Today is the Third Sunday in Lent, but this year it is also celebrated as "Keath Sunday" at Christ Church. For those of you who do not know, Mary and her husband Ed are soon heading westward and relocating to Oregon. They are very excited about their trip across the country to begin their next adventure and deserve the fondest of send-offs. For the last 45-plus years, Mary has been committed to meeting so many of the needs at Christ Episcopal Church. She has served as a Warden, a Greeter for newcomers, the Chair of the Building Committee for New Brick, as Parish Ministries Coordinator, as a master gardener, and a host of other roles. Ed, for his part, has shared his artistic woodworking talents in the form of the beautiful Altar Table, the Cross on the wall, the case that holds the McGill Bible, the Lectern, and the Ambo. And so in our diverse and appreciative voices, we want to say Bon Voyage, Adios, O dabo (Yoruba), Sanga sung (Efik), Sai anjuma (Hausa), Ijeoma (Ibo), Kwaheri (Swahili), NyiƐmƆ JurƆ (Ga), Arrivederci, Auf wiedersehen, Au revoir, and Happy trails to Mary and Ed. You are loved by all of us!

On weekdays during the season of Lent, we post daily meditations on our website, and on Sundays this year we include a piece of music, as well. These songs are submitted by parish family members and friends of Christ Church, and meant to uplift, comfort, and inspire. We hope that you enjoy. Light Up the Sky by The Afters When I'm feeling all alone With so far to go The signs are no where on this road Guiding me home When the night is closing in Is falling on my skin Oh God will You come close? [Chorus] Light, light, light up the sky You light up the sky to show me You are with me I, I, I can't deny No, I can't deny that You are right here with me You've opened my eyes So I can see You all around me Light, light light up the sky You light up the sky to show me That You are with me When stars are hiding in the clouds I don't feel them shining When I can't see You beyond my doubt The silver lining When I've almost reached the end Like a flood You're rushing in Your love is rushing in [Chorus] So I run straight into Your arms You're the bright and morning sun To show Your love there's nothing You won't do [Chorus] That You are with me That You are with me

Nurturing the Light Within with the Rev. Dr. Jill Snodgrass March 6th and 13th at 11:00 a.m. on Zoom Join us for an hour on consecutive Saturdays - March 6th and 13th - for a guided discussion on self-care and spiritual care practices that foster health and wellness during this time of continuing isolation and turmoil. The Reverend Dr. Jill Snodgrass, professor of theology at Loyola University, a pastoral counselor and ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and Clinical Director of Spiritual Support at GBMC hospital, will lead us in exploring ways to nurture and care for ourselves spiritually and emotionally during dark times, including strategies for managing stress and anxiety in our lives. We emailed the Zoom link earlier this week, but if you would like us to send it to you directly, let us know - email info@christchurchcolumbia.org

