Church of the Ascension

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Parish Calendar for Lent and Easter

Last Lent, we found ourselves in lockdown for the first time and found ourselves fasting from things we never intended to give up – the Eucharist, dinner parties, handshakes, airplanes. Lent ended but, to a large extent, the fasting did not and now here we are, back at Lent again. Even in a pandemic, time marches on.

Youth Film Series, February 21

Ash Wednesday, February 17 at 7pm

February 20, Finger Labyrinth Workshop and Guided Finger Labyrinth Prayer

Revive Lent Small Groups, Wednesdays, Feb. 24, March 3– 7, 24, and 3

Palm Sunday, March 22

Maundy Thursday, April 1

Good Friday, April 2

Easter Sunday – The Resurrection of the Lord, April 4

Revive Lent Group on Zoom

This six-session small group experience offers an opportunity to become grounded in foundational spiritual practices and focus on your own spiritual journey.

Revive Lent will meet Wednesdays, Feb. 24, March 3– 7, 24, and 31. Choose from two groups:

  • The evening group meets from 7–8:30pm

Registration
To join a group or ask questions, email Rhonda by Feb. 15. 

Download a Revive Brochure Download

Learn more about Revive Lent at revive.forwardmovement.org.

On Our Way Film Series for Youth

Conversations and Practices for Living a Whole Life

Join us to talk about topics such as friendship and intimacy, caring for creation, interfaith relations, work, and nonviolence. All high school students and recent graduates welcome!

This film series from workofthepeople.com is hosted on Zoom by Church of the Ascension. We meet monthly on the third Sunday at 2pm.

Email Rhonda to register or with questions.

Christmas 2020, Online

Blue Christmas – Tuesday, Dec 22nd, 7:30pm

The weirdness of the year has disrupted more than our pageant, making this a harder Christmas than many – and Christmas is already hard for a lot of people.

This quiet prayer service offers a chance to escape the Christmas cheer and lay our struggles, sorrows, and fears before God.

Join us on-site by registering here. Please read our on-site service precautions before coming.

A modified version of this service, suitable for personal use, will also be available as a recording on Dec 22nd. You will find it on our Youtube channel and Facebook page.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Unfortunately, our on-site Christmas Eve services have been cancelled in order to support the efforts to protect our community during the pandemic. Read details about that decision here.

Join us in Zoom church on Christmas Eve:

  • at 4pm for a short service of candle-lighting, blessing the nativity scenes, and Christmas Eve grace (great for kids!). This service will be recorded and elements shared online.
  • at 9pm for a Service of the Word with carols and candles (bring your own candles!). This service will be recorded and shared online.

And we’re back in Zoom church on Christmas Day at 9am for a kid-friendly service of Christmas stories, carols, and showing off our Christmas pyjamas! This service will not be recorded.

To follow along with the service, download worship booklets here.

Advent at Home

This December, we won’t have the usual round of parties, concerts, fundraisers, and feasts but we can still mark Advent as a time of holy, hopeful anticipation. Here are some suggestions.

Fill your home with Advent music. This Spotify playlist comes from Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary and includes music from a variety of genres. It is one of many available.

Light Advent Candles. Whether you have the Ascension Advent Kit candles, your own well-loved wreath, or simply an assortment of candles, mark the passing of Advent with candlelight and prayer. You might want to use this set of prayers and prompts which go along with our Defiant Hope theme for 2020.

Train Your Eye with Advent Word. Download this image or sign up to receive a daily email prompt. Then, each day, look for an image that reflects that day’s word. Take a picture and post it to your social media with #adventword #[word of the day] #ascensionottawa.

Take some time to encounter Jesus in the Gospel according to Mark with this self-directed Advent Quiet Time.

Spend a little extra time in prayer. The Daily Prayer services have been updated for Advent or you may like to try this video examen from Work of the People.