This past Sunday, we gathered together for the Christ Church Annual Meeting. It was my second Annual Meeting, and of course it was a humbling experience for me. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve here at Christ Church, for the health of the parish, and for the amazing ministries to which we are committed. At each Annual Meeting, we elect new lay leadership for our church. We were blessed to have Steve Alpern, Tim Beaty, Lynn Foor, Harrington Gardiner, Rose Kirby, Alfred Titus-Glover and George Toth as candidates. My sincere appreciation goes to each of the candidates who offered themselves to serve on the Vestry. Of these gifted parishioners, we elected four: Steve Alpern, Tim Beaty, Rose Kirby and Alfred Titus-Glover, all of whom serve a term of three years. The newly-elected Vestry Members and the old Vestry Members met on the following Tuesday for our first regular Vestry Meeting. During this meeting, the following were elected as officers of Christ Church: Steve Alpern - Senior Warden, Sara Kirkpatrick - Junior Warden, Ron Couch - Registrar, and Denis Read - Treasurer. The Vestry is an important body in the life of our community, and one of its primal responsibilities is to work with the Rector in advancing the mission and ministry of the church. And in order for its work to be successful, it takes a lot of collaboration, compromise, honesty, and a sincere commitment towards visioning collaboratively for the growth of the church. In a sense, the work we have ahead is more akin to sharpening an axe than cutting a tree. There’s a story of Abraham Lincoln which suggests that if you are given six hours to cut a tree, use four hours to sharpen your axe. As a faith community, we have lots of challenges in the coming year; figuratively speaking, we have lots of trees to cut. This brings me to a story about a landowner who heard about a man who could cut down trees like no one else. The landowner, seeking to have trees cut from his property, hired this man to do the job. On the first day, he reported to the landowner that he cut down fifteen trees. The second day, he reported that he cut down thirteen. The third day, he was able to cut down ten. He complained to the landowner that he wasn’t cutting down as many trees as he could. The landowner then asked him, “Do you sharpen your axe?” The man replied that he hadn’t sharpened his axe. The landowner then asked, “Well, if you do not sharpen your axe, how then can you cut down more trees? You have to sharpen your axe if you want to cut down more trees.” We do have lots of trees to cut, but as President Lincoln suggested, we have to spend more time sharpening our axes. In other words, spend more time building relationships of trust. Our challenges as a community of faith are not only about the health of our parish and the broadening of our ministries, but also about whether our parishioners are thriving in their various fields of endeavors - in their relationships, marriages, raising of their children, and in their homes. All of these need our attention, and more. And all may have to learn how to sharpen their axes... including me. I believe that our ministry to our immediate community and beyond is essential. And as a community of faith, we are keenly aware of the challenges that the 21st century model of being a church presents. However, we can meet those challenges, and actually overcome them, if we open ourselves up to sharpening our axes instead of cutting trees - building a relationship instead of spurning one. I like to think that our ministries, and especially our common life, should be like the wi-fi signal, boundless and completely invisible but ever-present. In a sense, it is similar to our understanding of God - often too silent and nonchalant, but incredibly present with us in His mercy and love. Recognizing then that the joy of ministry is about sharpening our axes, my hope is that we may be motivated to doing so for the benefit of all. ~Manny

Christ Episcopal Church's Annual Meeting will be held this autumn, on October 21st. There will be updates on our various parish ministries, as well as the election of a few new Vestry members. We will only have one service that day, and it takes place at 9:30am. A buffet breakfast will be served after the service, and is immediately followed by our meeting. Information & bios of those running for Vestry are available in the Narthex. Please also note that there are no Christian education classes on this day. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Collect of the Day: Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Readings for this Sunday, the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, are found here: Job 38:1-7, (34-41) Psalm 104:1-9, 25, 37b Hebrews 5:1-10 Mark 10:35-45

On Sunday, October 21, 2018, we will gather to celebrate our life together as a community of faith that reflects God’s rainbow - rich in diversity, enterprising in mission, compassionate in our care of the vulnerable and welcoming of all who seek a place to worship the Creator God of our being. It is an important day in the life of our faith community as we gather to celebrate our life together, render an account of our stewardship, to elect lay leaders to serve on the Vestry and to offer a compelling vision for the coming year. I walked to New Brick on Tuesday afternoon to check on the technicians who were working on the installation of the new Rodgers 599 Organ. It was a joyous moment for me. And I am sure when you hear the organ sound on Sunday, you will be filled with as much joy. It has been long in coming, but the depth of commitment and the drive by parishioners to ensure that we have a new organ was immense, captivating and actually tells a much deeper story about the character of the people of our church. It is that character that I hope we can tap into as we work to live out God’s mission for us and for our beloved community in the coming year and beyond. That brings me to a story of an old wise old man who lived in a small town. Every day he and his granddaughter would sit outside his gas station in rocking chairs, waiting to greet tourists as they passed through their town. One day a tall man with the appearance of a tourist started looking around like he was checking out the area for a place to live. 'So what kind of town is this anyway?' he asked. The old man replied, 'Well, what kind of town are you from?' The man replied, 'One where the people are critical of each other. It is a real negative place to live.' The old man said, 'You know, that is just how this town is too.' Later, a family passing through also stopped for petrol. The father stepped out and asked the old man, 'Is this town a good place to live?' 'Well, what about the town you are from?' he replied. The man said, 'Where I'm from everyone's close, and always willing to lend a helping hand. I really hate to leave it.' The old man smiled and said, 'You know what, that's a lot like this town.' After the family drove off, the old man's granddaughter looked up and asked, 'Grandpa, how come you told the first man this was a terrible place to live, and when the second family asked, you told them it was a wonderful place to live?' The old man looked into her big blue eyes and said, 'Sweetheart, no matter where you go, you take your attitude with you - and that's what makes it terrible or wonderful.' After a moment of silence, he added “Life is what you make it.” What kind of town or in our case, what kind of church? With God’s grace, it should be our hope to build a church that imagines the future, and creates a path to that future. The path should be about speaking the truth in love, listening intently to all, daring to forgive all and be committed to change, not for its own sake, but with a purposeful drive towards transforming lives-our own and that of others. What kind of church? In part, our attitude will determine that kind of church-a church that reflects the perception of the tall man or that of the family. My prayer, as we mark this milestone in the life of our church is that we may seek to be a church where each heart bleeds with the joy that is of God, each eye looks each other in the face with a love that is of God, each hand welcomes each other with a handshake that tells of God’s assuring presence and each person hugs the other with an embrace that tells of God’s glory. Join us on Sunday and help us become the church you want to see and be a part of! Manny.

Last week we began mailing out the “Pledge Your Love” campaign letters and cards to individual homes of our parishioners and friends. We will also have several of the cards in the narthex for those who have not as yet received theirs or those who are new to our parish and feel called to pledge their love in support of our life together. Each fall, members and friends of Christ Church make an annual pledge to support the Mission and Ministry Budget of our church. Unlike many parishes that do have an endowments upon which they can draw funds to support their mission and ministry, Christ Church doesn’t have one, and so we have to rely on each and every one of our members and friends to give generously towards our life together. This brings me to a story about the Berlin Wall, and each giving what he (she) has. It is said that when the Berlin Wall was constructed, diving Germany into East and West, turning neighbors into strangers and friends into enemies, it so happened that those on the Eastern side of the border increasingly became poor, hungry and destitute whiles their former neighbors on the Western side of the border became increasingly rich and lived a much more comfortable life. One night, those who lived on the Eastern side of the Wall, picked up as much trash as they could and unloaded the trash on the Western side of the Wall. Those on the Western side of the wall awoke to find this unsavory sight of trash. They knew that their neighbors beyond the wall did it. However, instead of responding in kind, they thought about all the wonderful things that they have to enjoy but which their neighbors on the Eastern side did lack. They were keenly aware that their Eastern neighbors were hungry and didn’t have some of the good things they had. What they decided to do was to buy lots and lots of grocery supplies: milk, cheese, ham, eggs, bread, cereal, bacon, burger, rolls, chicken etc. They neatly packed the supplies on the Eastern side of the border, and then, on a poster board, they wrote “Each Gives What He Has”, placed it on the supplies and departed into the darkness of the Western side of the wall. Each indeed gives what he or she has. Those on the East had trash, and that’s what they gave. Those on the West had food, and that’s what they gave. What do you have to give? I am reminded of the idea of giftedness- give and it shall be given to you. But the honest truth is that you must receive in order to give. So the question is not so much about what you can give, but what has been freely given to you. It is in that spirit that we are being invited to give, and to give generously towards the ministry of our beloved Christ Church. In many ways, this has been a great year, and it is mainly due to your kindness. I offer grateful thanks for the many ways in which you have blessed Christ Church, and so bid your generosity at this time. It is my fervent prayer that each of us may be moved, encouraged and motivated to give what he or she has in celebration of all that has been given to them. Manny.

In one of my daily morning devotionals, I chanced upon this phrase “Blessing Machine.” I thought that was very cute because that was my first experience with the phrase “Blessing Machine.” The phrase was actually coined by a Vicar of the Church of England in his attempt to describe the Church and all faithful people as Blessing Machines. I can at least appreciate his grasp of what it is that God calls us to do, and the metaphor of a machine seems to imply abundance and efficacy. What I find most fascinating about the phrase Blessing Machine is that it takes into consideration the capacity of a machine to efficiently produce and over-produce if necessary. To be a Blessing Machine then is to produce and over-produce all that is good, lovely and kind. It is more like experiencing in a totally new way, the joy of blessing others with more blessings than is necessary. I feel the urge to be a blessing, and I know many of us feel that same way. One story I’d like to share with you is about a gentleman who came by the office seeking help with his rent because he’s scheduled to be evicted tomorrow if he doesn’t pay what he owes by close of work today. He came as I typed this article. Well, the question for me was, how can I be a blessing machine to a man with kids who is on the verge of being evicted from his home? Thankfully, he didn’t need as much because he had a good portion of the total sum. There are lots and lots of similar stories. And I know for a fact that we cannot solve all these problems. I also know that although we cannot solve even half of them, nothing stops us from making a genuine effort towards being the Blessing Machines that we can be. In fact, nothing holds us back from being a blessing to another person with just a simple hug or a smile. I‘d like to cite two examples of how to be a Blessing Machine. First, we should take genuine interest in others. Do not hesitate in letting others know that you care about them, and that what matters to them matters to you. Do not hesitate to ask people questions about their welfare. Do not let self-interest blind you, be interested, ask, inquire for that’s one way of being a blessing machine. Second, show courage on behalf of others. During the Plague of Cyprian in AD 250, Cyprian, who was the bishop of Carthage demonstrated remarkable courage during the plague by tending to the sick and burying the dead. Whereas other fled from the sick and the dead for fear of being contaminated, Cyprian and a band of Christians showed tremendous courage by risking their own lives. They too, became a Blessing Machine. Over the next couple of days you will find in your mailboxes a letter and a card from Christ Church inviting you to participate in the Pledge Your Love Campaign. This is our Annual Stewardship drive where we invite all of Christ Church to pledge their support to the Mission and Ministry Budget for the coming year. In a sense, this is an invitation for you to be a Blessing Machine to Christ Church just so Christ Church may continue to deepen its interest in the life of others and to speak and act boldly on behalf of the vulnerable in our community and around the world. I believe there’s nothing more gratifying than to know that others around you get caught up in the blessings of God, if you yourself are experiencing the blessing of walking in close relationship with God. You are blessed if you walk with God. And if you walk with God, you will no doubt be a Blessing Machine – one who abundantly blesses others with the blessings from God. Manny.

Any animal that you have deserves God’s blessings. For those of you who have pets - dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, birds, fish, horse - we are having a special Blessing of Animals service on Sunday, October 7th at 5:00 p.m. in Old Brick. We will have lots of goodies for each animal. A pet is not required for joining us. All are welcome, of course!

I read a story about a little boy who was walking with his father on a beautiful evening in their neighborhood. They walked past a house where there was a man sitting in his rocking chair with his dog lying by his feet. This dog was the kind of dog who felt so entitled and so complacent. He always thought that everything will be done for him, and so he was complacent and didn’t have to worry about anything. But as they walked past the dog, the little boy heard the dog moaning and groaning. And so out of curiosity he asked “Sir, what is wrong with your dog?” The owner looked at the boy and responded “Oh, it’s okay. He’s just sitting on a nail.” The boy became a little flustered and so asked his dad “Dad, why is he letting the dog just sit on the nail?” The owner of the dog said to the boy “Oh, that’s easy. It is not hurting enough for him to get off.” Woow!! To what extent does it have to hurt to make you get off the nail on which you sit? Yes, you also may be complaining, moaning and groaning about a nail. That nail has been sapping all your energy, eating you up, tearing you apart, creating doubts in your mind and giving you sleepless nights. For whatever reason you can’t get up. Your vision has been clogged to such an extent that you only see your limitations. How can you get up? How do you pull the nails out? In fact, how do you promise yourself that you will and deserve to live victoriously? I think one of the important lessons of our Christian faith is the gift of victory. Not the kind of victory that smacks of triumphalism but one that understands victory as a gift made possible through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. St. Paul emphasizes this point when he says “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Recognizing this victory as a gift, our appropriate response is not one of pride but of thankfulness and a gratitude that fills us with pride. The kind of pride that gets you up from the nails upon which you sit because you recognize that God made you for something-to live victoriously. St. Paul also says elsewhere that we battle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers. Unfortunately, this battle is played out in our minds and our hearts, and that is where we are either victorious or not, that is where we feel so shattered and dispirited enough to sit on nails moaning and groaning thinking that that alone will cause a change in our circumstance. When do you plan to get up from those nails? Why are you still sitting on those nails? What are you wrestling with that you cannot quite put your finger on? I can go on and on with additional questions, but I know you understand my point. Often times it becomes impossible to name those nails and you feel like being in shackles. To live victoriously then is to redefine ourselves by breaking free, waking up, dusting ourselves and learning how to walk again. My prayer for you this day is that you may recognize the amazing gift of victory that God has given you and give thanks. There’s a story of a man who heard the cries of a frightened little daughter who was being chased by a bee. He run out, wrapped his arms around the little girl and after a time let her go. He said to her, ‘you need not worry anymore, the bee has stung me. Bees don’t stung twice.’ Thank God that bees don’t sting twice and that you have been offered an amazing victory. A victory that makes it possible for you to live victoriously. In response to our victory therefore, we are encouraged to give ourselves, talents and treasure in service to God and neighbor. And we do this with the awareness that giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord is never in vain. Even more, being aware of ourselves elicits a great depth of generosity for all things victorious. My hope is that we would all rise from whichever nails we may be sitting on just so we can live victoriously. Manny.

The Choir of Christ Church will present a service of Choral Evensong in Old Brick on Sunday, September 30th at 5 p.m. This service follows substantially the order found in The Book of Common Prayer of 1662, with psalms, Bible readings, and the Songs of Mary and Simeon - the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis. The sung prayers, hymns, and anthems come from many centuries of the Christian Church. At Evensong, we participate mostly by allowing the minister and choir to speak and sing on our behalf. Many find this frees them, in a busy world, to offer to God their own thoughts and prayers. Please join us in worship as we commemorate the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, and join us for a festive reception afterwards.

Registration forms are available on our Children Formation page, or you can pick up a form in the Narthex. For more information on our Formation programs, click here. If you still have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

There's nothing like a bargain sale. We all desire to buy something at a less expensive cost than it is sold. On special holidays when stores have a mark down, we all troop to the mall to purchase what we need and want. There are many occasions where I watch with pure wonder long lines of patrons at an Apple Store who wait to lay their hands on a new Apple product.  Black Fridays always blows my mind. It is interesting to watch people camp out at Best Buy because of the huge mark down prices. Bargain sales draw crowds.       On Saturday, Christ Church will host the Annual Flea Market where many vendors from the community will set-up tables and sell their wares. More than hosting vendors, we will also welcome shoppers from the neighborhood and beyond who are either eager for a bargain sale, a chance to get out of the house, simply walk around our beautiful campus, meet people or grab some hot dogs, burgers or some goodies.  Whatever it is that may bring people out here on Saturday is as much a celebration of our long standing openness to engage with the community that is around us.       A remarkable aspect of the Flea Market is that all proceeds goes back into ministry. For that reason, many parishioners have donated and continue to donate several items for sale. One of the interesting stories that I'd like to share with you is about our burgeoning relationship with Lake Elkhorn Middle School. As many of you know, the Principal of the school-Lynette Moore came by Christ Church several weeks ago to preach and to share stories about Lake Elkhorn with the entire parish.       During her visit, she learned about the Flea Market and the fact that proceeds go back into ministry, and she can also contribute towards it. I had a meeting with her a few days after her visit. After our meeting, she told me that she's donating five boxes of books to benefit the Flea Market. Her theory was, if Lake Elkhorn Middle School of which she is the head is benefitting so much from its relationship with Christ Church, then the best she could do to honor that relationship was to donate books to support the Flea Market.       This story simply tells of the importance of building and maintaining relationships with the community and even beyond. An important benefit of these relationships is the transformation that is made possible by it. In my mind, Mission and Outreach makes it possible for us to touch the community and be touched by the community. If we can believe that Christ Church is and can be the hope of the world, there will be nothing like it when it's working right: when it is turning lives around and being a beacon of hope.       A Christian community is one marked by the extension of hospitality, helping those in need and pleasing God with sacrifices and offerings of praise. On Saturday, our hospitality will be put to test once more as sellers and buyers ask questions about where to find what and also about Christ Church. Be ready and prepared to talk about Christ Church. Our desire to help those in need will be supported by the broader community as they walk around this campus and enjoy the beauty and grace of all that embodies Christ Church. I hope you will all be motivated to touch and be touched by those you see on Saturday and beyond, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. By the way, I will have a little table with information about Christ Church. Stop by and say hello! Manny.