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The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8th
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"
I have set before you life and death" from the Passover Haggada, ca. 1350, pigment, gold and copper on calf skin. The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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8:00 a.m. Low Mass (Rite I)
Nursery available, 8:45 a.m.
9:00 a.m. Sung Mass
11:00 a.m. Solemn High Mass
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This Week at Ascension + September 4, 2019
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
From the Rector
Also From the Rector
Newsletter deadline reminder
Last Sunday's Sermon
Food Pantry September 7th
Coffee Hour Hospitality
This Sunday at Ascension
The Parish Prayer List
Approved Vestry Minutes Online
The Last Word
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Wheeler Hall Community Conversations on Sunday
Celebrant:
Will you continue in the apostle's teaching and
fellowship
in the breaking of bread and in the prayers?
People:
I will, with God's help.
Dear people of Ascension,
Please join in the conversations, if you can, at 10:00 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. this coming Sunday, September 8, with Nashotah House seminary student David Knox and our Wardens and me. Hoping for broad and lively involvement, we will hold the gatherings in Wheeler Hall in conjunction with coffee hour.
David will briefly fill you in on the arc of his life and vocation since he was a medical student in Chicago and worshiping at Ascension in the 1990s. He and the Wardens and I will also want to hear from you about your interests and questions related to adult Christian education, spiritual formation and/or ongoing 'Ascension Connections' in the coming year.
David and I continue to work toward an agreement for him to serve here as seminarian through the coming academic year. Some may be surprised to learn that such agreements require more than goodwill and a handshake. All Episcopal seminaries expect a written agreement that defines commitments and expectations-for the student, the Rector and sometimes others.
In David's case, due to weekday study and chapel worship at Nashotah House and ongoing Saturday commitments as a physician in downstate Illinois, we imagine he will mainly be here on most Sundays during Nashotah's academic terms. For this coming Sunday, we will therefore mainly be wanting to hear from you about the kinds of study, conversation and fellowship opportunities that may be most attractive, valuable and effective on Sundays.
Pray with me, please, for David Knox, for all preparing for Holy Orders in all of our seminaries and for the year ahead that we will share with David and one another.
PRaymond@ascensionchicago.org
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The 'ordination' window, one of six clerestory windows depicting the sacraments in the Ascension sanctuary. There is no window depicting the Eucharist, as it is represented by the altar and tabernacle.
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How does one get ordained in the Episcopal Church, anyway?
If you were to ask a dozen Episcopalians, clergy or laity, you'd get 20 different answers. Diocesan Bishops are responsible for establishing processes that comply with national church canons. Those processes significantly vary from diocese to diocese. Additionally, the processes tend to be distinct for priests and (permanent) deacons. David Knox is presently a Postulant for ordination as priest in the Diocese of Springfield (the diocese of Bishop Daniel Martins). His sponsoring parish is Trinity, Mattoon. The process for 'discernment' in the Diocese of Chicago has become, as I've seen it, increasingly complicated over the past decade. You may click on this link to view the related page and materials on the Diocese of Chicago website. We will likely see a slowdown followed by revisions in the ordination process in the next few years, due to Bishop Lee's retirement in August 2020 and the direction that will be provided by a new Bishop.
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 Orgelwerke
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Thanks to Organist David White for briefly explaining during Sunday's announcements some features of additional organ work now required due to a recent mechanical breakdown (with a longer troubling backstory). Imagine the work at hand as a Bach fugue, the main theme of which is a vision of our Schlicker pipe organ both restored to its extraordinary potential and more mechanically reliable than it's been in years. The theme requires Bach-like genius and conversation as it's handed off from David to the technicians at Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders to those at Peterson Electro-Music Products, in Alsip, Illinois. As of today, we feel confident that the instrument will be good to go for our September 29 Michaelmas Celebration, to be kicked off by David Schrader's 3 pm organ recital. We also are hopeful, though wish somewhat less confidence, that the organ will be at least viable on all Sundays in September. David White has explained to me, however, that he will be saving the newly refurbished and voiced reeds so that we will hear them for the first time during David Schrader's recital.
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Two more music notes, by the way ...
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Congratulations to Ascension Choirmaster Benjamin Rivera,
this week stepping into his role as Interim Chorus Master for Milwaukee's Florentine Opera Company for the coming season. You may read the related press release here (scroll down past the generous tribute to the retiring Chorus Master).
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Diocesan news, opportunities, invitations ...
T
he Diocese of Chicago Annual Convention will take place November 15-16.
Your opportunities to take part include not only serving as a delegate from Ascension but also making yourself available to serve in the leadership of the diocese-Standing Committee, Bishop and Trustees, Deputies and Alternates to the 2021 General Convention of the Episcopal Church and the (St. James') Cathedral Chapter. You may view a description of the diocesan-elective offices here. Talk to me about serving as a delegate from Ascension or about the diocesan leadership opportunities.
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2018 Diocesan Convention delegates from Ascension
included Ken Kelling, Marilyn Evans, James Baran and Fr. Bob Petite
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My Raymond family fall update begins with thanks
to those of you who have recently shown care and interest in 'What's going on?' particularly with my wife Brooke and our daughter Grace. Summer theater programs and work as a wrangler (animal trainer and caretaker) at the professional
Tuacahn Amphitheater
near St. George, Utah, developed into admission for Grace into the
Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts
there. Because it's a non-residential public school, a parent is required to have an address there ... so it looks as if our long-distance family life will continue at least through the coming school year. I hope to make a brief visit there every four to six weeks (a treat in the winter months) and we envision sharing most holidays here in Chicago. Our middle child, Owen, meanwhile, will be a third-year senior history major at the University of California Santa Cruz. Our oldest, Eliot, continues to develop his portfolio as a 'digital nomad,' recently having spent a month living, working and exploring in Lisbon, Portugal, and beyond. A family high point of the summer for me came when I booked travel early on a  Monday morning in July to make a final visit to my mother in Northern California. By the end of that day, Brooke, Eliot, Owen and Grace (shown in the photo playing a last Scrabble game with my mom) had all changed their own plans and converged with me. We'd traveled from four cities in three states.
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 I wasn't the only one, I noticed, who felt compelled to take a photo of Sunday's altar flowers!
Some of us nearer the altar may have noticed the complement between the gladiolus and St. Mark's cope! And why not take this moment to remind you that the Flower Guild would love your participation and can provide training. Contact Claire Green.
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Please keep in Prayers the Revs. Anna Broadbent and Shawn Evelyn
, preparing for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, in Los Angeles, on Friday, September 20.
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Late-breaking news! Kuni to Run-for-the-Pantry again on September 29!
We learned of this as Brother Nathanael was moments away from hitting the newsletter 'send' button. Look for more detailed information next week. And meanwhile, don't forget YOUR opportunity to support the pantry ministry this Saturday, September 7, with volunteer work beginning around 9 am and through 12:30 p.m.
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NEWSLETTER DEADLINE REMINDER
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Please remember that the (preferred) deadline for items
to be received for inclusion in the weekly e-newsletter is Noon on Tuesday.
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FOOD PANTRY THIS SATURDAY
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The St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry
is open for business this weekend,
September 7th
, with food distributions beginning around Noon.
Volunteers (
yes, this could be you) are asked to arrive around 10:30 a.m. to help make bag lunches and fill grocery bags.
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Dear Fellow Parishioners,
There are many ways that we may all make a big and recognizable difference at our parish, helping with our Sunday coffee hour is just one of those ways. We are looking for kindhearted volunteers to sign up and join the team! There will be plenty of guidance and support from those of us who are familiar with the process, so no need to stress.
Additionally, if you are great at baking or know a great baker or bakery, we would love to expand our selections during the 9:00 am and 11:00 am services on Sunday. Please know that any expenditures will be reimbursed through our church Treasurer.
The basic tasks range from making the coffee, setting out the creamer and juice and the clean-up afterwards, and there is usually help for the clean-up.
We look forward to collaborating with you on this very important part of our church tradition.
We thank you for considering this opportunity and look forward to having you join our team!
Sincerely,
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Please remember these people in your daily prayers
Geoffrey Wainwright, Fr. John Graham, Dorothy Murray, Mary Lou Devens, Michael Milano, Charley Taylor, August 'Augie' Alonzo, Ted Long, Jim Berger, Ethel Martin, Yuka Asai, Dean Pineda, Bazelais Suy, Carnola Malone, Charlene MacDougal, Pablo Illás, Doreen Finn, Julie Schram, Don Wilber, Jacob Potter, Nathan, Monica, Jim, March Kimmel, Cat Dean, Jim Walsh, Larry & Kathy Fox
Prayers are requested for the repose of the soul of
Anadelia Ill
á
s
,
mother of Pablo Ill
á
s
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord: and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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APPROVED VESTRY MINUTES ONLINE
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The Approved Minutes of Vestry meetings are now available online to parishioners who request the link. If you would like Internet access to the Approved Vestry Minutes, please email the
Church Office and request the link.
Once you access the web page, you can read all recent Approved Vestry Minutes. In addition, if you click on the subscribe button at the top right, you will be given email notice whenever a new set of Approved Minutes is added.
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 "For the past eighty years I have started each day in the same manner. It is not a mechanical routine, but something essential to my daily life. I go to the piano, and play two preludes and fugues of Bach. I cannot think of doing otherwise. It is a sort of benediction on the house. But that is not its only meaning for me. It is a rediscovery of the world of which I have the joy of being a part. It fills me with awareness of the wonder of life, with a feeling of the incredible marvel of being a human being."
- Pablo Casals
"I'm not a pacifist, but I do believe Jesus wants me to be one."
- Mother Joy Rogers, in her homily today at the mass commemorating Paul Jones, Bishop of Utah, who resigned in April 1918 due to pressure from the House of Bishops in response to his public profession of pacifism and opposition to war during World War I.
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