I am very sure that today's title may have been your initial reaction when you first saw last week’s 19+2=22 blog. You may have wondered if it was a mistake. "This is simple math, so why this error?" I am sure you may have wondered if no one noticed the error. There may have been many thoughts running wild in your head over why such a simple error. If you wondered about it, you are in such great company. You are in the company of those who knew there was something wrong with my math - you may have thought about the missing or forgotten one. It is heartbreaking to be the forgotten one and I really don’t think it is a nice place to find yourself. I look at the life of Judas Iscariot - the pariah, the forgotten one, or the missing number. He became the black sheep among his friends after he betrayed Jesus. It was this betrayal that led to Jesus’ crucifixion and, for that, his friends couldn’t forgive him. He couldn’t even forgive himself, because he found his actions so egregious that he killed himself over that. He’s had a bad rap since then. Matthew has Jesus say this about the betrayer: “For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born.” But the question is, how would the redemptive purposes of God be accomplished if the Son of Man had not been betrayed? How would the prophecies about the Suffering Servant or the Messiah come to pass? As awful as it may sound, sometimes we need the pariah to remind us of our own need for grace, we need the forgotten one to challenge us to love our enemies, we need that missing name to remind us of the difficulty in forgiveness and reconciliation, and yet, to resolve to only pursue that path. It seems, to me, that this is why the gospel is often so difficult for us to fathom - that the 18-year-old is as much a child of God as any one of us, that Judas was as much a child of God as St. Paul. That all who cause any kind of pain - big or small, significant or insignificant - are also God’s children, and each of them deserves as much of our love as possible, even as we nurse the very wounds that they have inflicted upon us. I have reflected and prayed a lot for the 18-year-old shooter. I wonder. What went wrong? How did he get to this point in his young life? What got him to a place where another person’s life - even his own grandmother’s life - meant as little to him as his own? How did we fail him? What issues was he dealing with? Did he have a challenging life growing up? What has life been for him? It is incredible how life leads us on different paths, the various circumstances and situations that life leaves and leads us, and the kind of choices that we have to make - some good ones and not-so-good ones. But as Robert Frost reminds us in his poem The Road Not Taken, we cannot take both paths; we can only take one. And when you take one path, it may be nearly impossible to return and take the other path. He concludes that the path we take makes all the difference in our lives. What, then, is it that made a difference in this young man’s life? What is it that makes a difference in your life? Which road did you decide to take, or not to take, that has made all the difference in your life? There is a story of a woman who, one night, was waiting at an airport. With several long hours remaining before her flight was to leave, she hunted for a book in the airport shop, bought a bag of cookies, and found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book but happened to see that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be, grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in-between them. She tried to ignore it in order to avoid a scene. Instead, she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock. She was, however, getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.” With each cookie she took, he took one too, and when only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought, "Oooh, brother. This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!" She had never known when she had been so galled and sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate. She boarded the plane and sank into her seat. She sought her book, which was almost complete by this time. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise... there was her bag of cookies, right in front of her eyes! "If mine are here," she moaned in despair, "the others were his, and he tried to share." Too late to apologize, she realized with grief that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief. The heartbreak in this story is that this woman couldn’t go back to apologize, to make things right with someone she suspected of stealing her cookies. It was too late. You may be older than 18 but you may be making choices which are not only akin to the 18-year-old who remains nameless, forgotten, and a pariah, but also the woman who wrongly assumed that someone was stealing her cookies. God has gifted us with the ability to make choices, and so when you are confronted with making a choice, choose the path that honors others, fosters peace among all, engenders graceful living, promotes kindness, and binds all with love. That’s the one path that will surely make all the right difference in our lives. Manny

