Zoom to Uganda with Friends of Sabina at Noon this Sunday, Aug. 9; Enjoy a Light Lunch While Bonding with Students During Our Annual Hybrid Meetup Students at Sabina Boarding Primary School are getting ready to interact with you during our annual Zoom meetup with Friends of Sabina (FOS), the nonprofit organization that supports the school in rural Uganda. Plan to attend remotely or in person at noon this Sunday, August 9. Gather in the Great Hall of New Brick after the 10:30 worship service; enjoy a light lunch and dessert. We’ll hear from students and on-site leaders about personal and campus progress since our 2025 meetup. It’s a great show-and-tell! FOS operates the primary school and a nursery program that together enroll several hundred students in Sanje, Uganda. Nearly a dozen parishioners began sponsoring individual students in 2020, as described on the FOS page of the Christ Church website. FOS is now recruiting an additional sponsor... and it could be you! To learn more, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Christ Church began supporting Sabina Primary School more than a decade ago by first establishing a library, which has become a resource for the surrounding community. The Outreach Commission recently approved donating $3,300 to FOS to pay the librarian’s salary, online periodical subscriptions, and a portion of internet fees. Funds come from the Vestry-approved Outreach budget derived from your pledges and contributions. Thanks! Inviting You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting this Monday Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, Aug. 10, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and international scope. You'll also find the link in our This Week on Zoom email on Monday, and we'll see you there! Help Feed the Homeless this Monday, with One Change to our Routine On the second Monday of each month (this month, it's August 10), Christ Church serves a hot midday meal at the Day Resource Center (DRC) in Jessup and provides the menu for an evening meal at the emergency shelter in Columbia. Both are operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, which has requested earlier delivery of the shelter’s food than in the past. As a result, the drop-off for the evening side dishes has been moved up to 12:45 p.m. That will coincide with the group arriving at the parking lot near Old Brick to drop off DRC items or to join the carpool that departs at 1 p.m. for the Leola Dorsey Center in Jessup. A team led by Outreach member Shahra Toth serves the midday meal in person. To help on Monday, Aug. 10, please check our DRC online signup form, which describes the procedure. We last participated on July 13. To bring food for the shelter’s evening meal, check our Grassroots online signup form. It’s efficient to provide for both venues on the same day, feeding more than 150 people in total. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you! Your generosity has again helped ease life for our homeless neighbors, who rely on the DRC for pantry items that include food, sundries, and more. Responding to a DRC request, the Outreach Commission approved spending $285 for 67 pairs of shorts and 20 hats. We used funds that had been donated to the church by parishioners giving to “General Outreach.” A hearty thanks! LEMS, Christ Church's Nearby Middle School, Needs Our Assistance. You Can Be That Help. Last Sunday, Lake Elkhorn Middle School Outreach's Cathy Whittaker caught us up at church on plans for this coming fall. Here's what she said: "We had the pleasure of meeting with the new LEMS Principal, Tony Esposito, last week. He has been a teacher and principal for over 20 years in Howard County and is excited about his new position. We also met with Cindy Drummond (our liaison), and we talked about possible ways that we can work together over the coming school year. The committee is so pleased to have Cindy in the position of Community School Site Coordinator, as she knows what the students and teachers actually need for the upcoming school year and helps us avoid duplicating the efforts of other organizations that help support the school. The first thing that we discussed was purchasing Agenda Books for all the middle school students. In the past, the district provided these, but that is no longer the case. Agenda Books would be very helpful as they provide a standardized year-long planner in which students would record their assignments and other school events. We will also be funding appreciation events for the teachers to support staff social-emotional health and well-being. There is no money in the county budget for teacher appreciation. Therefore, it is up to the PTSA to raise funds for such activities. As you can imagine, most schools have a much bigger PTSA budget because families in those schools are able to contribute much more. We could partner with the PTSA for things like breakfasts, cook-outs, and the health bags that we distributed last year. We will be putting together health bags and delivering them to the teachers. We would be welcome to actually come to provide a breakfast or other event, or just fund it. We also will be ordering school supplies that are on the school supply list. The amount that we can provide is dependent upon your contributions. Last year we were able to purchase enough items to help 125 students start out the school year. We will not be putting the supplies in backpacks since other organizations provide these and the school actually has backpacks left over from the previous year. We will continue to help with the monthly pantry as we have in the past. We distribute protein boxes of fresh food from the Roving Radish after school on the third Wednesday of each month. We also deliver non-perishable food on that day that is distributed by school social workers to families who are particularly challenged economically. Volunteers are always welcome. They include one-time and weekly commitments for activities such as: Lunch and recess monitoring Classroom tutors Mash-Up Day (6th Grade August) Turkey Trot (November) National History Day (January) Field Days (June) There are other activities that we don't quite have the funding for right now without your help. For example, Liz Thurston is the teacher in the Academic Life Skills class (ALS). This is a self-contained classroom for students whose IEP team has determined they would benefit from this program. Liz needs funding for two enrichment programs: Kind Cafe - The students sell coffee and treats to staff for a minimal cost. They learn to interact with others, keep a budget, and other activities related to running a small business. Best Buddies - LEMS "typical" students are paired with students in the ALS class about 4 times a year and they have parties with a variety of activities. It helps the ALS student feel more a part of the school and teaches the buddies to better understand students with disabilities. If you would like to give financially to LEMS, you can write a check and put "LEMS" in the memo line, or you can give online using the LEMS drop-down label. We need your help for the School Block Party on Friday, August 21. That is the day the school supplies will be delivered around 10:00, so you could help load supplies and drive over to the school. We also need people to be at the table from 11:00 to 2:00 to let attendees know about CEC church activities. Cindy is always very generous in offering ways that LEMS can support us as well. She will advertise church events (e.g., the flea market, dinners) in the weekly LEMS Heart Smiles Bulletin. Finally, she offered to help with a Clean Up Day at CEC, if we give her some lead time. If you are on a committee that might benefit from LEMS student help, please let us know. . Apologies for the very long message. If you have questions, please contact us! You can email LEMSPC@christchurchcolumbia.org to reach us directly, or speak with me, Jenny Cecil, Jan DeBoissiere, or Sara Kirkpatrick at church any time! We deeply appreciate your strong commitment to this partnership and are excited to have you join us in this endeavor." Christ Church has a beautiful and long-standing relationship with LEMS, assisting them in many times of need. You can see your fellow parishioners' generous work on our website's many LEMS-related blog posts. The fact that there are more than one hundred posts speaks to the loving-kindness and unconditional action that Christ Church puts behind its LEMS ministry. Click that link to read those, and thank you for your prayerful consideration in 2026! Bring Lightweight, Natural-fiber Clothing by Aug. 30 for an Outreach Collection to Help Visually-Impaired People and their Families in Nigeria Christ Church is supporting a late-summer clothing drive by the Living Above Limitation Charity Foundation (LALCF), which sends lightweight, natural-fiber garments to visually impaired people in Nigeria. Their disabled residents and their families face greater barriers than the general population and may not be able to afford sufficient clothing. Dr. Liz Trimnell of Laurel, MD, founded the charity to provide Braille classes, vocational training, white canes, and similar aids to the blind. Read about its work on its Facebook page. She made a presentation last spring to the Outreach Commission, which is sponsoring the drive under the direction of Sonni Aribiah. Her planned shipment by ocean freighter is scheduled to arrive in time for Christmas in Calabar, Nigeria, Sonni’s hometown. The visually impaired men and women who rely on LALCF for better lives – and their spouses and children – eagerly anticipate its arrival. At Christ Church, the deadline is Sunday, August 30, which is the same day as our Parish Festival & Ministry Fair. Look for the marked box in the Narthex. New or gently used clothing should be suitable for wear in a tropical climate and made of cotton, linen, flax, bamboo, and other natural fibers. No synthetics! Please bring the following: Adult – t-shirts and polo shirts (Sizes S–XL); lightweight pants and jeans (waist sizes 28–42); shorts (S-XL); casual button-down shirts (S-XL); t-shirts (Sizes S-XL or 6-18); casual dresses and skirts (Sizes S–XL); blouses and tops (Sizes S-XL or 6-18). Children – everyday play clothes for boys and girls; school-appropriate, all sizes; infant and toddler clothes, all sizes. Please Fill the Altar Basket and Parish Hall Bin with Goods for FISH/CCC FISH and Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered last year and merged pantries. CCC continues to hand out food by home delivery to Howard County residents and at three sites on Saturday mornings, except on holiday weekends. For information, go online to Get Help. FISH continues to pick up donated goods from Christ Church and others. Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket or in a bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”. Please bring baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes. FISH will continue to provide telephone support to Howard County residents to provide guidance and financial support because the personal touch is very important when people are in crisis. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com. You could be the one to lend a helping hand by lending an ear! As a phone volunteer, you can help from your home by giving just one day a month to assist those who could benefit from financial assistance from FISH. Training is provided. Thank you! In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

Pentecost X at Christ Church 8:00 Holy Eucharist 9:00 Family Worship 10:30 Eucharist with Music All three services take place in New Brick. Collect for Today: Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. This Sunday's Readings: Isaiah 55:1-5 Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22 Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:13-21 Sermon for This Sunday: Parishioner Leah Chrest gives today's sermon. Leah is one of the leaders of Christ Church's Center for Spiritual Nourishment, which is next held on Saturday, September 12. You can view Leah's sermon once the livestream begins, and read her sermon's text here. Sunday Worship Livestream: Our service livestream begins just before 10:30 a.m. The service leaflet for this worship is here.

