The greatest story ever told invites us to ponder on our true humanity and to ask if we can, at the barest minimum offer even the stable in the inn. The Christmas story is the greatest story ever told-not only for its complication, mystique or the personalities involved, but because the story taps into a long held desire of union with God. Looking around this holy space, I see ruin and devastation caused by water. But I also see new wooden floors that would be installed beginning on Monday-it tells me that new life can spring out of destruction. Beyond that, our world has been decimated by a virus, rendering us incapable of gathering together as family and a community of faith to celebrate God’s presence among us. But I am thankful for the new vaccines. I hope when you get the chance, you will get vaccinated. The new vaccines inspire me to be hopeful in the face of this human adversity. Humans have always desired for the divine to be present in our lives. That desire for God to be present in our lives, in our condition, was for God to fill that inherent void and satisfy the emptiness in our lives. Christmas is the greatest story evert told because within this story, we experience a God whose desire hasn’t been about remaking humans into tin-gods, but humans who are fully alive in our humanness and in God that we do not live in the agony of sin and destruction In his book on Miracles, C.S. Lewis wrote that “The central miracle asserted by the Christian is the incarnation. They say that God became man…If the thing happened, it was the central event in the history of the earth, the very thing the whole story has been about.” [1] If C.S. Lewis is right, then it is fair to say that without the incarnation, there would be no theology, there would be no story. The incarnation forms the basis of the Christian identity and understanding of God. That is to say that we cannot understand God without the miracle of the incarnation. In the Christmas story human hopes and fears converge in a little baby boy whose life represents life’s paradox-that a baby who was born as God among men, who in his adult years was considered a pariah, an outsider, would totally transform the responsibilities that we owe to one another and to ourselves. The responsibility that I owe you is what compels me to call you a brother or sister, for our kinship is not based on the will of man or the flesh but by the will of God. The responsibility I owe you compels me to offer you the barest minimum-even the stable, should there be no place in the inn. The Christmas story is the greatest story ever told because it reminds us of the sacrifice of God. That God who is wholly other, transcendent, boundless in His personhood, and is infinitely good and pure, would set aside the glory of His heaven, and sacrifice that very nature to assume the limitations of people like you and me. I learned that to wish for something is a substitute for action, and in the incarnation, we don’t experience a God who wished for something different, rather we experience a God who was ready for action, ready to change the human story. And so St. Paul in his letter to the Galatians reiterates the nature of Jesus’ birth. He doesn’t confer any special qualities on Jesus, but states that Jesus was born under the law like any Jewish child, and born of a woman like any human being. In essence, Jesus was not different from us in any way. In Jesus, God did not supplant human nature nor did He assume a special nature which would have made it impossible for him to deal with the pain, sickness, hurt, disappointment, hunger, tears, thirst, violence, anger or even death- experiences that people deal with on a daily basis. God’s sacrifice