In celebration and appreciation of all mothers everywhere, the Women of Christ Church have put on their favorite "Hats for Mother's Day" and we have gotten quite a few wonderful photos in honor and in memory of those very special people. Mothers come as all sorts - whether familial, or step, or single, or foster, or symbolic, and everything in between - and you deserve all of the praise, gratitude, and love of the day - every one of you. And thanks to the WOCC for making it extra special during this time when we are all apart a bit more than we'd like. Have a very Happy Mother's Day weekend!

I am always amazed at the folks who do walk on tightropes. The kind of balance, mental acuity, discipline, self-control, grit, and determination that it takes to accomplish that task is a trait that you and I can only dream of. There is an Australian, Kane Peterson, who, as part of the stunt, laid down for a bit on the tightrope, got up and walked the rest of the three hundred meters. I could not even stand watching videos of Nik Wallenda walking across the Niagara Falls. A part of me thinks that as amazing as the feat was, you've got to be crazy - in a good way - to dream and walk the tightrope across any distance. Many of us are still going through a rollercoaster of emotions during this pandemic. We do not know what to do anymore. Our lives seem a little stuck. Being confined to our own homes has been torturous. It is as if we are walking on a tightrope across the Niagara Falls - we can see the beginning, we can see the rope, and we can see the end from a distance, but we’re not sure how, and if, we will get there in peace. Many are the words of encouragement we have heard. Many are the words of comfort that have been shared with us, and that we have offered to others. Many are the words of support that have been offered to us, and we have, in turn, offered to others. All of these are meant to help mitigate the emotional, mental, and psychological effects of the pandemic on us, and meant to create a semblance of normalcy. A lot of us are not doing well; we are simply living…but we want to thrive. One of the disturbing fallouts has been the rise in domestic violence. Couples are overreacting over things that don’t even matter; couples are using partners as an outlet, a punching bag for their frustration. Couples cannot help manage their own disappointment and anger over the financial toll of this pandemic. But we want to thrive, and we want our love ones to thrive, as well. As dire as our situation may be, not as many words of support and comfort would help if we are not prepared and willing to take the necessary step that would bring the needed peace in our lives and in our homes. Yes, the stress level is high. Anxiety is through the roof. Impatience is rampant. The uncertainty of walking on a tightrope is killing, as if we are like a keg that's ready to explode. But I do not want you to discount your role in making things work. I do not want you to downplay your role in making things better for you, and for your family. As meaningful an exhortation as you may hear and read, YOU are the one who must make that decision about whether you want to employ what you have heard or read. I am sure you have heard it said before that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink. That’s why the onus is on you to create that peace of a home. I want to share with you a story about a highly-skilled gymnast in Canada who was an expert at walking the tightrope. Many times, he had walked a thin rope between the peaks of two high mountains. Each performance attracted huge crowds who marveled at his poise, balance, skill, and prowess. One day, he decided to jazz up his act by adding a new element of danger. He would do the tightrope walk while pushing a wheelbarrow. The news went out, and everyone looked forward to his next event with great excitement and anticipation. As the big day drew nearer, the gymnast started to get nervous. He realized that pushing a wheelbarrow would be more dangerous, as he would not be able to stretch out his hands to maintain balance as the rope bounced about. What if he could not do it? What if he fell a hundred feet to his death? The night before the big event, he went over to his best friend's house and confessed his fears. His friend reminded him of all the other times the gymnast had overcome great odds to achieve great things. His friend patted him on the back and said, "I believe in you, and I'm with you every step of the way." The gymnast started to feel confident again. "Thank you," he said to his friend. "So, since you have so much faith in me, would you like to sit in the wheelbarrow when I do the crossover tomorrow?" The friend held the gymnast by the shoulders, looked him in the eye and said, "Not a flaming chance in hell. Are you crazy?" There is no doubt that encouragement and praise as morale boosters are great. They fuel our courage and spur our imagination. It is always worth having those around us who believe in us. They create in us more than the motivation and the drive to make it; they also reduce our fears and calm our nerves. However, in spite of the boatload of faith people have in you, encouragement and motivation are not substitutes for effort - they cannot do the job for YOU. I learned, many years ago, that heaven helps those who help themselves. And, so in as much as we rely on the counsel, encouragement, and direction of well-meaning people, the real work depends on us. And the moment we embrace the reality that the hard work of walking the tightrope depends on YOU, the more we can embrace the idea that the other is not crazy, and neither are we. ~Manny

Readings for today: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 8:6-11 John 11:1-45 The Collect of the Day: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Sermon for Today: Father Manny's Sermon for today can be read here.

Readings for today: The Liturgy of the Palms Matthew 21:1-11 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 The Liturgy of the Word Isaiah 50:4-9a Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 27:11-54 Psalm 31:9-16 The Collect of the Day: Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Sermon for Today: Father Manny's Palm Sunday Sermon can be read here.