Spread the Word: Pet Food Giveaway by Howard County Animal Control When household budgets are tight, Rover and Fluff might be left wanting. If you or a pet owner whom you know is experiencing hard times, here’s good news. The Howard County Animal Control & Adoption Center is planning to distribute free items during a Pet Food Pantry event. The distribution takes place next Tuesday, June 7th, from 9 to 11 a.m., or while supplies last, at Howard County Animal Control, 8675 Davis Rd., Columbia, Md. 21045. For information, call 410-313-2780 or email: animalcontrol@howardcountymd.gov. Take a Field Trip On June 10th to Saint Luke’s Youth Center, which Sets a New Date Next Month for its Poetry Event to Support Summer Camp Join in the activities on Friday, June 10th, when the Christ Church Outreach Commission will take a field trip to St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC). It’s pronounced as “slick”. The non-profit organization, which operates year-round from the former St. Luke’s Episcopal parish in West Baltimore, has been in the news as the recipient of a reparations grant. We are inviting anyone interested to join us in carpooling or meeting up at historic St. Luke’s, located at 217 N. Carey Street, Baltimore, Md. We will spend an hour from 4 to 5 p.m. observing SLYC After School, a program that engages about 40 young people. Pandemic protocols are intended to keep everyone safe. To attend, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Also please mark your calendars for a change in the date of SLYC’s poetry program, “The Dream Project, Visions of Renewal in West Baltimore.” The fundraiser for summer camp, which was originally set this month, has been rescheduled for Friday, July 1st, at 4:30 p.m. to be held online through Facebook Live and in person. Youth who participate in Camp Imagination will share original works of poetry, dance, music, and art. Enjoy guest performances by Granny Slam (aka Grandma Clark), Gayle Danley, and Jazz by Aaron Hill. You can link to the event from the website for SLYC. For the second year in a row, the Christ Church Outreach Commission has donated $500 in Vestry-approved funds to support SLYC’s summer camp. Thanks to all parishioners for your contributions to making that possible. Some of you may recall meeting leaders of SLYC in February when several visited Christ Church. In informal conversations, Engagement Coordinator Darlene Clark, Board Member Nyah Vanterpool, and Executive Director Amanda Gardner Talbot described SLYC’s collaborative model. It includes families, staff members, and supporters and volunteers from several Episcopal parishes. The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is among the partners. Last week, the diocese presented SLYC and five other organizations with reparations grants, as described in a May 25 press release. The award was described in a May 26 news article in The Washington Post and in coverage of the presentation, including photos, that appeared on May 27 in The Baltimore Sun. Parishioner Sonni Aribiah, a member of the reparations task force and of the Christ Church Outreach Commission, also took the accompanying photo. SLYC leaders will speak at Christ Church on Sunday, Aug. 7th, during both worship services. Please save the date. They’ll describe in-person tutoring and other volunteer opportunities that you may wish to explore as individuals or in small groups when the 2022-23 school year begins. Requests to parishes for “time, gifts, and talents” go well beyond tutoring students in math, reading, and writing. For example, there are needs for carpenters, architects, and landscapers or for grant-writers and graphic designers. To learn more, email the executive director at amanda@bmoreslyc.org. Or, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org and ask to be put in contact with parishioner Michon Semon, who is the Outreach Commission’s liaison to SLYC. Columbia Community Care Needs Diapers, Personal Care Items At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting the all-volunteer organization, Columbia Community Care (CCC). Please collect diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. You can put any of these items in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. The items as well as groceries and produce are distributed at three sites: Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Ct.; Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., and at the Barn/Teen Center indoor space in the Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place, all in Columbia. Recipients are welcomed from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. For volunteers, donations and drop-offs begin at 9 a.m. You’ll find updates, such as requests for volunteers at specific sites, posted in the CCC Facebook Group. Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway Organizers for FISH of Howard County are continuing to ask for cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill its shopping lists. The yellow bin is between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. Thanks for your contributions to our neighbors in need. 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.

This Sunday evening, May 29th, Christ Church will hold a Prayer Vigil for all those who have perished and are affected by gun violence, especially our brothers and sisters in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX. Everyone is welcome to join us at 7:00 p.m. in the New Brick Sanctuary. This is to honor those whose lives have been cut short, to pray for families with broken hearts, and to pray for the healing of our nation. Please join us for this solemn service of prayer and healing. The service leaflet can be found here.

Collect of the Day: O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. Readings for today: Acts 16:16-34 Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 John 17:20-26 Psalm 97 This Sunday's Sermon: Today's Sermon was given by Rebecca Warlow, and you can read the text here. Today's Worship Livestream: You can join us for today's service by using this leaflet.

