Upon reading the Acts of the Apostles for our Wednesday Bible Study, lots of questions popped out of nowhere. "Have you ever felt like being in a basket?" "Ever felt like you were a rope?" "Have you ever looked through an opened window and pondered on the many different possibilities that may be available to you?" "Do you remember when you felt being in danger?" I wonder. It must have been a scary night for the great evangelist of the early Church. How can he get out of the city gates being closely and wildly watched by people who felt threatened by the redeeming message of Jesus the Christ? He is helpless. How does he make his way out of Damascus? As I read the story again, I knew I wouldn’t know what to do with myself being in Paul’s shoes, nor do I think anyone of us would want to be within a city, any area or any point in our lives where we cannot freely walk any where in safety. This story is about Paul, the recent convert but a different convert. He exuded enthusiasm, passion, and vigor. But is also noted to be arguing about his conversion both to skeptical apostles and other converts to the faith. This same Damascus where Paul finds himself in danger for preaching the gospel that Jesus is the Messiah, was the very destination where he was traveling to arrest Christians when he encountered the Lord. Such irony!! Well, you must accept that life is full of irony, and for that reason you must entertain some sense of humor - just so you wouldn’t drive yourself crazy, nor take yourself all too seriously. Paul’s preaching in Damascus was so incendiary to the Jews that they decided to kill him. And so they laid in wait for him at the city gates. After all, that was the only way by which he could leave the city. That was the situation - a life and death situation - in which Paul found himself. Recognizing the awaiting danger at the city gates, Paul’s friends knew they had to find another way of getting Paul safely out of the city. His friends hatched a plan, in the middle of the night, when most people were asleep, they opened a window and with ropes tied to a basket, and lowered Paul in that basket outside the city walls into safety, into life. I am sure the Jews, who were keeping watch at the city gates, wondered what was going on with Paul. "Is he coming out or not? How long is he going to hide?" they wondered. For them, if Paul was to leave Damascus, he only had one choice, and that was to use the city gates. But our reality is one that when you serve the living God, you don’t have only one choice. Like Paul’s friends who opened the window, when you also gather the courage to open a window and look out, what you should see isn’t a world or a life covered in darkness, anxiety, retribution, and fear (although it often is), rather you should see a sea of opportunities for mission and for life, even in the midst of that darkness and fear. If only we could see the basket as the support system which holds and offers us the protection, safety, and the means by which we can be dropped below the walls of the city gates. If only we could see ourselves as the rope that holds the basket to the ground below the city walls. If only we could see ourselves as the friends of Paul who hatched the plan, and held the rope that held the basket, and slowly lowered Paul. If only we could see ourselves as Paul, to trust our friends to help us into safety. Opening any window expands your horizon and vision. And guess what? You may either be a rope, a basket, a friend or Paul. All you need to remember is that the basket holds you, and the rope holds the basket which holds you. Your friends and loved ones lower you in the basket to safety - to the many places where you can find the life that abounds. Like Paul, your life has been spared because others found it necessary to lower you in a basket to safety. Now, go and tell the story of redemption and life. Go and tell the story of how you were lowered in a basket to safety by those who are enamored by the gift of you. Manny.

This is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. The Collect of the Day: Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Readings for this Sunday are: Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 This Sunday's sermon was given by our own Senior Warden, Steve Alpern. You can read the text here.

On Sunday, most Americans will gather with family and friends, and watch the Super Bowl. It should be an interesting football match between the Rams and the Patriots, and I am looking forward to Sunday. I remember being in Ghana last year for a dear cousin’s memorial on Super Bowl Sunday. I said to myself that I was simply too far away to be worried about Super Bowl. But as I sat at home reflecting on all that I was missing, fun, food, company, and entertainment, I decided to look for a place to watch the game. I remember saying to myself, "I am, after all, an American, and there’s nothing so American than football." I drove off with a friend to an expatriate pub. Thankfully, they were showing the match and, much to my surprise, there were patrons wearing both Eagles and Patriots shirts. It was simply electric. My friend, who lives in London and didn’t understand American football, didn’t quite get what all the hoopla was about. Well, I made an effort to explain to him what the sport was about - offense, defense, quarterback, touchdown, field goal... you name it. He still didn’t understand it, but was glad we could come out and have a great time with other Americans on Super Bowl Sunday. Well as many of you may already know, Sunday game isn’t without controversy. In both the AFC Championship game between Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, and in the NFC Championship game between the Saints and the Rams, the referees didn’t make critical calls, and made some other calls that shifted the momentum of the game, leading to the Rams and Patriots both winning their respective matches. Both the Saints and Chiefs coaches complained about this, and in the case of the Saints' game there was a suggestion that the NFL Commissioner could invoke a particular rule which could possibly lead to a replay... but guess what? The games were over. Truth is, on the field of play, referees, like all of us, make all kinds of calls - some are accurate, and others are not so accurate. However, whether accurate or not, I think the ingenuity about refereeing is to affirm the notion that nothing human is, and can ever be, without errors or mistakes, because referees, like all of us, often make wrong calls. For me, it is more than the beauty of being human; it is the essence of our redemption story. Because of no calls - or bad calls - from two different referees on the same day at two different places, we now have to watch the Rams and Patriots do battle as opposed to the Chiefs and Saints. The reality is, in whichever way you look at our lives, someone ultimately benefits from another person’s call - whether accurate or not. I have never been a referee in a football game or any other sport, and thus it would be counterproductive on my part to speculate, but I am certain that referees at such pivotal games come under enormous pressure to get it right, because there’s really no do-over at the conclusion of a game. That being said, I would add that, like you, I am a different kind of referee - but also one who makes no calls, and calls both accurate and inaccurate. But my deepest consolation has always been my unyielding belief in the fact that with God, there’s always a do-over if I do not make the right call... although it is my prayer to always make the right call. I don’t know which of the two teams - Patriots or Rams - you will be supporting this Sunday. But I hope you will have a wonderful time with family and friends. I will be rooting for the Rams, and I hope it is the right call. Manny.

This is the Third Sunday after the Epiphany. 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 Readings for this Sunday are: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-101 Psalm 19 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 Father Manny's Sermon for today, "God's Divine Future", is available below for streaming or downloading.

This is the Second Sunday after the Epiphany. Stay warm and safe during this wet winter weekend! Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Readings for this Sunday are: Isaiah 62:1-51 Psalm 36:5-10 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 Father Manny's Sermon for this Sunday is below. Feel free to stream or download.

A few days ago, we opened the office door to a visitor. The visitor, who isn’t a parishioner, walked up the stairs and when we both set eyes on the other, I did sense some distress. Looking at me with tears in their eyes, they simply said, “I need someone to pray with. I need somewhere to pray.” I said, "Sure. I will pray with you and offer you a place to pray." We walked to Old Brick. For whatever reason, there was no answer to my inquiries as to what was going on or how I may be of help. All this visitor wanted to do was to pray. The moment we walked into Old Brick, the visitor knelt down on one of the kneelers, and in uncontrollable tears offered their prayer. After a time of praying together, I excused myself and offered space for a more private prayer. You could tell there was a lot on their mind, that there was so much to deal with, so much going on. There was so much to tell God, to pour out. Someone, at least, had to be the receptacle for all that the prayer gave voice to. In the midst of all the prayer, I was reminded of the comforting words of the Psalmist - “In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” With these words, the Psalmist doesn’t dismiss the turmoil of betrayal, doubt, helplessness and hopeless that we may sometimes experience in our lives, rather that when we ever do reach that point, when we get to the point of giving up on ourselves and on God, we should always remember that we have a God who does hear our supplication and is very much in touch with our anguish. God is that loyal companion who never leaves us, even when events in our lives simply don’t make sense or add up. I like to think of God as the loyal companion, and that thought reminds me of Tahereh Mafi’s words about the moon: “It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human. Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.” With these beautiful words, Mafi speaks about the moon in a way that reflects both the loyalty of God as being present, as well as the constantly ever-changing circumstances of our lives. For us, each new day brings with it something new, something different, or some challenging task. In many instances, we have to respond to one thing or another.There’s never a dull moment. In all these different and varying circumstances our imperfections are not only self-evident, but it is through these imperfections that we unleash pain, disappointment, betrayal, suffering, and hurt to others. We create the anxiety, helplessness and hopelessness that others feel and live with. God doesn’t create those conditions for us, or for anyone. But God is there to fix it. Like the moon which never leaves but knows our light and dark moments, God is there to wipe away our tears and to assure us of his abiding presence, even when we feel He’s nowhere to be found in the midst of our crises. What brought me great joy about the visitor was their willingness to believe that the house of God will be open to welcome anyone who desires to be in the presence of God. I would like to end with the words of the song Someone to Care: When the world seems cold and your friends seem few There is someone who cares for you When you've tears in your eyes your heart bleeds inside There is someone who cares for you. Someone to care, someone to share All your troubles like no other can do He'll come down from the skies And brush the tears from your eyes You're His child and He cares for you. You are always welcome to drop by for a prayer in Old Brick. There’s nothing like a heartfelt prayer in the house of a loyal companion. Manny.

I am always fascinated by the story of Joseph and his brothers. It is like looking at an old beautiful picture once again. I feel the tension within the story whenever I read it, but I can also feel the sense of disgust the brothers had for the Dreamer - Joseph. He dreamt a lot, and in one of his dreams Joseph narrates an episode where he and his brothers were out in the field binding sheaves of grain. Suddenly, his sheave rose and stood upright while the other eleven sheaves bowed down to it. The sharp reaction was to question the meaning of the dream, and whether Joseph will reign over them. This, and others, generated strong hatred among his brothers who felt so threatened that they actually acted on their fear and sold into slavery thinking that taking care of the Dreamer in that manner will guarantee the death of the Dreamer's dream. They were wrong! It is in that same vein that I interpret the life and legacy of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King - the Dreamer, if you will. Reverend King also had lots of dreams and, like Joseph, he dreamt big. And his dreams were big although they weren't about power; they were, instead, about healing, restoration, and reconciliation. He dreamt about a social harmony based upon mutual respect, and a genuine affection for what we all hold to be true and good for us...our children and the community at large - the inherent dignity of all people. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King is one of the historically motivating people of our time. His story is well captured by those who lived through and witnessed the Civil Rights struggle he waged in the South, as well as across the nation. I am exceptionally thankful for his towering strength, perseverance, vivaciousness, oratory, humility, and deep gentle spirit. His commitment to a nonviolent pursuit of justice finds great comfort in me because a great many people with as much following as he had could have instead resorted to violence. His accurate reading of history showed that the oppressor doesn’t offer freedom willingly, and he understood that employing violence to pursue legitimate goals only creates more violence. That was a tack he wouldn’t take, an act for which I greatly admire him. As we approach the annual celebration of this Civil Rights icon, let us not lose sight of the dream that he cherished so much - that his four, Black children could simply be able to PLAY with White boys and girls - that wasn’t, to him, too much to ask, but was a big dream to have. Unfortunately, like Joseph, those who did not believe in his overarching dream of a society devoid of racial segregation thought that taking care of the Dreamer would effectively kill his dream. Like Joseph’s brothers, they were wrong; his dream lives on, even in death. My beautiful children remind me of the life of the dream. All of the wonderful children of our parish remind me of the dream. In fact, the very fabric of our parish family affirm that very dream. You only have to stand at our lectern on Sunday morning to read, stand on the platform in our sanctuary, or just cast wide your eyes as you return to your seat after receiving communion to behold the beauty of our diversity, and the glory and joy of celebrating all of God’s creation in one place, in this one church building, in this piece of God’s kingdom. As we celebrate the Dreamer’s life, I’d also like to bring to your attention all those who, for one reason or another, may not share the life of the dream with us. Although they are free, they are not really free because of the daunting circumstances of poverty, violence, income inequality, crime, and other ills too many to list here. They and their children not only desire to enjoy the blessings of the dream, they simply want to dream, too. "How can we help make that happen for them?" I ask myself daily. What would have happened if Martin Luther King had not dreamt? What would have happened if his prophetic language had not resonated with both the powerful and the powerless? What would have happened if he had not touched the conscience of so many well-meaning people of all colors? I do not know the absolute answers to these questions. But one thing I know, and can do, is celebrate the life of the Dreamer who lives with a quote from an old Negro Spiritual: “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty we are free at last”. Yes, free at last to dream big - to behold the glory and majesty of God in each other. Manny.