Christ Church Supports Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center In pandemic times, as the needs have been relentless in Howard County, the Outreach Commission recently voted to send funds to an organization that, day-to-day, is among the closest to the neediest. The Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center describes its goal: “Our mission is not very complicated, it’s to serve those in need. Of course, more and more these days, carrying out that mission gets complicated. Today, providing our various services requires more staff, more planning, more resources, and more skill than ever before.” In recognition of this great demand, the commission voted on February 8th to contribute $1,000 in parishioners’ donated funds for the purpose of “General Outreach” to Grassroots. Christ Church already has a strong relationship with this organization, as it oversees the Freetown Road live-in facility where we provide a monthly meal. The next one is March 15th; you can sign up here. It also operates the Rt. 1 Dorsey/Day Resource Center, where Christ Church volunteers had both cooked and served a hot meal until indoor functions were suspended due to the pandemic. Grassroots is the first point of contact in the county for homeless services. For example, its live-in facility houses about 10 families and six single women at a given time. The children have been experiencing distance learning like all others in the county with the added challenge of being in a congregate-living situation. One upside: The Freetown Road facility has good wi-fi, said Anna Katz, Director of Operations. She sent parishioners a letter of thanks: “Please extend our appreciation to all the members of Christ Episcopal Church for the very generous contribution of $1,000 in support of our programs and services. 2020 was a year like none other. Grassroots had to adjust to the new normal while still doing the work of providing crisis and shelter services to our clients. We could not have done it without the support of our community. Thanks to donors like you… ● Grassroots was able to provide safe emergency shelter to 485 individuals including 91 children. ● Our crisis services responded to 37,903 phone calls. ● Our hotline pantry distributed 1,001 bags of food to households requesting food assistance. Counselors processed applications from callers seeking Rental Assistance. A total of 93 households received funds to help them pay months of back rent. Thank you again for your generous support.” Grassroots operates a 24-hour general crisis hotline (see photo above) that can be reached by calling 410-531-6677. Its crisis services also include a walk-in counseling program and special youth services such as a Runaway Intervention Program. The Crisis Intervention Service is certified by the American Association of Suicidology. Grassroots Offers Training in March in QPR Skills to Help Prevent Suicides Once again, Grassroots offer members of the community a chance to learn skills that could help save a life from suicide. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer -- the three simple steps anyone can learn to help save lives, just as individuals trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver learn what to do. The online seminar is free to Howard County residents, employees, or students. On Tuesday, March 16 from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Grassroots and the Horizon Foundation are offering QPR training for youth age 13 or older and their families. There is a session for adults on Monday, March 29th from 6 to 7:30 p.m. To register for either one go here: To learn more, email amanda@grassrootscrisis.org to speak with Amanda Ganoe, the sessions’ organizer. Collection Drive Continues to Provide Diapers, Personal Care Items for CCC Parishioners continue to support Columbia Community Care (CCC) by collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items at the request of this all-volunteer organization. Please put them in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” just inside the Parish Hall door. You can drop off items on weekdays until 2 p.m., but we ask that you call the church office (410) 381-9365 to let them know when you are coming. In a separate initiative at Christ Church, our Racially Aware Group of Episcopalians (R.A.G.E) will host CCC leaders Monday, March 22nd. Our guests are invited to talk on Zoom about the needs in Howard County and their work with a proposed Social Justice Center. Please mark your calendars. Donate Groceries for FISH in an Altar Basket or in the Yellow Bin As worship resumes, the basket of groceries for FISH of Howard County will reappear at the altar. But for the convenience of parishioners who continue to observe pandemic precautions, the yellow bin marked “FISH” remains on the breezeway between the Parish Hall and Old Brick. In winter, keep the weather in mind and avoid putting items in the bin that will freeze. Come One, Come All to our Zoom Outreach Meeting on Monday, March 8th The Outreach Commission is scheduled to hold its next meeting, virtually on Zoom, on Monday, March 8th, and parishioners are invited to attend. Log on at 7:30 p.m. with your ideas and aspirations to get more involved in volunteer activities! (Look for Zoom instructions in the online events email that the church communications staff sends at the start of each week.) The Commission meets once a month on the second Monday. For more information, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. WOCC Outreach - Seafarer’s Donations For years, the WOCC has been involved in providing requested items to Seafarers. Below is a list of the types of magazines, books, and DVD’s/CD’s to be donated. If you can help, it would be greatly appreciated. The Seafarer’s bin is in the lower level, near the bottom of the steps, in the Parish House. Suggested Items needed: · Bible in modern English (or Tagalog, Russian, or Chinese) · Times/Newsweek/etc. up to 3 months old · Sports Illustrated/People/etc. up to 6 months · Cars/Computers/Consumers magazines - up to 1 year · Reader’s Digest up to a couple of years · National Geographic (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 CD’s. · Religious books (in easy English), DVD’s, CD’s; rosaries. 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.

Psalm 18: 28 - You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Micah 7:8 - Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Matthew 4:16 - The people living in darkness have seen a great light. John 9:5 - While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Psalm 119: 105 - Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Matthew 5:16 - In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. John 8: 12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. John 1:5 - The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 1 John1:7 - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Psalm 139: 7 - Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. John 12:36 - Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light. Luke 11:34 - Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Psalm 119:130 - The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. 1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 - For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. Ephesians 5:8 - For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 1. Meditate on your calling to be the light of the world. 2. Take time to simply let God love you 3. Ask the Holy Spirit how he wants to use you to be the light of the world today. The truth of Scripture is that God is not calling us to minister out of our perfection. He isn’t calling us to figure everything out before we can be used. The most powerful declaration we can make to those in darkness is that we who are in desperate need have been met by a perfectly loving Savior. When all the world sees is our facade of perfection, they know right away that they don’t belong in Christianity. But when we live with the courage to be truly vulnerable and honest, we open our lives for those in darkness to see the light of God within us—that he in his grace encounters, loves, and dwells with weak and desperate men and women. God is not calling you to share with the world your own perfection. He is calling you to simply be who you truly are, encounter his loving-kindness, and share with the world the grace-filled hope we have in Christ. Take time today to simply let God love you. Allow him to mold and shape you into a child who wholly experiences the love of the Father. And from that place of being loved as you are, open up your life and love others as you have been loved. Live today openly and honestly before God and man. Open up your life to those in darkness that they might see the light of God’s glorious grace. And live as the light of the world, illuminating the path to God’s heart for all those around you. May you experience the joy, passion, and purpose that comes from being used by God to advance his kingdom today.

