by the Holy Spirit

Matthew 1:18 Mary is visited by the Holy Spirit

WE WELCOME ALL VISITORS AND SEEKERS OF GOD.
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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 13, 2010

Yesterday, Rev. Denise preached on Waiting in the Dark, to be found on this link: http://ascensionroch.blogspot.com/ ; Please visit this weekly feature to reflect on her words. And it is much more fulfilling to hear them in person!

As we prepare for Christmas, please be in church regularly, and invite a friend; or if you are weighing whether to make God's community important in your life, to try attending for several Sundays...You will find a warm greeting and become closer to God. Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24, there will be a Musical Concert at 8:30 PM, with the Festal Eucharist at 9:00 PM. Friends and family are most welcome. The church will be alight with candles and the sense of awe and expectation. Do be present...

Yesterday was the annual Deck-the-Halls-Bring-a-Dish Christmas Party. Hearty thanks to all who attended and to all who provided food and so many delights for eye and palate! Plus all who worked so hard to make it a success - Angel, Elaine Riess, Don Taylor, Debbie Copenhagen, Diane Santiago, Anne and Paul Schwartz, Len and Audrey Lyons, Ryan McDermott and many others. Nancy Lennox reports that every chair was filled and the food was wonderful. There were so many desserts that people couldn’t eat any more and they tried! There was an excellent choice of foods and something for everyone—even those who were watching their weight. Lots of veggies and salads. We had more donations to Gifts for Life—we have somewhere in the neighborhood of $600, plus the parish Mission Funds gift of $500.

It was a joyful day. Thanks to everyone!

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].

As we share our blessings and break bread together throughout Advent, we remember those in less developed countries who are in need. The program is GIFTS FOR LIFE, through Episcopal Relief and Development. Your offering will be complemented by a $500 gift from parish Mission Funds. Individual gifts have already totaled about $600, but there is no limit if we are generous. Make checks payable to Ascension, with "Gifts for Life" in the memo line. Here is a link to more information on this inspired program:
http://www.er-d.org/giftsforlife/

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.

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!!!

DON"T WAIT - FAMILIES IN OUR AREA OF THE CITY ARE DEPENDING ON US - as we plan our own holidays, let us remember those served by the MEEK food cupboard, by shopping ahead for our MEEK friends at Christmas - frozen turkeys, stuffing mixes, cranberry sauce, canned fruit, canned vegetables, jello, one-pound canned hams, cake mixes, coffee....Many of these items are on sale now and soon. Please stock up and share! MEEK distributes at least 75 food baskets at Christmas. If you can buy or store a frozen turkey, please call to advise - and receive details. Can you volunteer to help? Jan Wills - 621-3900 or Sally Green - 865-1125.

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

TIME TO ACT - Decorative Poinsettias for Christmas are a visible ministry of beauty and love. Will you take up this ministry to the glory of God and to our spirits? To donate, please contact Laurie Phillips now, 865-2802 or email LBP@rochester.rr.com After Advent and Christmas, there are openings for flowers on Sundays upcoming.

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"..

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, and hoping to see everyone next Sunday,

Dyson
D. Dyson Gay
585-317-4039

P.S. Here is a lovely video based on a hymn tune we will sing next Sunday: Savior of the Nations, Come

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqKpdIFX5LE

P.P.S. Please see below for this week's recipe - Amish Friendship Bread. Why not make two and share with a neighbor? There is great symbolism in this bread. The starter is the gift of life that keeps on giving. The bread is our work in the world of caring and sharing with others, and teaching them to do the same.
If you have a recipe you would like to share, please send it in!
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The Gospel for next Sunday is:
Matthew 1:18-25
1:18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

1:19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

1:20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

1:21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

1:22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

1:23 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."

1:24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,

1:25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.


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And, now, from the internet...

This is the Amish Friendship Bread that gets passed around from friend to friend. It

includes the recipe for the Amish Friendship Bread starter, and gives complete directions for how to make it once your starter is ready. When you pass the starter on to a friend, make sure they understand that they will need to follow the instructions beginning at day one then will use the Amish Friendship Bread Recipe (with the oil, eggs, vanilla, etc.) on Day 10.

Amish Friendship Bread is not just a delicious, it is also a way to bond friends by sharing countless loaves of bread baked in different kitchens that all began from the same bowl of simple ingredients. Choose a few friends and start this wonderful tradition, they will thank you for it!

Amish Friendship Bread Recipe

Day 1 - receive the starter (the recipe for the starter is below)

Day 2 - stir

Day 3 - stir

Day 4 - stir

Day 5 - Add 1 cup each flour, sugar and milk.

Day 6 - stir

Day 7 - stir

Day 8 - stir

Day 9 - stir

Day 10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for three of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and the following recipe for baking the bread.

After removing the 3 cups of batter, combine the remaining cup of Amish Friendship Bread starter with the following ingredients in a large bowl:

2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Using a fork beat by hand until well blended. You can add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (optional).

Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (individual oven temperatures vary). Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

This is the Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe that you'll need to make the Amish Friendship Bread (above). It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110°F)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.

2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.

3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions above for Amish Friendship Bread.