Bridge Over Troubled Waters, A Sermon preached by The Rev. Canon Dr. C. Denise Yarbrough on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at Church of the Ascension, Rochester, New York
Between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so. (Luke 16:26 )
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered far away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (1 Timothy 6: 10 )
You know how sometimes the passages we have to reflect upon from Holy Scripture seem obtuse and confusing and we look at them and say, “What on earth are we to make of this?” Well, this week we certainly don’t have that problem! The theme of this week’s lections is so consistent that I wondered why I needed to preach at all. The words speak for themselves. In the pastoral letter to Timothy we have classical Greco-Roman ethical maxims about money and its potentially destructive spiritual force, and in Luke, Jesus gives us yet another parable about the same topic. You will notice that Jesus has been preaching and teaching about wealth, possessions, money and their destructive force with numbing consistency for many weeks now. Luke’s gospel, in particular, is deeply concerned with economic issues and the theme that in God’s kingdom the privileges and comforts of this world will be overturned. It began as early as when Mary sang her Magnificat at the beginning of the gospel, where she envisioned a time when the lowly would be lifted up and the mighty brought low. The message hasn’t changed at all as we’ve proceeded on through 16 chapters of the gospel. The call to care for the poor, the warnings to the rich to be careful not to be corrupted by their wealth, exhortations to hold wealth lightly and put God and God’s kingdom first in one’s life priorities are all themes that Jesus hammers home again and again.
It is probably no accident that all major world religious traditions sound this same theme. The call to care for the poor, for the rich to be generous with their wealth and to give it away to further the work of God and God’s people is a hallmark of every world religious tradition. One of the five pillars of Islam is “zakat”, the requirement that all Muslims must give away 2.5% of all their assets and wealth to charity every year as part of their obedience to God and their relationship with God. Jews are expected to give alms to the poor and Buddhists are called to detach from material possessions and give freely as part of living a compassionate life. From time immemorial, in places as diverse as the mountains of Tibet, the streets of Chicago or the deserts of Saudi Arabia, religious and spiritual gurus have identified money as something with potentially lethal destructive force in the human psyche and in the conduct of human community. Of course, despite the persistence with which religious leaders and spiritual giants have preached about the dangers of wealth, our human societies have marched on pursuing wealth and material comforts as the key to “the good life” and the gap between rich and poor has always been and continues today to be enormous. That chasm about which Father Abraham spoke in today’s parable is as large today as at any time in history.
One problem in reading today’s parable for most of us middle class Americans, is that we probably don’t completely identify with either the rich man or with Lazarus. Fortunately for most of us in this room, we have never experienced the kind of grinding and degrading poverty that Lazarus experienced, although many of us have seen it in our cities. I couldn’t help but remember all those years that I emerged from the Path trains in midtown Manhattan to walk to my law job on Madison Avenue, clad in my business suit and sporting my briefcase, stepping over and around the homeless men sleeping in the station. The stark contrast between the wealth and power concentrated in those midtown office buildings and the abject poverty of the homeless people huddled over the subway vents right in front of them was horrendous.
Most of us don’t identify with the rich man either, because we who are comfortably middle class don’t feel “rich” in the way that this man is described. The parable gives us an image of a man dressed opulently in fine purple garments who feasts sumptuously every day. We don’t think of ourselves in that category, as we carefully budget our money and go without some things while we save for other things, or worry about having enough money to pay for a child’s education, or to fund our retirement or pay for prescriptions and uncovered medical costs. What is truly shocking is that despite our concept of ourselves as only moderately comfortable financially, virtually every one of us in this room is in the top 4-5% of wealthy people in the world. There is a website in which you can enter your annual income and the site will compare you to all the people in the world in terms of wealth. (www.globalrichlist.com) Believe it or not, on my clergy salary, I came out in the top .001% of rich people in the world. According to their statistics I am the 107,565th richest person in the world! Suddenly, the rich man in the parable became a whole lot more like me!
