The Olympic Games in Tokyo have been fascinating to watch. But there’s this eerie feeling of watching the games in near-empty arenas and stadia. You can readily tell that something doesn’t look right. Every time I turn on the TV to watch, I begin to wonder how the athletes, who have trained so hard over the past several years and even in the midst of the pandemic to represent their countries, feel about competing in near-empty spaces. As many of you have, I've been to ballparks, arenas, and stadia to watch different sporting events over the years, and I know that win or lose, the athletes no doubt feed on the energy of spectators. Watching the games with little-to-no spectators reminds me of the period during the earlier days of COVID when we could not worship in person together. Leading worship at Christ Church every Sunday morning at that time was the loneliest and painful experience one could have. Looking at the empty chairs, many with pictures of parishioners plastered on them, was both humbling and terrifying. I always wondered to myself, "When is this going to end?" One thing I have learned is that these experiences, I believe, help us to look at life - not through the major victories that a gold, silver, or bronze medal may attest to us and others, but through the courage of graceful living. The Olympic Games have been exciting, and like everything else in life, there have been moments of disappointment, heartbreak, sadness, surprise, happiness, and pure joy. To see the athletes express any of these emotions in response to a contest is so human. For example, I was watching the 800-meter competition the other night, and in the course of the race, Nigel Amos from Botswana tripped Isaiah Jewett from the United States. Both of them fell, but as disappointed as they were, and as upset as I think Isaiah may have been that he was tripped, both acted with grace and helped each other to the finish line. Yet another story, two high jumpers - Mutaz-Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy - competed against one another. Each athlete could simply not outdo the other as they kept jumping and jumping at higher heights. After both had missed at the same high point, an Olympic official approached them to say that the next phase of their competition would be a “jump-off” to see who could outlast the other. Then came the question from the Qatari: “Can we have two golds?” asked Barshim. The official responded, “It’s possible, yes.” Immediately, the two athletes looked at one another and smiled. The high jump contest between Barshim and Tamberi was over, with each of them winning a gold medal. The Olympic Games are, in essence, about the celebration of humanity. In an insightful way, I think the many varied Olympic events tell a unique story about you and I and everyone else - that the Olympic Games are not about one thing, sport, or event, but rather different and multiple ones. And each of them brings out different gifts, talents, and fulfillment to each one of us. In just the same way, God’s creation is not, and has never been, about one thing or one event, but rather different and multiple ones. Again, God’s creation has never been about one person or race, but all people. God’s creation has been about God’s creation, all of God’s creation, and not merely some of God’s creation. I think that is how we find deeper spirituality, with the acknowledgment that God has not been about one thing, and that any and all things do express the depth, height, length, and breadth of God. So then, if we are to put our competitive natures aside, we will find strength in each other, we will find grace in each other, we will find solace in each other, and we will push each other to win. In many ways, it is a question of choice - you have to decide, you have to make the choice as to whether you will go against the grain and find in each person or in each of God’s creation, something exciting, something worth fighting for, something worth celebrating. Can you be the athlete who helps the other athlete to the finish line? Can you be the athlete who asks the official if we can have two golds? Here’s another story for you: a Kenyan runner Abel Mutai was only a few meters from the finish line, but got confused with the signs and stopped, thinking he had finished the race. A Spanish man, Ivan Fernandez, was right behind him and, realizing what was going on started shouting to the Kenyan to keep running. Mutai did not know Spanish and did not understand. So Fernandez pushed Mutai to victory. A reporter asked Ivan, “Why did you do this?” My dream is that one day we can have some sort of community life where we push ourselves and help each other win.” He responded. The reporter insisted “But why did you let the Kenyan win?” Ivan replied, “I didn’t let him win, he was going to win. The race was his.” Not satisfied, the reporter asked again, “But you could have won!” Ivan looked at him and replied: “But what would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honor of this medal? What would my mother think of me?” We have been made to believe that every aspect of our lives should be about winning or losing - and, in fact, winning at whatever cost. But life is much more than that - it is about beauty, grace, compassion, peace, and love. For that reason, we always have to set aside our competitive side in order to be gracious - even when we think we are winning. To answer the question of choice, my prayer is for you to always choose graceful living, for that is the only way that each of us can win. ~Manny

Today is the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; 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: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a Psalm 51:1-13 Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35 Today's Sermon: Father Manny's Sermon for today can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here. The Hymnal insert is here.