The Center for Spiritual Nourishment (CSN) is taking a well-deserved summer break to allow presenters and participants time for rest and personal reflection, offering everyone in the community a chance to recharge their spirits throughout the remainder of the summer. You can look forward to reconnecting and exploring new opportunities for spiritual growth when CSN returns on Saturday, September 12, with a new program series, so mark your calendars, and gather with us that morning for a day of refreshed nourishment. Check back in a few weeks for all of the program details and list of presenters. until then, have a peaceful, restful, and rejuvenating summer!

Like every child, I am not sure when I became conscious or aware of people. But I believe that as we all grow, we get to meet different people, beginning with family, Church and Sunday School, neighborhood kids, camps, schoolmates from nursery school, grade school, middle school, high school, college, internships - just name them. Every stage of our lives offers us a unique opportunity to meet people - some good, some not-so-good. But we learn along the way that we cannot do away with people, and so we learn to live with people. In just the same way that I see you as part of people, so do you see me as part of people. There is nothing wrong about that. It is just the way it is. We are people after all. Throughout my ministry, I have always been intrigued by some of the reactions of people whenever they attend any event. One of the first questions they ask is, “Where is everybody?” “What do people mean by 'Where is everybody?'” I would ask myself. I get the sense that when people ask this question, they are not dismissing the people who are already present; they may be wondering where their friends are, where the familiar faces are, or expecting to see a lot more people show up. People like to see people. People like to meet other people. Seeing people makes you come alive. There is great value in seeing people - it reminds you that you are not alone. There is this sense of joy when you meet people, and that was how I felt when I recently met one of many people, a lady, on my way to London. She approached me and asked if I was Ghanaian. I am sure she overheard me while I was on the phone and detected from my accent that I was likely to be a Ghanaian. And so, when she approached me and asked, I happily answered, offered her a chair, and then we began to chat. It turned out that we were both on the same flight. But the strangest thing I learned about her was that she is my older sister’s goddaughter. What a coincidence!! These sorts of meetings rarely do occur. And if you are like me, where I tend to see life’s miracles at play, or what Providence might be revealing, you invite yourself into deeper reflection. So, as we arrived in London, we chatted briefly by the baggage claim carousel, and then went our separate ways. A few days later, while walking on Oxford Street, I heard someone on the phone. Remember how she probably overheard me on the phone? Amidst the cacophony of noise and the milling crowd on Oxford Street, I heard a voice. It felt like a voice I have known for a long time, a familiar voice. I turned, and into my view came this same lady. She was talking and walking very fast. I tried to catch up with her, but I couldn’t and I also didn’t want to shout her name because I didn’t think she would have heard me. So I made sure to get a picture of her, just to let her know that I saw her on the busy Oxford Street. Again, if you are like me, where you tend to believe that each moment is miraculous, and where life invites you into a much deeper reflection about some of life’s daily occurrences, you wouldn’t shy away from thinking that something more than a mere coincidence happened. A former Archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple, once said, “When I pray. Coincidences happen. When I don’t, they don’t.” Coincidences do happen, but when they do, we are invited to think about why. In finding out why, we avail ourselves to the school of thought that argues that everything happens for a reason, life is not random, and that Providence knows why certain things happen the way they do. It was, therefore, based on this idea that I felt that I could connect my divorced cousin who lives in London with this lady just so they could explore what life had for them. People meet people, and people connect people with people because people believe in people, people value people, and people unconditionally love people because people do well when people think well of them. People need people to lift them up when they are at their lowest. People need people - there’s no question about that. Back to the story... I spoke to my cousin about it, and he expressed great interest in connecting with her. I then spoke to the lady. She asked a few questions, requested his pictures, and then permitted me to share her contact information