Like many of you, I couldn’t believe the news coming out of Texas. Another school shooting! Another day! Different city! What is going on? As I reflected on this tragedy, a hymn, Fairest Lord Jesus, came to mind. It was a surreal moment. I found myself singing it. I didn’t remember all the words, but that wasn’t a big deal. I sang what I could remember. I have no idea why that particular hymn came to mind. Just out of curiosity, I decided to do some research. I learned that the hymn is generally referred to as Beautiful Savior or Crusaders’ Hymn. The author remains unknown. Some associate it with the Crusades and claim that it was sung by German Crusaders as they made their way to the holy land. Others dismiss any association with the Crusades. Again, I do not know why this particular hymn came to mind - you may call it an inspiration, you may also call it a re-awakening to the words of the Beautiful Savior who frees us, saves us, and empowers us to be witnesses of a love that overshadows everything and invites us to love our enemies. In my sermon this past Sunday, I said this about the 18-year-old who killed innocent shoppers at a grocery store: “For the life of me, I cannot imagine why a young man could do something as heinous as walking into a grocery store and killing people because of how they look. For the life of me, I cannot imagine how a young man could be imprisoned by so much hate for people who don’t look like him. I cannot imagine how a young man who should be thinking about prom and who it is that he will be taking to the prom, what he will wear to the prom, whether he’s paid his prom fees, and which limousine he would want to ride to the prom be so captured by such hate that he would drive, not to his prom but to another place, four hours away to kill because of hate.” This week, we have another 18-year-old boy who was supposed to be thinking about prom. He also shot his grandmother and killed two teachers and 19 children. It is crushing. It is devastating. It is unconscionable. What is going on in our society? Who is leading us? People are being shot for simply going grocery shopping. Children are being shot while simply attending school. A gentleman who was riding the subway got shot and killed by another man for no reason. Many are the people who are being killed or maimed in our neighborhoods and streets for insipid reasons. But we stand powerless in the face of all this escalatory trauma. We pretend that we can’t do anything about it and that our prayers and thoughts are enough. See, prayers and thoughts are only enough until tragedy hits close to home. I often tell the story of a senator who was against gay marriage. A few years after his son came out as being gay, this senator reversed his stance. And this is what he said, “It allowed me to think of this issue from a new perspective, and that's of a dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have -- to have a relationship like Jane and I have had for over 26 years," This is the point that I want to make with this story. This man taught me that when the issue is close to home, it may not be some principles that matter, but love should be the overarching principle. If that, then, is the case, shouldn’t our love for each other and ourselves, granted that we do not know where or when a gunman would strike, drive us, even at the barest minimum, to draw up policies that would guarantee our safety and of our loved ones? I tell this story because we all hang on to the Second Amendment as some holy grail that cannot be messed with or is so sacrosanct to the extent of being absolute. I don’t own a gun but I know a lot of law-abiding citizens who own guns. And I honestly do not want any law-abiding citizen to be deprived of his or her right to bear arms. But who said we cannot change our minds on issues that hold dear to us? Who said that principles should be absolute? Who said that we cannot change public policy for the sake of everyone? If this senator could change his mind because of his son, why can’t we change our minds because of an issue that affects all of us? See, the point is that you don’t want it to reach close to home before you change your mind. By then it may be too late! I understand those of us who argue that a gun by itself cannot shoot and kill children unless someone pulls the trigger. That is absolutely right. But the question is, what if the gun is unavailable or inaccessible? I have never in my short life heard of anyone who has ever used an object which is unavailable or inaccessible to him or her. Sometimes I tend to believe that the fragmentation of our society has been all too cruel for everyone. We all suffer under the burden of those sharp divisions. We have grown suspicious of each other and the views of the other appear like an abomination. Don’t we all belong to the same country? The fact that we believe differently doesn’t mean we cannot agree on a sensible way in which we can govern our common life. This is what saddens me - our suspicion of each other has grown over time and deepened to a perilous extent that we cannot summon the moral courage to do what we know to be right. We cannot summon the moral courage to do what we know to be necessary. We cannot gather the moral courage to do what we know to be expedient. We cannot gather the moral courage to offer to the vulnerable sick among us, the necessary care that they need. We cannot gather the moral courage to say that an 18-year-old doesn’t need an assault rifle, let alone two of them. For what? I am sure many of you miss the days when it wasn’t scandalous to share the good news of God in Christ with anyone and anywhere, even in public schools. It wasn’t the case that there were saints walking around with no crime, but at least we chanced upon the idea, and we were all reminded, not only of the dignity of the other but about being compassionate and caring. As traumatic as those days were over Slavery and Jim Crow, at least we could still hear the good news which challenged our assumptions and created the narratives upon which we could make some necessary changes. These have brought relative tranquility to our nation. How I wish we could all avail ourselves to the good news, hear the good news of God that changes lives and offers meaning to our broken lives. The good news which assures each that it isn’t about how bad a situation may be or even how damaged we are, but