Flower Subscriptions – If you would like to add names to the list of those we remember on these Holy Days, click this link - or fill out the form found in the Sunday bulletin (and place in the offering plate or mail them to the office). You can also send an email or call the office to provide the names (info@ascensionnyc.org; 212-254-8620). All names must be received by Sunday, October 30. You can also contribute to the special flowers for that day through Abundant Giving or by writing a check to the Church of the Ascension with "All Saints flowers" in the memo line.

All Souls Day, (Día de los Muertos) Wednesday November 2; 6:00 p.m.- Please join us for a special celebration of those we have lost in the past year at our Wednesday evening service on November 2 at 6 pm. All Souls is the commemoration of our particular beloved dead; it is also a time to remember those who have died and are known only to God. In this season some say "the veil between the worlds is especially thin" and we not only remember but sense the presence and communion of those who have gone before us.

The last two and a half years have been a time of such enormous loss, often with few communal rituals of grief. We include those who have died of Covid-19, violence and climate disasters in our memorial. We remember the species lost as well as our human departed. Following the tradition of the church in Latin America, we will create an altar for those we remember as part of the service. Please bring photos, mementos, names, or other images that you want to share with you to the service. We will also read the names of those who are being remembered. To provide names, please see the announcement above.

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). Please come to our All-Souls service at 6 PM on Wednesday November 2nd to see the quilt in person! It will also be on display in my solo show "Spirit Driven Stitching" at Church of the Heavenly Rest (90th and Fifth Avenue) in the undercroft gallery from November 6-December 31.

Gardening & Gathering Party - Join us as we gather in the garden to enjoy its beauty and the crisp fall day on Saturday, October 29th from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. We'll have some gardening tools and gloves on hand so you can help us get the garden ready for winter. No particular gardening skills or knowledge are necessary, just a desire to hang out with fun people in our church garden. Extra bonus: John Merryman will give a tour of the garden's various plants and stories of how they got there AND we'll have some autumn themed refreshments as we garden and gather with each other! Contact Gale Lynch to RSVP or if you have questions- lynchgale@gmail.com

Haunted Church is Right Around the Corner - and for it to happen this year we need YOU! This Halloween! Our Haunted Church will be held on Monday afternoon, October 31, at 3:30. This is a fun time for neighborhood children and a great way to introduce others to the parish. but we need your help to make it happen. If you would like to help, please reach out to the church office (info@ascensionnyc.org or 212-254-8620).

Harvest Dinner, Thursday, November 10 - Make your reservation now! The Harvest Dinner is just around the corner! Please complete Harvest Dinner Reservations form, which will only take 4 minutes to complete. Be sure to submit your response by Monday, November 7.

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.

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!

Please give to Episcopal Relief and Development's (ERD) Hurricane Relief Fund and help our partners and dioceses reach vulnerable communities devastated by Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, and other catastrophic storms. As ongoing needs continue to emerge in impacted areas, your urgent gift will enable them to respond now — and in the long run to aid in recovery. Click here to donate.

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.

Audit Committee Meeting (Zoom) 1:00 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. If interested, please contact Sibyl Piccone

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

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

Budget Committee Meeting (Zoom) 6:30 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.

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.

Garden Day (Parish Hall & Gardens) 11:00 a.m.

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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