Christ Church Supports CCD-USA to Help Disabled Children in Thailand Christ Church has received warm Christmas greetings and best wishes for the New Year from CCD-USA, the nonprofit organization in this county that supports care for disabled children in Thailand. It does so through Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities (CCD), which was recently recognized for high standards as a charity by the Minister of Social Development and Human Resources. At the Outreach Commission meeting on December 13th, members voted to contribute $500 in Vestry-approved funds to CCD. As you may recall through past fundraisers such as a quilt raffle, Christ Church is a long-time supporter. We are credited for helping fund CCD’s physical therapists on a CCD-website. To read CCD’s hearty “Thank-You” to Christ Church once you are online, scroll down past the post about the kitchen garden and look for photos of therapists with children. In a 2021 holiday newsletter that takes note of the pandemic impact, CCD writes: “2021 was a busy time for the staff and children at CCD! Lockdowns slowed a few programs, but exciting progress was still made. More therapists and food/supply donations went to the Community Based Rehabilitation programs in the outer provinces of Thailand.” The newsletter also informed us that older residents of Rainbow House now operate a local coffee shop and that CCD’s award for high standards is called the Prime Minister’s Shield. Parishioners can take pride that their contributions to Christ Church are helping CCD improve the lives of children and young people who are differently abled. To speak to someone who has seen firsthand CCD’s work in Thailand, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org, and we will put you in touch with Michon Semon. Refugee Ministry Update: Good News to Share! Lutheran Social Services has finally matched us with a family of four: a mother, age 46, with three sons, ages 20, 19, and 17. The family is already in Maryland, currently staying in temporary housing. A team of people from Christ Church has been busy preparing their townhome in Ellicott City, and we will be ready to move them in early the week of December 27th. Many thanks to Jan DeBoissierre, Cherryllynn Williams, Paula Rees, Pat DeLorenzo, Diana Hall, Steve Alpern, Ray Lyon, and Ann Barnes, for their leadership and tireless dedication in getting us organized and prepared for the family’s arrival. Grateful thanks also go out to Michon Semon, Dione Mahoney, Nancy Winchester, Phil Bray, and Nathanial Knox, for their assistance in setting up the home. Our ministry group is now approximately 40 people, including several volunteers from partner faith communities Patapsco Friends and St. John’s Episcopal. We’re excited to meet and get to know this family and will be sharing more information in the coming weeks. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Jan DeBoissiere or Cherryllynn Williams. You can also join us for our next Zoom gathering, taking place next Thursday, December 30th at 6:30 p.m. Those details will be in next week's communications. Columbia Community Care Plans a Holiday Break, Will Move All Sites Indoors Please spread the word that the all-volunteer organization, Columbia Community Care (CCC) is taking a holiday break and changing some details of its operations as winter arrives. All sites are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day: Saturday, December 25th, and Saturday, January 1st. For one last time in 2021, CCC will be open on Wednesday, December 29th at three site locations: Oakland Mills Middle School (OMMS), 9540 Kilimanjaro Road, at Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Ct., and at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., all in Columbia. Evening hours are 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Volunteers and donation drop-off begin at 4:30 p.m. Starting on Saturday, January 8th, the Wilde Lake site will move indoors at the Interfaith Center. The OMMS site will relocate to the Barn/Teen Center indoor space in the Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place in Columbia. There are no changes for Long Reach. Saturday hours are the same as before: 10 a.m. to noon for recipients, and volunteers and donation drop-off beginning at 9 a.m. There will be no Wednesday distributions. At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting 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 when the church office is open or on Sunday. Lake Elkhorn Middle School Update We have been in contact with Principal Melissa Shindel and she is so grateful for all that Christ Church has done over the last year (i.e., money for field trips and staff shirts, food for families in need, school supplies) and she welcomes our support in the future. That support may be a bit different this year as food for families is being handled through the county. Furthermore, because of the inability to go on trips due to the pandemic, there is money left in the field trip budget for this year. However, Melissa is hoping that we will be able to assist with parent workshops that will be held over the school year in the evenings. The school is partnering with the Council of Elders whose mission is to support the Black community. They are hoping to present workshops on specific topics relevant to families that struggle. Melissa would love it if we could provide Grab and Go dinners (due to COVID restrictions) for those meetings, and projects that there will be about 30 people attending. We will be in touch with you once we have definite dates for these workshops after the winter break. Melissa may discover that there are other ways that we can help as the school year progresses. There is no doubt that this is a severely under-resourced school and our help is crucial to provide these children with an equitable school experience. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions, by emailing us at lemspc@christchurchcolumbia.org. We look forward to working with you over this school year. ~Mary Vail and Cathy Whittaker, Co-chairs of the Lake Elkhorn Middle School Committee Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway During the holidays, organizers for FISH of Howard County are making a more festive request than the previous one. Cookies, crackers, and snacks are what’s needed at the pantry to fulfill shopping lists. They also say thanks to Christ Church for its response to their earlier needs, which produced an adequate inventory of household cleaning supplies and personal items. The bin is between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. 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 Third Sunday of Advent. Collect of the Day: Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 Canticle 9 Today's Sermon: You can read Mother Marcia's Sermon for today here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Collect of the Day: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: Micah 5:2-5a Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-45 Canticle 15 Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

I don’t remember the first time I went to the zoo but I certainly do remember the last time I went. It was in Philadelphia, and that zoo is humongous. It was fun just walking around looking at all the different animals that have been secluded there for our curiosity and admiration. I haven’t looked up the history of how zoos were first started but I get the sense that that idea probably came from the story about Noah, who kept pairs of every animal on earth to save them from the flood. Zoos, I think, feel like a prison. There’s no option of escape for any of these animals. Instead, they spend their time lying leisurely about. They eat and walk around in confined spaces. They see you and me walking around them, but they have little-to-no interaction with us. They stare at you just as much as you stare at them. We admire their beauty and thank God for creatures this beautiful. Although they are trapped, the animals we see at the zoo are there for a purpose. There’s a vision underlying their confinement. Discovering your vision can be liberating. Until that moment, life feels like being trapped - like living in a zoo. Your view, as well as your hope and aspirations for yourself, feels trapped. You may be alive but may not really know why you are. What does it mean to be alive, and what is my vision for myself? Especially as the seasons roll by, many are the questions that become so important for our consideration. These questions remind me of the story of a baby camel, one who went up to its mother with as many questions as you can imagine. First question: “Mummy, why do we have humps on our backs?” Mother Camel smiled and said, “Well, my son, our humps are there to store water, so we can survive long journeys through the desert.” “I see,” remarked the little camel. Second question: “And why do we have such long legs and rounded hooves?” “Our long legs and rounded hooves are designed to help us stand and walk in the shifting sand. That’s why we can move through the desert better than any other animal,” she explained. But the little camel still had other questions. “What about our eyelashes? Why are they so long?” Again, with the infinite patience of a loving mother, she replied, “Well, they are to protect our eyes from the swirling sands during desert storms.” The little camel stood quietly for a moment, chewing on this awesome knowledge his mother had just dropped. Then he said, “So the humps are for storing water in the desert, the legs are for walking in the desert, and the eyelashes are to protect our eyes in the desert”. “That’s right, Son,” said his mother with pride. “Then what in God’s name are we doing in the zoo?” Why are we in the zoo? We are not using the very gifts that God gave us to survive the desert, the baby camel seems to be telling the mother. Do you find yourself living in a zoo? Are you doing what God intends for you to do? Are you using your gifts in a way that glorifies God? For me, the beauty of Advent is the feeling of rediscovering God’s purpose for us and rediscovering our vision for ourselves. These are not diametrically opposed to one another; at some point, they converge. But the convergence only occurs when we begin to live into what we believe to be God’s purpose for us and our vision for ourselves. During the period of Advent, and as we prepare ourselves for Christmas, the questions for your consideration are: What am I doing in the zoo? Is it possible that God’s purpose feels trapped within me? What stops me from living out God’s purpose for myself? What do I believe is my vision for myself? And can I live it out in praise and honor to God? How do I converge within me and in my life, God’s purpose for me and my vision for myself? God establishes God’s purposes for us by sharing with us the impossible story of what can be. Remember - because with God all things are possible, the Christmas story, then, is a story about what can be, it is a story about how God changes our individual narratives when we are willing to respond to God’s invitation like Mary. Listen to Mary: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Are you willing to make that sacred confession? Or do you feel like the gentleman who told Jesus that he first had to go bury his father before he can follow him? Either way, there’s a part of you that seeks to be liberated from living in a zoo. The good news is that you are the one person who can liberate that part of you! I believe that God created us with gifts so unique that we don’t have to live in the zoo. We have to be where God planted us just so we can live out the way God intended for us to live, just so our vision of ourselves may be one of glorifying God, just so our vision and God’s purpose may always sing in harmony. I long for that harmony in our individual and communal lives. I pray for it. As you prepare yourself for Christmas, it is my prayer that you will discover within you God’s gift to you. More to the point, may you be willing to tell yourself, there’s more to me than I can presently acknowledge or embrace. May this Christmas lead you on the path of rediscovery, and may it be your best one yet. Manny

Immense Gratitude for a Memorable 2021 Angel Tree Drive As you can see from the above photo and the rest of them on our Outreach Blog, The 2021 Angel Tree drive will be memorable for each of the 12 children whose Christmas wishes are being fulfilled, for their families, and for all the helpers who have made it happen. We focused our support on a group of 11- and 12-year-olds to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army, the Angel Tree sponsor. Generous parishioners took all 48 slots during the hybrid sign-up process, purchasing gifts that included some big items, such as a desk and a skateboard, some costly ones, such as tablets, and some smaller requests, such as puzzles and socks. The logistics of matching parishioners to their “angels” went smoothly thanks to Matt and Sarah Gately, Michon Semon, and Jane Adams, among others. Once again, Outreach Commission member Melanie Yaksich led the drive and, with the help of husband Nick Yaksich and family friends, delivered the gifts on Dec. 13 to a warehouse space set up by the Salvation Army. There its staff and volunteers were engaged in a massive effort to prepare for a Dec. 15 distribution (see photos). From the Outreach Commission to all who took part, thanks for brightening Christmas for families in need. Tornado Disaster Aid Goes to Episcopal Relief and Development After tornadoes swept the mid-Mississippi Valley on Dec. 10, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) announced that it has begun taking steps to relieve suffering and help in recovery. “Please help us work with the local partners and dioceses in need of our assistance to provide relief and support,” ERD implored on its latest disaster relief page, saying the tornadoes were “the most powerful we’ve seen in a decade, shredding community infrastructure, killing at least 90 people and leaving thousands without their homes.” On behalf of Christ Church parishioners, members of the Outreach Commission voted on Monday to contribute $1,000 to ERD to assist in relief efforts. These are Vestry-approved funds derived from your pledges and contributions. Heartfelt thanks go out to one and all who make possible such a timely response. In a time of climate change, the need for funds to address natural disasters in 2021 has far exceeded that in recent years. On your behalf, the Outreach Commission sent $1,000 in September in the wake of Hurricane Ida damaging a wide swath of the United States and $1,000 in August to ERD to help Haitians who suffered through an earthquake followed by Tropical Storm Grace. In February, we donated $675 to ERD to help people who are coping with the aftermath of extreme weather in Texas and the surrounding states. Besides sharing the word of the donations, we ask for your prayers. Once again, please pray for people who have been harmed during all of these storms as well as those who are freshly mourning lives lost during the tornadoes. If you wish to donate personally, go online to ERD’s plea, “Please help: Thousands lost everything they had.” Or those who prefer writing a check to ERD should put “Tornado Relief” on the memo line. Mail it to ERD, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. Columbia Community Care Holds Successful Toy Drive, Plans Holiday Break From gloves and books to dolls and