The beauty of pregnancy is not only about the miracle of a baby but the exultant hope of seeing a part of your hand in creation. Vince Lombardi says that “The joy is in creating, not maintaining.” Each new day or each morrow increases the crescendo of expectation - especially when it is a new and excited mother. This mother would, daily, long to hold the baby she’s been hoping for. An adoring father cannot wait to see a gift so tender and so fragile, but yet so full of hope. Over the past couple of years, I have been blessed with seeing some of our young couples expand their families. The excitement that greets each birth is infectious. And we share in the joy of every birth because we can tap into the hope that a little child brings into our world - however big or small. It is that same hope that Christ, by his incarnation, brought into our world, a world torn apart by strife and untold hardship. The good news of the incarnation is that God believes in our tomorrows. God believes in God’s future, and so as chaotic, desperate, dispirited, and uneven as our present circumstances may be, tomorrow is pregnant because God wills a healing, mending, and hopeful life and world into being. How pregnant are you? In the midst of all the turmoil, how hopeful are you? Many years ago, I took my two older daughters to watch the Broadway show Annie in New York City. That was my first, and only, Broadway show I have seen. It was magical. My daughters loved it, and so did I. We all fell in love with the song Tomorrow, and we sang it a lot. "The sun will come out... Tomorrow!" Just thinking about Tomorrow can clear the cobwebs. Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow! You're always a day away..... The very idea that tomorrow is always a day away gives me something to hang on to, to keep going, to hold on, and not to let go... to hope that things are going to look better tomorrow. Hearing about more vaccines coming, and our two parishioners, Matt and Sarah, who are helping parishioners with registration for the vaccines, give me hope for the morrow. Our reality is one where we live on hope, thrive on hope, and are sustained by hope because we know that tomorrow is pregnant - pregnant with possibilities, pregnant with life, and pregnant with promises beyond our wildest measure. Tomorrow is pregnant because it is always a day away, and it only takes a moment in a day for life to lift the lid off our sourness and desperation. This Sunday, March 7th, we will again begin indoor, in-person worship at Christ Church. We will have our usual two services at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (We have limited seating capacity but if you plan to join us, please click here to register) I don’t remember the last time we ran this service schedule; it might have been about a year ago now. Looking back, it has been more than an awful, long year. Many are those who are still suffering from the trauma of this pandemic. The vaccine has restored our sense of hopefulness, but we do have some ways to go. Last August, a parishioner shared with me an article from the Washington Post: “With No End to the Pandemic in Sight, Coronavirus Fatigue Grips America.” That article contained a quote: “It’s difficult when you think you have a light at the other end of the tunnel to look forward to, and then all of a sudden you realize it’s a train.” This quote has stuck with me since, and it is precisely due to the fact that it recounts a hope that is continually being dashed, hope that never materializes, hope that looks like water but turns out to be a mirage. And yet, I still want to believe in a pregnant tomorrow, but I recognize that it is not easy to simply hope when in the midst of dire challenges. But if you aren’t pregnant with tomorrow, what else can you be pregnant with? Anxiety? Depression? Worry? “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" Jesus asks. When our souls are heavy within us - which they often are, downcast within us; which they often are, troubled within us; which they often are, disquieted within us - may we never fail to remind ourselves of the promises of the God whose mercies are new every morning. That sure was the hope of the writer of Lamentations 3:22-23 “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” For this reason, may we never forget our suffering; for it is only when we can lament our suffering that hope can spring alive. The writer of Lamentations had also experienced some trauma but was equally hopeful, and like the writer, we should be able to hold in tension, our trauma, and our hope. The question then is, how can we be hopeful in our suffering? If we are to remember our suffering or trauma, the one thing we can do is to refuse to open up ourselves to let our trauma overtake our hope - for this is why we believe that tomorrow is pregnant - and like adoring parents, we await all the possibilities of new birth. I learned many years ago that you only give up when you have nothing to give. I am sure that we each have something to give… if nothing at all, to believe in tomorrow and believe that tomorrow is pregnant with all the possibilities imaginable. If you ask me, my attitude has been to keep a grip on hope... for the sun will come up tomorrow. Manny.

