Today is the Third Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 Psalm 20 2 Corinthians 5:6-10,[11-13],14-17 Mark 4:26-34 Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here. Sheet music for today is found here.

Tomorrow is my birthday. This is my first birthday where I am so far away from my current home. But then also, I am home with family and friends in Ghana. So, the question is... where is home? Thankfully, I do not have to choose where my allegiance lies because each family across the Atlantic loves me in a particularly distinct and fulfilling way. All through the many years of my life, I have been blessed by love so preciously inviting, sustaining, and life-giving that I would not trade it for any other. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I am far away from Columbia. It was not by design; it just so happened that I could not miss an important event in our family. I have a much broader sense of family, and with it comes the burden of juggling between competing family obligations. It is not always the case that one obligation is important than the other, but what I have come to find out is that whether big or small, members of a family can stick together in any and all situations and that they could muster the devotion, loyalty, and unconditional love - similar to that of a dog for its master. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I want to write about dogs - primarily for their sense of devotion, loyalty, and unconditional love. Many are the wonderful stories I have heard over the years about dogs, and I am sure you have your own story about your dog(s). If you do, please share it with me, as I’d like to hear it. In fact, there’s actually a dog bedtime prayer: Now I lay me down to sleep, The king-sized bed is soft and deep. I sleep right in the center groove, My human beings can hardly move. I’ve trapped their legs, they’re tucked in tight, And here is where I pass the night No one disturbs me or dares intrude, Til morning comes and “I want food” I sneak up slowly to begin, And nibble on my human’s chin. For morning’s here, it’s time to play, I always seem to get my way. So thank you Lord, for giving me, This human person that I see. The one who hugs me and holds me tight, And shares their bed with me at night. Of all these stories, there is one that I read a few days ago, which appeared on the Judge Judy television show. This little dog, who had known so much affection from her owner, was stolen and sold to another person. The woman who bought the stolen dog loved her as much as she could - just like the former owner, if not more. The story does not really elaborate on how the two - the original owner and the new owner - chanced upon each other, but the original owner of the dog sued the new owner to get his dog back. And, in true Judge Judy fashion, she let the dog loose in the court for the dog to figure out where she really belongs. The dog did not waste time to run to the original owner, and that, for Judge Judy, was more than enough for her to rule on behalf of the original owner. That story reminds me of one of the important pieces of jurisprudence that labeled King Solomon as being the wise king: There were two mothers who lived in the same house. Each one of the mothers had an infant son. One of the women accidentally smothered her son. But each claimed the remaining boy as her own child. The case was brought to the king’s attention. In his wisdom, the king called for a sword and declared that the baby was to be cut into two, with each of the feuding women receiving half of the body. One of the mothers did not contest the ruling, declaring that if she could not have the baby then neither of them could, but the other begged Solomon, "Give the baby to her, just don't kill him!" The woman who was the real mother fought for the life of the baby, "Do not kill the baby," she said. The woman who was not the real mother fought as well, but not with the intent of saving a life, but instead of ending a life, hoping that both women would be in the same position. How cruel can one be, that in your own grief or loss, you can believe that another person’s grief or loss would somehow make life better for you. The king immediately saw through the woman’s depravity. She was neither compassionate nor loving enough to embrace another person’s happiness as her own, but rather too vile to accept her own mistakes. Tomorrow is my birthday, and it will mark a significant milestone for me. Someone asked how I feel being this "young." I responded that I am not sure or know how I got to where I am, but that I feel that I live life as a devoted and loyal pastor who loves unconditionally. This is how I feel, living a life shaped by gratitude, grace, and honor. This is how I feel, living a blessed life that honors my own circumstance - however good or bad it may be - and always looking at the brighter side of life. Tomorrow is my birthday, and I cannot thank my family and friends across the Atlantic, and the faithful people of Christ Church who have blessed me with more than I could ever imagine or desire. You and I are far away from being dogs, but if there is anything we can learn from them, it is their sense of devotion, loyalty, and unconditional love, as these qualities make the world a much better place. Manny.

The WOCC's next monthly meeting will take place Monday, June 7th, at 1:00 pm. Once again, we will be meeting via the Zoom meeting app, which is free and available on www.Zoom.us. Feel free to join us! All the women of Christ Church over the age of 18 are already members of the WOCC. If you have any questions or need the Zoom details, please contact the WOCC officers by emailing wocc@christchurchcolumbia.org

Today is the Second Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; 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: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) Psalm 138 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35 Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here. Sheet music for today is found here.

One of the incredible rivalries between siblings that the Bible recounts is the one between Jacob and Esau: Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. Esau was the first to be born, and according to scripture, Jacob was holding Esau’s leg when Esau was born. The height of that rivalry was when Jacob with the help of his mother stole Esau’s blessing from him and then took off. Later, when Jacob was returning back to his country, he sought and made peace with Esau. The rivalry did not end after Jacob and Esau smoked the peace pipe; it has continued on to this very day. Scripture is replete with stories upon stories about this rivalry, and in the recent past, we have seen the rivalry played out on our TV screens and many other avenues of communication. The most recent flashes occurred a few weeks ago between the Israelis, who are thought to be descendants of Jacob, and the Palestinians, who are also thought to be descendants of Esau. The Israelis used the powerful military strength to cause as much damage and death as possible. The Palestinians also used their less superior weapons to cause as much damage and death on the Israeli people as possible. Mine is not to debate the merits of their long-running dispute. I think the issues run very, very deep and have been passed on from one generation to another. Many are the world leaders who have spent significant political capital on this very concern. What saddens me, however, is that after all the efforts that have already gone into solving this conflict, the world has still not been able to provide a concrete resolution to this intractable problem. Without a lasting solution, we will have to wake up in the morning to more news flashes of conflict between the descendants of twins. I had a chat with a friend the other day, and she reminded me of the many ongoing conflicts around the world. It does not appear that the pandemic has slowed down people’s appetite for conflict. As terrible as the pandemic has been, I was hoping that its effect on all of us will help us to be more measured in our interaction with each other and be filled with compassion for the other. We may all have been twins thousands of years ago, but we have grown so distant and different that we no longer recognize each other as such, nor do we honor our common heritage. We have, in all honesty, lost trust in each other. It often feels like our desire is to get at the other. We have lost trust in the honesty and truth which our public institutions must represent. We continue to fail the institution for which our ancestors fought and died. This past Memorial Day was an incredibly somber day for me. I have reflected a lot about the sacrifices that many millions of people have made to make this country safe, secure, prosperous, and strong. I thought a lot about their dedication to duty, honor, honesty, and patriotism. Amid my wonderings, the events of this past January 6th came to mind. I could not just bring myself to understand the refusal to have a bipartisan investigation into the events of that day. I thought that would be a given - that as a constitutional republic, properly investigating an event of such national importance would have been the desire of everyone. But that was not to be. There is no doubt that we have a long way to go; whether you live in Israel or Gaza, Venezuela, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Myanmar, or even our own United States, we have a long way to go in making sure that we find greater meaning and purpose in our common heritage. We also have a long way to go in building relationships that overlook our differences and creates an avenue for smoking the proverbial peace pipe. We have a long way to go in being twins with different and enriching motivations than Jacob and Esau. Manny.

Please join us in welcoming Nina, Carson, and Harrison into the household of God! It was a beautiful Trinity Sunday service, as the candidates were surrounded by loving immediate and parish family. You can watch the Trinity Sunday worship and baptisms below.

A 17-year phenomenon. This year is my first experience with cicadas. I don’t remember hearing about them seventeen years ago, when I was in Atlanta, GA. If I did, I am pretty certain that it didn’t make any impact on me. This year, however, feels very different. It feels like I am experiencing something new for the very first time. It all began last Saturday, right after our confirmation retreat. I was sitting outdoors on the bench by the driveway. I just felt something funny climbing up my right leg, I immediately swiped at my leg and shook it, and guess what fell down? That's right - a cicada. For the life of me, I wasn’t expecting a cicada to climb up my leg. It was a surprise to have my expectations altered by a climb of a single cicada. For those of us who heard the unstoppable and unending noise, this is exactly what it was like seventeen years ago. But for those for whom this is the first experience, I wonder if this is what you expected. If this isn’t what you expected, can you recall when you've had your expectations altered before? We all have some expectations of ourselves - high expectations, if you will. I have many high expectations of myself, and I strive - as much as I can - to meet those expectations. Do I always meet my own expectations of myself? Of course not! Like you, I often find myself falling far short of meeting them. One of the bits of wisdom that I share with couples during pre-marital counseling is, if possible, to have little to no expectations for each other, instead just to simply grow together. This is because you don’t want to get disappointed by failing expectations. In fact, the only expectation you should have is for you, yourself, because you are the only one who can control what you do and what you say. My former Rector, Cliff Cutler, tells a story of altered expectation and disappointment. One of his sons was enrolled at Boston University for his undergraduate studies. For whatever reason, this young man decided to quit school. He then got himself a job at a factory and worked on the assembly line. One of his colleagues at the assembly line was an old African American man. One night, as they worked their shift at the assembly line, the old African American man asked him: ‘Son, do you want to work on a carpet or on a concrete floor?’ ‘Why? came a response from the young man. Well, this job ain't for you,’ the old man replied. That night, the young man quit and re-enrolled at school. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. in psychology. That particular conversation became his turning point. That night was so bright that he could see the words of an old African American man, a person who saw more in him than he saw in himself at the time. What are your expectations for yourself? Do you see more in yourself than others might want to acknowledge? Remember, how we see things changes what we see - you can either see the glass as half-empty or half-full, but it all depends on how you see it. One of the interesting post-resurrection stories recounts the journey on the road to Emmaus. Two disciples of the resurrected Jesus were on their way to Emmaus when they were joined by Jesus. However, they did not know that it was him. In response to a question from Jesus about their conversation, one of the two shared the abiding hope of all of Israel, all of God's people. “But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things took place.” In a very real way, Cleopas and his friend expressed their sense of frustration and disappointment over their failed expectations in Jesus. It wasn’t until Jesus broke bread with them that they noticed who has been walking with them along the way, and when they saw him, they returned back to Jerusalem to announce to the other disciples that hope is alive, the Lord is alive. The conversation became a turning point for them; that night was so bright that they could see their way to Jerusalem, even in that thick darkness. Three things for our consideration: our own expectations of ourselves, our expectations of others, and others' expectations of us. These expectations may not always align like the cacophony of noise created by the cicadas, but we cannot discount their presence, either. I do not know what your expectations are for yourself or for someone else, but I’d like to encourage you that if at all possible, work towards exceeding your own expectations for yourself. And if at all possible, see through the darkness of the night’s limitations, and walk to ‘Jerusalem’ with the good news that you can see more in yourself... beyond your expectations. Manny.