Readings for today: Acts 10:34-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-18 The Collect of the Day: O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord's resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Sermon for Today: Father Manny's Sermon for today can be read here.

Today is the Second Sunday of Easter. Readings for Today: Acts 2:14a,22-32 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 Psalm 16 The Collect of the Day: O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord's resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Sermon for Today: Father Manny's Sermon for today can be read here.

Today is the Third Sunday of Easter. Readings for today: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 1 Peter 1:17-23 Luke 24:13-35 Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17 The Collect of the Day: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Sermon for Today: Our Sermon today was given by a member of our Christ Church family, Kathy Lyon. You can read it here.

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Readings for today: Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19-25 John 10:1-10 The Collect of the Day: O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Sermon for Today: Father Manny's Sermon is available for reading here.

For those of you who have had the opportunity to visit an African country or a developing one, you may have noticed that many of the public transportation vehicles have pithy statements inscribed on them. These statements stretch the full gamut from simple statements to more proverbial thoughts and religious quotes. Some of these are: ‘Great God of Wonders,’ ‘Miracle Babies,’ ‘Wisdom,’ ‘Chances,’ ‘Small boys are young,’ ‘The young shall grow,’ ‘Opportunity comes but once,’ ‘I Know…,’ ‘Time will Tell,’ and ‘God’s Time Is the Best.’ Some of these writings are captured in local dialects extolling a thought. Some are in honor, or in celebration of, life. The interesting bit about these thoughts - on automobiles, or even corner stores - is that some do not even make any sense, and yet folks write them anyway, after all, whoever has anything written on their automobile knows and understands exactly why. The one statement that readily comes to my mind, especially during this current pandemic, was once written on a type of truck that was referred to as a boneshaker. Boneshakers were old, open-trailer, Bedford trucks used as taxis. The minimal, manufactured parts were the engine, the hood, the windshield, and the interior covering the steering wheel and dashboard. The trailer itself was bare, and so to make it more efficient, people used wood to build a body and roof over the trailer. The truck contained neither doors nor windows. The chairs were more like benches, and passengers were required to climb up and sit in rows on these benches. One good thing - it's incredibly airy!! On one of these boneshakers was written Shall Pass. And in this case, the owner of the truck was also nicknamed Shall Pass. Many were those who new Shall Pass because he’s owned that boneshaker for years. An interesting part of the culture was the interaction between those who own or drive these vehicles and passengers or acquaintances. Whenever one meets the owner (Shall Pass), you will hear ‘Shall Pass.’  He will respond to each greeting ‘All Shall Pass.’ Another example of the interaction between owners of these vehicles and passengers and acquaintances is a story of a gentleman who lived across from my grandfather’s house. He traveled to Germany, and on his return brought a car. Unfortunately, he lost his wife-Aunt Lizzie right after he returned from Germany. In celebration of her life, he turned the car into a taxi and had “Aunt Lizzie” written on it. Wherever he drove to, you would hear screams of ‘Aunt Lizzie.’ In response, he would honk his horn in acknowledgement and appreciation. I never had the chance to ask Shall Pass about the pithy statement on his boneshaker, or why he responded in the way that he did. But I am very sure that he understood in a much deeper way, like most of us do, that nothing lasts forever, that everything passes. As you may have heard before, everything and everyone gets their moment in the sun. Yes, the sun shines but it does not shine on one place forever. The sun rises and goes down at the end of each day, with no single moment in the sun lasting forever. This pandemic has been shattering. I wake up in the morning, and I wonder… sometimes, feelings of anger, depression, and disappointment come over me. And I often feel like giving up. But over the past several days, I have been encouraged by the picture of the boneshaker with Shall Pass embossed on it. I wish I could go back in time and ask, "Why? Why did you capture my imagination with that pithy statement many, many years ago? What experience informed that decision? What is it that made you so hopeful that you rested in the assurance and comfort that all shall pass?" In scripture, we also get a sense that nothing lasts forever. Situations of a siege, occupation, famine, hunger, epidemic, harassment, war, enslavement, persecution, subjugation, and even peace do not last forever. If they did, we would not be here. But it is precisely because they do not that is why we take comfort in the words of Jesus that heaven and earth shall pass away but His Words will not. There’s a great deal of assurance in those words, for if we didn’t know what it is that we can rely on in this, our time of need, now we know that we can rely, depend, thrive, and live on those Words of our risen Savior that will not pass away. In as much as the boneshaker has never meant more to me today than it did when I was a kid, I am also encouraged by the words of Paulo Coelho: “Nothing lasts forever…pain and troubles included.” This, too, shall pass. This pandemic, the pain and troubles that are associated with it, all shall pass. So, this Easter season, assuming you have a boneshaker, what shall you write on it? ~Manny