it is about the redemptive power of God. The good news which invites us to love, even when we have absolutely no reason to do so. The good news which helps us to realize our purpose in life and assures us that the ultimate gift of that purpose is service to the other. The good news that empowers us to look at each other through the prism of grace - just so we may come to appreciate that our stories, experiences, circumstances, and situations are not so different from the other. The good news which constantly reminds us of the primacy of love. How I wish we could all hear the good news once more! In celebrating the lives of the children killed in Uvalde, Texas, and of those killed in Buffalo and New York, Christ Church will offer a Prayer Vigil this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. It will be an opportunity for us to grieve together as a community, pray for the families who have lost loved ones, and pray for our nation. I hope you will all make it a point to be with us. Beautiful Savior, your wounds remind us of your love for us. May the blood that flows from your wounds not only cleanse our sins and mend our hearts but may the blood heal us as well. May we find deep comfort in your abiding presence. May members of these 22 families find in you, the God of grace, the strength to cope, now and in the days to come. Manny

Take a Field Trip On June 10th to Saint Luke’s Youth Center and Support its Summer Camp with Your Prayers and through an Online Poetry Event Youngsters in West Baltimore are already anticipating the 2022 summer sessions of Camp Imagination, which is held by St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC). It’s pronounced as “slick”. The non-profit organization operates year-round from the former St. Luke’s Episcopal parish at 217 N. Carey Street, Baltimore, MD. You don’t have to go there in person to enjoy the poetry program, “The Dream Project,” to be held on Sunday, June 12th from 5 to 6 p.m. It will be available on Facebook Live. The fundraiser for camp will feature The SLYC Poets, Granny Slam, Gayle Danley, APoetNamedNate, and Jazz by Aaron Hill. You can link to the event from the website for SLYC. By contrast, we are suggesting you go there in person on Friday, June 10th, when the Christ Church Outreach Commission is taking a field trip. We are inviting anyone interested to join us in carpooling or meeting up at historic St. Luke’s. We will spend an hour from 4 to 5 p.m. observing SLYC After School, a program that engages about 40 young people. There are pandemic protocols intended to keep everyone safe. To attend, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Many of the students also will be attending Camp Imagination. For the second year in a row, the Christ Church Outreach Commission has donated $500 in Vestry-approved funds to support SLYC’s summer camp. Thanks to all parishioners for your contributions to making that possible. This summer, Kennedy Center Master Teaching Artist Gayle Danley will guide campers through an exploration of the theme of Roots, Reparations, and Renewal. Campers will be reading various texts, writing, and discussing how the theme relates to their own lived experiences. Throughout camp, they will work extensively with professional artists to create original works of art as an expression of their interpretations, emotions, and ideas. Some of you may recall meeting leaders of SLYC in February when several visited Christ Church. In informal conversations, Board Member Nyah Vanterpool, Engagement Coordinator Darlene Clark and Executive Director Amanda Gardner Talbot described SLYC’s collaborative model. It includes families, staff members, and supporters and volunteers from several Episcopal parishes. The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is among the partners. The May 10, 2022 newsletter of the diocese has an article on the historic church and how it became a youth center. That was the mission of Talbot’s father, the Very Rev. Van Gardner, after retiring as Dean of the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Baltimore. After his death, his daughter carries on with their dream. The church has a fascinating history that pre-dates the laying of its cornerstone in 1851. To learn more, watch a 5-minute video on YouTube by Baltimore Heritage’s executive director who is joined briefly by Gardner. SLYC leaders, including Gardner, will speak at Christ Church on Sunday, Aug. 7, during both worship services. Please save the date. They’ll describe in-person tutoring and other volunteer opportunities that you may wish to explore as individuals or in small groups when the 2022-23 school year begins. Requests to parishes for “time, gifts, and talents” go well beyond tutoring students in math, reading, and writing. For example, there are needs for carpenters, architects, and landscapers or for grant-writers and graphic designers. To learn more, email the executive director at amanda@bmoreslyc.org. Or, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org, and ask to be put in contact with parishioner Michon Semon, who is the Outreach Commission’s liaison to SLYC. Columbia Community Care Needs Diapers, Personal Care Items At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting the all-volunteer organization, Columbia Community Care (CCC). Please collect diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. You can put any of these items in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. The items as well as groceries and produce are distributed at three sites: Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Ct.; Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., and at the Barn/Teen Center indoor space in the Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place, all in Columbia. Recipients are welcomed from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. For volunteers, donations and drop-offs begin at 9 a.m. You’ll find updates, such as requests for volunteers at specific sites, posted in the CCC Facebook Group. Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway Organizers for FISH of Howard County are continuing to ask for cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill its shopping lists. The yellow bin is between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. Thanks for your contributions to our neighbors in need. 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.

