WELCOME TO
Church of the Ascension
2 Riverside St.
Rochester, NY 14613
585-458-5423; fax 585-458-7226
"I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live."
WE WELCOME ALL VISITORS AND SEEKERS OF GOD
All baptized Christians are invited to receive 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, April 4, 2011
During the 10 AM service yesterday, Rev. Canon Dr. Denise Yarbrough's sermon followed the Gospel lesson of Jesus healing the blind man. She pointed out the idea that the sin that is referred to in the lesson is not identifying and being in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This Lenten season is truely a time when we are challenged to explore our own call to be in relation to God. Please refer to this site to review sermons weekly: http://ascensionroch.blogspot.com/
Please keep in your daily prayers all those in need of healing, and those who serve in our military forces. 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.
FIX-UP DAY: Don Taylor announced that 21 people participated in the fix-up day on Saturday. He also announced that there will be another fix-up day when the weather improves. Thank you to all who attended and helped to improve the condition of the facilities.
WOMEN'S GROUP: For our May meeting on May 5th at noon, we will have a presentation by the Wende Clinic on Women's Breast Health. This is the second presentation we have had in their series on Women's Health. For this interesting program, we have invited the women of the Cathedral Community to join us. I encourage everyone to bring a friend or relative to join us for this event. We will provide a salad and dessert luncheon before the presentation. Those willing to contribute a salad or dessert should let Jan Wills know.
LENTEN BOOK STUDY: PLEASE TAKE NOTE: There will be no book study this week. The next meeting will be next Wed, April 13th. The Lenten Book Study is using "The Last Week" by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan. This book is a day-by-day account of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem. Anyone interested in exploring the message in this book are encouraged to attend the sessions for an inspiring discussion of the last week of Jesus’ life before his ultimate sacrifice.
CHICKEN AND BISCUIT DINNER: Our next Church dinner will take place on Saturday, April 30th. The menu for the Chicken and Biscuit Dinner consists of: Chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, vegetable, salad, cranberry sauce and homemade desserts. The cost is $9.00 for adults, $4.00 for children aged 6 to 12 and under 6 will eat free. Patty could always use additional help on clean-up. If you would like to volunteer, please let Patty know (phone: 315-986-5726 or cell: 585-615-6790). Also, if you are willing to make a homemade dessert, please notify Patty Frasca or Joan Swan.
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES: Many of us keep calendars that are filled weeks in advance. So we can all be sure to attend the wonderful and important services that are scheduled for Holy Week, I am previewing the schedule. Holy Week will begin with the celebration of Palm Sunday at 8 and 10 o'clock services on April 17th. On Thursday, April 21st, the Maunday Thursday service will be held at 7 PM. Besides the serving of the Eucharist at this service we will participate in the traditional "Washing of the feet". Following the service we will observe the vigil that will continue all night and up to the Good Friday service at noon on Friday, April 22nd. There will be a sign-up sheet for those wishing to keep silent vigil for a period of an hour at any time between these two services. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend some silent time in reflection, prayer and study and to reflect on the sacrifice that this Holy time represents. Security will be provided in the Church throughout the night. There will be a Stations of the Cross event that will take place at 9 am. I believe the event will be in the 19th Ward this year. Our first Easter Celebration will take place on Saturday Evening at 7 PM. This is the first time in a very long time that we have celebrated this most holy service at Ascension. We will celebrate with all of the traditions of this blessed service: fire, bells, music and celebration. The choir will be participating in this service. There will follow the traditional Easter Celebrations on Sunday, April 24th at 8 and 10 AM. All of these are Holy Days of Obligation traditionally in the Episcopal Church. As we prepare to, hopefully, welcome a new priest in the near future, we should all try to dedicate ourselves to this most Holy Week of the Christian year to prepare ourselves for our own personal ministry.
DIOCESAN SUBSCRIPTION UPDATES: A reminder: If you have not completed the individual and family information updates for the diocese, please go on the Diocese web site and update your information or get a form from Mary in the office to complete.
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. 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. We will soon be asked to sign up for Easter Lilies to be placed on the altar in memory of our loved ones. When the fliers are put in the bulletin, please turn them in as soon as possible so Laurie can order the proper amount and can submit the list of memorials to be indicated. As you fill out the sheets, please print so Laurie can use proper spellings in the bulletin at Easter. 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
EASTER LILIES: It is again time to consider providing Easter Lilies for the altar in memory of our loved ones who have passed. A reservation form was placed in the Messenger for this month and will also be appearing in the bulletins. Try to complete these forms early and submit to Laurie Phillips with the appropriate payment. You may list up to six names per lily and the cost per lily is $13.00.
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'. As we progress through the Lenten season, this is a time for careful reflection on Jesus’ teachings and how we are reflecting our faith. It is a time for repentance and planning for future devotion. There is no better way to undertake self-reflection than to base that reflection on God’s Word. 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! We recently began doing visits to the young men ages 16-19 in the Downtown Jail. 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"..
MUSIC: The anthem for next Sunday is "He Watching Over Israel" by Mendelssohn. To hear a presentation of this lovely piece from the oratorio, "Elijah" go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC4Akc-xcQM
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.
Dyson has returned to the northern area and will resume as editor of this Ascension Happenings. Thank you all for your comments and support while I have kept this communication link going during the winter. Have a Blessed Easter !
Blessings,
Jan Wills
585-621-3900
***************
John 11:1-45
11:1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
11:2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill.
11:3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
11:4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
11:5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,
11:6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
11:7 Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
11:8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?"
11:9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world.
11:10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them."
11:11 After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him."
11:12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right."
11:13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep.
11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.
11:15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
11:16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
11:17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.
11:18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away,
11:19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
11:20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home.
11:21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
11:22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him."
11:23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
11:24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,
11:26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
11:27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
11:28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."
11:29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him.
11:30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.
11:31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
11:32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.
11:34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."
11:35 Jesus began to weep.
11:36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
11:37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
11:38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
11:39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days."
11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
11:41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me.
11:42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me."
11:43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
11:44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
11:45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
RECIPE: Since this is my last contribution, I have decided to include two recipes that could be used for an Easter dinner. First is an easy Seafood Bisque that makes a great first course. I also am putting in a traditional family recipe that was my great-aunt's contribution to all holiday dinners. She was famous for her English Fruit Salad. We never have a family holiday gathering without it.
EASY SEAFOOD BISQUE
2 cans cream of asparagus condensed soup
1 large or 2 regular cans of cream of mushroom condensed soup
1 can tomato condensed soup
1 soup can milk
1 qt. half and half
1 lb. flaked crab meat (I use the artificial crab)
24 oz. small shrimp (cooked)
1/2 cup cooking sherry, cooking marsala wine or white wine
generous dash of paprika
Place all soups in a large sauce pan or duth oven. Mix together until smooth. Slowly stir in the milk and half and half. Heat over medium heat just until it comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Turn heat down to med. and add seafood and wine. If not serving immediately, keep it warm on low, stirring often so it does not stick.
ENGLISH FRUIT SALAD
4 red grapefruit, pealed, and cut into bite-size pieces
6 navel oranges, pealed and cut into bite-size pieces
4 or 5 apples, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cans pineapple chunks, (drain one, add the juice from the other one)
small bunch of seedless red grapes (sliced in half)
small bunch of seedless green grapes (sliced in half)
1 jar marachino cherries (drained)
1 bag chopped walnuts
Mix all fruit and nuts together, cover with Saran and chill a couple of hours.
Just before serving add 3 bananas (sliced)
Whip 1 pt. heavy cream with 1/4 cup Confectioner's sugar and 2 tsps. vanilla (or use one large tub of Cool Whip) Add 2 Tablespoons Hellmann's Mayonaisse to the whipped cream. Fold the cream mixture into the fruit.
This salad can be used as a salad during the meal or as a dessert.
HAVE A WONDERFUL AND BLESSED WEEK!
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