of God’s self was a means for God to identify God’s self with us in a way that will renew our hope in each other and ultimately in God. Christmas is the greatest story ever told because the joy of the incarnation is the renewal of our shared hope in each other and in God-especially during these perilous times. The prophet Isaiah ponders on God’s redemptive act in the restoration of Jerusalem and rejoices in its new identity. By virtue of the incarnation we have also been restored to newness. For that reason, we can no longer be slaves to sin, nor can we be slaves to the law with its divisiveness and burdensome character. We have been made anew. Listen to John, to those who received Him, to them He gave power to become children of God, not of the will of man or of the flesh, but the will of God. This particular will of God is synonymous with the grace of God. And because we are now children who have the privilege of being joint heirs with Christ, we acknowledge our joint inheritance with Christ, and affirm that every life has value, even those born in the mangers of our world. Christmas is the greatest story ever told because it is the story of a new creation-all of God’s creation is made anew in Jesus. John in the gospel story harkens back to the language in Genesis, “In the beginning”, with this language, John refers to the chaotic nature of the world where God turned the chaos of a formless void into an oasis of habitation for humanity. John argues that that same Word which was with God, which is God and with which the world was created, is the same Word which has come to dwell with us. The purpose of the presence of the Word among us was not to recreate the world by changing its composition, but that through the light which overpowers all darkness, we may behold the new thing that God is doing with us and among us-shaping our often formless lives, filling our often empty lives, bringing meaning to our often hopeless lives, pulling us out of the darkened pit of our lives and restoring us from being exiled from Him and from our true selves. The new creation the incarnation ushers is one where the Word which has come to dwell with us will help us unwrap ourselves from the darkness with which we have covered ourselves. Christmas is the greatest story ever told because it is about the power of the light that shines in the darkest places of our lives. The light reveals to us our true human potential, assures us that our weaknesses are unimportant in God’s eyes, and that we do not have to do anything to earn His love. The Christmas story brings life to the love of God. If God is love, then His glory most of all shines forth in anything that fully expresses His love. Love loves love, and wherever love is, there you will find the story of redemption, hope, renewal, forgiveness, compassion, justice, peace and transformation. If the first creation story is about the gift of being human, the second creation story realized in the incarnation of Jesus, the greatest story ever told is about the choices we make on a daily basis, and these choices often require us to humbly descend deep into ourselves to find our true humanity. And we do this by asking if we are ever willing to offer the barest minimum, even the stable to the other. There is always a reason not to find a place in the inn, but Christmas is about whether you can offer the stable. To discover your true self, and to discover God in the process, is to be able to always offer the stable. I wish you a very Merry Christmas. Amen. The Reverend Emmanuel Ato Mercer Christmas Eve Christ Episcopal Church Columbia, Maryland USA [1] Lewis, C.S. The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classic p.398

