Pentecost VI 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Genesis 18:1-10a Psalm 15 Colossians 1:15-28 Luke 10:38-42 Sermon for Today: Seminarian Michael Looney from the Center for Spiritual Nourishment provides today's sermon, and you can view it in the livestream video below once the service starts. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

Sign Up for Toby’s Dinner Theater! The WOCC and guests will attend Jersey Boys at Toby’s Dinner Theater on Friday, September 5th, at 6:00 p.m.  Friends and families are all welcome to join in the fun, food, and music, but act now - the deadline to sign up and pay is Sunday, August 3rd. Sign up in the Narthex, or talk to any WOCC member. For payment, make checks payable to Christ Episcopal Church ( WOCC Toby’s in the memo line) or pay via Realm (select the WOCC fund and write Toby's in the memo line). We’ve got a discounted group rate of $79 for adults and $74 for children (5-12). See you there! And don't forget about our other upcoming events - we'll have our next WOCC meeting on Tuesday, September 2nd at 7:30 p.m. in the Great Hall and on Zoom (details coming later this summer), and we have the Community Flea Market and Craft Fair on Saturday, September 20th - our largest fundraiser of the year. Gather with us for both!

Grassroots Honors Volunteers as Christ Church Bestows a “Home Sweet Home” Kit on a Client Who Goes from Homeless to Housed A group from Christ Church was the center of attention at a recent event held by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center  honoring its many volunteers. As staff members of Grassroots’ Day Resource Center (DRC) and others applauded, parishioner Shahra Toth presented a “Home Sweet Home” kit of household essentials and an assortment of gift cards to a DRC client who – at long last – was moving into an apartment.   The single mother of two, including an adult son who has special needs, had been living in her car. The bright spot during this period of homelessness was the DRC in Jessup, where the family could visit the pantry, take a shower and do laundry, and – most importantly – enjoy the hot meals and camaraderie provided by staff and volunteers.   Outreach member Toth leads a Christ Church team that each month serves a hot midday meal at the DRC and provides dinner for Grassroots’ Emergency Shelter. She is vice president of the Women of Christ Church (WOCC), which sponsors “Home Sweet Home” to help give people a fresh start in their new homes. To read about the WOCC’s ongoing effort, go to the Outreach Blog of Sept. 19, 2024 . Thanks to all who pitched in!   The grateful DRC client expressed her thanks to Christ Church during the event for volunteers, held on June 13 at The Meeting House in Oakland Mills (see photos). Since then, the Toths and other parishioners also have extended a helping hand by obtaining a donated sofa, lamps, and other items to help furnish the family’s apartment. This is the second “Home Sweet Home” kit that WOCC has given to a DRC client; the first went to a 73-year-old man.   At Grassroots’ appreciation luncheon, Christ Church was represented by Shahra and George Toth, Diane Phillips LaGuerre, Rita Seeley and Patricia Fanning, who all participate in providing meals on the second Monday of every month. (To participate, go to the DRC online signup form  or the Grassroots online signup form .)   Grassroots posted its thanks to volunteers, saying, “Last year, our 822 volunteers gave 8,423 hours of service across the emergency shelter, crisis center, Day Resource Center and Cold Weather Shelter. That’s hundreds of thousands of moments of care and reminders that kindness exists in this world.” See photos and read more about the event in  “Volunteers Make Waves”  on the Grassroots website. Christ Church Welcomed SLYC on Sunday, Inviting Volunteers to Share Skills at Day Camp or Attend its Showcase in Linthicum on Thursday, July 31 Last Sunday, Christ Church welcomed Engagement Coordinator Darlene Clark of St. Luke’s Youth Center ( SLYC ), a collaborative of West Baltimore families who together provide youth with life-enriching experiences. During announcements and at a get-together between services, we learned more about the youth center and SLYC’s campaign to re-envision the historic St. Luke’s Clergy House with the help of a plan by Episcopal Housing Corp . To view Clark’s remarks during the 10:30 worship service, go to Pentecost V: July 13, 2025  on the Christ Church YouTube channel. The SLYC portion can be seen from 1:03:30 to 1:10:06 in the video. Each summer, SLYC holds Camp Imagination , a day camp being held at a cooperating parish in Linthicum, MD. Please consider volunteering, even on just one day, between now and Aug. 1. To learn more, view the Outreach Blog of June 26, 2025 . Parishioners are invited to St. John Lutheran (& Episcopal) Church , 300 Maple Ave., Linthicum, Md., to see youth perform in the camp showcase at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 31. For carpool information, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Lake Elkhorn Middle School Partnership Update This has been a year of growth for our partnership with Lake Elkhorn Middle School. For the first time, our parishioners have generously supported the monthly Kindness Pantry  by contributing food and household goods, as well as helping with the on-site delivery of items. With each subsequent month this year, the number of families visiting the Pantry has increased, making the need very real. We have also used your financial contributions to support the positive academic and socio-emotional growth of our students. School is now out for the summer, but it's time to start our annual fundraising campaign to support school supplies for the students at LEMS. Each year, we ask for the congregation's support in providing school supplies and backpacks for at least 125 children. We don’t have a line in the church's annual budget for this, so we rely on and deeply appreciate your direct support. Thank you. You can give to the LEMS campaign by writing a check to Christ Church with "LEMS" in the memo line, or you can give online at  https://onrealm.org/christchurchcolumbia/give/lems . Either way, your gifts are very much appreciated. Columbia Community Care Needs Diapers and Infant Care Items Columbia Community Care (CCC) collects and distributes essentials to families in need. It operates three distribution sites on Saturday mornings and has resumed making home deliveries to those without transportation. A shopper fulfills their grocery lists at the pantry, and then delivers goods to the recipients’ homes. To volunteer at the sites or as a translator or shopper, go to “ Volunteer Opportunities . ” Those who need help are urged to go to “Get Help” on CCC’s website.   Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents. FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket FISH  of Howard County is calling for volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents. Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