Today is the First Sunday after the Epiphany. Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Readings for this Sunday are: Isaiah 62:1-51 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 Psalm 36:5-10 This Sunday, we had to close the parish and cancel services, due to the inclement winter weather.

Christ Church's new chorister program, VOICE for LIFE, is off to a wonderful and exciting start! If you have a child who loves to sing and may be interested in joining us, visit our website for more information: https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/rscm

CHRIST CHURCH IS CLOSED TODAY, SUNDAY JANUARY 13, DUE TO THE SNOW STORM. PLEASE STAY SAFE.

Last Saturday, I had the privilege of sitting with everyone in the church, without vestments or clerical collar. I simply sat at the back with fellow parishioners as we watched the induction ceremony of Ben Atkins as an Eagle Scout. Ben is the son of Jenn and Dennis Atkins, and has been a member of this parish for a very long time - at least as long as both Dennis and Jenn have been. One of the many hats that Ben wears around here is serving as an acolyte. Ben is also one of the youth that I consider to be incredibly humble and hardworking. I have admired his sense of purpose and duty, and during the summer's Vacation Bible School, I watched him helping out, chaperoning kids, and offering as much help as was needed. For one, I didn’t know he was due for his Eagle Scout honor and so, much as I was surprised to see the invitation, I was happy for him because he is one of the a very few group of Boy Scouts who actually rise to that level. For me, just the thought that he is one of a few tells me more about what I have come to know about him, his tenacity, his leadership abilities, and his exuberant energy. From the back, I could see Ben look with prideful eyes at his parents, brother, grandmother, loved ones, and fellow Scouts. Granted, I never joined the Scouts, although I remember at one point in my life I expressed interest in joining. I think that the Scouts are an interesting organization with a depth of richness that helps shape the life of young boys into responsible men. During the ceremony, one of the colleagues of Ben had lit ten candles representing the Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent . Imagine how our world would look like if we all kept at least half of these laws. Ben credits his parents, brother, and mentors - including our very own Kent Riggins - for shaping and nurturing him into the young man he has become. With a slideshow, Ben took us back from his early years as a Cub Scout through to the present day as he worked on his Eagle Scout project. It was an evening of great celebration and acclamation for a young man who has worked his way up, counting on the guidance of parents and others, and opening himself up in order to be shaped by them. Ben concluded his slideshow with a picture of the Atkins' family brick outside of Old Brick with the caption “ Life is the Journey ”. My eyes lit up when I saw the caption “ Life is the Journey ”. Who knew? Clichés like that get me thinking, because many of us feel tempted to delineate one journey from the other, and assume that we are on a different journey than our lives express. It is for good reason that we are referred to as "pilgrims" - people who are on a journey because their lives arethe journey. And if you are on such a journey, you readily accept that nothing is permanent; you are on the move. I think it is incredibly freeing to embrace the idea that our lives are the actual journey. That, alone, helps us to be measured, forgiving, compassionate and caring, and to practice letting go. I tend to remind people that the idea of heaven is not about worthiness before God. If it were about that, no one will ever get there. Rather, it is a question of whether we accept God’s invitation for life. Remember Jesus’ admonition? " Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these ." Ben is a little old to be considered a child - although he is still Jenn and Dennis’ child - but trust me, his boyish enthusiasm and smile makes you want to believe that he enjoys what he does, is content with his life being the journey, and has accepted God's invitation for life. I don’t think we can all be Scouts, nor should we all be. But at the very least, I think we can embrace the Boy Scout laws as Ben, Kent, and many others have, and be content that by this alone we have chosen our lifelong journey, and on such a path must we walk. Manny.