The season of Christmas is above all a season for giving and receiving gifts. In Christmas, we celebrate the most important gift of all, the gift of God’s coming into the world in human form to point the world toward wholeness, justice, healing, salvation and peace.  When I look at our beloved Diocese of Maryland, I always see an abundance of gifts. Not just the hundreds of individual financial contributions that we receive in this holy season – for which we are immensely grateful. But rather, I have the abiding sense that we are all surrounded - literally engulfed - by gift, manifested by the valuable gifts of love, of family and friends, of food and shelter, and of life itself. Sadly, though, I am also painfully aware that for far too many of us there is little evidence of the gift of Christmas. For many people throughout Maryland this season, there will be no chestnuts roasting on the open fire, no colorful presents displayed under beautifully decorated trees, no warmth of a cozy home with a fireplace, no gathering of family and friends bringing boxes of satin-wrapped presents. Not this Christmas, nor any other for the foreseeable future.  That’s why I’m so passionate about what we are doing every day in this Diocese to spread the love of God in concrete ways to those in need. And that’s also why I am so passionately grateful for you making it possible for us to do so through your support of the Bishops’ Annual Ministries Appeal. If in this season you or those you love are experiencing a heavy burden or loss, here is my Christmas hope for you: that you’ll discover that you are not alone. God himself stands with you. The mystery of the Incarnation is that God chose to become poor in human form for our sakes. My prayer for you is that you will find in an Episcopal Church community a circle of love that will surround you with the grace, mercy and comfort that you desire. And for those of you who lack no material comfort this year, but are spiritually poor - that is, you feel empty of the love and generosity that only God can give, then help is on the way. Jesus has come to be incarnate in you! For Christmas is not for those who have everything, and want everything; rather, the power of Christmas is its power to lift up those who have nothing. In fact, the greatest gift that you can possibly receive this day is the gift of you…the real you, the one whom God has come to save and to make whole again. You are the gift! Your presence, your prayers and your generosity is an incredible gift for me and many others. Thank you for being the gift you are, and may you and all you love have a very Merry Christmas this year! Faithfully yours, +Eugene The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton Bishop of Maryland

This is the Second Sunday of the Advent season. You can read a little more about the meaning of Advent, and view the upcoming schedule of services at Christ Episcopal Church, here. 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. The Readings for this Sunday are: Baruch 5:1-9 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 Canticle 4 or 16 We were blessed to have had Bishop Chilton Knudsen with us this Sunday, and you can listen to or download her sermon below:

Last Saturday I had the privilege of joining my family to celebrate the wedding of my beautiful and amazing niece. She graduated from college a couple of years ago, when I was in Philadelphia, but I couldn’t make it to her graduation in Atlanta and so in a way I felt the real need to be there to support her, wish her the very best, and to participate in such an important and monumental day in her life. Aba looked so resplendent in her beautiful dress, wore a very big smile on a face covered with a see-through veil. The veil actually reminded of Paul’s remark in first Corinthians where he argues that we presently see in a mirror dimly; but then face to face. Paul continues, “Now I know in part; but then shall I know, even as I am fully known.” What a powerful invitation to a hopeful future of knowing more fully, and being fully known! And in that future, all will become clear. In fact, all that is hidden will be revealed and laid bare before our eyes. At that moment in time, we would not have the luxury of speculation but the incredible gift of beholding the One who makes all things beautiful in His time. The wedding itself was held at a resort, which sat by a tributary of a lake. Of the many fascinating moments, one that stood out for me was the bride arriving at her wedding in a boat decorated with beautiful pink and white rose flowers. I thought that was incredibly amazing. The symbolism of arriving by a boat, the nearby water, the flowers, food, beverages and in fact many families and friends, and the joyful excitement all over, tells a much bigger story - one that is rooted not in certainty but in a hope that finds its foundation in unadulterated joy and the beauty of life itself. To an extent, the Christian story, and especially the Advent story, is no different. It is a joyful story fueled primarily by a hope that assures and reassures us of the abiding presence of a fulfilling joy that knows no bounds, is accessible to any and all, and invites nothing but our humble embrace of all the goodness that life offers. More important it is to accept our unique role as prime attractors - that through acts done in love, we may offer others more than enough reason to be eternally joyful. I couldn’t be happier for my beautiful niece and her husband. Their youthful exuberance and pure affection for the other awakens in me the promise of Advent - a season of joyful waiting for the birth of the One who promised us way more than life can offer us. What a beautiful wedding it was! What a joy to see, hug, and fellowship with lots of family and friends! I actually met a friend I had not seen since 1990, and didn’t even know he was related to my older sister. Kobayashi Issa, a Japanese poet wrote that “Under cherry trees, there are no strangers.” And Aba’s wedding was akin to being under a cherry tree; there were no strangers, just friends and loved ones. What a joyful surprise! Well, so is the surprise of Advent - a season that invites us to enter into the great stream of joy. Our reality is one where joy isn’t expressed in the same way at all times in our lives, most especially during difficult moments. However, in whatsoever way that joy changes or adapts, it always endures. And Advent endures because it points us to an eternal joy which only the little baby Jesus can offer, and which enfold us in just the same way Joseph and Aba enfold each other. To me, that explains why we wait expectantly for the birth of Joy, and why we sing an ode to the joy of our lives. Manny.

This is the Third Sunday of the Advent season. You can read a little more about the meaning of Advent, and view the upcoming schedule of services at Christ Episcopal Church, here. Collect of the Day: Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. The Readings for this Sunday are: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Canticle 9 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18

There is a story of a monk who decided to paint an old door in his monastery. This monk decided to scrape the old paint on the door so he could paint. He got all his supplies and began scraping the door. As he kept scraping, he came upon one paint layer upon the other. The more he scraped, the more he came upon different colors of paint. Eventually when he managed to scrape all of the paint, he realized that the original oak door was so beautiful that it really did not need any paint at all. The point of the story is that we are born beautiful, with genuinely pure hearts and thoughts. But as we go through life, our original beauty and innocence take on the nature of the old door of the monastery. At every turn and season, we put on a different color of paint. And so we have, in the process, accumulated so much paint that we have lost our original beauty, purity of heart, honesty and innocence. The different colors of paint we have accumulated over time has obscured that beauty. No one truly knows us. Those who believe they know us are often not sure who we truly are, or which of our many colors will show up at any given time. The nature of sin is such that it eats away our very identity and beauty. It conceals our true person and renders us impotent. Sin often leads us into the darkest places of life, and convinces us of our own superiority. Sin renders us incapable of seeing the beauty in others, because we have lost our own sense of beauty. Socrates once said, "An unexamined life is not worth living.” For this great philosopher, life is worth its while when we engage ourselves in an honest and open manner, for it is only through this process that can we make the life-altering changes that we may need to, in order to turn our lives around. It is this life-changing course that John speaks about as he invites us to prepare the way for the coming Messiah of God. John calls people to baptism for the repentance of sin. John, in his prodding, relies on a traditional Jewish ritual of restoration to purity, and invites his hearers to a kind of baptism which, at its core, demands the absolute turn-around, the metanoia of the baptized - a baptism based on a total and utter surrender of the baptized. John doesn’t minimize sin; he recognized sin for what it was - an impediment. For if the beauty of God is hidden, it is hidden because of sin. And for that beauty to come alive, for our own beauty to radiate, for us to be made a new people, we have to submit ourselves not only to baptism, but to the baptism that calls for the unraveling of the many different colors, just so we can get to who we truly are. As much as Advent is a period of an anticipatory wait for the coming of the God who dares to be present with us, it is also a season of self-examination. It is the time where we go to the bottom of our lives, where we dare to dig deep within us and bring out both the best and worst in us, and where we reflect on what it is about us, and in us, that needs to change. Come with me to the River Jordan, and together let’s wash away all the many different colors which hide our beauty. Manny.

This Sunday, December 16th, Christ Church has two special gatherings in addition to our Sunday morning services: 8:00 a.m. in New Brick Holy Eucharist without music 10:30 a.m. in New Brick Holy Eucharist with choir and music 2:00 p.m. in Old Brick ROSEMARY FOR REMEMBRANCE : Worship When Christmas is a Difficult Time The season leading up to Christmas can be a pressured time when frazzled nerves can cause us to get beside ourselves. Christ Church offers “Rosemary for Remembrance”, a quiet worship that helps us to slow down and come to ourselves. We especially invite individuals and families for whom Christmas will generate painful memories of loss to join us in a comforting and meditative service of prayer, music, and readings. In candlelight, sprigs of rosemary will be given as remembrances of those who are missed at this season of Jesus’ birth. All are invited to participate. 5:00 p.m. in New Brick FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS Christ Church will hold a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in New Brick. All are welcome in this celebration of beautiful carols, anthems, and hymns, led by our wonderful choir. Please join us for an evening of joyful expression, in both word and song, of the greatest story that has ever been told. We hope that you'll join us.

Looking for an opportunity to recommit yourself to prayer during Advent? This season is about waiting in anticipation for the wonderful story of human hope. Thursday night, December 13th, is our second Advent Compline of the season. Please join us at 7:00 p.m. in Old Brick at Christ Church for a quiet and contemplative time of prayer and reflection, as we wait the coming Messiah. We will also hold Advent Compline on Thursday, December 20th.

Advent Quiet Day will take place in Old Brick this Saturday, December 8th, from 8:30 a.m. until noon. This time together helps us to focus and retain our perspective in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Prior to the morning session, we will gather in Old Brick for breakfast and conversation from 8:30 - 9:00am. We are fortunate to have our Music Director, Adam Detzner, leading our morning retreat. The theme of our morning together will be: "The Taize’ Community and Its Music”. The Taize’ community was founded in 1940 in France to serve the suffering and to be a monastic community of unity in the Christian faith. It is a renown site worldwide for pilgrimages and youth conferences. It has 100 resident brothers from over 30 countries, and is centered on kindness, simplicity and reconciliation. We will have readings, discussion and times for quiet meditation. The morning will conclude with a Eucharist in Old Brick. Please join us for an enriching time together.

The December 6th edition of the Christ Church Gatherings weekly newsletter is out, and you can view it by clicking here. Every week (typically Thursday evenings), we'll post a link to the current newsletter on our website's Parish News page and also announce it on Facebook.

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” It is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. Christ Church will have many services and gatherings throughout Advent, and we hope that you all will spend some time with us during this most blessed season - from those who come each Sunday, to those who visit more seasonally, as well as those who have never entered our doors. We welcome each and every one of you, always. Learn more about what's at Christ Church during this Advent season, and be sure to check back frequently as we add more gatherings throughout December.

Beginning on Sunday, the Church universal will begin a new season, and the beginning of a new liturgical year. Advent is a season primed with hope and expectation of the Messiah, who comes to us in the form of a baby. I grew up with this tribal cliché which is in the form of an anecdote. It states that when you hear the sound of beating drums approaching your house, you don’t run out to meet the drummers, you wait with excitement in your house, after all they are coming to your house. The point is to encourage purposeful waiting. It is the same with Advent. We wait with exhilarating patience and hope for the one who comes to us, not as a ruthless king but a little helpless child. Advent is a period where Mark describes in his gospel with these words “keep watch, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming…at evening, at midnight, at cockcrow or in the morning: lest when he comes, he would find you sleeping.” Marks suggestion is for us to stay awake, stay engaged, keep watch. The old English uses the word “wæcce” which meant “watchfulness” or “wæccende” which is defined as “remaining awake.” This is to impress upon us to fight off any urge to “rest our eyes” because something incredibly magnificent and stupendous which will upend the human story, which will restore human hope in each other and in our own very selves, is about to happen and you don’t want to miss it. The question is, what is this thing which is about to happen? It is the birth of hope. Advent, a season pregnant with hope captures the human imagination and lays before our very eyes the possibility of a more hopeful future. Hope offers each of us something to look forward to, and it also helps us to see our way through chaos and complexity - especially in our own lives, and in our world. Hope, then, is more than the assurance that things can and will be better in the future. This particular hope which the birth of the Messiah offers is an affirmation of a world which longs for the proud to be brought down from their seat and the lowly lifted, as Mary said in the Magnificat. It is a world where the old order opens itself to embrace a new order, which invites us beyond ourselves and compels us to look for, and to do, something different, something fulfilling. Each pregnancy invites an eager anticipation. The Royal Family, and indeed the world, is waiting with bated breath for the birth of the first child of Harry and Meghan. There’s also a family who are not royals but do share that same sense of anticipation. I remember when my wife was pregnant with each of our four children. With each pregnancy, we had to prepare for the baby. And so we did. I am sure you also prepared for the birth of your child, just as much as your parents prepared for your birth. Each preparation isn’t the same but each one helps us to assure ourselves and even the unborn child that we await, we keep watch for his or her arrival. And so we begin the season which is pregnant with hope - the hope of life renewed, the hope of a world made new. Part of our preparation and anticipation will be captured by the lighting of the Advent Candle each Sunday morning, the hosting of the annual Advent Quiet Day at Old Brick which will be led by the Director of Music, and a new offering of Advent Compline - a short evening prayer and meditation on each Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. in Old Brick. These, and many more, will in no doubt prepare us as we await the birth of Jesus. Advent invites us to recommit ourselves to a more purposeful and hopeful future, one that is made possible by the Messiah who comes to us in the same way we all came into the world - as babies. Let’s wait, then. Let’s stay awake and keep watch for the birthing of this wonderful story. Manny.