with him. A few weeks thereafter, the lady shared with me that she wasn’t interested in changing her status. I wasn’t sure what she meant, but it appeared that I was quick in trying to ‘fix her,’ i.e., I assumed that she had a need and then took steps to fix that need for her. But in fact, she didn’t have a need. She was happy the way she was. I apologized to her for attempting to fix a problem, for attempting to address a perceived need. I reminded her that my first pitch to her was that they should explore the possibility of what life has in store for them. I have thought long and hard about the whole situation, and I have more than a few questions that I ask myself - whether it was appropriate to connect the two of them, or what I was hoping to see from the two of them. On the surface, I may have been wrong. But on a deeper level, I think that the opportunity to explore what life had in store for them was totally misunderstood. Again, people meet people. And when people meet people, people engage in an exploration; people engage with each other on a quest. A quest, if you will, doesn’t suggest a predetermined destination but an opportunity to be on life’s adventure with no destination in mind. I am tempted to think that what people carry with them is the extent to which people have failed them. And so, to them, life doesn’t offer them any viable options other than retreads. But to limit ourselves to that kind of mindset is to deny ourselves, not only the opportunity we may be missing in life but the direction to which Providence may be pointing us. I believe in people. I believe in the lady. I believe in my cousin. I believe. Not because everyone is good, but because people do well when people believe in them. More than that, there is some value that comes with meeting people, knowing people, and building relationships with people. Oftentimes, that value only comes alive when we decide to begin a quest with people. It is within that quest that coincidences turn into answered prayers. Get to know people, my friend. Blessed Summer, Manny+

SAVE THE DATE: Zoom to Uganda with Friends of Sabina at Our Annual Hybrid Meetup next Sunday, Aug. 9 Students at Sabina Boarding Primary School are getting ready to interact with you during our annual Zoom meetup with Friends of Sabina (FOS), the nonprofit organization that supports the school in rural Uganda. So don’t miss the chance to attend at noon on Sunday, Aug. 9 – remotely or in person. (Look for the Zoom code in Parish communications prior to the event.) Parishioners are invited to gather in the Great Hall of New Brick after the 10:30 worship service concludes. Enjoy a light lunch, coffee, drinks, and desserts. We’ll hear from students and on-site leaders about personal and campus progress since our 2025 meetup. It’s a great show-and-tell. Christ Church began supporting Sabina Primary School more than a decade ago by first establishing a library. Besides Sonni and Teddy Aribiah and sons, parishioners Steve and Linda Alpern and Ellen Boudreau Hoke and the late Charlie Hoke have traveled there. Consider making a future trip; you can inquire about it during the Q&A portion of our Zoom session. Sabina’s library has become a resource not just for the school but for the surrounding community. The Outreach Commission at a recent meeting approved donating $3,300 to FOS to pay the librarian’s salary, periodical subscriptions, and a portion of internet service. Funds come from the Vestry-approved 2026 Outreach budget derived from your pledges and contributions. Thanks to all! FOS operates the primary school and a nursery program that together enroll several hundred students in Sanje, Uganda. We’ll hear from Sabina Administrator Moses Nsubuga, Librarian Richard Tumusiime, and Sponsorship Coordinator Deborah Nakiduuli. We’re anticipating a performance by the choir and chats with sponsored students who remain at Sabina or who have completed primary grades and are progressing in secondary schools. Nearly a dozen parishioners at Christ Church began sponsoring individual students in 2020, as described on the FOS page of the Christ Church website. FOS is now recruiting an additional sponsor: it could be you! Each of these deserving youngsters comes from families who otherwise cannot afford their schooling, and sponsors commit to fund an annual scholarship and to keep in touch. One aim is to form relationships, like family across the miles. FOS helps accomplish that goal by encouraging an exchange of letters and occasional video calls. For information on becoming a sponsor, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Registration is Open for DreamBuilders' Mission Trip to Puerto Rico on October 18-24, 2026 Hurricane Maria, a category 5 hurricane, struck Puerto Rico in September of 2017 with sustained winds of 155 mph. 53% of all structures on the island suffered major damage. Today, almost 9 years later, many families are still trying to repair their homes. We will be helping one of those survivors, Maria del Carmen Rivera Nieves. You can read about Maria and her project below. We have worked with the nonprofit Apoyemos/One Hand Foundation of Puerto Rico, led by Kike Garcia, on a previous trip to the island. They will supply the materials needed and supervise our project. Maria's home needs windows, interior doors, ceiling panels, flooring, and more that we can't complete in one week. But we can make a big difference in moving her home closer to completion. We will be staying at Posada Colonial Apartments in San Juan, where you can walk to an outstanding beach, and it is only 3 blocks from Calle Loiza, a street full of restaurants, cafes, and shops. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cathy Gold (heycathy@verizon.net). Trip Dates: October 18-24 Missioner Fee: $1100 (covers airfare, lodging, rental cars, and food) Age Requirement: 18 or older How Many? Maximum of 8 missioners Partner Organization in Puerto Rico: Apoyemos/One Hand Foundation of Puerto Rico If you would like to join the trip, please find instructions and the registration form on their website: dreambuildersmd.org/puerto-rico-trip-october-2026. Registration closes on July 31st. Bring Lightweight, Natural-fiber Clothing by Aug. 30 for an Outreach Collection to Help Visually-Impaired People and their Families in Nigeria Christ Church is supporting a late-summer clothing drive by the Living Above Limitation Charity Foundation (LALCF), which sends lightweight, natural-fiber garments to visually impaired people in Nigeria. Their disabled residents and their families face greater barriers than the general population and may not be able to afford sufficient clothing. Dr. Liz Trimnell of Laurel, MD, founded the charity to provide Braille classes, vocational training, white canes, and similar aids to the blind. Read about its work on its Facebook page. She made a presentation last spring to the Outreach Commission, which is sponsoring the drive under the direction of Sonni Aribiah. Her planned shipment by ocean freighter is scheduled to arrive in time for Christmas in Calabar, Nigeria, Sonni’s hometown. The visually impaired men and women who rely on LALCF for better lives – and their spouses and children – eagerly anticipate its arrival. At Christ Church, the deadline is Sunday, August 30, which is the same day as our Parish Festival & Ministry Fair. Look for the marked box in the Narthex. New or gently used clothing should be suitable for wear in a tropical climate and made of cotton, linen, flax, bamboo, and other natural fibers. No synthetics! Please bring the following: Adult – t-shirts and polo shirts (Sizes S–XL); lightweight pants and jeans (waist sizes 28–42); shorts (S-XL); casual button-down shirts (S-XL); t-shirts (Sizes S-XL or 6-18); casual dresses and skirts (Sizes S–XL); blouses and tops (Sizes S-XL or 6-18). Children – everyday play clothes for boys and girls; school-appropriate, all sizes; infant and toddler clothes, all sizes. Please Fill the Altar Basket and Parish Hall Bin with Goods for FISH/CCC FISH and Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered last year and merged pantries. CCC continues to hand out food by home delivery to Howard County residents and at three sites on Saturday mornings, except on holiday weekends. For information, go online to Get Help. FISH continues to pick up donated goods from Christ Church and others. Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket or in a bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”. Please bring baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes. FISH will continue to provide telephone support to Howard County residents to provide guidance and financial support because the personal touch is very important when people are in crisis. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com. You could be the one to lend a helping hand by lending an ear! As a phone volunteer, you can help from your home by giving just one day a month to assist those who could benefit from financial assistance from FISH. Training is provided. Thank you! Continue to Support the MOCC's Random Act of Kindness The MOCC's current R.A.K. (Random Act of Kindness) is supporting Comfort Cases, and they continue to need donations. A Comfort Case is a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide comfort to youth entering the local foster care system - many enter with nothing more than a simple trash bag - an item that provides no comfort or dignity at all. In today's world, the number of kids entering the foster care system is rising, and so anything that can be done to help provide a level of comfort, compassion, and care for the youngest in our world is welcome. The MOCC is accepting donations throughout the summer, and you can find details and the donation bin in the Narthex. You can also speak with Duane Smith, Ed Chrzanowski, or any MOCC member to get more information about Comfort Cases, or click the link above. Save the Date: ‘Birdies for Bridges’ Golf Tournament to be Held on Friday, Sept. 25 to Help Bridges to Housing Stability in Preventing Homelessness It’s not too early to hit the practice greens. Bridges to Housing Stability will hold its annual Sheehy Toyota Birdies for Bridges Golf Tournament on Friday, Sept. 25, at The Timbers of Troy, 6100 Marshalee Dr., Elkridge, Md. Participants will help Bridges achieve its mission – advocating for affordable housing and helping individuals and families who struggle to keep a roof over their heads. The tournament begins with a light breakfast, a shotgun start at 9 a.m., and a full day of golf, food, and awards. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. The cost for a single golfer is $200, or $800 for a foursome, which covers greens fees, unlimited range balls, food, and beverages. The event is for a worthy cause. All proceeds from Birdies for Bridges will benefit Bridges and its work to provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County. Christ Church has supported Bridges in various ways since 2019, most recently last fall, when a group of volunteers spent several workdays refurbishing a Columbia townhouse. Known as Guilford House, it is the residence of several returning citizens who have gotten their lives on track after incarceration. Bridges operates this transitional housing in partnership with the Howard County Department of Corrections. Read about improvements – made indoors and out – by a team led by Vestry and Outreach member George Toth in the Outreach Blog of Dec.18, 2025. “The transformation is night and day!” said Sarah Hicks, Affordable Housing Program Manager at Bridges. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

As I indicated in my sermon on July 12th, the world has been captivated by an extraordinary soccer extravaganza in the US, Mexico, and Canada, the three host countries of this year’s World Cup tournament. Like Mexico and Canada, we have been great hosts, and I am thankful to all those who worked night and day to ensure that soccer fans from around the world who traveled long distances to support their national teams had a great time. I had the unique privilege of traveling with my son, James, my brother Andrew, who traveled from Ghana, and his two sons, James and Andrew, to visit Boston and watch the match between Ghana and England. That was also my first-ever experience watching a World Cup game. To say it was electrifying is an understatement. It was an afternoon of great excitement, patriotism, screaming, singing, fellowship, and merrymaking. All in all, it was a moment of pure joy, the kind of joy that looks beyond categories, particularities, differences, and separation. For this kind of joy to prevail or be experienced, it doesn’t feel constrained by particularities, nor does it gloss over them. No! The joy acknowledges stark human differences but then embraces them in a way that reminds each of us, whether you watched the game in the stadium, at home, at the pub, or elsewhere, screaming a national anthem or singing Take Me Home, Country Roads, that our somewhat cherished differences pale into insignificance. That, to me, is where the spirituality of football lies. It isn’t the case that this feeling of joy is only peculiar to soccer or the World Cup. Whenever we gather at ballparks to watch baseball, at stadiums to watch football, or in arenas to watch basketball, the singing of the national anthem helps us appreciate the unique power of that music, which brings us all together and reduces our differences to insignificance. Whenever we gather at sporting events where a particular song has captured fans' hearts, the collective singing of that song creates a feeling of nostalgia for a time, place, and a home we all yearn for. This past Sunday, when we gathered to hear the consultant share her findings with us, I thought about the last hymn that we sang, In Christ, there is No East or West. It is one of my all-time favorite hymns. I didn’t ask for it to be sung, but here we were, singing a hymn that reminded each of us of the uniqueness of Christ to us, not as individuals but as a community of faith that centers itself on the mission and ministry of the church. The hymn echoes the thoughts St. Paul expresses in his Letter to the Galatians when he says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The oneness in Jesus Christ underpins the spirituality of football. The oneness in Christ heals human division. The oneness in Christ brings out the best in each of us. The oneness in Christ is about a call to embrace-and that's where our deepest spiritual longings rest. Reflecting on the presentation by Juliana Hess, the consultant, I was highly impressed by the over 170 survey responses. These rich voices, which were captured on every page, lifted up the voices of a community that cherished Christ Church. More than that, they