THIS WEEK AT ASCENSION + January 20, 2021 |
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"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96
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Wednesday, January 20
The Confession of St. Peter
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer
6:30 p.m. Live-Streamed Mass
Image: St Peter and St Paul with the Sudarium, Israhel van Meckenem, ca. 1465-1500, hand-colored engraving, British Museum
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Sunday, January 24
The Third Sunday after
The Epiphany
9:30 a.m. - Morning Prayer
10:00 a.m. - Live-Streamed Mass with hymn(s), organ, and choir motet
11:05 a.m. - Virtual Coffee Hour
Image: Call of the Sons of Zebedee, Marco Basaiti, 1510, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice
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Masses, Daily Offices & Fellowship remain online/virtual only, until further notice. Connection information and links are below.
Thank you for keeping up-to-date with changes that may arise and that will be shared through our parish newsletter and website.
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The sermons I wish I’d preached
Dear people of Ascension,
The texts of sermons that I link in our Wednesday newsletters differ from my Sunday sermon texts. Sometimes the changes are minor: punctuation, spelling, added citations. Other times, I try to improve the clarity of an idea. On occasion, I remove or add entire paragraphs. Why? My own comprehension of the Scriptures and their importance for us continue to be refined even after I've preached on them.
Some of my sermon text meddling no doubt caters to the part of me that can be a little OCD. I hope, though, that my driving editorial motive corresponds to the basic aims of preaching: to glorify God, to bring and to keep Christ in view, and to inform, enliven and sustain our faithful responses to God in every realm of our lives.
This feature of my ministry comes to mind now, in part, because the sermon I delivered Sunday went through more than the usual head-scratching revisions prior to my linking it below. Even now, I’m still mining some new insights from the Jesus-Nathanael encounter in Sunday’s appointed gospel text.
In conjunction with this homiletical apologia, I’m also mindful of preaching in pandemic. When you’re here in the pews at Ascension, I see your faces as I preach. You are invariably alert, engaged, thoughtful listeners! But except for ten weeks in the fall, I haven’t seen you, as I or others preach, for ten months now.
Sermons must also be very different for you now, as you view and hear them on your smartphones or laptops, in diaspora. Please let me know how I and others who preach here may, by our preaching, better serve, inspire and sustain your faith.
- Fr. Patrick Raymond+, Rector
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OUR ANNUAL MEETING:
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31
11:30 A.M. VIA ZOOM
PLEASE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION!
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK:
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The Voting Member List may be found here. Please note that over one-third of those included on this year's list did not financially support Ascension in 2020 and/or have not made a financial pledge for 2021. Knowing that the pandemic has had financial impacts on many individuals and households, the Vestry decided at its January 17 meeting to suspend normal bylaws requirements for voting membership in the case of this year's annual meeting.
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Special thanks to Jim Lo Bello and David Reeves who agreed to fill two spots on our Vestry candidate slate after a changes in the circumstances and availability of other nominees. The third Vestry nominee is Samuel 'Sam' Sommers. Ken Kelling is the nominee for Junior Warden. More information will be provided to Voting Members by mail and in next week's newsletter.
WE HOPE AND ASK FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
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Imagine the relief and joy felt by my wife Brooke and I a few days ago: our son Owen called to say that he'd walked a half mile or more, without crutches, to the beach and back, near his home in Santa Crus, CA. It was the first walk of its kind since his August 20 motorcycle accident. Yesterday, another milestone: Owen's surgeon marveled at recent bone growth in Owen's right leg and gave him increased latitude in physical activities. Brooke and I continue to be grateful for all who have asked about and prayed for Owen's healing in body, mind and spirit. We're also grateful that Owen thought to send the greeting below. The photo is from an October visit that Brooke made to California, to spend time with Owen and to drive him to an appointment with the surgeon, in San Francisco.