This past week children in Howard County Public School System have begun taking online classes. They started a little later than other school districts in Maryland, but I believe in "better late than never" and so I give credit to the teachers and the leadership who have worked hard to make this happen. Online classes have been designed for all students, including children with special needs like my daughter, Gigi. When they had their online orientation a couple of days ago, I was like, "how are the teachers planning to control each class?" As good as these teachers are, they would be counting on parents to partner them in making these online classes work. But as I looked at the other kids with their parents, I can only be thankful about how fortunate we are that we live in a place where every child - even those with special needs - are offered the same opportunites. Looking at my daughter, and seeing how excited she was about seeing her teacher and classmates, and yet indifferent about the actual work she has to do, reminded me of a story about Nathan, a classmate who was born with a terminal disease. At age 12, he was still in the second grade and challenged with slurred speech. Like Gigi, Nathan often sounded very coherent, bringing to fore all that he could have been but for his debilitating illness. Unlike Gigi, Nathan had twenty children in his class. Their teacher, Ms. Spencer, was always flustered. Another student, Jeremy, had special needs that took up so much of Ms. Spencer's time that she worried about the other 19 children. Like Gigi’s teacher, Ms. Spencer invited Nathan’s parents for a chat. This wasn’t their first meeting, and certainly wouldn’t be the last. They’ve heard all that before. They sat quietly and listened to Ms. Spencer went through her list of Nathan’s obstructive habits in class. She ended her list with this emphatic suggestion “Your son really needs to be in a special school. His presence in this class is unfair to the 19 other children.” They’ve heard this before, but this is the challenge: “There are no special schools in the area” They responded. “And we know what a shock it would be for our son if we moved him from here. He really likes your class”. That night, Ms. Spencer thought about Nathan and his helpless parents. She thought about how difficult it must be for them to care for a child with so many needs, knowing all the while that, sooner or later, his illness will kill him. That night, she said a prayer for Nathan... “Father God, please help me to be more patient with Nathan.” From that day on, she made an effort to tolerate Nathan. Not quite long after her prayer, Easter rolled by and Ms. Spencer thought it would be a great idea to teach the kids something new about Easter. She narrated the Jesus story - his life, death and resurrection. She concluded that Easter was all about resurrection and new life. For their homework, she handed each child a plastic egg and told them to fill it with something that represented new life. When she handed Nathan his egg, she noticed the same indifferent reaction that often greeted her whenever she gave him his homework. As she often did, she would call his parents in the evening and explain the assignment to them so they could help Nathan with it, in the same manner that Gigi’s teacher expects us to help her with her homework. The next day, Ms. Spencer walked into the class to find a pile of 20 plastic eggs on her desk. To her dismay, she forgot to call Nathan’s parents. She knew Nathan wouldn’t be able to complete the assignment without help. She couldn’t believe her own disappointment with herself as she went through the assignments. Jenny, in the front row, was the first egg, and it contained a flower. “Great choice, Jenny,” she said. “Flowers grow at the beginning of spring, and they symbolize new life for plants”. The second egg contained a paper butterfly. “Another brilliant choice, Stuart”, she said, reading the name on the egg. “Caterpillars turn into butterflies and a new life emerges from an old form. Well done.” She picked a third egg from the pile; it was Nathan’s egg. She didn’t know what to expect, and when she opened it, it was empty. Nathan didn’t understand the assignment and his parents didn’t know. She thought hard about how she can avoid embarrassing Nathan in front of the whole class. But then a voice disrupted her thoughts: “That’s mine, Ms. Spencer. Aren’t you going to talk about it?” Ms. Spencer hesitantly responded, “But Nathan, your egg is empty.” And this is where it gets a little more interesting. Nathan looked into his teacher’s eyes, and with a smile, responded, “Yes, Ms. Spencer. Just like Jesus’ tomb.” The whole class gasped and fell into silence. They saw tears rolling down Ms. Spencer’s cheeks. Nathan understood the assignment after all. The egg is empty just as Jesus’ tomb is empty. Easter - the story of the empty tomb and egg. Remember, new life is made possible only when we experience death…and, in our case, the kind of death which resurrects in us the desire to live again, in spite of the devastation in our lives. It is the kind of death which inspires us to go the extra mile to serve the Nathans and Gigis of our world because we believe in life, however challenging it may be. It is the kind of death which makes it possible for us to see the other side of life-beauty, contentment, goodness, peace, and grace. Confucius settles us with these words: “I was complaining that I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet.” Three weeks later, Nathan died. His 19 classmates each brought a plastic egg and placed it on his casket. Each one of them was empty, and they needed to be - for without an empty egg, life cannot rise from the ashes and devastations of our lives. Nathan was right, after all... the egg is empty like Jesus’ tomb, and new life is always possible - even from an empty egg. ~Manny

All of our lives have been upended by COVID-19. For those of who are home and barely go out, there’s this feeling of being imprisoned in our own homes. Should we need to go out and grab something outside of home, we have to wear face masks to protect us and others. For those who are considered essential workers, the thought of going to work is freeing but equally fearful because you have no idea who it is that you will encounter, and whether or not that person is infected. We have been subjected to a different kind of life, one that we haven’t lived before, never thought we would ever live, and never hope to live again - should we eventually return to live our normal lives. Returning to live normal lives has been the hope we express to ourselves, and to others. There’s never a day when we don’t hear or talk about our hope to have our lives return to normal - which is fantastic. But the idea of a return to normal lives may be subjective and relative, because the normalcy that we crave for, or expect, may mean different things to different people. For some, the normalcy simply means being able to do the things they used to do before the pandemic. For some, the normalcy means being able to pursue their careers and live life like they used to. For some, the normalcy means being able to shop, travel, go out, run, walk, take kids to school, and simply approach life as they used to, before the pandemic. For some, the normalcy would mean having to pick their lives back up after the devastation of this crisis. For some, the normalcy would mean having to grieve for a loved one with whom they didn't get the chance to spend their last days. For some, the normalcy would mean overcoming the toll of isolation and loss - on that note, there’s a story of a man in Massachusetts who could no longer stand being separated from his wife that they had him visit her in a bucket truck. Amidst these cravings for normalcy are deeper questions, the kind which should cause us to re-evaluate how normal our lives need to be. I really do not think we can return to live as we had without asking ourselves how we can live better in the future than we had in the past. How can we be better angels today, and in the future, than we were in the past? How can we live a kind of future in which questioning is part of our narrative, the sort of questioning that leads us into advocating for the necessary change in our present arrangement? We are well aware of some of the systemic inequities in our society, especially among people of color, the poor, and those whom we have come to recognize as being on the margins of our society. They have certainly been the hardest hit. Quite apart from the disproportionate death toll - which may be attributed to a host of different factors, of which access to primary health care is critical - I fear for the many for whom the pandemic has worsened an already precarious living condition. I fear for the many who may be feeling the brunt of these consequences of inequalities. I fear for the many who have lost income they may never recover, thus having a multiplying effect on them, and on their families. I fear for all for whom the checks from the government wouldn’t be enough to meet their needs. I fear for all for whom the trauma of this pandemic may last for a very long, long time. I fear…. There’s a story of a mother who would always cut the ends of her carrots before she put them in a pot. The daughter always watched her mother cut both ends of the carrots before she put them in, and over the years she thought about asking her mother why she did so. Something always seemed to get in her way every time she wanted to ask about the ends of the carrots, but on this particular day nothing got in the way. She went ahead and asked her mother: “Mom, why do you cut the ends of the carrots before you put them in the pot?” The mother appeared perplexed at this strange question. “I saw Grandma do it, so that’s why I do it,” responded the perplexed mother. “Well, did you ask Grandma why she did that?” asked the girl. Fortunately for both of them, Grandma was visiting and so the mother shot back, “She’s right there in her room; you may want to go and ask why she did that.” So the girl ran to her grandmother’s room and narrated her story: “Grandma,” she said, “Mother always cuts the two ends of the carrots before she puts them in a pot. I asked her why she did that. She said that she saw you do it, and that’s why she does. I asked her if she ever asked you why you had, but she said no, and so now I ask you. Why did you cut both ends of the carrot before you put them in the pot?” The grandmother, who grew up during the Depression, was as perplexed as her daughter had been earlier, and sought to explain why. "Well, I used to have a smaller pot, and the carrots didn’t fit in it when whole, and so whenever I am cooking carrots, which was often, I would cut both ends just so the carrots would fit into the pot.” The girl responded: “But did mom ever ask why you did that?” “No,” the grandmother replied. The girl then screamed, “So why is mom doing the exact same thing when she has a bigger pot??” “I don’t know why,” said the grandmother. “You'll have to ask her.” Without knowing why, her mother cut both ends of her carrots before putting them in a pot - even though she had a bigger pot which could fit her carrots. If she had asked her mother, like her daughter asked her, she would’ve known why her mother did so. At this most perilous time, this time when we are all desirous about returning to our normal lives, a critical part of making our future, normal life incredibly meaningful could include questioning our present arrangement. Failure to do so would mean we haven’t learned much from this experience, after all. To return to life as it was before our confinement would mean that we were satisfied with the status quo. Each situation in life, as good or evil as it may be, offers us the grace to learn about readjusting our lives and our purpose. To return to our old normal lives without asking questions on how to better adjust for a new normal would mean neglecting to ask why mom cuts the carrots at both ends before she puts them in a pot. The Easter story is about the glory of a human being fully alive. And to be alive in that glory of being human is to look at each other differently, and with the hope of living differently, for we do have a bigger pot for our carrots. Happy Easter. Manny