December 27, 2010

WELCOME ALL VISITORS AND SEEKERS OF GOD.

ALL BAPTIZED CHRISTIANS ARE INVITED TO RECEIVE THE HOLY COMMUNION.

LORD, LET US PRAY AND WORK TO HEAR YOUR WORD, CHANGE OUR HEARTS
AND GO FORTH TO DO YOUR WILL, EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Dear Friends, December 27, 2010

Yesterday, Rev. Denise preached on "The Light of Life", Please visit this weekly feature to reflect on her words.

At the Christmas Eve service and on Sunday at 10 AM, we enjoyed seeing many friends of Ascension from near and far. Special thanks to John Allegar, Organist/Choir Director and to the Choir for the festive music on Christmas Eve, with particular bouquets to Jan Wills for her lovely solo singing. When next you see Mary Vasquez, our Administrative Assistant, please thank her for all the extra work she undertook for the busy holiday season!

Next Sunday we will welcome Fr Phil Schaefer as our guest preacher and celebrant.

As we ring in the New Year, enjoying these 12 Days of Christmas, please set aside time for renewing your commitment to God and to his community of Ascension, by being present in heart and mind and person. The gift of Christmas is that we get to begin all over again. What was old is made new, including ourselves. How many times have we said "If only l had another chance..." Here it is. There are opportunities for prayer, worship, service and sharing. When you attend church, you are saying -"Lord, you may count on me to help". This is what God and the Christ Child ask of us; to take the journey of faith, renewed and refreshed by the coming of Christ and the turning of the New Year.

Please keep in your daily prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. Kindly also pray for the Search Committee and their work in this time of search. To assist in our spiritual life, Forward Day by Day booklets are $.85 each in the back of the Church [Tower Room].

If we want to grow and share God's prosperity of faith, we must love God, love our friends and then speak openly to them. A congregation grows starting with each faithful person. God will help us share the Bread of Life.....God will help us live into our Baptismal Covenant of sharing His word and our lives and resources [which is the true Meaning 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.

The Ascension Women's Group will convene for its annual luncheon at the Olive Garden Restaurant on Thursday, Jan 6, 2011. Please call Jan Wills by Jan 3 with your reservations.

The Annual Meeting of the parish will be held on Sunday, January 16 during and after the 10 AM service. Kindly mark your calendar to be present. A strong Vestry will guide us into the important times ahead.

Next year will be the 125th Anniversary of the founding and of the ministry of Ascension. In preparation, let us draw closer to God - and partake 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.

DON'T FORGET - The Ascension Piecemakers Quilt Group is offering a stunning queen-size quilt. This quilt would be a handsome addition to any decor! Coupons are $2 or 3 for $5. All proceeds will go to the Bell Tower Restoration Project. You can see the quilt and get more details each Sunday at Coffee Hour.

TIME TO MARK CALENDARS! There are memorable dinners upcoming.

Saturday. March 5th, 2011 SPAGHETTI DINNER
Saturday. April 30th, 2011 CHICKEN & BISCUIT DINNER
Friday. June 3rd, 2011 LOBSTER DINNER

PLEASE MAKE NOTE!!!

Coffee Hour after the 10 AM Sunday service 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, 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. Thanks!

Please phone or visit 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. We can invite friends to accompany us to church - and take them out for brunch afterward!

To beautify our worship, in upcoming weeks there are opportunities for altar flowers. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate, please contact Laurie Phillips, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com

If we wish to learn the true Meaning of Life, grow as Christians and share our love of God, we need to know the stories of the Bible. Thursday Bible Study is in the Library at 9 AM. Please 'Come and See'. In this season, the lessons prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child. There is food for thought and often refreshments to share. The study is of the Gospel Lesson for next Sunday, found below. No Bible Thumping, just good conversation!!

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!

There is God's work for each of us 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 guiding her/him in the materials, if this is their first time with 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"..

As I shall be away in Sarasota, FL until early April, Jan Wills has generously agreed to write and send this weekly e-letter 'til then.. Thanks, Jan!!

For a look at the FL parish where I attend and sing, see:
http://www.bonifacechurch.org/

If you have a new or better email address for yourself, or know someone who might like to receive this weekly e-letter, please send in that information.

Blessings, love and best wishes for a fine 2011,

Dyson
D. Dyson Gay
585-317-4039

P.S. Here is a video of Once in Royal David's City, which we will sing on January 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RC34N1TfCQ

P.P.S. Please see below for this week's recipe - Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo - to warm body and soul on a chilly day. Why not try this and invite some friends to share! Always looking for your favorite recipes to share here!
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The Gospel selected for next Sunday is: Matthew 2: 13-23

2:13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."

2:14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,

2:15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

2:16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

2:17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:

2:18 "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."

2:19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,

2:20 "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."

2:21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.

2:23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."

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And, now, from the internet...

Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

for more detail, see allrecipes.com

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
55 Min

Ready In:
1 Hr 10 Min

8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup brown rice
• 4 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas with liquid
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• option - add 4 - 8+ ounces of chopped, smoked ham or flavorsome cooked sausage of your choice

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onion, pepper, and celery until tender. Pour in the chicken broth, and mix in rice, black-eyed peas with liquid, diced tomatoes and green chiles, diced tomatoes, and garlic. Add meat if desired. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add water if soup is too thick.
2. Serve with a salad and some corn bread for a complete meal.

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HAVE A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED WEEK!