Restaurants have changed a lot these days. It used to be that when you visit a restaurant, you will be given a seat or you seat yourself, and then you are handed a menu card from which you can see all the different types of menu: salad, soup, appetizer, entrée, desert, side dishes etc. If you happen to visit a much sophisticated restaurant, you get the chance to pick all sorts of stuff. All of this on a menu card. In some upscale restaurant, the menu card comes in a folder. In that folder is the meals and even the types of drinks that they offer. Wherever you find yourself, you may pick the meal you so desire. But there’s been a change-not much change though. This change is a result of COVID. It just so happens that this time, at some restaurants, they no longer provide you with a menu card, you simply have to take a picture of a QR code with your phone, the menu pops up on your phone, you check the menu and then decide which one you want. But what would he have been left with if he had taken a picture of a QR code with his phone fifty-six (56) years ago? I wonder if you will still be using the same smart phone you are presently using in 2027. So, what was that one tangible thing that took him back to the day when both he and his wife committed themselves to each other in holy matrimony? I once visited a gentleman. He is a widower. When I arrived, he was holding a large maroon-looking old folder. I didn’t know what was on the pages of what he was reading. But I could tell by the look of his face that he was really enthralled by what he was looking at. We started a chat the moment he welcomed me. And the conversation took us in all kinds of different directions. During our chat, he kept the folder on his lap with his hands gently placed on it. In the midst of the chat he asked if I knew what he was holding when I walked in. How would I know? I asked myself. ‘I am afraid I do not know.’ I responded. He then tells me that it was the menu folder from their wedding day, fifty-six (56) years ago in a swanky upscale restaurant. Who in heaven’s name keeps a menu folder of his wedding day dinner for fifty-six years? I asked myself. Apparently, the father was a man of little means, but he was so proud of his son that he treated him, his new wife and eight guests to a wedding dinner at that restaurant. The gentleman stood up and meticulously laid the folder on a couch and opened it for me. I saw all the different menu that was offered at this restaurant. And what I found most surprising was that the most expensive food was $6.75. You can’t even get a decent meal for $10.00 today. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. I was completely blown away. I was blown away, not because of the prices of the food. No. Rather, it was about the fact that the gentleman was holding on to a piece of history, a treasure that reminded him of so much. He was holding on to a menu folder that reminded him of his love and the day that love spoke to him with words so beautiful and reassuring that he has found every reason under the sun to hold on to love’s memorabilia. More to the point, it reminded him of the special day with the special people he has loved all of his life. I didn’t ask him why he’s kept the menu folder for so long. It wasn’t like the restaurant still existed or that he intends to go back and visit. I didn’t have to ask because I felt I knew why. That may have been the only piece of a tangible object that connected him to the day and brought him closer to the people that he’s loved all his life. As I walked away after our visit, I wondered how many times he’s actually looked at the menu folder. I wonder how much comfort that offered him. Life is such that often times we are left with nothing to hold on to but the ordinary things in life. Ordinary things which evoke as much meaning as any extraordinary thing you can imagine. Ordinary things which can tell an equally powerful story as any extraordinary experience. This joyful Eastertide, what are you holding on to? What’s your kind of menu card that evokes such memories, tells your love story and brings back to life those wonderful moments of yester year? Whatever memories that you share with others, whatever menu folder that you keep, Easter’s invitation is to hold on tight to it. That may not only be the most comforting treasure you possess, but it may be the closest you can get to touch that beautiful and wonderful story. Happy Easter, Manny.

Lots of WOCC activity this spring! Mark Your Calendars: 12:00 p.m., Saturday, April 23rd, we’ll be meeting at the Robinson Nature Center to have lunch and conversation followed by a walk through their trails. We’ll meet at the outside tables near the Center’s front door. It’s free to use the trails, and if you want to visit the exhibits, it will cost $5. Bring your lunch, and join us for a spring walk! Mark Your Calendars for the May Tea! We will be having our May Tea on May 12th at 11:30, in Sweet Simplici-Tea in Sykesville. We’ll have lots more info about this WOCC tradition soon, so stay tuned! Hats On For Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th, and we will be keeping to our tradition of wearing hats to the Sunday services. We want to capture pictures of ladies in hats after each service to include on our blog page. If you intend to attend the service online that day, you can still participate by sending our Communications Administrator, Chris, a picture of you in your hat for posting. Chris’s address is communications@christchurchcolumbia.org. Have Any WOCC Photos? Share 'Em! While we are on the subject of pictures, Chris has nicely volunteered to help us build out our WOCC blog with pictures from past events. If you’ve got some favorite pictures of past WOCC events you’d like to share, please email them to wocc@christchurchcolumbia.org, and identify the event and date or year they occurred. We’ll put them all together and work with Chris to share our stories! The next WOCC meeting takes place via Zoom on Monday, May 2nd at 1 p.m. If you’re a woman aged 18 or older, you’re already a member of the WOCC, so join us and see what’s happening!

This evening, April 22nd at 6 p.m. in Old Brick, Christ Church hosts our final Taizé gathering of the spring, a brief and wonderfully enriching service including chants, prayers, Scripture, intercessory prayer, and silence. Mother Marcia Davenport, a long-time adherent and frequent visitor of the Taizé community in France, will lead us. This form of worship offers a time of quiet and intentional reflection, drawing us all closer to the Presence of God in Christ Jesus. The founder of the Taizé community, Brother Roger, explains: "What we usually call 'Worship' the Taizé community simply calls 'Prayer'. Taizé Prayer consists of 'short chants, repeated again and again, giving them a meditative character. Using just a few words, they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God." Silence is also an important component and a welcome gift to Taizé worship The use of lighted candles and icons offers a visual invitation to pray silently in the presence of others and God. Although chants and even prayers are sung, there is no requirement to be musically gifted to participate; simply join us in Old Brick this evening for an hour or so.

Today is April 17, 2022 - Easter Sunday. Collect of the Day: Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Readings for today: Acts 10:34-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 John 20:1-18 Today's Worship Livestreams: Father Manny's Easter Sermon text can be read here. Today's Worship Livestreams: You can join us for today's service by using this leaflet. 9:00 a.m. service: 11:00 a.m. service:

Easter Sunday Saturday, April 17th Holy Eucharist at 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in New Brick 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. are livestreamed on our website, YouTube, and Facebook We have now reached Easter Day – the feast of Christ’s resurrection. It is a day of joy, celebration, and the gift of life to God’s people. ​ The 8:00 a.m. Eucharist will take place in Old Brick. At the 9:00 and 11:00 services, a dynamic and vibrant choir is present, with all of the rituals appointed for the day to help us celebrate and express our joy. The Easter sermon is given; the choir anthems are spectacular, and the glory of the day radiates from our worship into the community. ​ Here is today's service leaflet. 9:00 a.m. Livestream 11:00 a.m. Livestream

Holy Saturday Saturday, April 16th Easter Vigil with Holy Baptism at 7:30 p.m. in New Brick and livestreamed on our website, YouTube, and Facebook As the church awaits the glory of the resurrection, Holy Saturday is a day of preparation. As the sun sets and brings us towards the end of the Lenten season, one of the most beautiful services of the entire church year is held. We begin in utter darkness, signifying Christ in the tomb, and then a new fire is lighted & blessed and, with it, the Paschal Candle symbolizing Christ. As the Paschal Candle is carried into the church, the light is passed to parishioners, each one holding a candle. ​ As the church is illumined by candlelight, the ancient hymn The Exsultet is sung. Within that light, lessons are read which remind us of God’s desire for man’s salvation. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism takes central focus for the priesthood of all believers, and then we celebrate the first Eucharist of Easter. The darkness then becomes full light! ​ Here is today's service leaflet. 7:30 p.m. Livestream

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. ~Matthew 18:1-5 This past fall, I served as a discernment intern at the Church of the Guardian Angel in the Remington neighborhood in Baltimore. On November 7, we baptized Peter, the two-year-old son of the rector. Now, his parents had been talking with him about baptism, preparing him to have holy water poured over his head and to be anointed with oil, but he wasn’t too sure about the process, particularly the water. No one was surprised that he quite vocally expressed his displeasure when he was picked up to be baptized, but the promise of a treat gave his father a few moments to baptize him. It was his four-year-old older brother, though, who reminded us all of the words above from the Gospel of Matthew when, after water had been poured on young Peter’s head, his brother said in a joyful voice, “You’re part of the church now!” then jumped up and down while cheering and clapping, which we all joined. Young Timothy knew instinctually that belonging to Christ and to the church is worthy of celebrating and brings great joy. Being part of the church also calls us to follow Jesus and to keep the promises we made in our own baptismal vows. Belonging to Christ and to each other means that we continue in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers. Belonging means that we persevere in resisting evil, and whenever we fall into sin, we repent and return to the Lord. Belonging means that we proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ. Belonging means that we seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. Belonging means that we will strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. In chapter 18 of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us “whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Timothy knew how to welcome his newly baptized brother into the church. We are called by Jesus to welcome each other. But we do not have to do this alone, in our baptismal vows we respond not simply with I will, but I will with God's help. We all belong to God, we are all part of the body of Christ, and with God's help we can fulfill our baptismal promises.

Good Friday Friday, April 15th Holy Eucharist at 12 noon and 7:30 p.m. in New Brick both services livestreamed on our website, YouTube, and Facebook Christians throughout the world recall Good Friday as the day upon which Jesus died. As it remembers the great sinfulness of man, it also points to the glory and love of God. It is most somber in its offering and includes the Veneration of the Cross, another ancient custom of the Church. A plain wooden cross is carried into the church and is held before us. The congregation is then invited to come forward in reverence of the cross - by touching of the wood, a simple bow, a genuflection, or the act of kissing the wood of the cross. ​ The noonday service lasts one hour, drawing attention to the extraordinary love that God has for each of us in giving His son to die upon the cross. The evening service is fifteen minutes longer, as we also receive communion from the Sacrament Reserved. Church tradition prohibits the celebration of the Eucharist on this day. Here is today's service leaflet. 12 Noon Livestream 7:30 p.m. Livestream

MAUNDY THURSDAY at CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH Thursday, April 14th in New Brick Seder meal at 6:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist at 7:30 p.m. This evening, we gather together beginning with a 6:00 p.m. Seder meal in the Great Hall to bring into remembrance the Last Supper of our Lord and the Institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Then in the New Brick Sanctuary, we hear and remember the words of Jesus as he states, “Do this in remembrance of me.” As the service concludes, the altar is stripped of all of its appointments, so that the focus of all can be upon the cross alone on the following day, Good Friday. We then hear of the Agony in the Garden, as Jesus is arrested. The Watch then takes place through the night, as in response to our Lord’s question: “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Service Livestream: The service leaflet for tonight is at https://tinyurl.com/CEC-MaundyThursday Deacon Denise's Sermon text can be read at https://tinyurl.com/CEC-MTsermon

Encountering a person from our Church, I feel a closeness and a connection. There is a warmth, a smile in greeting and a deep caring for that individual. I feel free to share personal news in my family- both problems and successes. My reserve or guard has dissolved and I feel free and open. It is like sharing joys or sorrow with a member of my extended family. In this community, I feel attached and cared for. We have similar goals and aspirations. We feel free to offer or receive help from each other. We often work together in community service or in reaching out to others who are alone or ill. We inquire about their well-being, if we have not seen or spoken to a person in a while. We miss them. Their presence is important to us. We are part of a whole, and everyone is essential. I am full of joy when a past member of the community returns for a visit. Our common bond is our love of Christ and the love spills over. We are linked by love and by common experiences. We pledge to be one.

Dear Lord, Teach me to quiet my mind. Stop my thoughts from racing from one thing to another. Stop me from the obsessive thinking about the lives of others. Help me rest and quiet my mind. Help me let go of trying to control the lives of others. Free my mind to be at rest. This I pray.