Ecclesiastes 3:10 “I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts” WE ARE TO BEAUTIFY OUR WORLD The gospel is the good news of salvation. Salvation is wholeness in every part of our lives. He will beautify the meek with salvation. Our God-given task is to lead people – one by one – to the restorer and beautifier – of our souls. We are an incredible force on earth – and together we can beautify our world with many good things. WE HAVE HEAVEN IN OUR HEARTS God has given us His eternal spirit so that we may know what heaven looks like. Our task is to bring heaven to earth and reveal God’s plan for His creation. Learn to see heaven’s perspective in all things. Get God’s plan for the restoration of all things. WE ARE TO OCCUPY TILL HE COMES The sons of men are to be occupied with a Godly task until JESUS returns as King. Our task is to build His church and extend His kingdom influence. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed. WE ARE TO REDEEM THE TIME Time is the most valuable resource given to mankind. There is coming a day when time will cease and eternity will rule. Until then we are to redeem the time – making all things beautiful. Spend your time serving a noble God cause that has at its core – to beautify the meek with salvation. YOUR GOD GIVEN TASK IS YOUR DESTINY, WHICH IS TO SPEND YOUR TIME MAKING THE PEOPLE IN YOUR WORLD BEAUTIFUL IN HIM. ~S. Penny

Eternal and everlasting God, who art the Father of all Mankind, as we turn aside from the hurly-burly of everyday living, may our hearts and souls, yea our very spirits, be lifted upward to Thee…. We pray for thy divine guidance as we travel the highways of life. We pray for more courage. We pray for more faith and above all we pray for more love. ~Coretta Scott King

Today is the Fourth Sunday in Lent. Readings for today: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 The Collect of the Day: Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

On weekdays during the season of Lent, we post daily meditations on our website, and on Saturdays we include a piece of music, as well. These songs are submitted by parish family members and friends of Christ Church, and meant to uplift, comfort, and inspire. We hope that you enjoy. They say sometimes you win some Sometimes you lose some And right now, right now I'm losing bad I've stood on this stage night after night Reminding the broken it'll be alright But right now, oh right now I just can't It's easy to sing When there's nothing to bring me down But what will I say When I'm held to the flame Like I am right now I know You're able and I know You can Save through the fire with Your mighty hand But even if You don't My hope is You alone They say it only takes a little faith To move a mountain Well good thing A little faith is all I have, right now But God, when You choose To leave mountains unmovable Oh give me the strength to be able to sing It is well with my soul I know You're able and I know You can Save through the fire with Your mighty hand But even if You don't My hope is You alone I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt Would all go away if You'd just say the word But even if You don't My hope is You alone You've been faithful, You've been good All of my days Jesus, I will cling to You Come what may 'Cause I know You're able I know You can I know You're able and I know You can Save through the fire with Your mighty hand But even if You don't My hope is You alone I know the sorrow, I know the hurt Would all go away if You'd just say the word But even if You don't My hope is You alone It is well with my soul It is well, it is well with my soul ~Songwriters: Bart Millard / Ben Glover / Crystal Lewis / David Garcia / Tim Timmons

The past week has been dreary. Life hasn’t been as we have known it to be. Many are working from home, or are simply at home. This is nothing like we’ve seen before. We have been invited to practice social distancing and washing our hands thoroughly, among many other practices geared towards our own safety. My amazement has been with the word social distancing. It is a phrase that has a new meaning for me. It feels like a constraint on me. I met one of our parishioners at the BJs gas station off Dobbin Road, and this is a parishioner whom I am used to shaking his hands and giving him a hug. But this time, none of that happened. We stood at a distance from each other as we talked. He had with him a small bottle of hand sanitizer, and the nearest I got to him was when he invited me to stretch my hand in order to use some. In a very real way, we all find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Our health experts have done a very great job alerting us to the dangers that lay ahead, and the kind of precautionary measures that we need to take in order to mitigate the spread of this pandemic. As part of our precautionary measures we have abridged the office hours from 10:00-3:00 p.m. and eliminated any interaction between staff. We are livestreaming Morning Prayer at 7:00 a.m. and Evening Prayer at 7:00 p.m. on Facebook. We will continue to share additional information as the days go by. In as much as we want to still live like we’re all used to, the reality is that for the foreseeable future, this will be our new normal - life between a rock and a hard place. I have no idea that, if in choosing a name for the movie Rocky, Sylvester Stallone thought about his life as being a metaphor for the movie. He had acted in the movie The Lords of Flatbush, which wasn’t very successful, but he continued to ply his acting trade in New York with the hope of hitting the jackpot. He tells the story of being broke, very broke, to the extent that he tried to sell his dog because he couldn’t feed that dog. He tells the story of seeing a fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, where Wepner fought the greatest champion of all time for fifteen rounds and knocked him down. Although Wepner lost the bout, it nonetheless became a motivation for Stallone. He saw in that fight a man who was going to stand up to life, take a shot, and go the distance. With that thought in mind, he went home and put pen to paper. Within three days, he had the script done for the movie. However, when he wasn’t successful at a casting call, he told the producers about his script. They asked him to bring it, and so he did. And this is where the story gets interesting - upon reading the script, they thought it was quite good and offered him $360,000.00 for the script with a condition that he wouldn’t play Rocky. This was a man who had no money, was on the verge of selling his dog because he couldn’t feed it, and had only $106.00 in the bank. You would think that he would simply take the money and walk away - life between a rock and a hard place. Stallone, however, refused to sell the script. He said to himself, "I am already poor, and I would hate myself for selling the script and losing out should the movie become successful." The producers pressed him again and again to sell the script. As good as the script was, Stallone wasn’t a big Hollywood actor. Apart from that, he wasn’t cut for such a huge role. And because they didn’t want to risk a loss, they continued to pressed upon him in order to change his mind. But as poor as he was, he still wouldn’t sell the script - life between a rock and a hard place. Finally, the producers relented and paid him one million dollars and had him play the lead role. The movie did not only catapult Stallone into stardom, but Rocky became one of the very successful movies of all time with three Oscar wins, including Best Picture. Over the years, the Rocky franchise has earned $1.4 billion at the box office. He had made the right decision for himself. I don’t remember when I last saw any of the Rocky movies, but my fascination with Stallone’s story was his relentless desire to, in spite of his searing poverty, turn down such a huge payday for the purpose of looking at himself a little differently than how others thought about him. He believed - and rightly so - that his biggest payday was winning the battle instead of the fight. And by sticking to his guns, he had won the battle. Our lives have changed over the past several days. It feels like a huge disruption... nothing seems ordinary anymore. We do find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Like Rocky, we can also win this battle, we can forgo the little comforts of our lives, assure ourselves that no instructions from the health experts is too ordinary to follow, and embrace the possibility of being asked to be the lead actor. For us, being the lead actor would mean taking a shot at life, going the distance, and staying safe in God's merciful hands. ~Manny

I awoke This morning Before first light, The peace Of the night Embracing my soul, To discover That I still Walked This earth -- God must yet Have need Of me. But, I have Weary eyes, Sore limbs And Slower steps These days. I come to Him With Damaged Offerings “So did my Son,” God told me As Dawn Caressed The sky. ~Pamela Pruitt, August 26, 2019

We are born into this world helpless and completely reliant on others to care for us. We grow and learn self-reliance, establish a sense of self along the way. Most of us reach a point in this development often in our teenage years when we believe we can do anything, be anything, and even manipulate others. Reality often shapes and restrains these delusions, but our sense of self requires us to believe we are in control of something. Those with wisdom learn that we are in control of very little and settle on an understanding that we are only control of two single things: our attitude and will. Such a path in the growth of our understanding can be depressing. But we are not alone and many awaken to an idea that collectively we can create a sense of greater control through consensus and community fighting the reality which keeps harping that we only control of our attitude and will – again a sense of helpless isolation. Nonetheless we gather in these groups supporting these formative elements to establish a sense of control and even destiny. All communities, enterprises, and countries are built on these elements, and they all serve some appointed body of recognized leadership often embodied into a single individual. Just as the complexities of creation are not formed by accident, this social reality of ours is also designed into our being. Often, we form these social structures with lofty selfless goals, but the facts in our history show that as time progresses, those who have self-service in their heart seek to corrupt and usurp our institutions for their benefit. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” say the sages. Again, we arrive at a very familiar end: a never-ending path of creation to decay. But such an end is not our reality. There is a path which leads to a specific goal which does not decay and will never end: His kingdom. We know this to be true because He has said so. All of creation was formed in love, and in love there is no fear, oppression, or coercion. Love is selfless giving. Just as creation shows His hand at work in weaving the marvelous tapestry of life, so building His kingdom will engage His all-powerful hand to bring His kingdom into full fruit. The Lord has given each of us complete freedom of choice in the use of our will and we have control of our attitude. We can exert that will to serve our desires or His. We know that when our desires align with His, He will help us. We also know that when our desires serve only us, there will be no help and our efforts will ultimately not bear the fruit which we desire. We each must choose in whose control we place our lives for one cannot serve two masters. The choice between ours or His. So, choose wisely, for in His service you shall find love, support, and perfect freedom!

Created in love, we are called to love one another. Whether our journey keeps us near or takes us far, may we lift up those we meet with love and compassion. Open wide our hearts to care for those in need, to help those who are hurting, with a genuine love for all humankind. With God as our Guide, our Light, and our Truth, let us walk in faith, hope, and love. This day and every day. 1 Corinthians 13:13 Prayer from the Adrian Dominican Sisters

During the Spring of 2018, my dad left the hospital to receive hospice care at his home. One of the first things he did was to pick out the readings and songs for his celebration of life. After his death, my family planned out the service with his minister. My dad had previously talked to her and arranged everything, but the readings were a surprise to us. For my brother, he chose: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ~2 Timothy 4:7 My sons were asked to read Psalm 23: 1  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. My dad asked me to read this passage: We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. ~1 Corinthians 10:9-13 After reading the theme of taking courage, I was instantly reminded of my reading. You will not be tested beyond what you can do, and a way out will be provided. Knowing this gives me courage to complete tasks that are hard or a challenge to me. It will always remind me of my dad – encouraging me to do hard things. I also like this prayer when I am looking for guidance on tasks: A Collect for Guidance Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. I hope these readings and prayer will help you along your journey this Lent. ~J. Atkins

Throughout this coming week, Christ Church will stream Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer services from Old Brick. Led by Father Manny, these services from The Book of Common Prayer includes readings from scripture, beautiful collects, and prayers for the world, the church, and the community. You can also follow along to each stream with our service leaflets. A link to each leaflet will be available on our Facebook page approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of service. These livestreams will be hosted on Facebook at 7:00a.m. and 7:00 p.m. each weekday, so click here to join us. All are, of course, welcome. If you cannot tune in at that time, video of the latest service will be on the front page of this website, so you can view it when it's most convenient for you. ***Please remember that all public services at Christ Church are cancelled until at least March 27th; these services will be online only.

ARISE, FOR THE TASK IS YOURS…. TAKE COURAGE AND DO IT. ~Ezra 10:4 The words of an Epiphany collect: Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. ARISE would mean to answer readily THE TASK would mean the call of God to proclaim the Good News of his salvation to us and the whole world The words of Isaiah 9:1-4 give us reason to TAKE COURAGE AND DO IT: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light God has multiplied the nation, he has increased its joy He has broken the burden of the people The words of Psalm 27:1, 5-13 give us reason to TAKE COURAGE: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid? 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 calls for unity, ARISE, TAKE COURAGE, and DO THE TASK: Be in agreement Let there be no divisions among you Be united in the same mind and the same purpose (There was substantial unity among the Israelites about confessing to being unfaithful to God by marrying foreign women, about making a covenant with God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, about acting in accordance with the law, and about taking an oath to do so. Ezra 10:2-3) Matthew 4:12-23 tells about Jesus calling his first disciples, four fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They did ARISE, TAKE COURAGE AND DO IT. When Jesus saw Peter and his brother Andrew, he said, Follow me, And I will make you fish for people. Immediately they left their nets and followed him. Then Jesus saw James and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee. Jesus called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.