O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Resurrection! Descants! Unmoistened feet*! In this podcast, we’re sharing the preludial anthems, hymns, and featured anthem — Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus — recorded by Dr. Dennis Keene and the Ascension Choir, featuring the Manton Memorial Organ, for the Church of the Ascension’s Easter worship services on April 3 (Great Vigil) and April 4 (Easter Day), 2021, which took place online via Zoom.
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord is risen indeed! Allelulia!
Happy Easter! Our service again this year takes place via Zoom. Preludial choral music begins at 10:45 a.m.; the service itself begins at 11 a.m. Please join us as we celebrate the resurrection, rebirth and renewal of Easter, spring, and an increasingly vaccinated city!
Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
This podcast episode features the hymns and anthem recorded by Dr. Dennis Keene and the Ascension Choir, featuring the Manton Memorial Organ, for the Church of the Ascension’s worship service on Good Friday, April 2, 2021, which took place online via Zoom.
The Great Vigil — Easter’s equivalent of Christmas’s Eve — was the ancient gathering of believers in the hours of darkness to hear scripture and offer prayer. Initially a night-long service ending at dawn, this practice of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light. Easter was the primary baptismal baptismal occasion for the early church, and still today, whether we celebrate a baptism during the Vigil or not, we reaffirm our own baptismal vows after hearing the record of God’s saving deeds in history. In this way, we further link the meanings of Christ’s dying and rising to our understanding of our own baptisms.
To commemorate Good Friday, please join us online, via Zoom, at noon. The rector writes: “We invite you to bring a cross with you to the service. This may be a cross that you already use for prayer, or one that you make, paint or draw for this day. This past year has been so full of extraordinary occasions that show us the cross: agonized suffering, cruel injustice, helpless vigils, unspeakable courage, self-giving sacrifice. As we contemplate all that we have lived through in the shadow of Jesus’ Passion, may the crosses we bring remind us of the depth of God’s love for us and for the whole world.”
This podcast episode features the hymns and anthem recorded by Dr. Dennis Keene and the Ascension Choir, featuring the Manton Memorial Organ, for the Church of the Ascension’s worship service on Maundy Thursday, April 1, 2021, which took place online via Zoom.
At 7 p.m. on Maundy Thursday, we will gather online via Zoom to remember Jesus’ last night before his crucifixion. The rector invites us, in our own homes and in our own ways, to then spend part of our evening following the service keeping watch with Christ. “Light a candle, read a psalm, perhaps open your journal. Sit in quiet. Ask Jesus to be present to you and bring all your griefs, struggles and hopes for yourself and the world into that space.”
And please join us for the rest of the week for our Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Great Vigil and Easter services, as well. See the complete schedule here.