Today is the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Collect of the Day: O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Readings for today: Acts 16:9-15 Psalm 67 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29 This Sunday's Sermon: Today's Sermon was given by Reverend Emmanuel Ato Mercer, and you can read the text here. Today's Worship Livestream: You can join us for today's service by using this leaflet.

Roberta Drury had a big heart - which is that one thing that should move each one of us. Roberta had visited her brother, who had a bone marrow transplant not long ago. She went to the grocery store - Tops, in Buffalo - to buy groceries to make a special dinner for her family. She had a big heart. But her beautiful life was cut short by the bullet of someone, an eighteen-year-old white supremacist who fed on hate - not for his own sorry self but for people like Roberta who didn’t look like him, people like Roberta who looked different, people like Roberta who had asked nothing of him. Yet, this man could find more than enough reason to hate. Hatred is such a powerful human character trait. I remember when I was a little boy, I heard that the Methodist Church came out of the Anglican Church. My father’s house was right by the manse of the local Methodist Minister. I don’t remember his first name, but I knew him to be Reverend Brandful. I knew him to be a very decent man but I had this insatiable hatred for him because, in my little mind, I thought that the local Methodist Church came out of the local Anglican Church, of which I was a member. I loved my Anglican Church so much that I couldn’t believe that some other group of people would dare to leave that church and form another denomination. The sad bit about this story was that I thought, in my ignorance, that Reverend Brandful was the one who instigated the separation, and boy did I hate him for that. One more thing: the local Methodist Church building was bigger and more beautiful than the Anglican Church building, and that fueled, even more, my hatred for Reverend Brandful. It wasn’t until later in boarding school that I came to learn that Reverend Brandful had nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with the separation between the Anglican Church and the Methodist Church. After a little more reflection, I realized that I had hated this man over nothing, over so many years about something he had no control over nor was he responsible for. My beloved, for however many years I hated this man simply out of my ignorance. I am not exactly sure if I ever thought about acting on my hatred, but I was a kid anyway, and violence wasn’t part of my experience or vocabulary. Hatred can be deadly, but hatred fueled by ignorance can be calamitous. And the fact that hatred fueled by ignorance was made manifest in Buffalo a few days ago is more than heartbreaking, to say the least. I think about Roberta and the many lives that were lost that day. I think about Roberta and the wonderful life ahead of her. I think about the wedding she never had, the children she will never have. I think about an enthusiastic compassionate human being who was needlessly killed because a white supremacist who’s been fueled by ignorance decided to take away her life. Hatred is evil, and hatred fueled by ignorance can be even more deadly. But in a very surprising way, I don’t blame him. Not because he is a kid. I have a kid his age. I blame the purveyors of all the nonsense that is spewed on TV and elsewhere as gospel. I blame the corporate world for whom the lust for money is endless, those businesses whose desire for profits overrides any sense of moral obligation that they owe to their fellow citizens who may, or may not, be part of their political stripes. Jesus didn’t condemn money or wealth. He recognized the need for it but he also admonished us to be mindful of it. Be careful where you place your allegiance: "No servant can serve two masters; such a servant will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." So, wherein lies our allegiance? Is it with God or money? Timothy has some sharp words for us: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” The desire for ratings - which then turns into profit - has clouded our judgment to the extent that some of the stuff that used to be on the fringes of our society now appear to be acceptable mainstream ideas. How did we get here? We find it strange that a Moslem kid is listening to hateful stuff on TV and reading hateful stuff on the internet and desires to be a suicide bomber, but we don’t find it strange that our kids are listening to hateful stuff on TV and reading hateful stuff on the internet and acting on them in a different way. What is the difference between a suicide bomber and this 18-year-old kid? They are both fueled by hate, and the only difference is that one is a Moslem and the other is what-I-do-not know. I grieve for the families that have lost loved ones in senseless murders. I grieve for a society that appears to glorify nonsense and hate as acceptable narratives. I grieve for those who act on their ignorance to hurt others. I grieve for our society. We need mending, healing, and restoration. I hope we can offer, to each other and our broader community, that sense of belonging which rejects hatred and embraces compassion - just so the Roberta’s of our lives and the world cannot only thrive but can live their best lives beyond 32 years. Manny