Over the past several months, we have been hosting at least one ministry at our Vestry meetings. These interactions between ministry leaders and the Vestry offer all of us an opportunity to learn more about that ministry, its challenges, and, more importantly, how best we may be able to respond to some of the challenges as a Vestry. This past week, we hosted Jenn Adkins and Leigh Smith, who have been working extremely hard with other parishioners on our Children Formation - even during the peak of the pandemic. They, and many others, reflect the deep desire to nurture children in a way that brings out the best in them, not only for today but for tomorrow, as well. One thing that struck me was the optimism of both Jenn and Leigh. It has been challenging, no doubt, and it will be challenging going forward, but they are determined. They are determined to continue to teach Sunday School and offer their best to the children of Christ Church. The teachers may not necessarily know, at this moment which of the many children they teach week-in and week-out, either in person or on Zoom, would be impacted by their teaching and model of faithfulness. In their optimism, they expressed a need. They need other parishioners to join them in teaching and modeling God’s love to our children. Are you the one? Can you be the one? Should you be the one? I am sure you have the capacity to teach and model a life of faithfulness and compassion to our children within you. This brings me to the story about the stolen watch... An old man meets a young man who asks, “Do you remember me?” And the old man says that he does not. The young man then tells him he was his student, so the teacher asks him, “What do you do, what do you do in life?” The young man answers, “Well, I became a teacher.” “Ah, how good. Like me?” asks the old man. “Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.” The old man, curious, asks the young man at what point in time he decided to become a teacher. And the young man tells him the following story: “One day, a friend of mine - also a student - came in with a nice, new watch, and I decided I wanted it, so I stole it. I took it right out of his pocket. Shortly after, my friend noticed the theft of his watch and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you. Then you went to the class and said, 'This student's watch was stolen during class today. Whoever stole it, please return it.' I didn't give it back because I didn't want to. You proceeded to close the door and tell us all to get up as you were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found. But you also told us to close our eyes because you would only look for his watch if we all had our eyes closed. So we did, and you went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done you said, 'Open your eyes. We have the watch.' You didn't tell me, though, and you never mentioned the episode. You never said who stole the watch, either. That day, you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life. But this is also the day my dignity was saved and I decided not to become a thief, a bad person. You never said anything, nor even scolded me or took me aside to give me a moral lesson, yet I received your message clearly. And thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do. Do you remember this episode, professor?" The professor answered, "I remember the situation, the stolen watch that I was looking for in everyone’s pocket, but I didn't remember it was you, because I also closed my eyes while looking." This is the essence of teaching: If to correct, you must humiliate; you don't know how to teach. I have always believed in Sunday School, and I believe so strongly that it is an important part of our common life that we should not in any way compromise. I have had the blessing of serving in different parishes with strong Sunday School programs, and I know the difference that this, alone, makes to the health of a parish. I believe that in so far as volunteers can model virtues of love, compassion, humility, trust, and faithful dedication to children, they can be sure that at least one seed will fall on good soil and bear fruit... fruit that will last. I know you can model these virtues, and I invite you to close your eyes and be the teacher who found the stolen watch and also affirmed the dignity of that child. I invite you to consider being a Sunday School teacher. ~Manny

Columbia Community Care Plans Gift-Bag Distribution to Help Kids Enjoy Summer For a mid-summer celebration, Columbia Community Care (CCC) has made plans to bring cheer to children in Howard County on Saturday, Aug. 7. Its volunteers are adding a table to each of CCC’s three distribution sites that will offer gift bags and other new items for kids. Please obtain medium-size gift bags and fill them with toys and other delights for children ages 3 to 10 years old. Ideas include gender-neutral gifts and small toys such as jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, sunglasses, foam visors, bubble soap, slime, play dough, stickers, art supplies, markers, and watercolors. Also consider adding individual snacks, juice boxes, granola bars, and fruit snacks. CCC will also accept single/loose, larger items such as playground balls, soccer balls, and paperback books. New items only. Please, no toy weapons of any kind. Sue Sharff Castonguay, a member of the CCC group on Facebook, organized the giveaway and is coordinating the additional volunteers to hand out the items through her posts on CCC’s Facebook group. Volunteer hours are 9:30 a.m. to noon or until CCC runs out of bags and gifts. Parishioners can bring their bags to the yellow bin marked “CCC” located inside the entrance to the Parish Hall. To make sure the items get to the organizer’s preferred sites on time, a member of Christ Church will coordinate with CCC. The Christ Church deadline for dropoff is Friday, Aug. 6 by 4 p.m. Or, if you prefer, you can bring the gift bags or larger items directly to the CCC sites on Saturday, Aug. 7, from 9 to 10 a.m. The sites are: Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Ct., and Oakland Mills Middle School, 9540 Kilimanjaro Rd., all in Columbia. At Christ Church, our Racially Aware Group of Episcopalians (R.A.G.E) and the Outreach Commission join in asking parishioners to continue supporting CCC in various ways. We have been gathering diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. There should be enough room in the yellow bins for the summer gift bags and the usual donations. You can drop off items on weekdays until 2 p.m., but we ask that you call the church office (410) 381-9365 ahead of time. Invitation to Take a Virtual Trip to Uganda as Leaders of Friends of Sabina Join the Sunday, Aug. 1st Zoom Coffee Hour/Adult Forum Plan to see and hear the latest on how leaders of Friends of Sabina (FOS) are making progress at Sabina Primary School in rural Uganda. At noon on Sunday, Aug. 1, Father Manny and the Outreach Commission will host Ann Marie Davis, who recently returned from Uganda, and Maria White, the two leaders of FOS. The FOS Adult Forum will flow seamlessly from our regular coffee hour. Here’s how to participate: Join our Zoom gathering HERE. The meeting ID is 830 0557 1585, and the password is SundayVCH. We’ve already gotten a positive update on the performance of Sabina’s students within the Ugandan system of education. The school educates children as early as 3-6 years of age in pre-primary. Primary students in grades P1 through P7 study English, Math, Science, and Social Studies (consisting of History, Geography, and Religious Studies). At Sabina, the curriculum also includes Permaculture/Agriculture. At the end, students take the national Primary Leaving Exams (PLE). These rigorous exams affect placement in secondary school and whether some students must repeat P7. On Tuesday, July 20th, the FOS leaders shared the news that Sabina ranked 13 out of about 400 schools in the Kyotera District: “We received the P7 results, and all of the Sabina students passed with a score of 1 or 2. One being the highest!” “Everyone in the community is so excited as Sabina is back on the map with their improved commitment to superior academics. Thank you for believing in us,” said White in an email. More than a decade ago, Christ Church began supporting Sabina Primary School and its library through the organization, Children of Uganda (COU). Parishioners collected shipments of books for the library, which evolved into the Ssanje Community Resource center, playing a vital role for residents of the surrounding area. In late 2019, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese that owns Sabina Primary School entered into a management agreement with FOS, then a newly-formed organization that is co-managed by the two former members of the COU Board of Directors. FOS embarked on an improvement program that includes replacing infrastructure such as the obsolete kitchen complex. “By stepping out on faith, we built the foundation of our vision to renew and support the Sabina School,” said the FOS leaders. Outreach continues to support Sabina through FOS. For example, Christ Church pays the librarian’s salary and covers the costs of upgraded internet service, using $2,000 in Vestry-approved funds in 2021. Thanks to Christ Church parishioners for making that possible! You, too, can take pride in the accomplishment of the high-performing P7 students. Beginning in 2020, Outreach also encouraged parishioners to sponsor Sabina students whose families otherwise cannot afford fees and tuition. (They are among Sabina students pictured here.) Christ Church members stepped forward to sponsor eight children, who then ranged in age from 8 to 15. Parishioners and the first names of the students are: Steve and Linda Alpern (Sharon); Tim and Sherry Beaty, (Herbert); Ellen and Charles Hoke, (Josephine); Patricia Fanning, (Patricia); Diane Phillips Laguerre (Jackson); Paula and Chuck Rees (Sandra); Catherine Whittaker (Brian); and Melanie and Nick Yaksich (Marvin). We’re expecting many of the sponsors to join the Zoom gathering to hear more about these students’ experiences in what has turned out to be a year of pandemic challenges. The FOS leaders last met with Christ Church in May of 2020 during a virtual coffee hour on Zoom. This time the images will be like traveling to Uganda’s Central Region, which is west of Lake Victoria and north of the border with Tanzania. And for some members of Christ Church, the video visit will remind them of their own travels to Uganda and long-standing involvement with Sabina Primary School including the Hokes, the Alperns, and Teddy and Sonni Aribiah and their sons, Jonah and Luke. Lake Elkhorn Middle School Supplies - THANK YOU! We are excited to report that we have exceeded our goal of $5,000 for school supplies for the students at LEMS. We are very grateful to the generous parishioners of Christ Church for their responsiveness to the needs of families in our local community. We have ordered the supplies and will fill the bags in the near future - stay tuned for details in upcoming communications. If you would like to help us bag the supplies, please contact Onyx Williams at ow6062@gmail.com or Cathy Whittaker at catharinewhittaker@gmail.com. Reminder: Restaurant Donation Day is July 29th to Help Bridges End Homelessness Supporters of Bridges to Housing Stability can dine in at one restaurant or choose to dine in or take out at its sister venue in the Merriweather District in Downtown Columbia on July 29th. Cured Table & Tap and 18th & 21st will each donate 10 percent of your receipt during Bridges’ Restaurant Donation Day. Both restaurants share the same address: 10980 Grantchester Way, #110, Columbia, MD 20144. For more information about the event or about Bridges and its support by our parishioners, read the Christ Church Outreach Blog Post of July 10. Donate Personal Care and Cleaning Supplies for FISH in Bin on our Breezeway Organizers for FISH of Howard County request household cleaning supplies such as liquid dish soap, bleach, and cleanser as well as personal items such as deodorant, shampoo, and bath soaps. At present, its pantry has an adequate supply of groceries. The bin is between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. Are YOU the Next DreamBuilders Webmaster? Deadline is Sunday DreamBuilders is seeking a webmaster to join our Leadership team in September of 2021. The website is a key information source for our volunteers to learn about and sign up for local building opportunities and mission trips. The site also serves a vital communication role for construction partners, suppliers, supporters, and potential donors to understand the amazing work DreamBuilders does locally and on mission trips. You’ll be responsible for managing DreamBuilders’ web presence, ensuring our site is user-friendly and current. You should be knowledgeable in web hosting/ server management, online security, web design, and content management on the WordPress platform (no coding is necessary). You’ll participate in monthly leadership meetings to be well-informed of DreamBuilders' plans, projects, and events. This volunteer position requires a commitment of 4-8 hours a month, although the hours vary depending on DreamBuilders’ activity level. Your personal involvement and donation of web skills will have a direct impact on improving the lives of so many people! And of course, you’ll have ample opportunity to put your creative talents to good use. For more information, contact john.mcbeth@verizon.net The deadline to express interest is this Sunday, August 1st. SEAFARER’S Donation Requests We could use your help in gathering the following items. Delivery is made and the date is announced when the number of collections gets reasonably accumulated. Contact Carolann Sawyer with any questions. Bible in modern English (or Tagalog, Russian, or Chinese) Times/Newsweek/etc. up to 3 months old Sports Ill/People/etc. up to 6 months Cars/Computers/Consumers up to 1 year Reader’s Digest up to a couple of years National Geographics post-2000 Books (except for Bibles) are less often requested, but some seafarers do appreciate action novels, as well as picture books about Baltimore or the U.S. Action/adventure DVD’s. Recent popular CDs. Religious books (in easy English), DVDs, CDs; rosaries. Clothing - men’s jeans, other sturdy pants (no bigger than XL) or shorts, T-shirts, warm outerwear, and non-skid shoes/boots (in good condition only), and gloves, hats, scarves, and warm socks. 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 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; 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: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 Psalm 14 Ephesians 3:14-21 John 6:1-21 Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

A few months ago, I had to get myself a car because my car broke down on Route 29. After getting my car, I realized that there is both a GPS and a compass. You may not always need the GPS, but you will always need the compass. We have come a long way from the early days of the compass. One important feature about the compass is that it really does not take you home, it helps us to know whether we are heading north, south, east, or west. A few meters away from the fortified walls of a Slave Castle in my native Ghana is a very large compass that's sculpted into the ground. Legend has it that Christopher Columbus visited that castle, saw the compass, and pointed West, and that was how he got to the Americas. It was not the case that Columbus knew where he was going; he simply sailed westwards because he followed the compass. In last Sunday’s gospel reading, this is how Mark described the crowd Jesus met at the shore: “As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” A sheep without a shepherd is no different from knowing where you are but do not know where you are going or what may be next. A compass points you towards a direction, towards a path on which you may find fulfillment and solace that you may desperately need. A few questions have been raging in my mind the past couple of days... “Who are you?” “What are you here for?” “Who has called you?” More importantly, which compass guides you or points you in the direction you want to walk? The psalmist prays this faithful prayer in Psalm 86: Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. "Talk to me about the compass which points me to you," says the psalmist. Remember, in the gospel story, Jesus did not only see a dispirited crowd and showed compassion on them, but he also taught them. The teaching part or indeed the formation part of our Christian pilgrimage is one of the important tools that make our transformation possible. That is to say that availing ourselves to learn about the compass that leads us to God, is one of the most important ways of renewal and transformation. And to be honest with you, that is the only way we can know who we are, who it is that continuously calls us and desires for us to use Him as our compass. Who is it that does not need a compass? A few days ago, I was called to the hospital to baptize a twenty-three-week-old baby who had been delivered prematurely and was near death two days after she was born. Unfortunately, the baby died about three minutes before I arrived. The mother was holding the baby, and the father sat by the mother while they cried. I could not help but cry. This child could have been anything in the world, but here we have a mother and father mourning a life that was not. What words of comfort would be enough for this couple? In their grief, they will need a compass. We have all been witnesses to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our common lives. We have been exposed to our own vulnerabilities and to a reality check that seeks to remind us of life’s fragility. We can carry with ourselves this deep fear. In our anxiety, we will need a compass. Many are the homes that are experiencing hardships of different kinds: kids are struggling with school, and there is never enough to satisfy each child. For some, there is little to no home life. Marriages are crumbling under the weight of mistrust and mischief; single parents are struggling to provide necessities for their families. There is this feeling of the home losing its luster. In our desire for a renewed sense of family, society, and home, we will need a compass. Our friends at Lake Elkhorn Middle School would be blessed by the contribution you made in support of our School Supply Drive. At the very least, we know that those who need supplies for the next school year will receive them because of your kind generosity. The interesting bit is that our work does not end with the provision of supplies; we also must pray for them. They too need a compass. One of the organizations that have started in-person meetings at our campus is Alcoholic Anonymous. It is particularly strange that they end their meetings with the Lord’s Prayer, even though a good number of them may not be practicing Christians. A couple of Saturdays ago, I heard the echo of the prayer whiles I worked in the office. They, and many others who fight daily to overcome their addiction, also need a compass. The list is long, but I am sure you get the picture. We all - especially you and me - need a compass. We need the compass that reminds us to be thankful for everything, whether good or bad. We need that sense of direction that only the compass can offer us. If the legend about Columbus is true, then perhaps we also need to stand on the compass of God’s word and point to the west, east, north, or south with confidence, knowing that we can never go away from the presence of God. Even if we go to the very depths of the sea, we will find Him there. The story of the compass is not necessarily about being lost; it is about knowing whose you are, who called you, who you are, where you are, which direction you need to go, and how you will get to that font where the waters of comfort never runs out. I wish you a safe journey. ~Manny

Invitation to Take a Virtual Trip to Uganda as Leaders of Friends of Sabina Join the August 1st Zoom Coffee Hour/Adult Forum Plan to see and hear the latest on how leaders of Friends of Sabina (FOS) are making progress at Sabina Primary School in rural Uganda. At noon on Sunday, August 1st, Father Manny and the Outreach Commission will host Ann Marie Davis, who recently returned from Uganda, and Maria White, the two leaders of FOS. Links and details for this Zoom virtual gathering will be in next Monday's Christ Church Online Gatherings email. We’ve already gotten a positive update on the performance of Sabina’s students within the Ugandan system of education. The school educates children as early as 3 to 6 years of age in pre-primary. Primary students in grades P1 through P7 study English, Math, Science, and Social Studies (consisting of History, Geography, and Religious Studies). At Sabina, the curriculum also includes Permaculture/Agriculture. At the end, students take the national Primary Leaving Exams (PLE). These rigorous exams affect placement in secondary school and whether some students must repeat P7. On Tuesday, July 20th, the FOS leaders shared the news that Sabina ranked 13 out of about 400 schools in the Kyotera District: “We received the P7 results and all of the Sabina students passed with a score of 1 or 2. One being the highest!” “Everyone in the community is so excited as Sabina is back on the map with their improved commitment to superior academics. Thank you for believing in us,” said White in an email. More than a decade ago, Christ Church began supporting Sabina Primary School and its library through the organization, Children of Uganda (COU). Parishioners collected shipments of books for the library, which evolved into the Ssanje Community Resource center, playing a vital role for residents of the surrounding area. In late 2019, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese that owns Sabina Primary School entered into a management agreement with FOS, then a newly-formed organization that is co-managed by the two former members of the COU Board of Directors. FOS embarked on an improvement program that includes replacing infrastructure such as the obsolete kitchen complex. “By stepping out on faith, we built the foundation of our vision to renew and support the Sabina School,” said the FOS leaders. Outreach continues to support Sabina through FOS. For example, Christ Church pays the librarian’s salary and covers the costs of an upgraded internet service, using $2,000 in Vestry-approved funds in 2021. Thanks to Christ Church parishioners for making that possible! You, too, can take pride in the accomplishment of the high-performing P7 students. Beginning in 2020, Outreach also encouraged parishioners to sponsor Sabina students whose families otherwise cannot afford fees and tuition. (They are among Sabina students pictured here.) Christ Church members stepped forward to sponsor eight children, who then ranged in age from 8 to 15. Parishioners and the first names of the students are: Steve and Linda Alpern (Sharon); Tim and Sherry Beaty, (Herbert); Ellen and Charles Hoke, (Josephine); Patricia Fanning, (Patricia); Diane Phillips Laguerre (Jackson); Paula and Chuck Rees (Sandra); Catherine Whittaker (Brian); and Melanie and Nick Yaksich (Marvin). We’re expecting many of the sponsors to join the Zoom to hear more about these students’ experiences in what has turned out to be a year of pandemic challenges. The FOS leaders last met with Christ Church in May 2020 during a virtual coffee hour on Zoom. This time the images will be like traveling to Uganda’s Central Region, which is west of Lake Victoria and north of the border with Tanzania. And for some members of Christ Church, the video visit will remind them of their own travels to Uganda and long-standing involvement with Sabina Primary School including the Hokes, the Alperns, and Teddy and Sonni Aribiah and their sons, Jonah and Luke. Lake Elkhorn Middle School Supplies - THANK YOU! We are excited to report that we have exceeded our goal of $5,000 for school supplies for the students at LEMS. We are very grateful to the generous parishioners of Christ Church for their