Between you and us a great chasm has been fixed …The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…
There is a great chasm between the haves and have-nots in our world, one that does seem almost unbridgeable. And the love of money, and the pursuit of money and material gain is a root of all kinds of evil and corruption. In recent years we’ve watched as giants of industry and banking have toppled as a result of their unbridled greed, saddling taxpayers with the burden of their bailouts as the government attempted to forestall economic devastation by pumping millions of dollars into those institutions when their executives had driven them to the brink of collapse. The song from the musical Cabaret really nails it – “Money makes the world go around…that clinking, clanging sound…Money makes the world go around. Money, money, money, money…” And money corrupts not only at the corporate, societal and international relations level, but even in the context of individual and family lives.
As a lawyer I had occasion to be involved in innumerable disputes in divorce cases and trusts and estates matters where families were fighting bitterly over money and wealth and distribution of assets. So often those emotionally charged family squabbles are inflamed and magnified as money becomes the driving force in what then devolves into bitter and protracted battles in which almost no one is ever happy with the outcome. In family conflicts, whether they be between parents and children, or spouses, or siblings money is so often used as a weapon by one upon the other, obscuring the emotional, psychological and spiritual importance of the human relationship and destroying it in many cases. The corrosive force of love of money on the human soul was no more graphically illustrated than when the stock market fell in 1929 and people who had lost all their money jumped out of windows on Wall Street to their death.
The old adage, “you can’t take it with you” is another way of saying what the author of the letter to Timothy reminds us today. “We brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it.” “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” Spiritual advice that is not unique to our Christian tradition, but universal in all religious writings. Contentment is not found in vast wealth but rather in enjoying the necessities of life and sharing what we have with those who have less. In all religious traditions you will notice that the monastic persons within those traditions renounce worldly wealth and live in communities where all receive the basic necessities of life but none are rich. Timothy has sound advice for those of us who are rich. “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future.”
As we enter the time of the year when our church, like all others, begins to prepare for our annual pledge campaign the lessons of Timothy and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus are important to keep in mind. While it is absolutely true that the church encourages tithing because it is only through the generosity of the members of the faith community that we can do the ministry to which we are called here, it is also true that the spiritual discipline of tithing, of giving back to God from the abundance God has first given us is the best way to guard against the corrosive and spiritually damaging potential of the great wealth that we all do enjoy. If we are incapable of being generous in our charitable giving then we run the risk of widening the chasm between God and us created by our reliance upon wealth for our sense of security and comfort. The chasm that is created by that misplaced trust is between us and God as much as between us and our fellow human beings. If we want to draw closer to God, we will give generously of the abundance we have been given so that the chasm so easily widened by increasing wealth will not separate us entirely from God.
I am reminded of the song “Bridge Over Troubled Water” when I think about that chasm to which Father Abraham refers in today’s parable. God is the one who will “lay me down like a bridge over troubled water” when life gets us down, when we need a friend, when we need sustenance. That chasm so easily created and widened when we rely upon our own resources and wealth for comfort and security can be bridged so easily by God and is bridged every time we are ready to let go of our wealth, to give some of it away for the furtherance of God’s kingdom. We are very accustomed to thinking about our own needs as we go about our earthly life and we are careful to use our money to meet those needs. The one need we can too easily forget is our need to give- our soul’s need to be generous and to give our resources away for the good of humanity so that our souls will draw closer to God rather than inch slowly but surely over the chasm to the place where God is not.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Blessing of the Animals -- St. Francis day
Dear Friends, September 27, 2010
Yesterday, Rev. Denise preached on the theme that money is the root of evil, and that its selfish use causes a great chasm between generosity and greed, from Jesus' parable of the Rich Man and the poor man Lazarus. But God is the bridge over troubled water for us - to give us direction for our souls and to point us toward the healthy discipline of tithing and the contentment found in sharing.
For those who want to serve God, every Sunday is Homecoming Sunday. Please make it a point this fall to be in church regularly; or if you are weighing whether to make God's community important in your life, try coming for several Sundays in a row...And next Sunday will feature the Annual Blessing of the Animals, which falls on the Sunday nearest to St. Francis Day. Please bring your pet [leashed or otherwise contained] or a picture of your pet to partake of the Blessing. Call a friend and ask her or him to bring a pet!
We give thanks for the wedding on Saturday, September 25, of Meredith Lennox and Steven Fries. Many were on hand in the church to add their blessings to the service of Holy Matrimony. We wish them love and health and great happiness!
Keep in your prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. Please pray that we may have a successful clergy search. Kindly also pray for the Wardens and their work in this time of search. To assist in your spiritual life, Forward Day by Day booklets are $.85 each in the back of the Church [Tower Room].
A congregation grows like a seed, starting in the heart of each faithful person. If we want to grow, we must love God, love our friends and then speak openly to them. God will help us share the Bread of Life.....We never know how ready a friend may be to hear a word of encouragement in faith. We never know when God will bring someone to speak to us, and enrich our own life.
We seek a new and strong clergy leader, and our strength in numbers at worship speaks volumes of our true intentions. Please see yourself in community with others and prepared to greet and share. All are needed, all are important!
Next year will be the 125th Anniversary of the founding and of the ministry of Ascension. In preparation, let us draw closer to God's Spirit in the Season of Pentecost - to remind us of the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit to counsel, energize and sustain us all.. We honor our long history, but it is our future that must command our attention and energy.
To prepare our beautiful church for the future, the Wardens and Vestry have plans to point the masonry of the Bell Tower. To help get this under way, the Ascension Piecemakers Quilt Group is offering chances on a gorgeous queen-size quilt - a chance for every donation to the Bell Tower Restoration Project. The quilt would be a handsome addition to any decor! Coupons are $2 or 3 for $5. All proceeds will go to the BTRP. You can see the quilt and get more details each Sunday at Coffee Hour..
LAST CALL!! Want to help a child stay warm this winter? The Salvation Army seeks volunteers for Sat, Oct 2, 7:30-9:30 AM to shop with a child at a JC Penney store, seeking a winter coat for the child, paid for by a Salvation Army Fund. If you can help, call Sherry Andrus, 987-9500 ext 2324 or Tracy Dalykas, 987-9540 ext 2231. As Christians, we are called to help clothe those in need. Please call ASAP.
The Ascension Women's Group
*is invited to the Sacred Heart Cathedral Community on Oct 5 at 6 PM for vespers and dinner, to discuss a tutoring program for the neighborhood - Mary's Place, and
* asks you to save time on Oct 7, for an Ascension lunch program on Osteoporosis/Women's Bone Health
All women and friends are always most welcome - call Jan Wills 621-3900 for details.
Thanks to our teams of Chefs and Planners, we have several dinners and other parties to look forward to. The first scheduled parish dinner with be the Roast Beef Dinner on November 6th. Please mark your diary!! The other Dinners will be as follows:
Sat. March 5th, 2011 SPAGHETTI
Sat. April 30th, 2011 CHICKEN & BISCUIT
Fri. June 3rd, 2011 LOBSTER
PLEASE MAKE NOTE!!!
Here is how to recycle all those spare calendars that come in the mail! - calendars are needed, and also Christmas cards, for our friends at Aaron Manor. Give them to Ellie Swarts or leave in Office. Thanks!
Coffee Hour is a wonderful opportunity to greet friends, old and new, and catch up on news. There are opportunities to host Coffee Hour in the weeks ahead. Won't you help this ministry? If not sure how to host the Coffee Hour, you may call Nancy Lennox at 663-5805 or Stu or Gene Denison at 663-0988. To sign up - see list in the back of the church or call 458-5423.
Please visit or call a friend who is not able to get out or whom you've been meaning to contact. There are many who would love a call and an invitation to church or an inquiry as to when you might pay a visit. With good weather, we can invite friends to accompany us to church - and take them out for brunch afterward!
Altar flowers are an outstanding ministry of beauty and love. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate altar flowers, please contact Laurie Phillips, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com There are openings on several Sundays upcoming.
Thursday Bible Study is in the Library at 9 AM. Please 'Come and See'. In this season, the lessons confirm what we are to do as disciples. There is food for thought and often refreshments to share. The study is of the Gospel Lesson for next Sunday, found below. If we wish to grow as Christians and share our love of God, we need to know the stories of the Bible. Here is a good way to begin.
The Rochester Interfaith Jail Ministry asks your ongoing help - by donating through United Way or directly by check to R I J M, 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613. This will bring books of healing and group sessions to those needing to start lives anew. Remember the Good Samaritan... Please answer this call. To volunteer, call 254-6790. The invitation to help is ongoing, so you are not late to the party! Someone recently made and ongoing United Way designation for R I J M. Many Thanks!
When we see new people on Sunday or at an event, let's introduce ourselves and make them welcome. An invitation to chat at Coffee Hour is a great ice-breaker. So is sitting with a new person and even inviting them to brunch after church. This is a part of God's work for each and every one of us.
Do you have a pocket card to hand to a friend who asks about Ascension? Cards are on the table in the back of the church. Please take a few, and be ready to share. We have pocket crosses in the table drawer to hand to those who answer the call to "Come and See"..
In the next day or two, Paul Schwartz will post this e-letter on our blogspot. http://ascensionroch.blogspot.com/
If you have a new or better email address for yourself, or know someone who might like to receive this weekly e-letter, please email me that information.
Blessings,
Dyson
D. Dyson Gay
585-317-4039
P.S. Next Sunday, we will sing "All Creatures of our God and King", words paraphrased from St. Francis. A video is at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSb1-9i-fDA
P.P.S. Please see below for this week's recipe - delicious Raspberry Hoisin Roast Pork Loin Don't forget to feed a friend, too!
If you have a recipe you would like to share, please send it in!
*******************************
The Gospel for next Sunday is:
. .
.
Yesterday, Rev. Denise preached on the theme that money is the root of evil, and that its selfish use causes a great chasm between generosity and greed, from Jesus' parable of the Rich Man and the poor man Lazarus. But God is the bridge over troubled water for us - to give us direction for our souls and to point us toward the healthy discipline of tithing and the contentment found in sharing.
For those who want to serve God, every Sunday is Homecoming Sunday. Please make it a point this fall to be in church regularly; or if you are weighing whether to make God's community important in your life, try coming for several Sundays in a row...And next Sunday will feature the Annual Blessing of the Animals, which falls on the Sunday nearest to St. Francis Day. Please bring your pet [leashed or otherwise contained] or a picture of your pet to partake of the Blessing. Call a friend and ask her or him to bring a pet!
We give thanks for the wedding on Saturday, September 25, of Meredith Lennox and Steven Fries. Many were on hand in the church to add their blessings to the service of Holy Matrimony. We wish them love and health and great happiness!
Keep in your prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. Please pray that we may have a successful clergy search. Kindly also pray for the Wardens and their work in this time of search. To assist in your spiritual life, Forward Day by Day booklets are $.85 each in the back of the Church [Tower Room].
A congregation grows like a seed, starting in the heart of each faithful person. If we want to grow, we must love God, love our friends and then speak openly to them. God will help us share the Bread of Life.....We never know how ready a friend may be to hear a word of encouragement in faith. We never know when God will bring someone to speak to us, and enrich our own life.
We seek a new and strong clergy leader, and our strength in numbers at worship speaks volumes of our true intentions. Please see yourself in community with others and prepared to greet and share. All are needed, all are important!
Next year will be the 125th Anniversary of the founding and of the ministry of Ascension. In preparation, let us draw closer to God's Spirit in the Season of Pentecost - to remind us of the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit to counsel, energize and sustain us all.. We honor our long history, but it is our future that must command our attention and energy.
To prepare our beautiful church for the future, the Wardens and Vestry have plans to point the masonry of the Bell Tower. To help get this under way, the Ascension Piecemakers Quilt Group is offering chances on a gorgeous queen-size quilt - a chance for every donation to the Bell Tower Restoration Project. The quilt would be a handsome addition to any decor! Coupons are $2 or 3 for $5. All proceeds will go to the BTRP. You can see the quilt and get more details each Sunday at Coffee Hour..
LAST CALL!! Want to help a child stay warm this winter? The Salvation Army seeks volunteers for Sat, Oct 2, 7:30-9:30 AM to shop with a child at a JC Penney store, seeking a winter coat for the child, paid for by a Salvation Army Fund. If you can help, call Sherry Andrus, 987-9500 ext 2324 or Tracy Dalykas, 987-9540 ext 2231. As Christians, we are called to help clothe those in need. Please call ASAP.
The Ascension Women's Group
*is invited to the Sacred Heart Cathedral Community on Oct 5 at 6 PM for vespers and dinner, to discuss a tutoring program for the neighborhood - Mary's Place, and
* asks you to save time on Oct 7, for an Ascension lunch program on Osteoporosis/Women's Bone Health
All women and friends are always most welcome - call Jan Wills 621-3900 for details.
Thanks to our teams of Chefs and Planners, we have several dinners and other parties to look forward to. The first scheduled parish dinner with be the Roast Beef Dinner on November 6th. Please mark your diary!! The other Dinners will be as follows:
Sat. March 5th, 2011 SPAGHETTI
Sat. April 30th, 2011 CHICKEN & BISCUIT
Fri. June 3rd, 2011 LOBSTER
PLEASE MAKE NOTE!!!
Here is how to recycle all those spare calendars that come in the mail! - calendars are needed, and also Christmas cards, for our friends at Aaron Manor. Give them to Ellie Swarts or leave in Office. Thanks!
Coffee Hour is a wonderful opportunity to greet friends, old and new, and catch up on news. There are opportunities to host Coffee Hour in the weeks ahead. Won't you help this ministry? If not sure how to host the Coffee Hour, you may call Nancy Lennox at 663-5805 or Stu or Gene Denison at 663-0988. To sign up - see list in the back of the church or call 458-5423.
Please visit or call a friend who is not able to get out or whom you've been meaning to contact. There are many who would love a call and an invitation to church or an inquiry as to when you might pay a visit. With good weather, we can invite friends to accompany us to church - and take them out for brunch afterward!
Altar flowers are an outstanding ministry of beauty and love. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate altar flowers, please contact Laurie Phillips, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com There are openings on several Sundays upcoming.
Thursday Bible Study is in the Library at 9 AM. Please 'Come and See'. In this season, the lessons confirm what we are to do as disciples. There is food for thought and often refreshments to share. The study is of the Gospel Lesson for next Sunday, found below. If we wish to grow as Christians and share our love of God, we need to know the stories of the Bible. Here is a good way to begin.
The Rochester Interfaith Jail Ministry asks your ongoing help - by donating through United Way or directly by check to R I J M, 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613. This will bring books of healing and group sessions to those needing to start lives anew. Remember the Good Samaritan... Please answer this call. To volunteer, call 254-6790. The invitation to help is ongoing, so you are not late to the party! Someone recently made and ongoing United Way designation for R I J M. Many Thanks!
When we see new people on Sunday or at an event, let's introduce ourselves and make them welcome. An invitation to chat at Coffee Hour is a great ice-breaker. So is sitting with a new person and even inviting them to brunch after church. This is a part of God's work for each and every one of us.
Do you have a pocket card to hand to a friend who asks about Ascension? Cards are on the table in the back of the church. Please take a few, and be ready to share. We have pocket crosses in the table drawer to hand to those who answer the call to "Come and See"..
In the next day or two, Paul Schwartz will post this e-letter on our blogspot. http://ascensionroch.blogspot.com/
If you have a new or better email address for yourself, or know someone who might like to receive this weekly e-letter, please email me that information.
Blessings,
Dyson
D. Dyson Gay
585-317-4039
P.S. Next Sunday, we will sing "All Creatures of our God and King", words paraphrased from St. Francis. A video is at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSb1-9i-fDA
P.P.S. Please see below for this week's recipe - delicious Raspberry Hoisin Roast Pork Loin Don't forget to feed a friend, too!
If you have a recipe you would like to share, please send it in!
*******************************
The Gospel for next Sunday is:
.
Matthew 11:25-30
Jesus Thanks His Father
25 At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank* you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.* 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
.
Raspberry Hoisin Roast Pork Loin
Serves 5
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt
pepper
1 pork loin, about 2.5 pounds, but this is flexible
1 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoon soy sauce, lite is fine
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves, and if there happen to be seeds, who will complain?
salt
pepper
1 pork loin, about 2.5 pounds, but this is flexible
1 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoon soy sauce, lite is fine
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves, and if there happen to be seeds, who will complain?
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large, oven proof saute pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season pork with salt and pepper. Sear pork loin over medium high heat on all sides until golden brown. Transfer pan with seared pork loin to the oven. [To save time, but lose some flavor, simply rub Gravy Master on all surfaces of roast with pepper and garlic powder, and omit the initial searing.]
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil and red onion. Saute, stirring occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce and raspberry preserves and stir until the glaze is combined. Turn off heat and leave sauce on burner.
Roast pork loin in oven until the thickest part of the roast registers 135 degrees on a thermometer, about 45 to 60 minutes. About 10 minutes before the pork is done (it will register about 110 degrees on a digital thermometer), brush with the pork with some of the glaze. You will have extra glaze to serve with the pork.
Remove roast from oven and place on a cutting board and tent with foil for about 10 minutes. Slice the pork loin thinly, about 1/4", and serve with the extra glaze. Rewarm the glaze if it gets too thick.
Baked potatoes, sweet or white, or roasted veggies go well and can be roasted alongside the pork.
.Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Ascension Update
Yesterday, Rev. Denise preached on the ways we are to manage our resources without becoming possessed by them, all the while helping those whom Jesus favored, the poor and the oppressed. We are called to invest in what is eternal. That also means our time and associations, working in community with others.
For those who want to serve God, every Sunday is Homecoming Sunday. Please make it a point this fall to be in church regularly; or if you are weighing whether to make God's community important in your life, try coming for several Sundays in a row...
This past Saturday, September 18, was a big day for the church neighborhood, when Ascension was home base for the Annual Maplewood Home Tour. It was a great success. Thanks to Don Taylor for organizing our part, to the volunteers who assisted, and to John Allegar and Ryan Enright for playing our EM Skinner organ for visitors.
Keep in your prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. Please pray that we may have a successful clergy search. Kindly also pray for the Wardens and their work in this time of search. To assist in your spiritual life, Forward Day by Day booklets are $.85 each in the back of the Church [Tower Room].
A congregation grows like a seed, starting in the heart of each faithful person. If we want to grow, we must love God, love our friends and then speak openly to them. God will help us share the Bread of Life.....We never know how ready a friend may be to hear a word of encouragement in faith. We never know when God will bring someone to speak to us, and enrich our own life.
We seek a new and strong clergy leader, and our strength in numbers at worship speaks volumes of our true intentions. Please see yourself in community with others and prepared to greet and share. All are needed, all are important!
Next year will be the 125th Anniversary of the founding and of the ministry of Ascension. In preparation, let us draw closer to God's Spirit in the Season of Pentecost - to remind us of the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit to counsel, energize and sustain us all.. We honor our long history, but it is our future that must command our attention and energy.
To prepare our beautiful church for the future, the Wardens and Vestry have plans to point the masonry of the Bell Tower. To help get this under way, the Ascension Piecemakers Quilt Group is offering chances on a gorgeous queen-size quilt - a chance for every donation to the Bell Tower Restoration Project. The quilt would be a handsome addition to any decor! All proceeds will go to the BTRP. You can see the quilt and get more details each Sunday at Coffee Hour..
Want to help a child stay warm this winter? The Salvation Army seeks volunteers for Sat, Oct 2, 7:30-9:30 AM to shop with a child at a JC Penney store, seeking a winter coat for the child, paid for by a Salvation Army Fund. If you can help, call Sherry Andrus, 987-9500 ext 2324 or Tracy Dalykas, 987-9540 ext 2231. As Christians, we are called to help clothe those in need. Please call ASAP.
The Ascension Women's Group
*is invited to the Sacred Heart Cathedral Community on Oct 5 at 6 PM for vespers and dinner, to discuss a tutoring program for the neighborhood - Mary's Place, and
*On Oct 7, asks you to save time for an Ascension lunch program on Women's Bone Health
All women and friends are always most welcome - call Jan Wills 621-3900 for details.
Thanks to our teams of Chefs and Planners, we have several dinners and other parties to look forward to. The first scheduled parish dinner with be the Roast Beef Dinner on November 6th. Please mark your diary!!
Here is how to recycle all those calendars! - calendars are needed, and also Christmas cards, for our friends at Aaron Manor. Give them to Ellie Swarts or leave in Office. Thanks!
Coffee Hour is a wonderful opportunity to greet friends, old and new, and catch up on news. There are opportunities to host Coffee Hour in the weeks ahead. Won't you help this ministry? If not sure how to host the Coffee Hour, you may call Nancy Lennox at 663-5805 or Stu or Gene Denison at 663-0988. To sign up - see list in the back of the church or call 458-5423.
Please visit or call a friend who is not able to get out or whom you've been meaning to contact. There are many who would love a call and an invitation to church or an inquiry as to when you might pay a visit. With good weather, we can invite friends to accompany us to church - and take them out for brunch afterward!
Altar flowers are an outstanding ministry of beauty and love. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate altar flowers, please contact Laurie Phillips, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com There are openings on several Sundays upcoming.
Thursday Bible Study is in the Library at 9 AM. Please 'Come and See'. In this season, the lessons confirm what we are to do as disciples. There is food for thought and often refreshments to share. The study is of the Gospel Lesson for next Sunday, found below. If we wish to grow as Christians and share our love of God, we need to know the stories of the Bible. Here is a good way to begin.
The Rochester Interfaith Jail Ministry asks your ongoing help - by donating through United Way or directly by check to R I J M, 2 Riverside St., Rochester, NY 14613. This will bring books of healing and group sessions to those needing to start lives anew. Remember the Good Samaritan... Please answer this call. To volunteer, call 254-6790. The invitation to help is ongoing, so you are not late to the party! Someone recently made and ongoing United Way designation for R I J M. Many Thanks!
When we see new people on Sunday or at an event, let's introduce ourselves and make them welcome. An invitation to chat at Coffee Hour is a great ice-breaker. So is sitting with a new person and even inviting them to brunch after church. This is a part of God's work for each and every one of us.
Do you have a pocket card to hand to a friend who asks about Ascension? Cards are on the table in the back of the church. Please take a few, and be ready to share. We have pocket crosses in the table drawer to hand to those who answer the call to "Come and See"..
In the next day or two, Paul Schwartz will post this e-letter on our blogspot. http://ascensionroch.blogspot.com/
If you have a new or better email address for yourself, or know someone who might like to receive this weekly e-letter, please email me that information.
Blessings,
Dyson
D. Dyson Gay
585-317-4039
P.S. Next Sunday, we will sing "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise". Here is a music video from the City of York, England, with views of memorable local landmarks that accompany the singing:
P.P.S. Please see below for this week's recipe - delicious and healthy Baked Eggplant, ready to be topped with your favorite sauce [or try the 5-Minute Sauce below]! Don't forget to feed a friend, too!
If you have a recipe you would like to share, please send it in!
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The Gospel for next Sunday is:
Luke 16:19-31
16:19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
16:20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
16:21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.
16:22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
16:23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
16:24 He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.'
16:25 But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.
16:26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.'
16:27 He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house--
16:28 for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.'
16:29 Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.'
16:30 He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
16:31 He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
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