• Sunday Worship at the Ascension (Reminders): Live Streamed Services: If you are interested in viewing Sunday service, you can do so by logging in to the new church website ascensionnl.ca, and go to the Social Media tab. Once there, click on the Facebook tab (please note you do not have to have a Facebook account to view the service). This will link you directly with the service once it has begun on Sunday.
• Pre-Authorized Givings:  If you would like to set up pre-authorized givings, please contact the church office at 368-5693 for direction. Thank you.
• Birthday/Anniversary Sundays: The worship for Family Service Sunday will include the celebration of birthdays or anniversaries for that given month. Please send us a picture of yourself to include during the Birthday Sunday celebration portion of the liturgy. You can send your photos to [email protected]. We request that you submit your photos by the end of the first week each month to ensure they are included.
• Clergy Contact During the COVID-19 Pandemic: All pastoral visits/interactions will be via telephone, email or zoom appointment with either Reverend Burrows or Reverend Courage. To set up an appointment, please contact them via their email or cell phone. Archdeacon Burrows may be reached at 746-2095 or by email at [email protected] and Reverend Courage may be reached at 682-8500 or by email at [email protected]
• Cold Plate Fundraiser:  Please see the insert providing details of the Church of Ascension’s Cold Plate Fundraiser on Saturday, May 1.  You may send payment to [email protected] if you wish to pay via e-transfer or you can pay at the door at pick up. Thanks for your support!
• Pandemic Appeal:  Since January 1, 2021, we have raised only $740 for our Pandemic Appeal. We encourage parishioners to continue to support our Parish in this effort by donating to this cause. Thank you to all who have donated thus far.
• Gathering Place ‘Welcome Home’ Gift Card Project: The Anglican Archdeaconry of Avalon is collecting gift cards from any supermarket or Walmart to aid The Gathering Place in supporting clients who are moving into a new residence. Gift cards will be used to purchase fresh food, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products. Any financial donation of either gift cards or money is gratefully accepted; however, gift suggestions are $30 1 person, $50 2-3 people, $75 4- up! We will decorate a “donation tree” with different coloured symbols representing each monetary amount donated. We will set it up in the church so you can see how much has been received weekly. Donations to this worthwhile project will be accepted up to the end of June.  You may drop your donations in the church mailbox (located on the front steps of the church). Thank you very much.
• Congratulations: Congratulations to Sera Tulk, one of our young parishioners and a member of our youth group on winning two awards for her creativity. Sera was singled out for an award in the annual provincial Arts and Letters competition in the Junior French Literary category and in the Junior Visual Art category for her pieces titled “Ciel” and Memento Mori”.  You can read more about Sera’s awards in the Shoreline. Bravo Sera!
• Spring Clean Up:  It’s the time of year for the yard cleanup. On Saturday, May the 8 at 9:00 a.m. we will be cleaning up the grounds. If you are interested in joining us, please feel free to come along. If you have any of the following equipment, please bring it along:   wheel barrel, deck broom and shovel. Oh and yourself! Thank you
• Services During the Week:
  • Sunday, May 2 (Easter V): 11:00am, Holy Eucharist/BAS ascensionnl.ca

This Sunday in the life of most Christian faith communities celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a Sunday in the season of Easter where persons reflect upon the person of Jesus as a good shepherd, as well as reflecting upon the nature of Christian vocations in various contexts. Along with this theme, within the life of worship we reflect upon Scripture as we examine the 23^rd Psalm and portions of the I am sayings from John’s gospel through song and prayer.

This is the time of the year in which Spring is beginning to unfold, offering newness, perspective, and constant images of resurrection in our faith communities and within creation. This is the time when some may unravel the pondering of vocation the discerning of what one might be called to, or called from.

In this vein, I invite persons to consider what gifts and skills, passion and expertise they hold. Where do these parts find their expression in your life? Do you feel called in your life to exercise your beliefs and these parts of who you are with the wider community? How could this change your pattern of living, or caring, of compassion and action?

This weekend, consider who you are, and how you live out a vocation in your context. Has your vocation changed over the years? How have you moved deeper into your appreciation and response to the Holy One, the community of faith, the wider community and all of creation?

These are some of the things that I ponder as I consider Good Shepherd Sunday.

At times within the Christian community, the idea of vocation gets limited to merely ordained ministries (Bishop, priest, deacon) or ordered ministries within religious communities. The reality is that vocation goes well beyond the church designations. Persons of all walks of life have vocations, as parents, friends, partners, musicians, physicians, nurses, artists, engineers, leaders, teachers, healers, learners, and so much more. How has all that you are influenced how you follow a path in life? Is your path of life intertwined with listening and responding to those around you? How might you find the best way at this time to listen to the Holy One, and respond in community and creation with your best self?