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Dear Ascension folks, and everyone who has taken time to hold me in their thoughts over the past half-year:
Thank you so, so much for your continued support and thoughtfulness as I have recovered since the summer. I am happy to report that I am now walking without crutches or any form of assistance, and although my muscles are sore from underuse, I have recently had many good walks around our neighborhood here in Santa Cruz. I am so grateful that you are all thinking of me and keeping up with my progress. It has been so meaningful to me to know there is a community continuing to keep me in their thoughts and prayers! Once again, thank you all very much. Please take care and stay healthy. Owen Raymond
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Organ Repertoire for Sunday, Jan. 17 |
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ORGAN
Trois Improvisations [1911]
I. Andante
Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979)
Hymn at the Communion
549 ST. ANDREW
ORGAN
Trois Improvisations, op. 150
III. Allegretto
Nadia Boulanger
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Choir of the Ascension:
Now on Soundcloud!
Please visit our Ascension SoundCloud! There you will find recordings made by our choir, including one motet for every Sunday and 20 tracks for Christmastide!
Benjamin Rivera, Choirmaster
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Reminder: All In-Person Worship and Gatherings at Ascension (and at all parishes in the Diocese of Chicago) were suspended again as of Monday, November 16.
Our Interim Sunday and Weekday Worship Schedule and Connections are as follows:
All masses live-streamed from the church.
Sundays
9:30 a.m. Morning Prayer—Zoom
11:00 a.m. Coffee Hour—Zoom
Weekday Mass: Wednesday Evenings
Daily Offices continue as before:
Morning Prayer
Evening Prayer
6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday—Zoom
Special/Upcoming
Parish Annual Meeting, January 31
Candlemas (observed), Wednesday, February 3
More information will be provided as these dates and opportunities near.
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Other than for urgent or essential matters or for brief personal devotion in the church, visits to Ascension are presently to be avoided. Any (other) visit should be arranged in advance with Br. Nathanael Rahm. Thank you for your understanding. |
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Due to COVID-19, Church of the Ascension’s Treasurer and Bookkeeper are limiting the amount of time they spend working in the parish offices. All checks received at Ascension via the United States Postal Service, not always a reliable service in our area, will be bank deposited approximately every 4-6 weeks. You may contact the Treasurer by email anytime at Finance@AscensionChicago.org.
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Ascension Connections
Below
(with your click and God's help)
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Meeting ID:
792 031 7452
Password: 1133
Join-by-Phone Option: (312) 626-6799
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Weekly Ascension Schedule
For connections:
except for Morning Prayer,
SUNDAYS
9:30 a.m. Virtual Morning Prayer
10:00 a.m. Live-Streamed Mass
11:00 a.m. Virtual Coffee Hour
MONDAY-FRIDAY
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer via Zoom
WEDNESDAYS
6:30 p.m. Low Mass
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Yes, but I still haven't Zoomed ... |
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Please give generously as you are able.
Treasurer Susan Schlough has asked me to remind you of Ascension's ongoing expenses at this time. To the extent that you are able, payment on your pledges or the offering of Holy Day or other special gifts will be greatly appreciated. You may still write a check and mail it to the church, or online payment is possible through the buttons at various places on our website. Thank you!
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For our prayers: August 'Augie' Alonzo, Jim Berger, Ethel Martin, Dean Pineda, David Byerly, Bonnie Joseph, Diane Burnett, Steven Wallis, Sarah Ponder, Paula Budzban, Taffy Wehe, Neil, Canola Malone, Br. Jonathan Wheat, Rocky Ermilio
Birthdays and Anniversaries:
Jay Jacot, 1/18
Bob Sheridan & Jana Holt, marriage, 1/18/1999
Requiescat in pace:
Charlene MacDougal, wife of Gary MacDougal, 1/10/2021
Bruce Jordan, nephew of Jim Berger
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them;
May their souls and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
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Without my having asked, a few of you have already, since this morning's Presidential Inauguration, expressed your admiration for the presence, poise and words of 22-year old National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman. You may see and hear her by way of this link or click on the photo below. The news site from which I took the link (otherwise unknown to me) said of Ms. Gorman that 'she may have stolen the show.' I'll be grateful if she can do that for me here and now ... - Fr. Raymond +
PS Separately, for what it's worth, I rolled my eyes when it was announced that Lady Gaga would sing our National Anthem, but she was, in my opinion, magnificent.
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The Very Rev. Patrick Raymond, Rector
Susan Schlough, Treasurer
Br. Nathanael Deward Rahm BSG, Parish Office
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