marshmallow treats, the 2021 toy drive was a success. The Christ Church volunteer contact, Violet Smith, took our donated items on Dec. 11 for distribution by Columbia Community Care (CCC) to families of children ages 2 to 12. We were joined by many other supporters in Howard County. CCC organizer Sue Sharff Castonguay posted, “We were able to give out over 1,500 toys and gifts today! Wow. So much JOY!” The all-volunteer organization is taking a holiday break and changing some details of its regular operations as winter arrives. For one last time in 2021, it will be open on Saturday, Dec. 18 at three sites: Oakland Mills Middle School (OMMS), 9540 Kilimanjaro Road, at Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Ct., and at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., all in Columbia. Saturday hours are 10 am to noon for recipients. Volunteers and donation drop-off begin at 9 a.m. On two Wednesdays, Dec. 22 and Dec. 29, CCC will hold evening hours, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the three regular site locations. Volunteers and donation drop-off begin at 4:30 p.m. All sites are closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day: Saturday, Dec. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 1. Starting on Saturday, Jan. 8, the Wilde Lake site will move indoors at the Interfaith Center. The OMMS site will relocate to the Barn/Teen Center indoor space in the Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place in Columbia. There are no changes for Long Reach. Saturday hours remain the same, and there are no Wednesday hours. At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to continue supporting 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 when the church office is open or on Sunday. Be Part of The Long Welcome: Donations Needed for our Refugee Family Under our Good Neighbor Partnership with Lutheran Social Services, Christ Church’s Refugee Ministry will soon be settling an Afghan refugee family into their own residence. Items needed for setting up and maintaining the home can be found in this Signup Genius link, where you can sign up to donate items and gift cards. You may also scan the QR Code that’s in the Narthex, and it'll take you to the donation form. Once you’ve purchased items, you can drop them at the church on Sunday mornings (in the New Brick nursery) or at the church office (we will place a bin in the entryway, marked “RESETTLE”) during normal office hours. NOTE: All donated items must be in new or like-new condition. Additionally, we are not currently accepting donations other than those on the sign-up list. Please stay tuned for additional needs as they arise. If you prefer to make a financial contribution to help support the family, you may send a check to Christ Church marked “Refugee Ministry,” or donate online. Please speak with Deacon Denise or Jan DeBoissiere, or email us at info@christchurhcolumbia.org if you have any questions. Thank you for being part of this important ministry! Lake Elkhorn Middle School Update We have been in contact with Principal Melissa Shindel and she is so grateful for all that Christ Church has done over the last year (i.e., money for field trips and staff shirts, food for families in need, school supplies) and she welcomes our support in the future. That support may be a bit different this year as food for families is being handled through the county. Furthermore, because of the inability to go on trips due to the pandemic, there is money left in the field trip budget for this year. However, Melissa is hoping that we will be able to assist with parent workshops that will be held over the school year in the evenings. The school is partnering with the Council of Elders whose mission is to support the Black community. They are hoping to present workshops on specific topics relevant to families that struggle. Melissa would love it if we could provide Grab and Go dinners (due to COVID restrictions) for those meetings, and projects that there will be about 30 people attending. We will be in touch with you once we have definite dates for these workshops after the winter break. Melissa may discover that there are other ways that we can help as the school year progresses. There is no doubt that this is a severely under-resourced school and our help is crucial to provide these children with an equitable school experience. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions, by emailing us at lemspc@christchurchcolumbia.org. We look forward to working with you over this school year. ~Mary Vail and Cathy Whittaker, Co-chairs of the Lake Elkhorn Middle School Committee Donate Snacks, Crackers, and Cookies to FISH in Bin on our Breezeway During the holidays, organizers for FISH of Howard County are making a more festive request than the previous one. Cookies, crackers, and snacks are what’s needed at the pantry to fulfill shopping lists. They also say thanks to Christ Church for its response to their earlier needs, which produced an adequate inventory of household cleaning supplies and personal items. The bin is between Old Brick and the Parish Hall. 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.