Columbia Community Care Expands Request for Volunteers to Sort Pantry Supplies, Continues to Request Diapers, Personal Care Items The all-volunteer organization, Columbia Community Care (CCC), is making progress in organizing its new pantry but needs more volunteer help to sort supplies. The pantry is in a county-owned building, the former home of the Columbia Flier, located at 10750 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. In a recent plea for volunteers posted in the CCC Facebook Group, CCC had already asked for sorters on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. With its most recent post this week, CCC added slots after Memorial Day on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can pick your own shifts during those days and hours by going online to sign up on a form that has slots three days a week through next fall. At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting CCC, whose mission goes beyond helping disadvantaged families in Howard County to finding ways to address root causes. CCC’s founder, Erika Strauss-Chavarria, spoke during a recent event at River Hill High School. She was among the speakers at “Adapting to a Changing World: TEDxRiverHillHS,” an independently organized TED event held in April. For those who missed the event in person but would like to view her remarks, you can find “The Journey to CCC and Beyond” on YouTube. She is a Spanish teacher at Wilde Lake High School and a board member of racial justice organizations. CCC also recently posted about a partnership with Cedar Lane School in an item of interest to parishioners who previously collected labels for Box Tops for Education, a rewards program that is now mostly online. The effort helped the school that serves special needs students in the Howard County Public School System. These young people got a shout-out from Strauss-Chavarria. “They have been a huge help in organizing items for CCC,” she wrote, going on to thank the school’s Meghan Smallwood “for writing this description of the work the students have been doing, and for the amazing partnership!” Accompanied by photos of students engaged in their tasks, CCC posted the description in the CCC Facebook Group: “Many of the Cedar Lane High School students have assisted Columbia Community Care during their Career Skills classes this year. Students have helped to break down and measure bulk packages into smaller bags for donations with a variety of items, including diapers, baby wipes, sugar, flour, and rice. This has been a great task for the students and has allowed them to practice so many different skills while helping their community. Students have been able to increase their independence, and have looked forward to completing these jobs each week. Both staff and students are happy to be able to support Columbia Community Care with such a meaningful experience!” For more information about Cedar Lane School, whose graduates include our own Kristin Cheong, you may contact Pamela Torgerson in the principal’s office at pamela_torgersen@hcpss.org. For CCC, please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Put any of these in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. Drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. The Christ Church point of contact is Violet Smith, who monitors the bins and delivers their contents for distribution at the three sites. SAFE Offers Gluten-Free Food And Accepts Items for Distribution on May 21st The SAFE Food Pantry, a nonprofit organization that helps people who require gluten-free and allergy-friendly groceries, will hold a distribution at its indoor location. The allergy-safe foods will be available to those in need at the NonProfit Collaborative, 9770 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD 21046. The time frame is 10 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of each month. The availability is posted on the organization’s Events page. If you have safe foods to donate, you can bring them during this period. In the future, the Christ Church Building and Grounds Commission is working with SAFE to establish a drop-off on church premises. That would make it more convenient for parishioners as well as other supporters. If you or Howard County residents whom you know are in need of such items, please come to Patuxent Woods, which is on an RTA bus line. Another way to obtain food from SAFE is through its partnership with the Howard County Food Bank. Clients of the food bank can receive pre-bagged, non-allergenic food items when they check in for their monthly visits. For more information, please call or text a SAFE volunteer at 443-741-1060. Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway Organizers for FISH of Howard County are continuing to ask for cookies, crackers, and snacks to fulfill its shopping lists. The yellow bin is between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. Thanks for your contributions to our neighbors in need. 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.

Today is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Readings for today: Acts 11:1-18 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 Psalm 148 This Sunday's Sermon: Today's Sermon was given by Jonelle Ocloo, a parishioner at Christ Church. You can read the text here, or listen to Jonelle give the sermon in the video below. Today's Worship Livestream: You can join us for today's service by using this leaflet.

