• Readers needed for June, July and August: If you are interested in reading at the 11 a.m. services on any of the following dates, please contact the office at [email protected] or call 368-5693:
  • June 27
  • July 18, 25
  • August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
  • September 5, 12
• Welcome:  This Sunday, we welcome as our officiant and homilist Reverent Donna Mercer. Thanks to Reverend Donna for filling in in Reverend Lynn’s absence.
• Welcome:  Next Sunday we welcome as our preacher The Venerable Charlene Taylor, Executive Officer from Diocese of Anglican East, Newfoundland.  Reverend Charlene is the former Rector of our sister parish, Parish of the Good Shepherd. We wish her every blessing in her new role as Executive Officer of the Diocese.
• Anglican Cemetery Service:  Anglican Cemetery Committee will offer an online Commemoration Service from the Anglican Cathedral on Sunday, July 11 at 7:00 p.m. The service at the Cathedral will not be open to the public.  Reverend Nancy March of St. Mary's will officiate at the service. It may be viewed via Diocesan and Cathedral Facebook sites. 
• Long Term Rental:  Effective Monday, June 28 up to Friday, September 3, our auditorium will be in use by Max Athletics. As a result, the bathroom facilities downstairs will be unavailable for use during Sunday services. Our washroom upstairs will be available for use during services as usual.
• Duties of Church Wardens and Vestry Members:  If you are considering becoming active in either of these positions and would like to have more information regarding the duties involved, please refer to the Parish website at ascensionnl.ca under Ministries – Vestry and Wardens. There will also be a limited number of paper copies available for pick up at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday.

• On-Line Auction Fundraiser: Today marks the beginning of our on-line auction. The auction will take place on Facebook between June 6 and June 13. You may access the group by following these steps:

  • Log into your Facebook account (you must have a Facebook account to participate in the auction).
  • In the search bar (look for a little magnifying glass towards the top) search for Parish of the Ascension Online Auction 2021 and join the group. Once you join, you will be notified of any changes or new items that are posted.
  • Depending on the value of the item the bid increase may vary (could increase by $1, $2, $5, etc.).
  • The person with the successful bid will be contacted in the three days following the auction to make arrangements for payment. If payments have not been made within the specified time, we will move on to the next successful bid.
  • We are hoping to have a pick up time available for people to come pick up items (date and time to be determined).
  • We can make arrangements to deliver items to people within the Mount Pearl- St. John's- Paradise- CBS area but will not be delivering any items via Canada Post.

• Live-Streamed Services:  To view our Sunday service, please go to the Parish website ascensionnl.ca and go to the Social Media tab. Once there, click on the Facebook tab (you do not have to have a Facebook account to view the service). You can also view the service live on the Parish YouTube channel. Go to YouTube and search on Parish of the Ascension NL to view the service live.
• 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.
• 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. 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. 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.
• CLB Lunch Take-Out:  Each week the CLB offers take out lunch specials on Friday. If you are interested in purchasing for your home or office group, please call 722-1737 to pre-order. Orders must be received by Thursday at 11 a.m.  Free delivery for orders of five or more dinners.
• Flea Market:  The Parish of St. Michael and All Angels will be holding a Flea Market on Saturday June 5, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 22 Sunrise Avenue, Mount Pearl. All are welcome. Social distancing and COVID-19 precautions will be observed. 
• Services During the Week: Sunday, June 6 (Pentecost II): 11:00am, Holy Eucharist/BAS ascensionnl.ca

Made righteous through faith in Christ, asking that we may be faithful to the gift of God’s grace, let us now pray to our God in the power of the Spirit, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.

For our Bishop, Samuel, for the parishes of Hermitage, The Holy Innocents and those worshipping in the church of Ireland, and for the whole church, that in our prayer we may stand ready, as the Lord wills to carry out and accomplish the very prayer we utter, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.

For those serving in our Canadian Forces, that they will be safe and courageous in their duties, defended, guided, strengthened, and comforted by your heavenly grace. That they and their families may feel close to God and to one another always, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.

For those who bear the responsibility of government in every nation, that they may build upon the solid rock of truth and justice, and not upon the sands of self-interest and pride, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.

That the word of Christ may become the deepest joy of our hearts, and we may move us to deeds, which reflect Christ’s ministry of reconciliation, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.

For all in the human community who cry out because of injustice, oppression, illness, isolation, or any other need especially our indigenous family, that we may hear in them the cry of Christ himself suffering in his brothers and sisters, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.

For those in our parish cycle of prayer, that they may feel God’s help and loving presence and be guided in their lives by His Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.
For the departed, that they may continue to support us with their love in the communion of the saints, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, hear our prayer.

Eternal and compassionate God, receive and fulfill all that we ask according to your will. Give us the grace to welcome your word who is Christ, that we may live grounded on the rock of your love and mercy, now and all our days. We ask this through Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

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

And let us take a moment now, to pause and give voice to our shame and our sorrow for the 215 children whose graves have been discovered at the Kamloops Residential School.

‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’

Let us open our ears to the voice of lamentation in Kamloops,
in Kitamaat, Old Crow, Fort McKay, Grassy Narrows, Chisasibi, Eskasoni, in hundreds of communities across this country; the voice of mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, generation after generation, wailing for their children who were taken from them.

Let us open our ears to the sobs of those children, torn from the comfort and protection of their families, estranged from their culture and their sense of their own identity, left with a pain that they often carried their whole lives.

Let us hold in our hearts those who were abused. And let us remember those who never came home, whose lives were stolen from them by disease and neglect, particularly the 215 children whose graves have now been discovered. As we have so shamefully failed them in this life, may they find honour and healing as the first in your Kingdom.

We pray for our nation, at this reminder of stories still untold,
pain still unshared, responsibility still not taken. Teach us the lesson of your cross: that it is only in opening ourselves to the pain of others, in sharing their burdens in love that we may find healing together.

We conclude with the Collect for the Holy Innocents:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, whose children suffered at the hands of Herod, receive, we pray, all innocent victims into the arms of your mercy. By your great might frustrate all evil designs and establish your reign of justice, love, and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Written by Rev. Dr. Paul Jennings)

Collect

O God, you have assured the human family of eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Deliver us from the death of sin
and raise us to new life in him, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AMEN

A Reading from the Book of Samuel

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations." But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to govern us." Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them." So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots. and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.

He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day." But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, "No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles."

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

Psalm

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I will sing your praise.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name,
because of your love and faithfulness;

For you have glorified your name
and your word above all things.

When I called, you answered me;
you increased my strength within me.

All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord,
when they have heard the words of your mouth.

They will sing of the ways of the Lord,
that great is the glory of the Lord.

Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly;
he perceives the haughty from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.

The Lord will make good his purpose for me;  
O Lord, your love endures for ever; do not abandon the works of your hands.

God of creation and fulfilment, help us to seek and discover your purposes, that we may become willing instruments of your grace, and that all the world may come to love and praise your name, in the kingdom of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord  PSALM 138

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

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark

People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain Jesus, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." And he called them to him, and spoke to

them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" - for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."  MARK 3:20-35

Reader:  The Gospel of Christ
People:  Thanks be to God

Prayer over the Gifts

Merciful God and Father,
in Adam's fall we were born to death;
in the new Adam we are reborn to life.
In all we offer you this day
may we share a taste of your eternal kingdom.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. AMEN

Prayer after Communion

O God,
we have shared in the mysteries
of the body and blood of Christ.
Nourish us by this feast,
that we may live the risen life
and serve you faithfully in the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. AMEN

• Eucharist