This week, the rector writes about the upcoming election, the sharp divisions in our country, and the attendant anxiety many are feeling — and what, together, we might do to help mitigate that anxiety leading up to Election Day, including many of the activities and get-togethers described in this week’s newsletter. (And the church will be open for prayer and quiet reflection from 9 am – 6 pm on Election Day.)

From the rector: “This Sunday we offer the Blessing of the Animals, prayers of thanksgiving and care for our animal companions in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, who was a great friend of all living creatures. It is without a doubt one of the happiest events at church every year. It attracts neighbors. People I don’t know ask me when we are doing it and if they can bring their pets. ‘Of course!’ I always say.” Join us at the 11 am service and following for the Blessing of the Animals. We always look forward to seeing all the animals and their people on this Sunday!

The rector writes: “In this Sunday’s reading from the end of [his] letter, James calls us to pray. This is the bedrock and the lifeblood of the community of faith. Whether we are suffering or cheerful, we are to offer prayer and praise. When we are sick or struggling, we are to ask for the prayer support of the community. Prayer is linked with honest conversation and sharing each other’s burdens- the vulnerability of confessing our sins to each other, forgiving and praying for each other’s healing and wholeness.” At the Sunday Forum following the 11 am service as part of our “Season of Creation,” Mark Larrimore, Professor of Religious Studies at the New School, will lead us in a discussion of trees and the unique, sacred relationships we share with them.

This Sunday, we welcome Allegra Lovejoy as our preacher and Sunday Forum leader following the service. Allegra is a staff member at the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and has been involved with faith-based climate activism since 2014. She is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and Yale School of the Environment, where she studied the intersection of faith, culture, and environment. And she’s an alumna of our Sunday School, so this will also be a homecoming celebration!

The rector writes: “This week is Welcome Back Sunday, the beginning of our program year. The choir returns, we enjoy a specially festive coffee hour and many parishioners who have been away during the summer make their way back to Ascension.” Join us!