We are called to be the light of the world. Do we truly understand what this call means? The answer is simple, and yet we find it difficult. To “be the light of the world” means we act as the body of Christ in this world; we make Christ corporeally manifest through us by letting His light shine through us. It means we seek truth and confront evil; we speak and act with authority and without fear; we go to the suffering and marginal areas of our societies; we succor the heartbroken, the destitute, and the poor. And our faith in Christ protects the light, just as the candle on the lampstand is protected by its glass chimney while letting the light shine through it. Nothing in these descriptions is cerebral; they are all physical actions. It is what we do and say that matters. When storms come, each one of us must choose how we act. We are comfortable with the role of the loving, caring Christ, but are we able to be the radical Christ, the rabbi who spoke against hypocrisy, falsehood, and powers enslaving others? All too often we forget that the path of self-sacrifice is a pathway that always resists and never succumbs to evil. Never render evil for evil, but neither succumb to evil. Such action is often much more difficult for it asks us to condemn evil actions and yet always be ready to offer forgiveness to the penitent. Within ourselves, we see choices we have made and yearnings welling within us which we abhor; we feel we are a mixture of both good and evil. The reality is that this perception is the very battle raging for our souls, and our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our savior assures us of His steadfast, everlasting help as we are tempered during these trials to become that for which he made us. He did not create us to be timid, but rather fearless and assertive for His justice. So, when the winds of despair and wickedness swirl around you, ground your faith in Christ to give your lamp a sturdy glass chimney that withstands the winds trying to extinguish that light. But above all place your lamp high so all may see as a member of the body of Christ for you are called to be light of the world: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt 5:16)

I cannot imagine what the past year would have been like if we had been without the incredible abilities we have to communicate remotely as we have traveled now for many months through this pandemic! Truly, this has been the light "shining in the darkness." I am thankful and I am so grateful for all the technology that we are blessed with, technology that keeps us informed and in touch with family and friends, that entertains us, and that allows us to work and play and visit with one another - albeit remotely. It’s technology that makes our journey through the days of the COVID-19 virus manageable and less terrifying than it is to so much of the world that’s living with the same threat but are very much in the dark and frighteningly vulnerable. We have the luxury and the blessing of being able to schedule times and places to receive our vaccinations so that we can imagine the day in the not-too-distant future, when life as we have known it will return to normal. We know so painfully, at the same time, that so very many of our brothers and sisters in this world do not have access to mass communication and are terrifyingly vulnerable not just to the coronavirus but also to frightening levels of hunger, and loss, and hopelessness. May we each pray every day through this season of Lent and may we each find a way to make a difference to someone, to help one of our brothers and sisters in this world who are in need, over and above and beyond the ways in which we usually give and contribute. This kind of giving can take so many forms. It can be, but is not necessarily, financial. May we each search our hearts and, remembering what Jesus gave for us because he loved us, may we all be His eyes, His ears, His hands, His feet, and His heart this Lenten season. We are so privileged. We are so loved by our Savior, Jesus. May we "love one another as He loves us.”

The Spiritual Life Commission invites everyone to join us on Zoom for our Wednesday Evening Lenten Series, which centers on our 2021 theme - Be God's Light that Shines in the Darkness. Each week, we host a presenter who gives their perspective on this theme, and tonight we're blessed to have the Reverend Kirk Kubicek offer his perspective. The leaflet for tonight is here. Everyone is welcome to be with us for this popular series. We sent the Zoom details out earlier, but if you would like them sent to you directly, please email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org

God’s rope, Extended to me From Heaven, Is long And has A variety of knots Attached to it, Still warm From my hopeful grasp. They are very strong And very tight Resembling greatly The strength I have gained While Holding On. Pamela Pruitt Jan. 12. 2021

We have been granted permission by the Diocese of Maryland to once again offer indoor worship, and so we welcome you to come to this Sunday’s indoor service at Christ Church. This is such an exciting moment in the life of our church and, indeed, of our individual lives as well. I cannot thank you enough for your resiliency and for sticking together throughout these perilous times. This isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination, but we are hopeful, and grateful that we can see a flicker of light. Please know that in-person attendance is very strictly limited, that masks must be worn at all times while on campus and that social distancing guidelines are adhered to. Take a moment to read our protocols on our RE-GATHER 2021 page - https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/re-gather. If you wish to join us in New Brick, you are required to complete the registration form at https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/attend or phone the Christ Church Office prior to coming. This is to assure that there is a space available for you. If you wish to continue to worship online, you are more than welcome to do so! We will always livestream our 10:30 a.m. worship for those of you who worship virtually. No matter which method of worship you choose, we are happy to have you at Christ Church.