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.

In keeping with the directives from Bishop Sutton in his recent Diocesan message, there will be a virtual worship service from the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. this Sunday, with the Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry preaching. We invite all of you to tune in to this livestream tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. Click on this link to set a reminder or to watch the service. Also this coming week, Father Manny is planning on livestreaming a brief Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer from Old Brick. These services will be hosted on our Facebook page at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. each weekday, so be sure to tune in. If you need further information or have any questions, please email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org

Today is the First Sunday in Lent. Readings for today: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 The Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Today is the Third Sunday in Lent. Readings for today: Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 95 Romans 5:1-11 John 4:5-42 The Collect of the Day: Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and 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 meant to uplift, comfort, and inspire. We hope that you enjoy. Build Your kingdom here Let the darkness fear Show Your mighty hand Heal our streets and land Set Your church on fire Win this nation back Change the atmosphere Build Your kingdom here We pray Come set Your rule and reign In our hearts again Increase in us we pray Unveil why we're made Come set our hearts ablaze with hope Like wildfire in our very souls Holy Spirit come invade us now We are Your Church And we need Your power In us We seek Your kingdom first We hunger and we thirst Refuse to waste our lives For You're our joy and prize To see the captive hearts released The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause We are Your church And we pray revive This earth (We're prayin' for revival) Build Your kingdom here Let the darkness fear Show Your mighty hand Heal our streets and land Set Your church on fire Win this nation back Change the atmosphere Build Your kingdom here We pray (Change the atmosphere) Unleash Your kingdom's power Reaching the near and far No force of hell can stop Your beauty changing hearts You made us for much more than this Awake the kingdom seed in us Fill us with the strength and love of Christ We are Your church Oh, and we are the hope On earth Build Your kingdom here Let the darkness fear Show Your mighty hand Heal our streets and land Set Your church on fire Win this nation back Change the atmosphere Build Your kingdom here We pray (Change the atmosphere, build Your kingdom here) Build Your kingdom here Let the darkness fear Show Your mighty hand Heal our streets and land Set Your church on fire Win this nation back Change the atmosphere Build Your kingdom here We pray By Rend Collective

At a recent meeting, the Christ Church Vestry voted to designate Christ Episcopal Church as an "Affirming Church” and to list itself in online directories. The vestry also authorized the placement of an image of pride iconography on our website and social media pages. What is an affirming church? To us, it is a church that affirms the dignity of all persons regardless of race, physical abilities, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identification. This process started during our rector search process, when the Discernment Committee and the Vestry affirmed that race, gender, or sexual orientation would not be factors in the selection of a new Rector. It continued with Father Manny’s selection as Rector of Christ Church and his articulated concerns that we recognize the dignity of all persons who come through our doors and with whom we deal in our daily lives. To be honest, the Vestry’s actions are only symbolic, outward and visible signs of our inward spiritual commitments as a congregation and as individuals. Spiritually, we must all be willing to acknowledge that every person who comes through the doors of Christ Church is loved by God, and that our duty as Christians is to love them, as well. We trust that all will embrace the Vestry’s action and that Christ Church will serve as a beacon and example for all religious communities. For more information on affirming churches, please visit and read through the informative site www.gaychurch.org and feel free to email us with any questions or thoughts by emailing info@christchurchcolumbia.org or filling out the fields on our website's "Contact" page.

As directed by the Diocese of Maryland, Christ Episcopal Church will suspend all upcoming public worship services, including this Sunday. This is due to the developing, global health concern. This affects all services through March 27th, and is subject to change thereafter. As this is quite recent news, we are working towards updating our Parish Calendar, as well as revising our Lenten schedule and programs. We will provide more details and options in the coming days, so be sure to regularly check our website and social media pages for those updates. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or email the Church Office. That contact information is at the top and bottom of each page on our website. You can read the Diocese of Maryland's complete statement here.

I am sure you may have heard it said before: “A broken crayon can still write.” The point of this adage is that the functionality of the crayon - its ability to still be a useful instrument to do the very thing for which it was manufactured or, to use another language, its life giving capability in spite of it’s brokenness - is very much assured. Over the past several weeks, the scourge of COVID-19 has entirely consumed the life of the world, and of our own lives here. The progressive heightening of this worldwide issue is frightening, to say the least - the entire country of Italy, for example, is on lockdown. The stock markets have experienced a crazy swing. Sporting and other entertainment events have been postponed or cancelled, or teams have had to play in empty stadiums. Airlines have had to fly empty in order to keep their slots (I didn’t even know that there was something like "slots" for airlines, and that they could lose theirs to another airline. Incredible!!). I've read that all out-of-state Howard County Public School System activities have been cancelled until further notice. The point is, there’s nothing comforting about all that we’re hearing on TV, reading on the internet, or studying in the newspaper. The Burial Office of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer has these words “In The Midst Of Life, There’s Death.” This is an acknowledgment of the brokenness of the world in which we live. And the present fight with COVID-19 not only brings our brokenness to light, but it makes it even sharper. As broken as we acknowledge the world to be, the brokenness doesn’t mean the world shouldn’t function; it should, for the least it can offer is the healing and mending necessary to bring about the wholeness we all crave for. As broken as this crayon is, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any life in it. There’s life in it because it can still write. Likewise, as broken as we are, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any more life in us. Of course there’s life in us. There’s life in the world. There’s life around us. That is why I am all for the fight towards eradicating or mitigating the effect of COVID-19 among us. This would mean, first, listening to health experts such as the World Health Organization, the CDC and the Maryland Department of Health who have put out detailed information about how we can contribute towards keeping others safe as well as ourselves. If you click on the links located here and here, you will be able to learn more about how you can help fight COVID-19. Second, the Bishop of Maryland - who is our ecclesial head - has put out detailed information regarding worship on Sundays and other gatherings. I have been working with our Wardens on the best possible ways of addressing this issue, and one of the innovative options is to try and livestream our worship. This Sunday, we will livestream the 10:30 a.m. worship at Christ Church, and work towards doing the same for future Sundays. All you have to do is to visit the Christ Church Facebook page or website at that time to join us in worship. More details are elsewhere in this email. Additionally, I invite you to read an abridged version of Bishop Sutton’s statement, and also read also the proactive steps we are taking to ensure that we maintain our common life and still ensure the safety and health of all parishioners. Here is the statement: "Please remember that The Episcopal Church is largely a Eucharistically-centered Christian community. To deny the Holy Eucharist to people on a regular basis in worship would present a serious theological challenge to a sacramentally formed community. Thus, I encourage the regular celebration of the holy communion, remembering that receiving the Eucharist in one kind (just the bread) makes a full communion. I am placing a ban distribution of wine for the next few months, until further notice. If circumstances allow, I anticipate lifting the ban on Pentecost Day. Banning the use of wine and the cup until then will get us through Easter, a time where we want to be most welcoming to visitors and ensure that all feel as safe as possible in worship. At the Eucharist, the priest shall consecrate both kinds (the bread and the wine): Wine: In keeping with tradition, and at their discretion, priests and attending clergy alone may consume the consecrated wine on behalf of the congregation. Bread: Use of wafers only -- no baked bread at this time. Paten bearers must be sure to wash their hands and take care not to have their fingers touch the outstretched hand of the communicant. Blessings: Worshipers may come forward to receive a blessing rather than receive communion. Blessings are to be offered visually, but with no touching of the head. A word about coffee hour receptions before and after worship: as a Lenten discipline, I call on all congregations to “fast” from serving food at church receptions at this time... This congregational fast will greatly decrease the chances of transferring an illness. For this reason, there would not be any breakfast for children, nor would there be any snacks or drinks for coffee hour. In summary, the aim for churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is to regularly celebrate “no-touch" or "low-touch” Eucharists. The principle of eliminating hand-to-hand contact, and significantly limiting hand-to-object contact, applies to the clergy, altar guild, ushers, acolytes, oblation bearers, offering basket handlers, and all who are expected to hand something to worshipers as part of the service. I direct each congregation to review all its practices with this principle in mind." In light of this, please find below some of the new practices that we have put in place at Christ Church, effective immediately: Pass the Peace with eye contact, a bow, and a word – no touching. During the offertory, we invite parishioners to joyfully come forward and place their offerings in the offering plate at the altar. Adult Forum and Sunday Bible Study have been cancelled until further notice. Healing Ministry during Eucharist will not be offered. We will not be sending our Lay Eucharistic Visitors until further notice. We are cancelling coffee hour for this Sunday, and will make a determination on a week-by-week basis. Details for each will be in future Gatherings emails. Breakfast for children has been cancelled until further notice. Our Wednesday Evening Lenten Program will continue, but will be limited to coffee, tea and other beverages. The program will now begin at 7:30 p.m. Our hope is that you will have dinner before you arrive. There’s no doubt that the past several weeks has been terribly difficult for many of us. The sudden changes that we have to make has been telling. We cannot begin to fathom all of the loss. For one good reason we are crayons - broken ones, if you ask me. The good news, however, is we do have the capacity to turn your words and actions, and mine, into something beautiful - into life. So, I wouldn’t lose hope. If Lent has taught me anything of great value, it is the reality that I am, like the rest of you and our world, a broken piece of crayon, but we still have the potential to bring order and grace into our most chaotic life. ~Manny

At one age It seems as if life is going Firmly in a certain direction And you head that way Chugging along at full speed But then Things change Sharply And after a time set adrift In a place that's unfamiliar And completely unknown From where you thought From where you planned on being Stunned, wondering what happened Some people in this place Break down completely Pining away for the life They feel is due to them They feel should be theirs Some people though Go through a period Of introspection And experience A type of reinvention Where they pick themselves up And rebuild their lives With what they've been given With what they have in-hand And are surprised to see They are now in a better place Than they would have been Before the life-altering change ~Eric Nixon

“Remember, people will judge you by your actions, not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.” ~attributed to Maya Angelou I received this quote on a slip of paper at a church retreat in North Carolina many years ago, and I still keep it at my office desk. It prompts me when I'm "just not feeling it". Anyone can agree to do something, but follow-through is the important thing. A concrete example of follow-through is found in many sports: from golf to bowling, soccer, and even darts. If you are trying to send that ball or projectile to a target area and you "choke" on the follow-through, you simply won't make it. That is also true in other areas of our lives. We may hear ourselves telling friends, "Let's get together for lunch," or "Call me sometime." Do we do the same with God? With our church family? "I really should set aside some quite time for devotions..." "I forgot to bring some canned goods for the basket today. Maybe next week…" "There's a volunteer opportunity. I should check my calendar…" All good intentions, but how often do we follow through? And we're much more capable of doing so than that hard-boiled egg.

“It matters that we understand it a right; and it matters that we nurture it in our lives every day, and to honor it in the lives of others. But above all, it matters in the realm of faith and obedience to God. As believers, courage means more than bravery on the physical battlefield, but constitutes a willingness to do what is right and pleasing to God even when no one else will; to bear witness to your faith, no matter the cost.” ~Sermon delivered by Chaplain Carey Cash at the US Naval Academy, 19 May, 2013 You can read Chaplain Carey’s entire sermon by visiting www.usna.edu and place “Courage Matters” in the main page’s search bar.