Be Part of The Long Welcome: Help Create a Comfortable Home for our Refugee Family As you may know, Christ Episcopal Church has committed to sponsoring an Afghan refugee family, under a Good Neighbor Partnership with Lutheran Social Services. As part of our Long Welcome, the Refugee Ministry will be settling the family into their own residence. We recently signed a lease for a townhouse in Ellicott City, and we now need to set up a comfortable home for our assigned family, whom we expect may arrive soon after Christmas. Items needed for setting up and maintaining the home can be found in this Signup Genius link, where you can sign up to donate. Once you’ve purchased items, you can drop them in the nursery in New Brick on Sunday mornings or at the church office during normal office hours. PLEASE NOTE: All donated items must be in new or like-new condition. Additionally, we are not currently accepting donations other than those on the sign-up list. Please stay tuned for additional needs as they arise. If you prefer to make a financial contribution, you may send a check to Christ Church marked “Refugee Ministry,” or donate online and denote the same in the memo line. All proceeds will be used to purchase items or provide financial assistance for the family. If you have questions about donating items, please email Steve Alpern. Thank you for being part of this important ministry! Grassroots Meal Drop-Offs to Occur on the Same Day: Monday, December 13th In a consolidated approach to feeding the hungry on Monday, December 13th, parishioners are invited to participate for the first time or to double their recipes. As usual, Christ Church will purchase fried chicken at Weis and depend upon your bringing side dishes to make the meal. But what is different is that we will be cooking on that day for two groups of diners. The first group to be fed is the 40 to 80 friends at the Dorsey Center’s Day Resource Center (DRC), which is operated by Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. When Grassroots suspended operations at the start of the pandemic, Christ Church put its duties at the DRC on hold until last month, when the center reopened on a modified basis. A reduced number of Christ Church volunteers served the midday meal in person on our usual day –the second Monday of the month. The second group to be fed is at Grassroots’ Live-in Facility on Freetown Rd., where the staff serves the food. We have been providing the evening meal menu – fried chicken and side dishes cooked by parishioners – on the third Monday of the month during the pandemic. Last month there were separate drop-off dates to feed each of the two groups. This month there is only one date, and it falls on the second Monday this time. If you’re cooking only for the evening meal at the Live-In Facility, plan to arrive between 3:15 and 3:30 p.m. at the parking lot outside Old Brick. Bring a side dish, a dessert, or items for the pantry to be enjoyed round-the-clock by the 50 residents at the Freetown Rd. facility. Click on the Christ Church Grassroots Meal link on SignUpGenius to view a suggested menu and to tell coordinators what you’ll bring. If you're cooking or volunteering for the midday meal at the DRC, plan to arrive between 12:45 and 1 p.m. at the parking lot outside Old Brick. Bring a side dish, a dessert, or items for the DRC pantry. Click on a different link, called the Christ Church Dorsey/DRC Meal link on SignUpGenius to view requested items and to tell coordinators what you’ll bring. If you're cooking or bringing pantry items for both meals, plan to arrive between 12:45 and 1 p.m. at the parking lot outside Old Brick. The dish and supplementals for the evening meal can be left in the Parish Hall kitchen. Or, depending on the dish or the supplemental item, such as brownies or fruit, you can put it in the kitchen on Sunday. Please sign in on both of the above links to enter your information. If you plan to volunteer in-person to serve the midday meal, please be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a flu shot. You’ll find the four categories of volunteer duties on the Christ Church Dorsey/DRC Meal link on SignUpGenius, which is the same form as for menu items. One of the duties is to depart the DRC when the shift ends at 4 p.m. to transport any excess fried chicken, side dishes, and desserts from one Grassroots site to the other. We’ve always taken the leftovers to the Freetown Rd. Live-In Facility. This time, we’ll literally be consolidating our food and our efforts. Please sign up online at one or both of the sites no later than noon on the Sunday prior to the meal on Monday. For questions about meals for either of the Grassroots facilities, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org so we can put you in touch with co-coordinator Nancy Winchester. Not Too Late: Columbia Community Care Holds a Holiday Toy Drive Dec. 11th To help families celebrate the holidays, Columbia Community Care(CCC) is holding its annual Holiday Toy Drive to gather gifts and treats for children from 2 to 12 years old. Items such as crafts, books, puzzles, gloves, mittens, hats, and