expressed the hope of each parishioner. Your thoughts captured the sense of hope that is rooted in the song Take Me Home, Country Roads - that unique American song, which held the imagination of many a fan from different places around the world during the World Cup. There is hope. There is openness. There is a longing for a home. There is a place. There is home. There is belonging. And for me, Christ Church is a spiritual home of faith, hope, belonging, diversity, openness, and love. And within this sacred space, we all work hard to create a home for each one of us. It may not always be perfect, but we don't give up on trying to make it perfect. I have no doubt in my mind that each of you care very deeply about this sacred place and the promise that it holds for many people around the world - some known and some unknown. It may surprise you to learn that, in fact, we do have many people scattered around the world who worship with us through Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, or Sunday Eucharist. Whether they spend a minute with us or an hour with us, each one of them is uplifted by the prayer that we offer to the God of our Savior Jesus Christ. I once heard someone make the point that our problem is not polarization. Our problem is the lack of cultural resources to help us work through our differences. I am eternally grateful for the community of faith we share. It often looks like a soccer team; each one has a role to play, and each plays the role with such amazing commitment and love. Each plays the role with such grace and diligence. Each plays their role with joy. By God’s grace, we are able to play each role, not because we are religious people, but because of the level of our conscious belief in the God who has called us into shared ministry in the world with Him. And we do this ministry with great joy - the joy that collapses all our differences into nothingness. I offer great thanks to God for our shared common life and the joy that emanates from this holy place. The joy that I feel each day is like watching the World Cup. It is a different kind of joy. It is the joy that deepens my spirituality. Soccer is often described as The Beautiful Game. The beauty lies in soccer’s ability to bring people of all stripes together in a beautiful way. To me, this is the kind of beauty that ought to consume us - bringing people together in a beautiful and joyful way. Blessed Summer, Manny+

Pentecost IX at Christ Church 8:00 Holy Eucharist 9:00 Family Worship 10:30 Eucharist with Music All three services take place in New Brick. Collect for Today: O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. This Sunday's Readings: 1 Kings 3:5-12 Psalm 119:129-136 Romans 8:26-39 Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 Sermon for This Sunday: Father Manny gives today's sermon this Sunday. You can view it once the livestream begins. You can also read his sermon's text here. Sunday Worship Livestream: Our service livestream begins just before 10:30 a.m. The service leaflet for this worship is here.

Bring Lightweight, Natural-fiber Clothing by Aug. 30 for an Outreach Collection to Help Visually-Impaired People and their Families in Nigeria Christ Church is supporting a late-summer clothing drive by the Living Above Limitation Charity Foundation (LALCF), which sends lightweight, natural-fiber garments to visually impaired people in Nigeria. Their disabled residents and their families face greater barriers than the general population and may not be able to afford sufficient clothing. Dr. Liz Trimnell of Laurel, MD, founded the charity to provide Braille classes, vocational training, white canes, and similar aids to the blind. Read about its work on its Facebook page. She made a presentation last spring to the Outreach Commission, which is sponsoring the drive under the direction of Sonni Aribiah. Her planned shipment by ocean freighter is scheduled to arrive in time for Christmas in Calabar, Nigeria, Sonni’s hometown. The visually impaired men and women who rely on LALCF for better lives – and their spouses and children – eagerly anticipate its arrival. At Christ Church, the deadline is Sunday, August 30, which is the same day as our Parish Festival & Ministry Fair. Look for the marked box in the Narthex. New or gently used clothing should be suitable for wear in a tropical climate and made of cotton, linen, flax, bamboo, and other natural fibers. No synthetics! Please bring the following: Adult – t-shirts and polo shirts (Sizes S–XL); lightweight pants and jeans (waist sizes 28–42); shorts (S-XL); casual button-down shirts (S-XL); t-shirts (Sizes S-XL or 6-18); casual dresses and skirts (Sizes S–XL); blouses and tops (Sizes S-XL or 6-18). Children – everyday play clothes for boys and girls; school-appropriate, all sizes; infant and toddler clothes, all sizes. SLYC Invites Us to its Camp Imagination Showcase in Linthicum; Consider Joining the Outreach Carpool Departing