Here are some more photos from today's wonderful 8:00 and 10:30 services. With many safely masked and distanced people back in New Brick and an equally great number of parishioners worshipping remotely with us, we enjoyed a visit from the Diocese and a fantastic number of Confirmation and Reception candidates. What a beautiful day, surrounded by love both personally and virtually. Thank you for taking part, everyone!

Today is the Day of Pentecost. Collect of the Day: Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ 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 2:1-21 Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Romans 8:22-27 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

The CEC Book Club continues our discussion of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity through this month. These are conducted via Zoom each Friday from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. As always, we welcome newcomers at any time, so come and join us if we're covering a book that interests you. If you would like the Zoom link, email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org

Graduation last year was a near-total disappointment and a painful experience for many families. We like to make each milestone a little significant. That way, we can all come together as families, friends, and loved ones for fellowship and renewal, if you will. These events become part of a family’s ongoing narrative. For obvious reasons, last year did not offer us the opportunity to mark this significant milestone in the life of our children, especially high school students. Many families found different ways to at least celebrate their children, people who are turning into adults heading off to college or towards another new life chapter. A lot of high schools held graduations on Zoom in order to celebrate their students. Every attempt was worth it because each reflected a much deeper story demonstrating the extent to which we all go to make things worthwhile for the children we love. This year has been markedly different. I haven’t, as yet, heard about any school which is holding exclusively virtual graduations - and this is a good thing. This year is a special year for me; in as much as I celebrate Zachary Johnson for graduating college, and Steve Spooner and Aislinn Coghlan for graduating high school, I also celebrate my daughter Havilynd who graduates from high school on Sunday and heads off to college in the fall. I am sure many of you remember stories of driving her to Pikesville very early each morning and picking her up late in the evenings because I didn’t want to deal with the nauseating traffic on interstate 695. That was a huge sacrifice. But I am keenly aware that Beth and Bill, Susan, Mary Anne and Peter, and many more parents have made, and continue to make, enormous sacrifices in raising and supporting your children. The question is, why? Why do you and I and many others make these sacrifices for our children? In a very pure way, it is a reflection of the duty of love we owe them. And for that reason, we go to whatever length possible to make sure that they are satisfied, that their needs are met. We commit to this task with the hope that when we are too old to take care of ourselves, that same duty of love would be extended to us. This reminds me of a story... Once, an old man was sitting on a bench in a garden with his 25-year-old son. There was a tree beside the bench on which they sat. The old man saw a bird sitting on the tree. He asked the son- what’s that bird sitting on the tree? The son replied- it’s a crow. After a brief moment of silence, the old man asked again: what’s that bird sitting on the tree? The son responded- I already told you that it’s a crow. It didn’t take long for the old man to ask again, what’s that bird sitting on the tree? The son angrily said - are you deaf or mad, papa? How many times do I have to tell you it’s a crow? Can’t you understand? The old man patiently replied- my dear son, when you were 5yrs old, you asked me the same question 174 times, what’s this or what’s that, and each time you ask the same question, I replied with a kiss. Now, I asked you the same question three times and you are irritated. To an extent, the cycle never ends, it only reminds us of what is in store for us - especially in our old age. Jesus provides an admonition in John’s gospel: “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” The real challenge is that I do not know who will dress me and lead me where I do not want to go. But I want to believe that whoever is dressing me or even leading me to where I do not want to go loves me with unconditional love and, for the most part, they are usually the children we raise and celebrate at each milestone, be it graduation or Confirmation - which, by the way, will take place this Sunday at Christ Church. The last verse of a humorous poem "When I’m an old lady and live with my kids" reads thus: And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh, I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes. My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping, and say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!" The past couple of weekends have been special for many families. This weekend will be special for my own and others, and the next couple of weeks will be special for a lot more families, still. We don’t have to hold our graduations on Zoom at this time, nor do we need to host only a drive-by graduation party. The silver lining in all these special moments is the gift of our dedication to those we love, and to those who love us unconditionally. Congratulations to all our graduates!! Manny.