Be Blessed this day and always,

Consoled by the knowledge that the Good Shepherd gives his life for us, let us pray for the needs of our community, our church and our world, saying:
Lord have mercy

The earliest Christian community held all things in common, and no one was in need. May we commit ourselves to hold the goods of this world in common and to work to eliminate hunger and homelessness. Today we remember the food banks, outreach and drop in centers, shelters, community gardens, and all those who work and volunteer in these areas. For this let us pray to the Lord:
Lord have mercy

Following the example of the shepherd who searched for the lost sheep, let us seek out the lost in our community and welcome them in our midst. For this let us pray to the Lord:
Lord have mercy

Conscious of the Good Shepherd’s voice, may we speak God’s words of reconciliation and peace to all we meet. We pray for church leaders remembering today, the parishes of Gambo, Gander, for Samuel our Bishop, David and Lynn and our ministry team.  On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we give thanks for our daughter parish, The Good Shepherd, and Deacon-in-Charge, Reverend Barbara Boone and their ministry team. We remember all in governmental authority both Provincial and Federal. May we ever strive to receive the joyful message of peace. For this let us pray to the Lord:
Lord have mercy

For all gathered, for our specific needs, especially those on the Ascension Prayer Cycle, that we may come to receive abundant life at God’s hand.  For this let us pray to the Lord:
Lord have mercy

For ourselves in this assembly, all who are impacted by the Pandemic, those undergoing testing, those who received positive results, those in isolation, all serving in professions who work at low/no pay for the welfare of others, respite workers and caregivers, all believing in our every deed the good news, that after a year of turmoil and strife, the world may be free of this virus, we pray:  For this let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy

We pray for those who have died, that they will rest in Christ’s shepherding love.

For this let us pray to the Lord:
Lord have mercy

Pray Together

God, in you we live and move and have our being. You seek us before we know your name, and you give us joy in your life. Accept our prayer of joy in being found and forgiven and loved by you, for we pray in the name of Christ your Son and in the joy of the Holy Spirit.

Ascension Prayer Cycle:  Aden, Amelia, Ann, Annie, Aubrey, Audrey, Barbara, Baxter, Bob, Brenda, Brian, Brittany, Brandon, Callum, Carl, Cathy, Christina, Cindy, Claire, Clarence, David, Debra, Delilah, Dennis, Derrick, Don, Donna, Doreen, Dot, Doug, Dulcie, Ed, Edgar, Elaine, Emily, Erin, Evelyn, Finnley, Frederick, Fred, Frank, Flo, Garrett, George, Gerald, Gerry, Glenda, Gordon, Harry, Hilda, Ike, Ina, Ingrid, Ira, Jack, Jason, Jennifer, Jenny, Jim, John, Josephine, Joan, Judy, Junior, Kent, Kevin, Kim, Laura, Leo, Leonie,  Lindsay, Lori, Louise, Madeline, Marie, Marsha, Mark, Marion, Maxine, Maxwell, Melissa, Melvin, Michelle, Mike, Mona, Nancy, Pam, Phyllis, Rachel, Randell, Randy, Rodney, Roland, Ruby, Ruth, Rita, Sean, Shirley, Stephen, Susan, Tina, Todd, Tom, Valerie, Vera, Victoria and Wayne

Prayer During the Pandemic

Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

Collect

O God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do your will, and work in us that which is well-pleasing in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN  

A Reading from the Book of Acts

The rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."  ACTS 4:5-12

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

Psalm

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.

He revives my soul
and guides me along right pathways for his name's sake.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil,  and my cup is running over.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory to you, Jesus Christ, our good shepherd. In the waters of baptism you give us new birth, at your table you nourish us with heavenly food, and in your goodness and mercy, you guide us beyond the terrors of evil and death to your Father’s home to dwell in eternal light. Glory to you for ever.   PSALM 23

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

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to John

People: Glory to, you Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father." JOHN 10:11-18

Reader: The Gospel of Christ
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Prayer over the Gifts

God of loving care,
you spread before us the table of life,
and give us the cup of salvation to drink.
Keep us always in the fold of your Son Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and our shepherd. AMEN

Prayer after Communion

God of steadfast love,|
watch over the Church redeemed by the blood of your Son.
May we who share in these holy mysteries
come safely to your eternal kingdom,
where there is one flock and one shepherd.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. AMEN

• Volunteers Needed
• Welsh Eucharist
• Cold Plate Fundraiser