This is the Day of Pentecost. Readings for today: Acts 2:1-21 Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Romans 8:14-17 John 14:8-17, (25-27) The Collect of the Day: Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Father Manny's Sermon for today can be read here.

This is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Readings for today: Acts 16:16-34 Psalm 97 Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 John 17:20-26 The Collect of the Day: O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. The sermon for today is by The Rev. Emmanuel Ato Mercer, and you can stream or download it below. You can also read his Sermon here.

IT'S TIME! The Annual Parish Festival will be held TODAY, September 8th. It's going to be a gorgeous late summer day, and we hope that you'll join us on our beautiful campus! Newcomers, long-time parishioners, been-away folk, young, mature, very mature, 8:00'ers, 10:30'ers… come one, come all to enjoy the fellowship, food and games on the lawn, and help us celebrate life at Christ Church! The 8:00 service will be held in New Brick, as usual. The 10:30 service will be held outdoors, under the trees between the parish hall and New Brick. Following the 10:30 service, the festival will begin with food, cotton candy, music, inflatables for the young-at-heart, and displays of the many gatherings and events that are happening this fall at Christ Episcopal Church. See you there!

College football season is underway. Alex and Elizabeth are pumped up for Florida. Sara is rooting for Alabama. Sonni, I believe, is hoping that Oklahoma will make a great showing this year. Shannon and Pam may be wondering about Auburn. How about Maryland? I have no idea!! I didn’t catch college football fever until I drove to Cambridge with a bunch of rowdy students from Yale. We went there to watch "The Game" - as they call it - between Harvard and Yale. I couldn't believe the many busloads of students who traveled from New Haven to The Game that Saturday morning. When I arrived at Cambridge with my friends, we found parking and walked to lots that were dedicated solely for tailgating. This was my first experience at a tailgate. There were so many people, so much food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, music, cars... you name it. I was totally blown away. We had so much fun. Some time in the afternoon, we walked to the designated Yale area of the stadium. There were lots and lots of alumni from both Harvard and Yale with their families, students, and many community folk who came to the game wearing all kinds of school-related gear. The stadium was packed, and you could tell people were simply having a great time. That was the last (and only) time that I have ever been to a tailgate. What is it that draws people of many different persuasions and tribes to rally around a particular team? For many of those who came to watch the game, it was possibly a one-off event and, for a short time, they create memories with others through their shared experience that day. But it is something else to follow any sports team with the same group of people who look out for each other week in and week out, and experience a camaraderie without which their lives are all the more empty. Shared experiences, if you will, deepen human connections. Whether it is thousands of people or only a few hundred who follow a particular team, it appears that there’s a deep spiritual bond between a team and its supporters. No matter how disappointed we are with our team, the ties that bind us to them are often so strong that we refuse to walk away, even when our hearts are ripped apart by their performance. Our shared experiences of a team - our history, if you will - connect us in so many intangible ways. We hold out a kind of hope that assures us that we are not alone, and that the following season can be much better than the past season, or this present one. Our shared experience with a team is one of enduring the ups and downs with other supporters with whom we are yoked. Christian tradition is also deeply rooted in shared experience. The Old Testament, for example, is littered with stories where the shared experience of a people who simply gathered together and were inspired - often in dramatic ways - to find a much richer meaning to life, one more enriching than their present circumstances. In the New Testament, it is through gathering, sharing, and offering mutual support from one to another that churches grow, and people are inspired to embrace the task of redefining human history from the lens of a shared experience rooted in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. Through fellowship, or neighborliness - being warm with others - we create avenues where we can gather, and be inspired or uplifted to create new and enduring stories that give meaning to our lives. Among the many avenues for fellowship at Christ Church is the upcoming Parish Festival. A wonderful celebration that is fun, welcoming, and pleasurable. For me, each annual picnic is a reminder of my first celebration with you as your new Rector - that is also our shared experience. Football season is underway. Parish Festival is also here with us. It may not be just like a tailgate party at Cambridge or anywhere else, but we will have lots to offer and to share at our special picnic on this Sunday, September 8th. Remember, celebrations like these are some of the precious moments where we can create new and enduring narratives for ourselves and our parish community. ~Manny

It's almost time! The Christ Church Annual Flea Market and Bake Sale is hosted by the Women of Christ Church, and will be held on Saturday, September 14th. It runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and takes place on the parish grounds. You can have your own space in the market, so reserve yours now! Alternatively, if you’re cleaning out closets or garages, the Spiritual Life Commission will be sponsoring the White Elephant tables, & welcomes your unwanted treasures. The rain date is the following Saturday, September 21st. In the past, proceeds from Christ Church Flea Markets have gone towards a variety of parish ministries, property improvements, Outreach projects and Youth Group programs. Those of you interested in selling your own items can rent your own space in the Flea Market by filling out one of the forms available on the information table located in the Narthex. There is also a link to a printable form on our website's main page under the "Upcoming Christ Church Gatherings" section. If you’re interested in having your own space, please fill one of the forms out soon, as availability is limited and we do tend to run out. The turnout for our Annual Flea Market is always significant, so whether you’re someone who wishes to sell their wares or are simply looking for that unique item to take home, we hope that you can come and join us! If you have any questions, contact us.

We need your books for the Flea Market Book Table. Now’s your chance to clear out those books you’ve read that are taking up space in your bookshelves and side tables, and support a worthy cause.   The Women Of Christ Church group is looking for donations of books for our book tables.   Please drop off your books in the parish hall, lower level (follow the signs).   We will be accepting book donations beginning Sunday, September 8th, and all through that week, during office hours. You will be able to find great new reads at awesome prices at the Flea Market, on Saturday, September 14th.    If you have any questions about the book sale and donations, you can email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org See you at the Flea Market!

This is the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. Readings for today: Jeremiah 2:4-13 Psalm 81:1, 10-16 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 Luke 14:1, 7-14 The Collect of the Day: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. Father Manny's Sermon for the day is available to read here.

One of many personal stories that I often share is my experience with hospice in Philadelphia. It is one ministry that I will forever be grateful. This ministry opened my eyes to the other side of life, if you will. It is the side that is often swept under the carpet because it pushes us to think about our mortality - yes, the reality that we won’t be around here forever. This stark reality did hit me a couple of weeks ago when a family called to let me know that a one-time parishioner was near death and would appreciate a visit. I went by the next day to visit with this parishioner, but as I made my way to the lobby of the assisted living facility where she had been on hospice, the family - whom I didn’t know - simply asked if I was Fr. Manny. When I responded in the affirmative, they told me that their loved one passed on a few minutes ago. I asked if I could still visit and say a prayer for her. They said I could, and together we all walked into her room. There she was, lying on her bed and at peace. "Her death came a little too fast," one said. "We thought she would be around for a little longer," said another. I am glad I was there to see her and to say a prayer for her - a gesture for which she would’ve appreciated if she knew I came by to see her, to touch her, and to bless her with a prayer to the God who fashions all of our lives. There’s a book by Dr. Kathryn Mannix, a palliative care specialist, called With the End in Mind. In this book, Dr. Mannix relies on multiple case studies to describe the possibility of meeting death gently, with forethought and preparation, and she shows the unexpected beauty, dignity, and humanity of a life coming to an end. Her belief is that we approach death not with fear but with clarity, openness, and understanding. And, to a greater extent, that is what hospice is about - an opportunity to embrace the end with grace and dignity. There’s a parishioner who always reminds me of this with these words: "We begin to die the moment we are born." Yes, our life story begins with our birth. We’re not consulted about our parentage, our ethnicity, the circumstances into which we are born, our gender, our sexuality, or anything else. And all too soon, life is snatched from us just as we were starting to enjoy it; or we’re left to dwindle too long and we get sick of it. Either way, we have no say about the time, place, and manner of our demise. All in all, it seems like a pretty bad deal and disheartening at best. But that is not the whole story. We learn that life is a gift of grace, and that through the exercise of our free will we can – within the boundaries of whatever life throws at us – shape its disposition. We learn which battles to fight, the things we can change and want to change, and the things we cannot change or would be better off not trying to change. Does that remind you of the Serenity Prayer by Richard Niebuhr? God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen. Pray this prayer as often as you possibly can. Let it sit in you and fill your heart, mind, and will. Truth is, as we shape the disposition of our lives we are also shaping the disposition of our deaths. Leonardo da Vinci thought about this when he wrote ‘While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.’ Each morning sun awakens us to the reality of an ever-approaching end to a storied life. Each sunrise greets us with the gift of another day to make the necessary changes. The point still remains... if we live well, accepting freely and peacefully the things that we cannot change, our lives and our deaths will both be manifestations of the freedom that God has given to us. With that freedom in mind, learn to enjoy every single moment of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of you or your experience to make you happy. Ponder on the preciousness of the time you have to spend with your family, loved ones, friends and colleagues. With that freedom in mind, enjoy and savor every minute of your precious life with the knowledge that life is a journey with problems to solve, lessons to learn and, above all, experiences to enjoy. With that freedom in mind, do not take life for granted. Live it to its fullest glory. ~Manny

This is the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. Readings for today: Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 Hebrews 12:18-29 Luke 13:10-17 The Collect of the Day: Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory 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. Father Manny's Sermon for today is available to read here.

Remember that one theory you tried very hard to understand in middle school or high school, but for whatever reason never did? There are four or five theories that I couldn’t fathom in middle or high school. One such theory was the Magnetic Principle - like poles repel each other, whereas unlike poles attract each other. I always wondered why. It seemed to me that the contrary should be the case. Why would unlike poles attract each other? I would beat myself up trying to understand why like poles would repel but unlike poles attract. It simply didn't make any sense to me. Why like poles and unlike poles? This past Sunday before the 10:30 service, one of our parishioners shared with me a story he had read in the Washington Post that morning, a story about a man named Mr. Basco in El Paso, Texas. This parishioner was so moved by the raw humanity in the story. The overflow of affection that covered city blocks with people, the many flowers that were donated... I mean, who wouldn't want to celebrate the beauty of humanity, if you were to witness this show of support? The story is about a widower whose wife was a victim of the recent shootings in El Paso. This husband and wife are the only two in a family, with no children or any blood relation in El Paso - just the two of them. Just like the like and the unlike pole, they were attracted to each other and had found comfort and strength in one another - unlike poles who had met at a bar years before. They had lived their life together with the hope - maybe - many years ago, that they would have children of their own to mourn them. But alas, it did not happen. I am not sure that scenario deterred them from living fulfilling lives, nor should it have. But here he was, dealing with a shattered reality, one involving this person whom he knew and had loved for God knows how long. The one person who, at a chance meeting at a bar, swept him off his feet. You also may have a similar memory of someone who swept you off your feet. For him, this was the person who became his best friend and life partner. The one person with whom he said his prayers before nightfall, and again before the in-breaking of the morning sun, was now dead from an assassin’s bullet. The one person to whom he was attracted - unlike poles and like poles. What was he to do now? With whom would he mourn the cruel death of a wife who had been, for him, more than a sustaining breath and presence? Well, with the most powerful tool he had, he invited everyone to the send-off party for the one person he loved. And, guess what? Many people joined him. Hundreds, in fact. People he didn’t know and never previously met showed up to mourn with him and comfort him with a kind word and a prayer. Yes, like poles do also attract, for we are all attracted to the beauty we see in each other. It is my understanding that many flowers were sent to the funeral home by people who couldn’t be there themselves, yet felt a deep sense of obligation to send what they could. In the end, the widower who wondered about mourning by himself realized that he wasn’t alone, but instead had a legion of family who defied the principle of magnetism in the quest to represent the best of humanity. At its best, humanity is beautiful, and beauty is attractive. Yes, unlike poles may attract whereas like poles may repel each other. But this principle becomes operational only when we begin to see poles as being representative of south and north - like a magnet. For I think the best of humanity isn’t about poles; the best of humanity is about a circle. One that is like God’s love, which has no beginning and no end. More to the point, the circle possesses the ability to touch and draw in everyone - whether of like poles, or of unlike poles. I don’t know what moved the many hundreds of people who responded to the poor widower’s invitation to mourn with him. But I surely do know that, in this particular case, as in many other similar cases where the best of humanity is lived out, like poles do not repel, because grief knows no poles - either north or south. Unlike poles do attract because the caring of people and the demonstration of compassion knows no poles - neither south, nor north. I believe that within each sinew of our makeup lies the best of us. It is that part of us that always awaits a moment to shine. Mr. Basco couldn’t believe that he was not alone in his grief. There were many others who, for the sake of that one thing which attracts us to each other, reject the north-and-south-pole, the repel-and-attract dichotomy, and believe that we can all be family because we can all share in one another's grief and joy. Hatred does repel, but love attracts. And be it the like pole or unlike pole, be it north or south, there’s an attractive gift that is more powerful and life-giving, and it is within each of our own's ability to offer that to anyone - as many had to Mr. Basco. ~Manny

This is the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. Readings for today: Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56 The Collect of the Day: Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. You can read Father Manny's Sermon by clicking here.