responsiveness to the needs of families in our local community. We have ordered the supplies and will fill the bags in the near future - stay tuned for details in upcoming communications. If you would like to help us bag the supplies, please contact Onyx Williams at ow6062@gmail.com or Cathy Whittaker at catharinewhittaker@gmail.com. Reminder: Restaurant Donation Day July 29 to Help Bridges End Homelessness Supporters of Bridges to Housing Stability can dine in at one restaurant or choose to dine in or take out at its sister venue in the Merriweather District in Downtown Columbia on July 29. Cured Table & Tap and 18th & 21st will each donate 10 percent of your receipt during Bridges’ Restaurant Donation Day. Both restaurants share the same address: 10980 Grantchester Way, #110, Columbia, MD 20144. For more information about the event or about Bridges and its support by our parishioners, read the Christ Church Outreach Blog Post of July 10. Collection Drive Continues to Provide Diapers, Personal Care Items for CCC At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to support Columbia Community Care (CCC) by collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items and adult diapers. Please put any of these items in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. You can drop off items on weekdays until 2 p.m., but we ask that you call the church office (410) 381-9365 ahead of time. Donate Personal Care and Cleaning Supplies for FISH in Bin on our Breezeway Organizers for FISH of Howard County request household cleaning supplies such as liquid dish soap, bleach, and cleanser as well as personal items such as deodorant, shampoo and bath soaps. At present, its pantry has an adequate supply of groceries. The bin is between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. Are YOU the Next DreamBuilders Webmaster? DreamBuilders is seeking a webmaster to join our Leadership team in September of 2021. The website is a key information source for our volunteers to learn about and sign up for local building opportunities and mission trips. The site also serves a vital communication role for construction partners, suppliers, supporters, and potential donors to understand the amazing work DreamBuilders does locally and on mission trips. You’ll be responsible for managing DreamBuilders’ web presence, ensuring our site is user-friendly and current. You should be knowledgeable in web hosting/ server management, online security, web design, and content management on the WordPress platform (no coding is necessary). You’ll participate in monthly leadership meetings to be well-informed of DreamBuilders' plans, projects, and events. This volunteer position requires a commitment of 4-8 hours a month, although the hours vary depending on DreamBuilders’ activity level. Your personal involvement and donation of web skills will have a direct impact on improving the lives of so many people! And of course, you’ll have ample opportunity to put your creative talents to good use. For more information, contact john.mcbeth@verizon.net The deadline to express interest is August 1st. SEAFARER’S Donation Requests We could use your help in gathering the following items. Delivery is made and the date announced when the number of collections gets reasonably accumulated. Contact Carolann Sawyer with any questions. Bible in modern English (or Tagalog, Russian, or Chinese) Times/Newsweek/etc. up to 3 months old Sports Ill/People/etc. up to 6 months Cars/Computers/Consumers up to 1 year Reader’s Digest up to a couple of years National Geographics post-2000 Books (except for Bibles) are less often requested, but some seafarers do appreciate action novels, as well as picture books about Baltimore or the U.S. Action/adventure DVD’s. Recent popular CDs. Religious books (in easy English), DVDs, CDs; rosaries. Clothing - men’s jeans, other sturdy pants (no bigger than XL) or shorts, T-shirts, warm outerwear, and non-skid shoes/boots (in good condition only), and gloves, hats, scarves, and warm socks. 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 Eighth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: 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. Readings for today: 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Today's Sermon: Rebecca Warlow's sermon can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

Save the Dates: Grassroots Meal Drop-Offs on Monday, July 19th & Aug. 16th Once again, parishioners and volunteers who join their efforts are looking ahead to the monthly meal that we provide at Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. Save the dates: July 19th and Aug. 16th, arriving between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. at the parking lot outside Old Brick. Plan to bring a side dish, a dessert, or items for their pantry to be enjoyed round-the-clock by the 50 residents of the live-in facility on Freetown Rd. To sign up, use our electronic registry no later than noon on the Sunday prior to the meal on Monday. Click on the Christ Church Grassroots Meal link on SignUpGenius to view requested items and to tell coordinators what you’ll bring. As usual, co-coordinator Nancy Winchester acquires fried chicken at Weis and meets the other volunteers. Nancy then transports the hot or cold foods to Freetown Road for handoff to the staff of Grassroots. Christ Church continues to support Grassroots’ Day Resource Center (DRC) at the Dorsey Center. The DRC has not yet resumed the hot meals that Christ Church had helped serve prior to the pandemic, but it fulfills other needs of our homeless friends. Grassroots lists some other needs for curbside distribution at the DRC or for the pantry at the Freetown Road facility. Look for its attached file at our sign-up link. For any questions contact Nancy or co-coordinator Shahra Toth or email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. To further help our neighbors in need, some parishioners take it upon themselves to provide the evening meal for the 50 adults and children at Freetown Road. It’s your choice to provide an entree and side dishes, or just the entree. Cook in your own kitchen, or order out. Or purchase 12 rotisserie chickens to make a meal. Grassroots continues to discourage lasagna or other pasta dishes. Here is a link to the sign-up list that has openings through Aug. 31st. 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 to the less fortunate during a Drive-Thru Pet Food Pantry (see photo above). It will be held on Tuesday, July 20th, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., or while supplies last, at Howard County Animal Control, 8675 Davis Rd., Columbia, Md. 21045. Columbia Community Care Recruits Volunteers to Make Deliveries The Outreach Commission and our Racially Aware Group of Episcopalians (R.A.G.E) ask parishioners to support Columbia Community Care (CCC). One way is to heed a current plea for additional volunteers who “shop” at the CCC pantry to fulfill a family’s order of groceries and then deliver to the recipient’s home. Please sign up under “I can help” on the CCC website or in the CCC Group on Facebook. Because too few volunteers have chosen this option, there is a waiting list of families needing food. They lack transportation or otherwise can’t make it to CCC’s regular sites. Instead, a volunteer fulfils the shopping list at the CCC pantry within New Hope Adventist Church, 12350 Hall Shop Rd., Fulton, MD, 12350. Directions to the recipients’ home are sent by text message. One Christ Church parishioner who volunteers for this task prefers to “shop” for two families and make back-to-back deliveries. Volunteers have a wide timeframe to perform the duty, mostly dictated by the pantry hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 12:30 to 6 p.m. Another opportunity to support CCC is to continue collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items as well as adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin marked “CCC” inside the Parish Hall door. You can drop off items on weekdays until 2 p.m., but please call the church office (410) 381-9365 ahead of time. Donate Toiletries, Cleaning Supplies for FISH in its Yellow Bin Organizers for FISH of Howard County request household cleaning supplies such as liquid dish soap, bleach, and cleanser. Also the families who call on FISH during times of crisis could use personal items such as deodorant, shampoo and bath soaps. At the present time, the pantry has an adequate supply of groceries. Reminder: Restaurant Donation Day July 29 to Help Bridges End Homelessness Supporters of Bridges to Housing Stability can dine in at one restaurant or choose to dine in or take out at its sister venue in the Merriweather District in Downtown Columbia on July 29th. Cured Table & Tap and 18th & 21st will each donate 10 percent of your receipt during Bridges’ Restaurant Donation Day. Both restaurants share the same address: 10980 Grantchester Way, #110, Columbia, MD 20144. For more information about the event or about Bridges and its support by our parishioners, read the Christ Church Outreach Blog Post of July 10th. Lake Elkhorn Middle School Supplies Update We are excited to report that we have exceeded our goal of $5,000 for school supplies for the students at LEMS. We are very grateful to the generous parishioners of Christ Church for their responsiveness to the needs of families in our local community. Because of your open hearts, Christ Church will be able to provide school supplies for at least 125 children for the upcoming school year. We will be ordering the supplies shortly and hope to fill the bags on a morning between July 25th and 30th. We will choose a more specific date once we know all the supplies have arrived. If you would like to help us bag the supplies, please contact Onyx Williams at ow6062@gmail.com or Cathy Whittaker at catharinewhittaker@gmail.com. Are YOU the Next DreamBuilders Webmaster? DreamBuilders is seeking a webmaster to join our Leadership team in September of 2021. The website is a key information source for our volunteers to learn about and sign up for local building opportunities and mission trips. The site also serves a vital communication role for construction partners, suppliers, supporters, and potential donors to understand the amazing work DreamBuilders does locally and on mission trips. You’ll be responsible for managing DreamBuilders’ web presence, ensuring our site is user-friendly and current. You should be knowledgeable in web hosting/ server management, online security, web design, and content management on the WordPress platform (no coding is necessary). You’ll participate in monthly leadership meetings to be well-informed of DreamBuilders' plans, projects, and events. This volunteer position requires a commitment of 4-8 hours a month, although the hours vary depending on DreamBuilders’ activity level. Your personal involvement and donation of web skills will have a direct impact on improving the lives of so many people! And of course, you’ll have ample opportunity to put your creative talents to good use. For more information, contact john.mcbeth@verizon.net The deadline to express interest is August 1st. SEAFARER’S Donation Requests We could use your help in gathering the following items. Delivery is made and the date announced when the number of collections gets reasonably accumulated. Contact Carolann Sawyer with any questions. Bible in modern English (or Tagalog, Russian, or Chinese) Times/Newsweek/etc. up to 3 months old Sports Ill/People/etc. up to 6 months Cars/Computers/Consumers up to 1 year Reader’s Digest up to a couple of years National Geographics post-2000 Books (except for Bibles) are less often requested, but some seafarers do appreciate action novels, as well as picture books about Baltimore or the U.S. Action/adventure DVD’s. Recent popular CDs. Religious books (in easy English), DVDs, CDs; rosaries. Clothing - men’s jeans, other sturdy pants (no bigger than XL) or shorts, T-shirts, warm outerwear, and non-skid shoes/boots (in good condition only), and gloves, hats, scarves, and warm socks. 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.

Sermon for Pentecost VII July 11, 2021 The Reverend Emmanuel Ato Mercer The gospel begins with some confusion about the person of Jesus. His reputation has risen to the heights where King Herod has heard about him. Who is he? Amid the confusion, Herod concludes that John whom he beheaded, has been raised from the dead. Mark then tells the story surrounding the death of John - a prophet who spoke truth to power without counting the cost. The gospel has four main characters: a vain king, an avenging woman, an innocent pawn, and a fearless prophet who spoke truth to power without counting the cost. Which of these are you? The interesting bit about Herod was that he found John’s preaching to be both fascinating and challenging. He was eager to hear John preach but unwilling to accommodate his teachings. The one guilt which made him a coward to John was his marriage to his late brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. John spoke on the basis of Leviticus 16:18- “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife. It is your brother’s nakedness.” But the powers that be weren’t happy about what John said and so they held a grudge. In a moment of enthusiasm at a banquet, possibly drunk, Herod makes this reckless promise to his daughter who had danced to everyone’s admiration. Because Herodias had a grudge against John for daring to speak truth to power, this seemed like the seminal moment she’s been looking for - she took her revenge on John, prompting the daughter to ask for John’s head. It was as if his life didn’t matter. To what extent can your desire for revenge go? Although Herod liked John, his desire to appear strong and mighty kept him from breaking his word to the little girl. And so the girl got the head on a platter and didn’t even know what to do with it. This story is uniquely placed in the gospel of Mark because of the danger that awaited Jesus and his disciples as they shared the good news. According to Mark, they will have to contend with powerful political forces in a society saturated with pawns and anger. Unfortunately, the consequences will be death. Mark also reminds us that the danger of confronting powerful political forces, a heartless king or corrupt system wouldn’t be peculiar to Jesus, his disciples, or John alone, but that so long as you and I live in a society far removed from living the will of God, that danger will be inescapable. We owe it to ourselves and our prophetic calling to speak God’s truth to the powers that be-and that in itself is the danger we face. According to Mark, you and I have to come to terms with the reality that in so far as we speak truth to power by expressing the deep wisdom of God, in so far as we seek to be holy and blameless before God in love, and encourage others to do so; in so far as we proclaim, like the psalmist, that only those who have clean hands and a pure heart may ascend the hill of the Lord, we will face some danger and some rejection from those who believe that some children of God can be treated like John, as conveniences, impersonal objects rather than human beings. Unfortunately, that was how the girl, the mother, and the king looked at John. A prisoner who was as dispensable as any object that you and I can buy at the store and simply put in the trash bin because we find no need for it. The sad reality is that this is how some people see some of God’s children. And that is why we have to speak truth to power. When we speak truth to power, we do not only confront the systems that diminish us and treat us like John, but we also hold the mirror to our faces because we ought to know whether we are supporting an abusive system, whether we are being used as pawns to support that system or whether we are so full of rage that all we care about is to revenge on behalf of that system. A few days ago, I shared with a parishioner an article about a speech to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti Slavery Society by Frederick Douglass in the Corinthian Hall, Rochester, N.Y. on July 5, 1852. Frederick had little to no formal education and escaped from Slavery in Maryland. But here he was, not only speaking truth to power but figuratively holding the mirror to our faces and asking this important question “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” He answers, and I quote: “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour.” But, as gloomy and horrific as the life of the Slave was, Douglass was incredibly hopeful. “I do not despair of this country.” He said. “There are forces in operation, which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. ‘The arm of the Lord is not shortened,’ and the doom of slavery is certain,” he says. “I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope.” His hope was for a future where no human being would be treated like John, a commodity that could be disposed of without any care. Over the years, many are those who have called out the king for having no clothes on. Many are those who have perished for daring to speak truth to power. Abraham Lincoln spoke truth to power, even though he was the face of that power. Susan Anthony spoke truth to power. Martin Luther King spoke truth to power. Countless others have spoken truth to power, and continue to speak truth to power. The unique quality of those who speak truth to power is their belief in Paul’s words to the Ephesians, that we are all adopted as God’s children. We are adopted as individuals into a community and been given prophetic roles to speak like John, we have been given a prophetic task, as Walter Brueggemann says, to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope, in a society that lives in despair. That’s the hope that Frederick Douglass talks about. Those who speak truth to power are empowered by love to speak even on behalf of those within the community who cannot speak for themselves. As children of God, God has gifted us with every spiritual blessing. This is not a promise of future gifts to be enjoyed in heaven, but a present gift of spiritual blessedness. It is this gift that makes it possible for us to refuse to hold on to grudges and to find more than enough reason to even break a promise we know to be detrimental to the value of another person. Those who speak truth to power are always mindful of the violence of revenge. They know that there’s never any healing in revenge. And so with words of comfort, they always seek reconciliation, they strive for the mending of all of God’s creation, and they bring healing to the broken places of our lives. The one who speaks truth to power confronts and denounces any system that thrives on being unaccountable. And the one who speaks truth to power doesn’t count the cost in doing so. That is what Mark wants us to know - that despite the danger of speaking truth to power, don’t count the cost. And so wherever you find perversion of justice, speak up. Wherever you find wrongdoings, speak up. Wherever you find ills that diminish the dignity of others, speak up. Whenever you come across people so bent on vengeance, speak up. Whenever you come across people being used as pawns to further another person’s agenda, speak up. If there was some confusion as to who Jesus was, there shouldn’t be any confusion about who you are. Speak that kind of truth that is rooted in the gospel of God’s redemption. Speak truth to power, speak the truth that binds us and builds up. Speak the kind of truth that breaks down barriers and offers hope to dispirited people. Speak, and do not hold back. Speak and don’t count the cost. Amen. You can hear Father Manny's Sermon in today's livestream video, which is below.

Today is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: 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. Readings for today: 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 Psalm 24 Ephesians 1:3-14 Mark 6:14-29 Today's Sermon: Father Manny's sermon can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.