after-school snacks will be distributed on Saturday, Dec. 11. Please drop off new and unwrapped items by Friday, December 10th. This is in addition to the typical collection at Christ Church, which consists of diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Please put the holiday items along with the usual ones in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. You can drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open. As an alternative, CCC offers a couple of other collection drop-offs and a wish list on its Facebook group. Or go directly to either of the two CCC sites where gifts will be distributed: Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Rd, Columbia, and Oakland Mills Middle School, 9540 Kilimanjaro Road, both in Columbia. To drop off gifts, please arrive between 9 and 10 a.m.; to receive gifts, arrive between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., or while supplies last. Inviting One and All to Get Involved in Christ Church Outreach What better time than the holidays to get more fully involved in helping others! The Outreach Commission invites you to join in during our next meeting to learn more about opportunities this month and in 2022. It will be held virtually at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13. Information on how to join the meeting by Zoom or by phone will be provided in the Church notices about online activities next week. FISH Has an Updated Request: Cookies, Crackers, and Snacks As the holidays begin, organizers for FISH of Howard County are making a more festive request than the previous one. Cookies, crackers, and snacks are what’s needed at the pantry to fulfill shopping lists. They also say thanks to Christ Church for its response to their earlier needs, which produced an adequate inventory of household cleaning supplies and personal items. The bin is on the breezeway near the door to the Parish Hall. Look for a Recap Next Week of Our Successful Angel Tree Drive All the slots were taken by last Sunday to brighten Christmas for 12 children on the 2021 Christ Church Angel Tree list. Friday, Dec. 10, is the deadline for turning in gifts for the group of 11- and 12-year-olds, whose names can be found on the Christ Church Angel Tree SignUp page and on the easel near the Angel Tree in the Narthex. We are focusing our support on children in this age range to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army, the Angel Tree sponsor. Springfield Hospital Donations The Women of Christ Church will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits due to the pandemic, we will be gathering gifts for them to bring a little Christmas joy. If you would like to contribute, we have placed a large container in the Tower Room to accept your unwrapped donations. We will need them by December 15th, in order to meet their deadline. If you want to donate gifts but can’t get them to church, please contact Cathy Gold or email info@christchurchcolumbia.org, and we will find a way. Here is the current wish list from Springfield Hospital, in case you would like suggestions. Baltimore Seafarer Ministry Each year, the WOCC helps prepare those Seafarers that come to the Baltimore Harbor with ‘Warmth and The Holidays’. These are people who are often away at sea for very long periods of time. Find the drop-off bin marked “Seafarers” in the Tower Room of New Brick, and bring items by this Monday, December 6th. Call Carolann Sawyer at 410-381-0123 if you have any questions. Please help by contributing any of these needed items! Calendars Current magazines (especially National Geographic & Smithsonian) Toiletries for their “Christmas shoe boxes” that are handed out to each Seafarer, such as: toothbrushes, small and medium-size tubes of toothpaste, travel-size shaving cream, disposable razors, etc. Warm socks, warm hats, and gloves. 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.

Under our Good Neighbor Partnership with Lutheran Social Services, Christ Church’s Refugee Ministry will soon be settling an Afghan refugee family into their own residence. Items needed for setting up and maintaining the home can be found in this Signup Genius link, where you can sign up to donate items and gift cards. You may also scan the QR Code that’s in the Narthex, and it'll take you to the donation form. Once you’ve purchased items, you can drop them at the church on Sunday mornings (in the New Brick nursery) or at the church office (we will place a bin in the entryway, marked “RESETTLE”) during normal office hours. NOTE: All donated items must be in new or like-new condition. Additionally, we are not currently accepting donations other than those on the sign-up list. Please stay tuned for additional needs as they arise. If you prefer to make a financial contribution to help support the family, you may send a check to Christ Church marked “Refugee Ministry,” or donate online. Please speak with Deacon Denise or Jan DeBoissiere, or email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org if you have any questions. Thank you for being part of this important ministry!

​Christ Church Presents: Grieving through the Holidays workshop Saturday, December 18th at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom Christ Church presents a new Zoom gathering this season, called Grieving Through the Holidays. Everyone is welcome to join us, and those who have lost a loved one are especially encouraged to attend. Let's take some time to learn new strategies and receive support from others who may be spending this Christmas without someone special in their lives. In addition to content led by Mother Marcia Davenport and Kathleen Lyon, we will be using the following as reference materials during our virtual gathering: Setting Holiday Boundaries (even when it’s hard) We Don’t Recover From Grief, and that’s Okay 64 Tips for Coping with Grief at the Holidays Let us know if you’d like to receive the Zoom details. Email us: info@christchurchcolumbia.org

Last week, I wrote about the invisible man and woman who make things happen for us. This week, I want us to reflect on pouring out our souls into our families, relationships, communities, church, work, and all things that are dear to us. This week, I invite you to be the shoemaker who pours himself or herself into doing the best that they can, and more. Over the past several months, once it became clear that we will have a deluge of refugees from Afghanistan, some of our parishioners asked what we can do as a parish to help. As a result of this question and many others, we began a process of discernment of what God might be calling us to do. We knew that this was a heavy task and so we committed ourselves to a process of discernment. The process was methodical, open, and inviting. Each participant at these meetings was encouraged to ask questions, asking as many questions as possible. During this time, I have seen parishioners pour out their souls into this new developing ministry. Surprisingly, I have read more emails from some of our parishioners who are involved in our Refugee Ministry than I have read from them in the last four years. That, in itself, tells of their deep investment in this ministry. If, at the beginning of the year, anyone had predicted that Christ Church would be engaged in a refugee ministry, I wouldn’t have believed it. But what has been heart-warming and fulfilling is the extent to which we have poured ourselves into this ministry and worked as hard as possible to prepare ourselves to welcome a family. Many are the parishioners who have donated money and household items to help. Pouring ourselves into this new ministry - and every other ministry - is emblematic of who we are at Christ Church. At our core, we are a compassionate and caring parish. We pour our souls into our outreach mission for those in our community, and well beyond. As I wrote this article, there were parishioners who were dropping off items to support our Angel Tree Christmas outreach, which benefits those in our community who may not be as fortunate to find a gift under a Christmas tree this season. At every step of the way, when Christ Church invites you to walk with fellow parishioners on any particular journey, you put on your shoes and walk. Talking about putting on shoes reminds me of a story about President Lincoln. President Abraham Lincoln was said to have delivered a speech in the United States Senate. He was being heckled as he gave this particular speech. Many were the insults that were thrown at him, but the President maintained his composure until a senator reminded the President, “Mr. Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family." This was followed by a burst of laughter; many of the President’s Republican colleagues couldn’t help themselves at this particular insult directed at him. This reminds me of the sneering comments that were thrown at Jesus when he visited a Synagogue in his hometown (Matthew 13:55). After teaching them, hear their reaction: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?” Who cares if he was the carpenter’s son? It was as if being a carpenter’s son or a shoemaker’s son shouldn’t be enough, that one has to be a scion of an aristocratic family in order to be listened to. Does being a carpenter’s son or a shoemaker’s son mean that you cannot pour your soul into what you do? Everyone kept laughing until the President regained his composure. And then he spoke: “Sir," he said, “I know that my father used to make shoes for your family. And there will be many others here, as well, because he made shoes the way nobody else can. He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes. He poured his whole soul into them.” The President continued: “I want to ask you, have you any complaint? Because… as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my father’s shoes. He was a genius – a great creator, and I’m proud of my father.” One of the many things I have learned along life's path is that when you are proud of your work, there’s no one person who can denigrate that work. When you pour your soul into whatever you do, no amount of insult is ever enough to let you lose focus on who you are or what you believe in. So this Christmas, if there’s anything that you can be, be like that shoemaker. Pour out your soul into every single thing that you do - whether you are spending time with family, visiting loved ones, wrapping gifts, buying gifts, cooking, cleaning, or worshipping (we invite you to worship with us), whatever you do - however meaningful it is - pour your soul into it. There’s nothing more gratifying than knowing that you poured out your soul - you did more than you were supposed to do because you did your very best. This Christmas, do your very best. Manny

It's that time of year again, a time for you to turn in fun videos with families and friends. These videos will celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas and are shared on Facebook and our website. You can upload as many videos are you like, so start planning yours and help spread Christmas joy! Submissions are due by December 20th and you can email them to communications@christchurchcolumbia.org. For more details, please contact Yetti at ministry@christchurchcolumbia.org.

Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. Collect of the Day: Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: Baruch 5:1-9 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 Canticle 16 Today's Sermon Text Deacon Denise's Sermon for today, the first in our Advent Preaching Series: Emmanuel, God is With Us, can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.