Pentecost V 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Isaiah 66:10-14 Psalm 66:1-8 Galatians 6:(1-6)7-16 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Sermon for Today: Father Manny provides today's sermon, and you can view it in the livestream video below once the service starts. You can also read his sermon's text here . Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

Come to Christ Church today for a day full of spiritual nourishment and incredible music! Join seekers of a deeper relationship with the Divine at the Center for Spiritual Nourishment. The CSN offers experiences that engage the mind, body, and spirit by offering safe spaces to explore many opportunities for spiritual growth for anyone interested in spiritual nourishment, regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual beliefs. This month, there are free group sessions for Spiritual Direction, Yoga, Contemplative Meditation, Community Bike Ride, and Self and Spirit: Holding onto Hope. We will also be showing the movie Bonhoeffer. The morning concludes with a Reflection Circle service. Learn more on our website: https://www.cecevents.org/CSN-July2025 Then this afternoon, Christ Church's most beloved and entertaining musical group returns! Stay cool in New Brick and enjoy Small Delusions as they perform a summertime set in the sanctuary. Arrive a little before 1:30 p.m. and bring a snack or beverage to share - and an appreciation of good music, singing along, and enjoying fellowship with the rest of the CEC family. Small Delusions performs many favorites from the last few decades, and this year, Jan, Shannon, and JB welcome a special guest – Meghan Pruitt will accompany the group for this excellent performance. So, come in from the hot summer sun, bring a snack or refreshment to share, and enjoy a few hours of spirited song. We'll have fun all afternoon!

For those of us who love drama or the theater, plays always have parts in them, and those parts follow a particular sequence. Every drama is meant to tell the whole story. A part of a drama is not enough to tell a full story; each part is essential to the whole, integral to the whole, and each part survives or falls with the whole. Every part lives on the others and is connected. In Godly Play , a Montessori-based approach to Christian formation for children, one of the questions for reflection is: 'Which part of the story can we take out and still have the same story?' The short answer is that we can't remove any part of the story and still have the same story. Every part of it relies on the other parts, and so you cannot necessarily remove one and still have the same story. A five-act play is divided up in this way: Act I - Expositions. This part introduces the main conflict, the setting and he characters involved. Act II - Rising Action. This is where we are introduced to complications and tensions begin to rise. Act III - Climax. This marks the turning point with emotional intensity Act IV - Falling Action. Events begin to resolve Act V - Denouement. The drama concludes with loose ends being tied up.   It is interesting to note that God’s dealings and/or relationship with us can be divided into a five-act play. Here is God’s 5-act play with us: Act I – Creation. Act II – The Fall. Act III – Calling of Israel. Act IV – The Messiah. Act V – The Mop Up.   Act I: Genesis narrates the imprint of God in creation, telling a unique story about the hand of God being active in creation. More profound is the idea that God created out of nothing, but he gave shape and meaning to a formless void - call it the Big Bang.   Come to think of it, as far as we know, there’s no other existence or life form anywhere else in the universe than on planet Earth. But the writer of Genesis didn’t know about that, nor did the writer know of any other place on Earth than the limited geographical experience of their world. But despite their limited experience, the writer may just have pondered over the beauty and magnificence of creation, the place of humans in creation, and the awesome responsibility that it places on humans - that we are co-creators with God.   The vastness, beauty, complexity, and rhythmic pattern of creation must have blown the mind of the writer of the creation story. And the honest truth is that this writer had only seen but a sliver of the entire creation. But it still was too much to contain, and too much to behold. At their core, they knew that creation didn’t just emerge; there was a prime mover, as St. Thomas Aquinas argued, and that prime mover is God. Based on what their eyes saw, the authors of the creation story ascribed creation to a benevolent God - for who else could have done this?    The wonder and amazement with which you look at creation is no different from that of the writer of the creation story. The only difference is that you have had the blessing of traveling and seeing more than they ever could.   I once saw an artist’s impression of Lower Manhattan during the discovery of the island by Henry Hudson. It was beautiful - you could almost feel and touch the plush vegetation, and sense the serenity of the area. Who could have created all this and put it at the disposal of men and women? Henry Hudson’s feeling of amazement and awe isn’t different from the writer of the creation story.   A crucial aspect of the creation story is the creation of humanity, specifically the creation of man and woman. There are two key points that the authors sought to make, which should demand our greatest attention and consideration. First - God created humans, us, in God’s image. God could have created humans in any image, but God chose to create humans in God’s image. That reveals more about God than it reveals about me or you. Listen to how the Psalmist interprets this part of God’s relationship with humans:   What is mankind that you are mindful of them,     human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels     and crowned them with glory and honor   They figured that if a benevolent God created the earth and all that is in it, then it stands to reason that humans who bear the image of God have something in common with this benevolent God. Remember, this idea of God creating the universe isn’t simply a Judeo-Christian idea. It cuts across many cultures across the world that are not affiliated with the Judeo-Christian narrative.    And if we believe that this benevolent God created humans in His image, then our primary call is to benevolence. And the response to this benevolent call is an embrace of all that is represented in another human being - the good, the bad, and the ugly. This means that we cannot pick and choose those to whom we can and should be benevolent. The invitation is always to reach out and tap into the benevolence that is in us, because it is the same benevolence that is in the other. Our highest calling is to be in tune with the dignity that is in us because it is the same dignity that is in the other.   Second - God created humans out of the dust of the earth. That is the most somber reality that you and I can ever imagine. This means that we are the dust of the world upon which we walk. That you cannot rise above the dust that you are, and one dust isn’t any different from the other. The only difference between us and the dust upon which we walk is that we have life. But at some point in our lives, we too will become the dust upon which we walk. We are finite, and our time on earth is never eternal.   In my view, this is the reality that should humble us and inspire a sense of gratitude, which in turn leads to humility. If we are the dust of the earth, yet we have been blessed with life, then we ought to be thankful. And being thankful is what keeps us humble.   This is the point that the writer of the creation story sought to make: we are nothing apart from the benevolent God who created us.   At the end of creation, we hear the writer remind us, God saw what God had created, and it was good. Creation is good. And so are you! If creation is good, and we are good... then what happened?  Manny+ (I plan to devote each week to an Act, so be on the lookout for Act II next week.)

We had a fantastic turnout for the WOCC's annual Spring Tea celebration at Sykesville's Kate Pearl Tea Room, and are so glad that so many of you were able to take part! To learn about upcoming WOCC-related events (including the upcoming Flea Market!), sign up to receive our weekly newsletter - info@christchurchcolumbia.org   #CuppaTea   #teaandcake   #summertea   #teaandfellowship

It's time for everyone to prepare for the largest community event on the 2025 Christ Church calendar - the WOCC-sponsored Flea Market and Craft Fair! Vendors are welcome to get their spaces now by visiting https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/flea-market and downloading the Vendor Reservation Form to reserve your space. If you have any questions, email wocc@christchurchcolumbia.org and we'll help get you started. Everyone else, save the date and join us at the Christ Church campus that Saturday morning to enjoy some baked goods while browsing the many items for sale. There's something for everyone!   #fleamarket   #fleamarketfun   #FleaMarketVibes   #hocomd   #CommunityFun   #fundraiser

Plan to Welcome SLYC on Sunday, July 13, During a Meet-and-Greet Session in The Great Hall of New Brick Between Worship Services On Sunday, July 13, Christ Church will welcome leaders of St. Luke’s Youth Center ( SLYC ), a collaborative of West Baltimore families who together provide youth with life-enriching experiences. Join us downstairs from 9 to 10:15 a.m. to get to know SLYC Engagement Coordinator Darlene Clark and ask questions. Coffee, drinks and pastries will be served. During the get-together between services, we’ll learn more about the youth center and get an update on SLYC’s campaign to re-envision the historic St. Luke’s Clergy House with the help of a plan by Episcopal Housing Corp . Each summer, SLYC holds Camp Imagination , a day camp being held at a cooperating parish in Linthicum, MD. To learn about Christ Church’s contribution and to find out how you can volunteer between now and Aug. 1, view the Outreach Blog of June 26, 2025 . We’re invited to St. John Lutheran (& Episcopal) Church , 300 Maple Ave., Linthicum, Md., . to see youth perform in the camp showcase at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 31. For carpool information, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting on Monday, July 14 Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. The Zoom link can be sent to you if you need - email us at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org and we'll send it to you. Log on, join us, and see how you can help make a difference in the world! Lake Elkhorn Middle School Partnership Update This has been a year of growth for our partnership with Lake Elkhorn Middle School. For the first time, our parishioners have generously supported the monthly Kindness Pantry  by contributing food and household goods, as well as helping with the on-site delivery of items. With each subsequent month this year, the number of families visiting the Pantry has increased, making the need very real. We have also used your financial contributions to support the positive academic and socio-emotional growth of our students. School is now out for the summer, but it's time to start our annual fundraising campaign to support school supplies for the students at LEMS. Each year, we ask for the congregation's support in providing school supplies and backpacks for at least 125 children. We don’t have a line in the church's annual budget for this, so we rely on and deeply appreciate your direct support. Thank you. You can give to the LEMS campaign by writing a check to Christ Church with "LEMS" in the memo line, or you can give online at  https://onrealm.org/christchurchcolumbia/give/lems . Either way, your gifts are very much appreciated. Help Grassroots on Monday, July 14, by Providing Food for the Homeless or on Wednesday, July 16, by Dining at a Chik Fil-A in Clarksville, Md. On the second Monday of each month, Christ Church serves a hot midday meal at the Day Resource Center (DRC) and drops off dinner for about 70 residents of the Grassroots Emergency Shelter. Both are operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center . We last participated on June 9th. A team led by Outreach member Shahra Toth makes side dishes and desserts that we serve in person after car-pooling to the DRC in Jessup. To help on Monday, July 14, please check our DRC online signup form , which describes the procedure. Drop-off time is 12:45 p.m. in the parking lot near Old Brick for DRC’s side dishes. Later, parishioners who cook or shop for the evening meal at Grassroots’ shelter arrive in the Old Brick parking lot between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. Get details in our Grassroots online signup form . Grassroots staff serves the evening meal. It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you! Recently, your generosity helped ease life for our homeless neighbors, who rely on sundries from the DRC pantry. In response to a DRC request, the Outreach Commission at its June meeting approved spending $155 for nine 28-count cases of sports drinks for hydration during hot weather. These were purchased with funds donated to the church by parishioners who give to “General Outreach.” A hearty thanks! On Wednesday, July 16, you can help Grassroots by participating in “Dine With a Purpose.” Visit the Chi ck-fil-A at 6395 Ten Oaks Rd., Clarksville, MD, 21029 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and 20 percent of your transaction will go back to Grassroots. You can show this flier or put your receipt in a collection box at the restaurant. If you wish to use the restaurant’s mobile app for pickup, find instructions in the Events section of the Grassroots website on how to handle the donation. Columbia Community Care Needs Diapers and Infant Care Items Columbia Community Care (CCC) collects and distributes essentials to families in need. It operates three distribution sites on Saturday mornings and has resumed making home deliveries to those without transportation. A shopper fulfills their grocery lists at the pantry, and then delivers goods to the recipients’ homes. To volunteer at the sites or as a translator or shopper, go to “ Volunteer Opportunities . ” Those who need help are urged to go to “Get Help” on CCC’s website.   Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents. FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket FISH  of Howard County is calling for volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents. Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

Join seekers of a deeper relationship with the Divine at the 2nd Saturday Center for Spiritual Nourishment. The CSN offers experiences that engage the mind, body, and spirit by offering safe spaces to explore an array of opportunities for spiritual growth.  This gathering is for anyone interested in spiritual nourishment, regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual beliefs.   Come for one session or the entire morning. This month’s CSN includes free group sessions for Spiritual Direction, Yoga, Contemplative Meditation, Community Bike Ride, and a Self and Spirit: Holding onto Hope discussion.  We will also be showing the movie Bonhoeffer .  The morning concludes with a short Reflection Circle Service. Whether you've joined us before or are a first-timer, we are sure that there's something special waiting for you here. Everyone is welcome, and we hope to see you there! Join us this Saturday, July 12th as we offer: Community Cycling   All cyclists are welcome on a one-hour bicycle ride! The ride will be self-paced and out-and-back. A ride leader from the CEC community, will lead the ride, which will be conducted according to Baltimore Bicycle Club rules. Riders should be adults and everyone should wear a helmet. Cyclists should rest their bicycles by the lower-level outside of the CEC New Brick building before 10:15, so that they can quickly "jump" onto their bicycles at 10:15. The ride course will depend on weather conditions, and it will be cancelled for steady rain. Film Screening: Bonhoeffer Dietrich Bonhoeffer gets swept into the epicenter of a deadly plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. With his faith and fate at stake, Bonhoeffer must choose between upholding his moral convictions or risking it all to save millions of Jews from genocide. This will take place in the theatre area in the Parish Office building's lower level. Contemplative Meditation Discover the desire God has to commune with us and how to inwardly attune ourselves to the Spirit's voice.  Learn about the history of contemplative Christianity, study the power of breathwork, be led through guided visualizations, become proficient in multiple techniques for stilling the mind, and practice drawing focus into your heart center.  In a mixture of teaching, discussion, and practice, strengthen your ability to engage in the equally important side of the conversation with God--if prayer is talking to the Lord, meditation is listening to God’s voice, and being changed by God’s presence.  Self and Spirit : Holding onto Hope All of us experience situations in life that challenge our beliefs and expectations that can drain our hope.  During this interactive discussion, Seminarian Mike will present a few perspectives and self-care exercises to enhance our ability hold onto hope when our faith is challenged by the stresses of modern life. Yoga The word yoga means union. Yoga is a centuries-old sacred practice for integrating and unifying body, mind, soul, and spirit and involves the entire person. There is often breathwork and meditation, along with physical asanas, or movements. This yoga practice will be customized to meet the needs of the practitioners who show up. If students prefer, they may practice seated in a chair. Yoga class will take place in the New Brick sanctuary. Spiritual Direction Group In this spiritual discernment and direction group we will practice listening deeply to each other using prompts from scripture, poetry, nature, and our bodies. These practices are designed to help us notice and respond to the voice of the Holy moving in our lives. There are two sessions for this group; both have the same content. Schedule of Events: 8:30 – 9:00: Breakfast and social time 9:00 – 10:00: Contemplative Meditation Spiritual Direction group Self and Spirit: Holding onto Hope 9:00 – 11:15: Film screening: Bonhoeffer 10:15 – 11:25: Yoga (all levels)                    Community Cycling group            10:15 – 11:15: Contemplative Meditation                    Spiritual Direction group 11:30 – 11:50: Reflection Circle service Have Questions? Wish to Help Lead Future CSN Sessions?

Pentecost IV 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today's Readings: 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21 Psalm 16 Galatians 5:1,13-25 Luke 9:51-62 Sermon for Today: Parishioner Leah Chrest provides today's sermon, and you can view it in the livestream video below once the service starts. You can also read the text version of her sermon here . Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .