Every year during Lent, the Spiritual Life Commission of Christ Episcopal Church compiles and publishes a Lenten Meditation Book, containing submissions from our parish family that are intended to inspire, encourage reflection, and spark action in our community and the world. These meditations range from poems and quotes to Bible verses and prayers, as well as songs, personal reflections, and inspirational passages from well-known theologians or authors. Our LMB also includes a Daily Office for the Lenten season, as well as our Holy Week and Easter schedule. If you're nearby, you can grab a printed copy of our LMB at Christ Church while supplies last, or you can visit us here each day, as we'll post one meditation each weekday. You can also check our social media outlets; simply click the links in this post, or bookmark the icons at the top of this page. We hope that you enjoy and appreciate these meditations, as they reflect our varied and vibrant Christ Church family. We're pleased to be able to share them with you. FAITH ACTS We want to live in faith, but all too often we stay in its comfort; we cherish this love given us, and all too often fail to pass it on. What is love when kept silent in the heart? In this body it shall turn to ash. Love lives and grows only when passed to others. Who is deserving of such love? None, and yet all are given it freely, and we as Christ’s body must do the same. So, take Christ’s love and pass it on through sharing acts. Let it blossom and flourish as it touches lives and transforms all of us - those giving, and those receiving.

Ash Wednesday is a unique day on the Church’s calendar. It is a day where we are reminded of our mortality, who we are, and whose we are. It begins the season of Lent for us, and so to prepare ourselves for this period of self-denial, fasting, and prayer, we will begin our morning with Ashes-To-Go at 6:00 a.m. in the main driveway, as well as daytime services at 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon in Old Brick, and we conclude with an evening service at 7:30 p.m. in New Brick.

This is the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Readings for today: Isaiah 58:1-9a, [9b-12] Psalm 112:1-9, (10) 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16] Matthew 5:13-20 The Collect of the Day: Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Sermon for Today: Fr. Manny's Sermon is available for streaming or downloading below.

Third Sunday after the Epiphany Readings for today: Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, 5-13 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 The Collect of the Day: 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. The Sermon for Today: Fr. Manny's Sermon for this Sunday is below. You can download or stream it.

This is the Second Sunday of Advent. Readings for today: Isaiah 11:1-10 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 The 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. Today's Sermon, by Fr. Manny, can be read by clicking here. You can also stream or download it below.

This is the First Sunday of Advent. Readings for today: Isaiah 2:1-5 Romans 13:11-14 Matthew 24:36-44 Psalm 122 The 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. Father Manny's Sermon for today is available for reading here. You can also stream or download it below.

Lent is a season of intentional discipleship under Christ and with Christ. We also practice Lent to bond more closely with fellow Christians who are on the same journey, not only in our local parish but also around the nation and throughout the world. Along the way, our sin and enslaving habits are put to death, and we learn to internalize and share in Christ’s resurrection power. The most important reason to practice Lent is to draw near to Jesus Christ. The services, programs, and gatherings at Christ Church throughout the season of Lent are rich in traditions and liturgical rites. We will also examine Lent as it relates to our parish theme for 2020: "Arise, for the task is yours... Take courage and do it." We invite all of you to join us for these activities and worship opportunities, as we unite to enrich our Lenten experience in preparation for Holy Week and Easter. You can find our Lenten season schedule on our website's Lent at Christ Church page. If you have any questions or need further details, reach out to us using the contact information at the bottom of this page.

This is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany Readings for today: Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 2 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9 The Collect of the Day: O God, who before the passion of your only begotten Son revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Our 2020 Lenten Meditation Book has been created, and copies will be made available at Christ Church beginning at 8:30 a.m. this Sunday, February 23rd, so that you can have it in your hands prior to Ash Wednesday on February 26th. Our LMB and website & social media posts are viewed by thousands of individuals worldwide during Lent, containing prayers, songs, stories, poems, personal reflections, as well as our parishioners' favorite inspirational pieces by writers and theologians. You will be able to pick up a print copy of the 2020 LMB, presented by the Spiritual Life Commission, in the narthex. Starting on Ash Wednesday, you will also find a daily meditation on our website, and each of our social media channels, every weekday throughout the season. Links to those sites can always be found at the top and bottom of every page on our website.

The youth of Christ Church will once again host our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on February 25th! Serving begins at 6:00 p.m. and we'll have pancakes, ham, sausage, milk, and honey. We'll also have beverages and desserts on offer. Seating is available until 7:15 p.m. Advance prices are: $7. for an adult, $5. for a child, and $22. for a family. The price for tickets at the door on the day will be slightly higher, so get your tickets on sale after this Sunday's service.

I am yet to come across anyone who isn’t motivated by something. A couple of days ago, I overheard a parishioner say to another that as much as Lent is noted as a period of giving up something as part of our spiritual practice, she is instead taking the opposite tack, which is, she is going to be for something. Instead of giving up something, she wants to be for something. I didn’t ask about the something she plans to be, but I suspect that this something would be to enrich her spiritual life. I must admit that this was the first time I ever heard someone take such an approach to the season of Lent. I was intrigued by the thought of being for something. "What is the ‘something’ that I can be for?" I asked myself. And what’s that something that you can be for? In a sense, this piece is organized around the idea of being for something. One of the challenging tasks of the Old Testament prophets was calling Israel back to its covenantal relationship with God. At the back of their minds was the gift of God’s salvation, which was made possible by the journey from Egypt to the Land of Promise. Beginning with the first words of the Ten Commandments: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage,” the prophets cited the divine redemption to rebuke Israel for being faithless, ungrateful, and for running after other gods. The prophets always reminded the people of Israel that God had elected them for a purpose, and that they were supposed to be the light among the many nations that surrounded them - that they were to be for something. The classical idea of salvation points to the reality of being saved from something for something. You can then argue that Israel’s salvation was not only realized in its freedom walk into the Promised Land, but that there was a corresponding responsibility relating to Israel’s decision to live into the vision of God - to be for something. To extend this argument a little further is to argue that you and I have not only been saved from something, but that we have been saved for something - to make God’s glory ever so present. And if only then, we can realize our redemption through the paradigm of being for something. This idea reminds me of a story I heard about Jimmy Durante. Jimmy was an incredible performer, comedian, singer, and actor. A story is told that after the Second World War, many of the wounded soldiers were brought back to the United States. Jimmy frequently entertained the wounded soldiers who were brought to New York City. As many of you know, there was no TV, or internet, or many of the wonderful other technological advancements that make our lives so comfortable today. And so for many of these soldiers, the challenge of living day-to-day with their brutal injuries and inadequate medical know-how was in itself deeply depressing. It so happened that Jimmy was scheduled to be at two places at the same time, but in his deep desire to support the wounded troops and to keep his other commitment, he decided that he would spend just about an hour with the soldiers and then head off to the other engagement where, after all, he would be paid. During the performance, he realized something so unusual, touching, and uplifting. As a result, instead of stopping the show, Jimmy kept going on and on, well past his one-hour commitment. People were surprised that Jimmy was still on stage performing. What motivated Jimmy was that he saw something that no one probably saw - something that became more than a reality check for him, it actually became his inspiration. Right in front of the stage on which he performed were two young soldiers who were wounded in the war. One of them had lost his right hand, and the other had lost his left hand. They sat next to each other, but what touched Jimmy was that after each performance these two young soldiers would, together, clap for him - one would use his left hand, and the other would use his right hand. That sight alone was so humbling, and far too emotional for Jimmy to simply walk away after an hour of performance. At that moment, more than being an entertainer, he was inspired to be for something. Two young soldiers who offered their lives to serve their country and subsequently lost an arm each, could yet find in one another’s arm the motivating strength and inspiration to be for something - to clap for Jimmy, the man who lightened life’s load, and made people laugh through life’s injuries. am convinced that if Lent is going to be as meaningful as we would want it to be, we dare not recognize our individual deficiencies as setting limits for us, but rather like the two young soldiers we dare to be for something, be motivated enough to recognize our collective challenges as brimming with opportunities for God’s glory and human edification. Let’s be for something this Lent. ~Manny