Holy Week is the most sacred period of our Christian faith. This is when the foundational story of Christianity – Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection – is remembered and retold, both in words and in ritual actions, at services throughout the week. We gather together as a community of faith to journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, to stand with him before his accusers, to walk to Golgotha, and to stand at the foot of his cross. Finally, on Easter Sunday, we will joyously cele

“I Can Do Something” This is the call I hear you echo in my soul each time.   When Father Manny quoted the Edward Everett Hale poem below, it brought to mind my experience as a volunteer translator with Somos Amigo s Medical Missions s Medical Missions.  And that “something” makes such a difference in the lives of those we serve, whether it’s the 96-year-old gentleman who comes every year for his checkup and medications, or the Haitian mother bringing her infant for the very

The holiest of weeks begins with Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday. Here, the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is recalled, and yet, the liturgy quickly shifts to the events of the week that lead Jesus to his arrest, trial, and death on the cross. The congregation gathers in Old Brick, processes to New Brick with blessed palm leaves, and joins in the reading of the Gospel narrative in parts. The liturgy ends in quietness, a stark contrast to the joy of the proce

On weekdays during the season of Lent, we post daily meditations on our website, and on Saturdays we include a piece of music, as well. These songs are submitted by parish family members and friends of Christ Church, and meant to uplift, comfort, and inspire. We hope that you enjoy. I believe in the Son I believe in the risen One I believe I overcome By the power of His blood Amen, amen I'm alive, I'm alive Because He lives Amen, amen Let my song join the One that never ends

The ashes On my face Are only Show Unless they Rest Thoughtfully On my Heart As well, Reminding me That God Uses Both For Creation.   ~ Pamela Pruitt     Jan. 12, 2024

The world now is too dangerous and too beautiful for anything but love. May your eyes be so blessed you see God in everyone. Your ears, so you hear the cry of the poor. May your hands be so blessed that everything you touch is a sacrament. Your lips, so you speak nothing but the truth with love. May your feet be so blessed you run to those who need you. And may your heart be so opened, so set on fire, that your love, your love, changes everything.

God of love and compassion, may we always recognize your spirit: · in the refugee family, seeking safety from violence; · in the migrant worker, bringing food to our tables; · in the asylum-seekers, seeking justice for their families; · in the unaccompanied child, traveling in a dangerous world.   Give us hearts that break open whenever our brothers and sisters turn to us. Give us hearts that no longer turn deaf to their voices in times of need; Give us eyes to recognize a mo

At that very moment, perhaps a voice, perhaps an image, opened my heart. I ask myself what that is; it turns out that God has been quietly living in my heart. Since the pandemic, the world has been transformed, communication no longer primarily face-to-face interactions. The internet is now used more to connect people’s lives, including church activities, so I started joining the Christ Church’s online Morning Prayer services. For over four years, weekly morning prayers in bo

There is an old Cherokee parable used to teach their children about good an evil.  The parables states that each person is born with two wolves in consuming turmoil fighting to be in control inside each of us.  The lesson concludes that the wolf which we feed more, the one we love more, will be the wolf which directs our lives.  The parallel of this legend aligns to the consequence of Adam eating the forbidden apple, thrusting humanity on a road requiring us to know good and

Given that today's Meditation is a night prayer, we are posting it a little later in the day. Enjoy.   Lord, it is night.   The night is for stillness. Let us be still in the presence of God.   It is night after a long day. What has been done has been done; what has not been done has not been done; let it be.   The night is dark. Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives rest in you.   The night is quiet. Let the quietness of your peace enfold us, all de

God did not wait till the world was ready, till…nations were at peace. God came when the Heavens were unsteady, and prisoners cried out for release. God did not wait for the perfect time. God came when the need was deep and great. God dined with sinners in all their grime, turned water into wine. God did not wait till hearts were pure. In joy God came to a tarnished world of sin and doubt. To a world like ours, of anguished shame God came, and God’s Light would not go out.

It was more than the right place, right time. What transpired on a recent Sunday afternoon was my proof that both new and old relationships can intertwine in meaningful ways when love is the motivation. By love, I mean agape, the love of Christians for other persons, modeled on the love of God for humankind. With that definition in mind, I set out for a midday gathering in Laurel. My goal was to hear the remarks of Maryland Senator Cory McCray, author of The Apprenticeship th

Who Are Your Enemies? How Do You Love Them? By Rachel Held Evans   When I was in fourth grade, I had a nemesis. Let’s call her Samantha. Samantha was popular, pretty, rich, and bossy. Her golden locks were always pulled into a bouncy ponytail on the side of her head and topped with an elaborate bow. She wore name-brand clothes, used name-brand school supplies, and came from a name-brand family. As the teacher’s pet, Samantha would put in a good word for the classmates she lik

There seems to be a symbiotic relationship between having healthy self-esteem and having faith. If you have faith, you believe that good things will happen to you or that if bad things happen, it's not the end of the world. This is also enhanced by healthy self-esteem. If you believe that good things will happen and bad things are not the end of the world, you have the faith to wait on what God has in store for you, whereas healthy self-esteem helps to decrease impulses to go

I ended the Christ Church worship on Sunday, January 18, on a day dedicated to honoring Martin Luther King, in tears as the congregation rang out with the chorus of We Shall Overcome: “We shall live in peace” “We are not afraid” “Deep in my heart, I do believe” I cried because of the state of the world. I cried because of the hatred and polarization in our cities, our nation, and our world. I cried because I am afraid, because we are not living in peace, and because we have n

Courtesy of Christ Church's resident poet, Pamela Pruitt. Thank you, Pam!

On weekdays during the season of Lent, we post daily meditations on our website, and on Saturdays we include a piece of music, as well. These songs are submitted by parish family members and friends of Christ Church, and meant to uplift, comfort, and inspire. We hope that you enjoy.   God is great, give Him all the praise Hallelujah, Name above all names Fire in His eyes, healing in His veins Everywhere, His glory on display Take a look at those stars, He can name ′em all Bef

You listen, as the forest listens to the wind, as the ocean hears the river. You listen to someone, not just their speaking but their being. Your listening is a door, through which they enter you. The more fully, openly, spaciously you listen, the more of them comes in, what they're saying and not saying, and can't say, what they may not even know until they hear it being heard. The door that is your listening becomes the whole space, a house, a temple. It holds the world. In

Gather with us tonight, as we welcome those of every faith into our sanctuary, joined together by a shared heartache - and a shared hope. LIFT US UP: A PRAYER VIGIL FOR NON-VIOLENCE AT A TIME OF CRISIS was borne from a need to heal, to understand, and to act. Lifting our collective voices in speech and song, we unite not as strangers, but as neighbors united in our rejection of violence and a deep desire for healing in our community and our world. Tell your friends, family, a

Almighty God, you have given us this good land as our heritage. Make us always remember your generosity and constantly do your will. Bless our land with honest industry, sound learning, and an honorable way of life. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Make us who come from many nations with many different languages a united people. Defend our liberties and give those whom we have entrusted with the authority of gov