This past Sunday, we had our wonderful Mother’s Day celebration. Unfortunately, many of our parishioners - mothers, especially - couldn’t make it to church. One of our parishioners told me that it was out of an abundance of caution. As is often the case on Mother’s Day, we had our fun competition during worship and distributed carnation flowers to all the mothers. The real joy, for me, was seeing the children going around the sanctuary and distributing flowers to their own mothers and to other mothers. What struck me was that, after distributing the flowers, I saw Danny with a broken carnation flower stem that he gave to his parents. I don’t know why Danny took the broken stem to his parents, Preethi and Sam, but that sight alone reminded me of a dream I had several weeks ago. This was one of those dreams which was so vivid that when I woke up from it, I picked up my phone and immediately typed all that I could recall in a text message and sent it to my cousin, who featured prominently in the dream. This is what I sent to my cousin: Leske (my cousin’s nickname), I just woke up from a beautiful dream and I thought I’d share it with you because you were in the dream. You were on a stage surrounded by lots and lots of people, including lots of Adisco boys (we attended the same boy's high school and students at the school are referred to as Adisco boys), including Uncle. (Uncle is my cousin’s late father). You stood on the stage holding a rose flower on a stem. Unfortunately, part of the stem was broken, and you said something to the effect that we have all suffered broken hearts and lives before, but if you feel broken, I invite you to reach out to my own Ato Kwamena Mercer (that’s my tribal name). You then invited me to come on to the stage. I walked from among the crowd to the stage holding a pair of scissors and a tape. When I got the chance to address the crowd, I said to them, "Life is not only about being broken but also about mending and healing." And with your help, we cut a piece of the tape and joined the broken rose stem with tape. Not many of us can remember details of our dreams. But I don’t recall having my cousin feature in any of my dreams before. He was very surprised at what I told him. He thought the dream was so profound and said he would give it some thought. I don’t know what he meant by that. "What was he going to think about?" I asked myself. But as far as I can remember, that was the first time I had a dream with my cousin in it, and it was one of the dreams that surprised me as well. You may want to read as much as you want into what the dream may portend, or analyze it in any way that you can. But two words jumped out at me: brokenness and healing. The profound message is the idea that life is not about being broken but it is about healing and mending. And if you ask me, that’s the most important part of our relationship with each other, and with ourselves. This is because each of us holds a broken rose stem. There’s a story of a woman who was brought to Jesus by her accusers. The charge against her was that she was caught in the very act of adultery. And according to the law, Deuteronomy 22:22, she should die. Jesus responded to the accusers “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” He then lowered his head and looked down on the ground. The strange thing that happened was that one after the other, the woman’s accusers went away. When Jesus lifted up his head, he saw no one but the woman. "Where are your accusers?" He asked. “Has no one condemned you?” She answered, “No one, Lord.” Hear Jesus’ sweet response: “Then neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.” Who is it that doesn’t hold a broken rose stem with a rose flower on it? Who is it that doesn’t hold a broken carnation stem? I truly want to know. As evidenced by the story, each of us holds a broken stem, just as each of the woman’s accusers held a broken stem. And because they were aware of their own brokenness, their response was to walk away without condemning her. The power of redemption is the healing that is made possible by, and through, our acceptance of our own brokenness. It is when we accept the broken rose or carnation stems that we’re holding that we can actually accept the healing and mending that we need. In fact, we all need a pair of scissors and some tape to put our lives back together. Over the past several days, I have received responses to an email that a beloved parishioner sent to some other parishioners. The email was about this parishioner’s discomfort with the issue of reparations. As many of you know, I welcome robust debate about any and all issues because I believe that such discourse enriches our common life. The fact is, we may not all agree about the exact same thing, but at least we can hold each other up with respect and honor. The reality is that we cannot quantify the depth of damage suffered by our African American ancestors over the evil of slavery. We cannot assume that slavery didn’t cause any pain. We cannot assume that the evils of slavery no longer dominate our society. We cannot assume that those who endured slavery are any different from their descendants who still bear the scars of slavery. We cannot assume that those who profited from slavery are any different from their descendants who enjoy the benefit of their wealth. We cannot assume that we are a post-racial society when we haven’t yet fixed the issues that bedevil African American descendants of slavery. In my opinion, reparations wouldn’t necessarily fix or solve all the problems of African Americans, including my own children. But I believe that any honest attempt at mitigating the effects of the evils of slavery must be commended and supported. The fact is, slavery is our broken carnation stem. The woman’s adultery is also our broken rose stem. But remember, life isn’t merely about our broken stems... it is about the healing and mending. And what can ever go wrong with an attempt at healing or mending those broken stems we’re holding? Happy Easter, Manny If you need more resources on reparations, please click here and here