A couple of days ago, I received a call from a desperate mother of five who wanted Christmas gifts for her children. Like every parent, she knew that her children - like most children all over the world - will be looking forward to what Santa got for them this Christmas. Later in the day after my call with this mother, I went to the Columbia Mall to purchase Christmas gifts for my children. I have not been to the mall since my arrival from Ghana, but I have been at the mall several times during the height of the holiday season. To my utter surprise, the mall was not as packed with shoppers as it usually is this time of year. "Where is everyone?" I wondered. Another strange observation was the number of shops which have been boarded up. "What is going on?" I asked myself. The devastation on families as a result of this coronavirus has been profound. In fact, many were suffering before the virus did hit, and their plight has only been exacerbated by the devastation wrought by this pandemic. In many ways, I am part of the lucky ones who can still count on a paycheck. It is humbling to know that many of you still give in support of our common life, in spite of the many challenges that you do face in your personal lives. Your generosity makes it possible for me to be Santa Claus to my children. Your kindness makes it possible for me to help another parent also be Santa Claus to hers. Our gifts make it possible for us to be Santa Claus to many children through the Angel Tree program that took place a few weeks ago. Thank You for being Santa Claus. "But does Santa Claus really exist?" asked a son who thought he was old enough to challenge the myth of Santa Claus. I read this story on the Facebook page of Sara Kirkpatrick, our Sr. Warden: Son: "Dad, I think I'm old enough now. Is there a Santa Claus?" Dad: "Ok, I agree that you're old enough. But before I tell you, I have a question for you. You see, the truth is a dangerous gift. Once you know something, you cannot unknow it. Once you know the truth about Santa Claus, you will never again understand and relate to him as you do now. So, my question is: Are you sure you want to know?" (brief pause) Son: "Yes, I want to know" Dad: "Ok, I'll tell you: Yes, there is a Santa Claus" Son: "Really?" Dad: "Yes, really, but he is not an old man with a beard in a red suit. That is just what we tell kids. You see, kids are too young to understand the true nature of Santa Claus, so we explain it to them in a way that they can understand. The truth about Santa Claus is that he is not a person at all; he is an idea. Think of all those presents Santa gave you over the years. I actually bought those myself. I watched you open them. And did it bother me that you did not thank me? Of course not! In fact, it gave me great pleasure." He continued: "You see, Santa Claus is THE IDEA OF GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING, without thought of thanks or acknowledgment. When I saw that woman collapse on the subway last week and called for help, I knew that she would never know that it was me that summoned the ambulance. I was being Santa Claus when I did that." Son: "Oh." Dad: "So now that you know, you are part of it. You have to be Santa Claus now, too. That means you can never tell a young kid the secret, and you have to help us select Santa presents for them and, most importantly, you have to look for opportunities to help people. Got it?" What fascinates me about this story is the idea that Santa Claus is an idea, the idea of giving for the sake of it. Not with the hope of securing any benefit or glory, but only for the sake of giving. In the incarnation itself, we experience the ultimate act of giving - the giving of God’s self to us. John 3:16 reminds us “For God so loved that world that He GAVE His only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” In a very real and transforming way, it is only the act of giving that sustains our lives and that of the world. The kind of giving that leaves us free and not beholden to anything. The kind of giving that is only acknowledged by God and expects nothing in return from the receiver. I learned, many years ago, that no one can give what he or she does not have. But there is one thing, that one gift that each and every one of us has in equal measure-which is love. The rich and the poor, the slave and the free, Blacks, and Whites, and everyone in-between, possess this gift in equal measure. And it is that one gift which fuels our act of giving and offers meaning to all our relationships for without the act of giving, there is no way we can build a relationship. It has been a difficult year all around, but we can soften the blow that many of us have faced by not only being a part of the secret but actually living into the secret idea of being Santa Claus-giving for the sake of giving. So, this Christmas, be a Santa Claus - give to yourself, and to others. Give without the expectation of a reward. Matthew reminds us: “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” As dreary as Christmas might be, you may never tell the impact of your belief in the idea until you live it. It is like lighting your candle and putting it on the lampstand. As challenging as this Christmas might be, you may never know how fulfilling life can be until you live it. As different as this Christmas might be, I invite you to a wonderful celebration of joy, hope, faith, beauty, renewal, love, and life. And I invite you to reflect on the fact that it is only by our act of GIVING that our celebration of life becomes possible, fulfilling, and complete. Christmas is about giving, and I wish you the absolute best this Christmas. Again, I invite you to the celebration of the greatest story ever told - the story of how God’s act of GIVING changed the human story, and how your act of GIVING can change your life and the lives of many. A Very Merry Christmas to you, my beloved, and my fellow Santa Claus. ~Manny

Christ Church presented our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols online for the first time, an online gathering whose more analog origins date back to late 19th century England. We welcome you all to join us in re-watching this celebration of glorious carols, anthems, and hymns with Bible passages. The video of this service, an evening of joyful expression, in word and song, of the greatest story that has ever been told, is below and the 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: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Canticle 15 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 Today's Sermon: Father Manny's Sermon for today can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream:

Christ Church presents our annual "Christ Church Caroling" gathering tonight, but this year - like most events and gatherings these days - it is held as an online event. Our Director of Music, Adam Detzner, leads us and we'll all sing of God’s glorious presence captured in some of the most beautiful and beloved carols from around the world. You can sing along with our Caroling Packet, located here, and gather for this festive online celebration. The video replay is below:

Save the Date - Dec. 21 - to Help Feed the Hungry at Grassroots Christ Church plans to bring not only a tasty, nutritious meal but a little holiday cheer as well when we provide supper for the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center on December 21st. That’s because we’re encouraging parishioners to bring decorated cookies in addition to our ordinary desserts. We suggest that you wear gloves to keep everyone safe and that you put the cookies in sandwich bags of five each. Please mark your calendars to be at Old Brick this coming Monday at 3:30 p.m., when volunteers may drop off their contributions safely in the parking lot. Please wear masks and plan to practice social distancing. Of course, we still need the usual side dishes, fruit, and granola bars to complement our main course. In what has become a tradition during the pandemic, co-coordinator Nancy Winchester acquires the chicken at Weis and meets the other volunteers as they drive up to Old Brick. She then transports the items to Freetown Road for handoff to the staff of Grassroots. A generous donation of $200 from the Women of Christ Church is helping to pay for the chicken. Christ Church has claimed the slot for the third Monday of each month, which means we’ll be providing the evening meal on January 18th and on February 15th. Additional volunteers -- and the resulting side dishes and desserts are always welcome. On their own, parishioners at Christ Church have signed up to provide the evening meal on several evenings this month for the 50 adults and children. Consider pitching in, by picking a date during January to provide an entree and side dishes. Grassroots encourages an order of six pizzas -- two with cheese and four with meat (any kind), or rotisserie chickens (12 to make a meal, plus sides), but discourages lasagna or other pasta entrees. Another welcome option is takeout from restaurants to help the workforce. Here is a link to the sign-up list that's maintained by Grassroots. Meanwhile, the Dorsey/Rt. 1 Day Resource Center remains closed due to the coronavirus, except for curbside distribution of non-perishables. A Limited Selection of Stocking Stuffers Available to Benefit DreamBuilders Traditionally the Outreach Commission has sold fair-trade coffee, tea, and chocolates to benefit DreamBuilders prior to Christmas. Despite the pandemic upending our traditions and keeping us apart, we can make a limited inventory available. If you want to purchase any of the following items, one of us will make a curbside dropoff between now and this Sunday, December 20th, and give you instructions to mail a check in payment directly to DreamBuilders, which has been building desks for underserved students this fall. Here are the choices in our remaining inventory of chocolate: (14) dark chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce; 3 for $5 or $1.75 each, (4) milk chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce, 3 for $5 or $1.75 each; (3) bags of Java Drops (chocolate-covered coffee beans), size 16 ounce, $12 each. In our remaining inventory of coffee, we have several bags of each of the following, in order of the heartiest to lightest flavor blend: Italian Espresso, (whole bean only), 16 ounces, $11; Moka Sumatra (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Uprising Breakfast Blend (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Hazelnut Dream (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Peru French Roast Decaf (ground only), 16 ounces, $11. There’s no tea nor hot cocoa available. To order, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. 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. December LEMS Committee Update Last week the LEMS committee delivered Christ Church's final contribution to the Weekend Food Program for 2020! Thank you for your support of the LEMS community during this unusual school year, you have made learning easier for students that really need the help. We plan to continue to provide food for ten families once a month in the new year, though as with everything, we may need to adjust to changing circumstances and needs. With local COVID cases at their peak we are following strict safety precautions, but we look forward to having greater involvement from parishioners when it is safe to do so. If you have any questions, please contact lemspc@christchurchcolumbia.org. Donations can be made towards future LEMS support online using Realm and listing LEMS in the memo line. Be Aware of Email Phishing Scams, Especially During this Holiday Season We want to make you aware of email and text message scams that are targeting members of religious institutions around the country. There are also recent reports of other Maryland and Howard County churches having been affected by this issue, including Christ Church. You can learn about these phishing scams, and what you can do to help stop them, on our website's blog. Click here.

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: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8,19-28 Psalm 126 Today's Worship Livestream:

Thanks to Parishioners as the Virtual Angel Tree Drive Concludes In an outpouring of generosity, Christ Church parishioners responded to brighten Christmas for Howard County children during this year’s Angel Tree drive. The Outreach Commission once again focused our support on children ages 10 to 12 to meet a need identified by The Salvation Army. Twelve “angels” will be receiving a complete package that includes three toys, a coat, a pair of shoes, and an outfit of clothing. Of course, since these are pre-teens, their wish lists were age-appropriate with items ranging from an easel and art supplies to a skateboard. If you are among those who signed up, please accept the heartfelt gratitude of the families who would not have otherwise had such a bright Christmas to anticipate. Please bring in your gifts by the deadline, which is 2 p.m. this Friday, December 11th. Here’s the procedure: ● If you need to review the signup list to label your gifts after shopping, click here. When you are ready to drop off the gifts, please place them — unwrapped — inside a plastic bag and tie a tag or label on it that clearly states the name and identifying number of the angel. ● You may put multiple gifts for the same angel in one bag. Put gifts for a different angel(s) in separate bags. The bags can be dropped off in a marked bin at the church just inside the Parish Hall door until 2 p.m. through Friday. Please call the church office (410) 381-9365 to let them know when you are coming. Due to pandemic precautions, our Angel Tree signup was handled virtually and another option allowed some parishioners to order online and have gifts shipped directly to The Salvation Army. That means Christ Church was able to help additional children, and we thank those who participated in the “hands-off” option. Through either method, we are lifting the hearts not only of the angels but of their parents, who obtain the unwrapped gifts from The Salvation Army. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call Melanie Yaksich at (410) 908-3520 or email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. A Limited Selection of Stocking Stuffers Available to Benefit DreamBuilders Traditionally the Outreach Commission has sold fair-trade coffee, tea, and chocolates to benefit DreamBuilders prior to Christmas. Despite the pandemic upending our traditions and keeping us apart, we can make a limited inventory available. If you want to purchase any of the following items, one of us will make a curbside dropoff between now and Dec. 20th and give you instructions to mail a check in payment directly to DreamBuilders, which has been building desks for underserved students this fall. Here are the choices in our remaining inventory of chocolate: 14 dark chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce; 3 for $5 or $1.75 each, 4 milk chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce, 3 for $5 or $1.75 each; 3 bags of Java Drops (chocolate-covered coffee beans), size 16 ounce, $12 each. In our remaining inventory of coffee, we have several bags of each of the following, in order of the heartiest to lightest flavor blend: Italian Expresso, (whole bean only), 16 ounces, $11; Moka Sumatra (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Uprising Breakfast Blend (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Hazelnut Dream (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Peru French Roast Decaf (ground only), 16 ounces, $11. There’s no tea nor hot cocoa available, unfortunately. To order, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Springfield Hospital Christmas Gifts - Deadline is December 14th We will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital. This has been a particularly difficult year for them, as they have been unable to have visits due to the pandemic. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits, 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, before December 14th. If that’s inconvenient, please contact Cathy Gold and we will find a way. heycathy@verizon.net or (410) 440-4178. For anyone who has suggestions about ways to help the community, would like to get involved, or if you need any assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

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: Isaiah 40:1-11 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 Sermon for Today: Deacon Denise gave today's Sermon, and you can read the text of it here. Today's Worship Livestream:

On December 13th, our Director of Music and Organist, Adam Detzner, will present Christ Church's December Organ Recital from the choir loft of New Brick. A selection of works from J.S. Bach and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck will be performed on our church organ, and we invite you to view the program here and watch Adam's performance on our website, Facebook, or YouTube page at 5:00 p.m. Adam writes: I have only been admitted to one European organ competition, in Saxony in 2017, where I did not make it past the first round. But it was still an unforgettable experience. I played three eighteenth-century Baroque organs, experiencing the feelings and sounds that composers like Bach might have enjoyed. I attended a number of concerts by the competition’s jury members and others, including a few very famous organists. I visited Leipzig and saw Bach’s tomb, outside the Thomaskirche where he served as Cantor; I visited Dresden and saw the opulent Zwinger palace complex, including the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, an art gallery absolutely stuffed with masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. I met a number of young organists from around the world, communicating almost exclusively in German. At that time it was also election season in Germany, so I saw some interesting political ads and demonstrations. Some say that the hardest part of these competitions is getting in. They require an audio CD or MP3 file as part of the “pre-recorded round.” On the one hand, these recordings have to be more or less “note-perfect;” on the other hand, they can’t sound too “careful.” The juries for these prerecorded rounds listen to a hundred or more recordings of the same two or three pieces – how does one stand out? For my monthly organ recital next Sunday evening, I am going to play some of the music for the prerecorded and live rounds of these competitions. You may recognize some of it as preludes and postludes from the past year, but I hope there’s been some improvement! There will be a program with some notes on the music, communicated electronically, and located in the recital’s Facebook feed. I invite you to tune in at 5 p.m. on December 13th In Christ, Adam Detzner Director of Music

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: Isaiah 64:1-9 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:24-37 Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 Today's Sermon: Deacon Denise gave today's Sermon, and you can read the text here. Today's Worship Livestream: