Please check the following websites for regular updates on information related to the COVID 19 pandemic:

• ascensionnl.ca
• anglicanenl.net (You will find the most recent weekly letter from our Bishop under our Bishop’s Writings)
• anglicanenl.net/home/covid19/
• mountpearl.ca
• who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/

• On Line Church Service: This Sunday at 11 a.m., the Parishes of St. Michael and All Angels, St. Mary the Virgin, the Good Shepherd, and the Ascension are hosting Morning Prayer/BCP. Come and join us at easter2020.ca. You do not need to be on Facebook to view the live service.
• Covid19 Pandemic Response– Parish of the Ascension:
  • As offered by the Provincial Minister of Health, we are currently in Alert Level IV, which continues to require physical distancing, handwashing and following the guidelines of Public Health (Public Health Guidance for All Alert Levels).
  • We are reminded that we are called to:
    • Stay at home as much as possible, except to get essentials like groceries and medications.
    • You can expand your household bubble to include one other household (effective April 30, 2020).
    • If you have COVID-19 symptoms, contact 811.
  • Concerning Public Spaces and Gatherings:
    • Gatherings at funerals, burials and weddings are restricted to no more than 10 people, as long as physical distancing can be maintained.
    • Visitations and wakes remain prohibited.
    • No public worship is to be permitted at this time.

The Parish Centre, Sanctuary, Chapel offices and facility remain closed at this time. All parish activities will be conducted through our parish website, email, Facebook, and telephone.

• Resurrection Reminders - Lord of the Impossible: Few would doubt that we are going through a strange and stressful period in our lives as a result of the pandemic. We are asked to become accustomed to new behaviours and are forced to confront challenging questions with respect to our future and our common life together. Perhaps, too, as Christians, our anxieties prompt us to think of the disciples and of how they felt when their beloved master was cruelly taken from them. So much of what they had almost taken for granted, and loved, had been tragically withdrawn and redemption of any kind seemed to be impossible. The future looked grim. But that was not to be, for they overlooked a central reality – God was in this. He exercised His love and power and raised Jesus from the dead, and a whole new life began for the disciples. Not only that, but even death itself was placed in a new context. And there was even more. Jesus’ ascension and the sending of the Holy Spirit brought to all the followers of our Lord the knowledge and experience that they were not alone and that, though physically unseen, he would be with them always. They would know his presence both in their joys and sorrows, in their crises and in things they did not understand, and that, as the ancient psalmist discovered centuries earlier, he would ever accompany them “through the valley and the shadow of death.” May we, members of the Parish of the Ascension, and all who seek to follow Jesus, in these strange days of the pandemic, and in the midst of whatever fears we may have, be sustained by that some faith and hope and never leave the “God of the Impossible” out of our equation. (Reverend Charles Green)
• Confirmation Update: Today, May 24 2020, we were to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation at our evening service. However, due to the present circumstances, confirmation will not take place this year for our confirmation candidates. We ask that we all pray for these wonderful young people and we look forward to the day that we will celebrate their confirmation with them.
• Heads Without Beds Home Again Fundraiser: Tonight I will be participating in the Heads Without Beds campaign for Home Again Furniture Bank. Thank You to all who have donated, through me, or through the 20 other participants in this endeavour. To date we have raised over $13,000, which will enable so many to receive beds, and dignity for their lives. If you haven't yet donated, please feel free to do so; the link is: canadahelps.org/en/dn/46483. I’ve chosen to sleep without my bed so that children and adults in our region won’t have to. The funds raised through Heads Without Beds will help Home Again continue to deliver free beds, blankets and other furnishings to people like John and Sarah. John and Sarah are working poor parents who spent many uncomfortable nights sleeping in their living room. John would sleep on the sofa with Sarah curled in an armchair by his side. With John’s serious and chronic health issues, Sarah insisted he get the sofa while she monitored his medical equipment throughout the night. When the Home Again team delivered their bed, the couple was overjoyed and Sarah exclaimed, “I can’t wait to go to bed tonight!” Your support of Heads Without Beds will help people like John and Sarah and ensure more people in our region receive the furniture they need and deserve: canadahelps.org/en/dn/46483. If you’d prefer to write a cheque, they can be made payable to: Home Again Furniture Bank and mailed to 58 Smallwood Drive, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 1B1. Tax receipts will be issued for donations of $20 and above. Thank you, David
• Greetings from the Godly Play: At this time of year we would have been getting ready for our year end closing on June 14 but the pandemic had other plans for us. We teachers have been thinking about the children and their families and hoping they are keeping safe. This is a difficult time for everyone, especially the children. They are missing their friends and all their activities. I liken it to when we change our candle in the Godly Play Baptism story. The light is not put out, just changed for a while. Even though we can not see it at this time, please have faith that things will be waiting for us when we are ready to return. (Doreen Hunt)
• Thursdays in Black: Many factors of isolation, inability to work, and challenges of mental health are apparent during the Covid19 pandemic. In this time, we lament acts of violence against women in the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick recently, and the violence that has occurred even in the city of Mount Pearl. The Anglican Church of Canada supports the initiative of the World Council of Churches Thursdays in Black, which advocates for the ending of rape and gender based violence. To this end, every Thursday, the Parish of the Ascension will host a zoom hour with the Rector, and there will be an offering of prayer, the lighting of a candle, and the opportunity for education from local resources from the St. John’s Status of Women Centre. Here is the link to attend the zoom meeting: us02web.zoom.us/j/85448642529?pwd=WjhveDRRMjZxQWp2bWhBODRCVnZXUT09. At this time, and at all times, gender-based violence and rape is unacceptable. As followers of Jesus, we believe in respecting the dignity of every human being, and advocating for justice, peace, and reconciliation. This will be streamed live to the Parish of the Ascension Facebook page  oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/FaithGenderCovid19Statement_April2020.pdf.
• Check-in with Zoom: The new link for the Zoom check-in is: us02web.zoom.us/j/86320718736?pwd=c2Q4eFJwbmQ0dkYzbkRlY0dNSGdLZz09. This time is allotted for anyone who would like to touch base with others in the parish. Please join us on Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. All are welcome!
• Weekly Resources for Sunday’s in Easter: Here are some free faith formation resources for the Seventh Week of Easter, which include:
  • Acts 1:6-14 devotional, illustration, and coloring page
  • Children's worship bulletin
  • FREE Pentecost Coloring Page here. Please follow the link for a complete list of resources for Easter VII: illstrtdm.in/EasterWeek7
• New Website for Church of the Ascension: The Ascension website was launched on Sunday, May 3. There are certain parts of the website that are under review/construction due to limited resources during the Covid-19 pandemic. We can now be found at ascensionnl.ca. Please visit us at this address for up-to-date information on church activities.
• Outreach: This is a time for our faith community to come together to uplift each other. Please don’t forget to regularly check on your family, friends and neighbours. If you are in need of pastoral contact, or if you know of anyone who is struggling at this stressful time, please let one of the clergy know.
• Food First NL: Food First NL works with communities in Newfoundland & Labrador to ensure everyone has access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate food. Please visit their website at foodfirstnl.ca/covid19 to find updates to NL Community Food Programs.
• Mount Pearl Foodbanks: Want to join us in making a difference? The Ministerial of Mount Pearl is raising money to benefit Foodbanks in Mount Pearl during the Covid19 Pandemic. From April 1 to June 30, 2020, The Parish of the Ascension will be receiving money on behalf of all the congregations in Mount Pearl, for distribution to the three Mount Pearl Foodbanks. All donations will help make an impact. The City of Mount Pearl will match funds up to the first $5000. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to the clergy and people of the Ministerial of Mount Pearl! If you would like to help, please log in to gofundme.com and search Parish of the Ascension. Follow the prompts to make a donation. Thanks very much.
• Clergy Contact During the COVID 19 Pandemic: During the outbreak of COVID-19, the clergy will be reaching out to all parishioners. They will do their best to contact everyone, however our parish list may need to be updated. If you have not received a call or an e-mail since the closure of the church building, please e-mail your updated contact information to [email protected]. In the event that you do not have e-mail available, please call the parish office and leave a message.
• Coffee Matters, Mount Pearl: Coffee Matters Mount Pearl is offering daily supper specials, along with reheat and eat meals. Daily specials are posted the day before on their Facebook page. All food made from scratch. Call 221-7700 to get information on daily specials and to place your order for curbside pickup. Delivery available in Mount Pearl area.

This week in the life of the church we celebrate Ascension Day. This is the time when Scripture unfolds a deepening understanding of the relationship between the Divine and humanity. In Scripture, the resurrected Jesus ascends to the heavens to enter a new relationship with both God and humanity. At first glance all this narrative seems fantastic and impossible for the modern reader. Our eyes perhaps envision a robed being floating to far off places, with dazed and confused followers left hoping for the promises to come – the gift of the advocate, defender, Holy Spirit.

Perhaps our modern eyes and modern culture can never quite grasp the full picture of what the gospel writers were trying to convey. It is like trying to describe in words the ever-changing beauty of a sunrise or a sunset. Comparable to describing the shape, sound, and smell of waves hitting the beach. Some things will be lost. It has to be experienced to be fully known.

This Ascension Day is quite special for many Christians and in particular for many of us here in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador. Ascension Day is the feast of our title. In the past, we have remembered and recalled the stories relating to Ascension, the music, and the prayers, all in the context of how this community has shaped us and continues to shape us, and the world around us. In many ways the parish is grieving now, for we cannot be together as we once had been.

This year, in light of Covid19 and pandemic isolation, the world is in a different place. Throughout the globe, we are adjusting to new patterns, and so the former narrative of our lives and our regular patterns has drastically changed. In this, our expressions of who we are, what we believe, and how we live are being modified. So in turn, those things we might have thought of as essential may have shifted. Some things have become more important, other things have been set aside for a time.

Into this new, ever-changing reality, many may find themselves hoping to hold on to solid foundations, with little assurance of how life will unfold in the coming weeks and months. Perhaps this is not unlike the disciples’ accounts of resurrection and of ascension in the Scriptures. That fledgling community was struggling to understand its relationship with the Holy One, with each other, and with the wider community. We are not so separate from that reality now.

For many Anglican Christians throughout the world, the time between Ascension Day (May 21) and the Day of Pentecost (May 31) is a time to focus on the nature of our relationship with Jesus, with our faith community, and with the world. These ten days are a time of focused prayer, shared through thykingdomcome.global. We pray for the Holy Spirit to empower the church, so that the community of faith may be able to engage more deeply with those around us, those with whom we interact and work, our families, friends, neighbours, and strangers in our midst. This year is different, and in the future, things seem that they will never return to what we had experienced. In this time we pray: we pray that we may share the story of our journey with Jesus, our story of how we respond within the world, our story of how we serve others, and how we love more deeply.

For me, I pray in specific cycles on a daily basis. It is as if I have concentric rings of names of persons and situations always ruminating. I have my family circle, and I pray for specific family members each of the days of the week. I pray for my close friends, in the same fashion. I pray my colleagues both near and far within the Anglican Communion. I pray for my friends who are of other faiths, or of no specific faith tradition. In these prayers, I pray that the Holy One will be present in their circumstance and that their lives and journey of the day will be made more profound, strengthened, peaceful, just, and comforted, as the situation arises.

At this time, I invite you to examine your pattern of prayer and thought for yourself, your loved ones, and others. Do you pray? Is it patterned, or is it impulsive? Is it habitual, or is it sporadic? Does it bring you life and peace, or is it a source of frustration? How has your time of reflection and prayer adjusted due to our present pandemic reality?

Above all, know that you are deeply loved. The Holy One surrounds you in joy and wonder because you are precious. Your value is immeasurable.

Peace,

• Donations to Ministry: If you are interested in continuing to donate to the parish ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a variety of ways for you to do so.
  • Church Envelopes: You may still use your envelopes during this time. You may drop them in the mailbox at the main entrance of the church or you can put your givings in the mail.
  • Pre-authorized Givings: You can have your givings automatically deducted on a schedule that works for you. If you are interested in setting up pre-authorized givings, please contact the church office at 368-5693.
  • Canada Helps: You can sign up to make donations to Canada Helps through our parish website.
  • Food Bank Donations: The need for food donations is still great. If you are able to donate to the food bank, we ask that you drop your donation directly to St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank at either St. Peter’s Parish Hall on Ashford Drive or Mary Queen of the World on Topsail Road. All donations are gratefully appreciated.

On this day as we recall the Ascension of Christ, let us pray with amazement, wonder, awe, and astonishment.  Joining Christ who intercedes for the entire world before God, let us offer our prayers to God saying:
O God of wonder, hear our prayer.

O God, we stand amazed; for Christ ascended from the earth in order to be everywhere at once. We are in awe, for in leaving Jesus has not left us alone. We thank you, O God, for the life of your Son. Turn our eyes to continually see and to gaze with wonder at your miraculous ways.
O God of wonder, hear our prayer.

Turn the eyes of ordinary people, young and old, poor and rich, to see signs of Jesus. Show us everywhere the signs of Jesus, who is raised up and giving freedom and working power and justice. Today we remember Jerusalem Sunday, established through General Synod, celebrating the close partnership in mission between the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, encompassing parishes in Jerusalem, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
O God of wonder, hear our prayer.

Turn the eyes of your church to see the poor places in which Christ now dwells. Help us to see the body of Christ, wounded, and yet bright with the light of the Spirit. Today we pray for, Geoffrey our Bishop, for the parish of Harbour Breton, for the Anglican Centre in Rome, and for clergy who are moving into new ministries, and for those who have retired.
O God of wonder, hear our prayer.

Turn the eyes of the leaders of nations to envision a new world in which peace and harmony reign. Touch the hearts of terrorists so that they may recognize the evil of their actions and may turn to the way of peace and goodness, of respect for life, and for the dignity of every human being, regardless of religion, origin, wealth, or poverty. Turn the eyes of all in power to see the oppressed and the needy. For all who live by your inner sight, we give thanks. For more such people to lead the peoples, we pray.
O God of wonder, hear our prayer.

Turn the eyes of all gathered here beyond this place.  Help us to look toward our glorified Lord, and then to look back anew. We pray for all confirmation candidates and their families and teachers that they may hold fast to your guidance and will in their journey of faith. We pray for those in our congregation who are sick remembering those on the Ascension Prayer Cycle. 
O God of wonder, hear our prayer.

Today we remember all those who have died, William Earle, Doris Parker, Lorne Roach, Noah Jamieson and Captain Jennifer Casey.  We pray for those who grieve, and we pray for all funeral home staff who provide compassion and care to the deceased and their families.
O God of wonder, hear our prayer.

Pray together:

O God, keep us in the spirit of amazement. Keep us believing when we cannot see; keep us hoping while we wait; keep us looking for your presence. Fix our eyes on the glorious one who ascended to intercede, who will come in greatest glory, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ascension Prayer Cycle : Andrea, Aubrey, Audrey, Barbara, Baxter, Bill, Brenda, Brian, Brittany, Breandon, Carl, Christina, Cindy, Clarence, Claude, David, Debra, Delilah, Dennis, Don, Donna, Doris, Dot, Dulcie, Edgar, Edith, Elaine, Elizabeth, Erin, Esther, Frederick, Flo, George, Georgina, Gerry, Gordon, Harry, Herb, Ike, Ina, Jack, Jason, Jenny, John, Josephine, Junior, Kevin, Kim, Laura, Leo, Leonie,  Lori, Madeline, Marina,  Marion,  Maurice, Maxine, Maxwell, Melissa, Melvin, Nancy, Pam, Phyllis, Randell, Rodney, Roland, Ruby, Ruth, Rita, Scott, Sean, Stan, Stephen, Tina, Todd, Valerie, and Wayne, Woodrow.

Collect

Almighty God,
your Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord.
Keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of his peace,
and bring the whole of creation
to worship at his feet,
who is alive and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. AMEN  

A Reading from the Book of Acts

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Acts 1:1-11

Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God

Psalm

Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a cry of joy.

For the Lord Most High is to be feared; he is the great king over all the earth. R

He subdues the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. R

God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of the ram's-horn. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our king, sing praises. R

For God is king of all the earth; sing praises with all your skill.

God reigns over the nations; God sits upon his holy throne. R

The nobles of the peoples have gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham. The rulers of the earth belong to God, and he is highly exalted. R

Psalm 47

A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23

Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God

Reader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke

People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God. Luke 24:44-53

Reader: The Word of the Lord 
People: Thanks be to God

Prayer over the Gifts

Eternal God,
our Saviour Jesus Christ
has promised to be with us until the end of time.
Accept all we offer you this day,
and renew us in his transfigured life;
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

Prayer after Communion

Eternal Giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world
to preach the gospel of his kingdom.
Confirm us in this mission,
and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise, Alleluia!  (vs. 1, 2, 4, 6)

Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!
to his throne above the skies; Alleluia!
Christ, the Lamb for sinners given, Alleluia!
enters now the highest heaven! Alleluia!

There for him high triumph waits; Alleluia!
lift your heads, eternal gates! Alleluia!
he hath conquered death and sin; Alleluia!
take the King of glory in! Alleluia!

See! he lifts his hands above; Alleluia!
See! he shows the prints of love: Alleluia!
Hark! his gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!
blessings on his Church below. Alleluia!

Lord, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
far above the starry height, Alleluia!
grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
seeking thee above the skies. Alleluia!

O Lord Most High, Eternal King (vs. 1, 2, 4)

O Lord most high, eternal King,
By Thee redeemed Thy praise we sing;
The bonds of death are burst by Thee,
And grace has won the victory.

Ascending to the sapphire throne
Thou claim’st the kingdom as Thine own;
And angels wonder when they see
how changed is our humanity.

O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
all praise to thee let earth accord,
who are, while endless ages run,
with Father and with Spirit, one.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Give Thanks to the Risen Lord (vs 1,2,4)

Alleluia, Alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord,
Alleluia, alleluia, give praise to His name.

Jesus is Lord of all the earth.
He is the King of creation. Refrain.

Spread the good news o’er all the earth.
Jesus has died and has risen. Refrain.

Come, let us praise the living God,
joyfully sing to our Saviour. Refrain.

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!  (vs. 1, 2, 5)

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone!
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
Jesus out of every nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.

Alleluia! Not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received Him,
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget His promise,
“I am with you evermore.”

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone!
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
Jesus out of every nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.