at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, July 30 Several weeks ago, we heard from Engagement Coordinator Darlene “Grandma” Clark of St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC), who described how much its young people enjoy Camp Imagination. Once again this summer, the day camp is being held at a cooperating parish in Linthicum, Md. And once again, we are invited to St. John Lutheran (& Episcopal) Church, 300 Maple Ave., Linthicum, Md., to see youth perform in the camp showcase from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 30. Outreach is organizing a carpool to depart Christ Church at 4:15 p.m. For information, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. SLYC is a collaborative of West Baltimore families who together provide youth with life-enriching experiences. Every summer, SLYC youngsters engage in arts and literacy activities during five weeks of day camp followed by one week of sleepaway camp at the Claggett Center. To support the effort, Christ Church donated $3,600 to cover the cost of two children for all six weeks. These are Vestry-approved funds derived from your pledges and contributions. Thank you! Clark expressed gratitude during her visit on May 31. Go to this link for her remarks during announcements at the 10:30 worship service. Her remarks during a Sunday Circle discussion about working with youth can be viewed here. Somos Amigos Will Livestream a Plan to Expand Care in the Dominican Republic Next week, Somos Amigos will livestream its groundbreaking of a new clinic – a building that will be its first permanent, full-time home – on the morning of Tuesday, July 28. For details closer to the date, go to Somos Amigos Medical Missions or to its Facebook page. Parishioners heard about the expansion plan during Founder and Executive Director Frank Brightwell's annual visit to Christ Church. He thanked the congregation for our long-term support while delivering the sermon during worship services on March 1. At Sunday Circle, he gave a recap of the most recent clinic, one of four held each year in Naranjito in a remote region of the Dominican Republic. For residents, the nearest health care is more than two hours away. Repeat volunteers include Dione and Jim Mahoney and Dione’s sister and brother-in-law, Desiree and Jorge Arce, as well as the Arces’ nephew, Ivan. All are in a video about Somos Amigos’ expansion plan. View the video, “Opening New Doors,” on the Somos Amigos portion of the church website. The next clinic will be held Oct. 10-17. Go here for volunteer information. Or ask parishioners who have volunteered, including Outreach member Shahra Toth and physicians Ellen Boudreau and Preethi Jackson. Please Fill the Altar Basket and Parish Hall Bin with Goods for FISH/CCC FISH and Columbia Community Care (CCC) partnered last year and merged pantries. CCC continues to hand out food by home delivery to Howard County residents and at three sites on Saturday mornings, except on holiday weekends. For information, go online to Get Help. FISH continues to pick up donated goods from Christ Church and others. Please put non-perishable food and personal care products in the altar basket or in a bin just inside the Parish Hall. Look for a combo label “FISH/CCC”. Please bring baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes. FISH will continue to provide telephone support to Howard County residents to provide guidance and financial support because the personal touch is very important when people are in crisis. For information, ask parishioner and FISH treasurer Andy DeLong or email andydelong.fish@gmail.com. You could be the one to lend a helping hand by lending an ear! As a phone volunteer, you can help from your home by giving just one day a month to assist those who could benefit from financial assistance from FISH. Training is provided. Thank you! Continue to Support the MOCC's Random Act of Kindness The MOCC's current R.A.K. (Random Act of Kindness) is supporting Comfort Cases, and they continue to need donations. A Comfort Case is a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide comfort to youth entering the local foster care system - many enter with nothing more than a simple trash bag - an item that provides no comfort or dignity at all. In today's world, the number of kids entering the foster care system is rising, and so anything that can be done to help provide a level of comfort, compassion, and care for the youngest in our world is welcome. The MOCC is accepting donations throughout the summer, and you can find details and the donation bin in the Narthex. You can also speak with Duane Smith, Ed Chrzanowski, or any MOCC member to get more information about Comfort Cases, or click the link above. Save the Date: ‘Birdies for Bridges’ Golf Tournament to be Held on Friday, Sept. 25 to Help Bridges to Housing Stability in Preventing Homelessness It’s not too early to hit the practice greens. Bridges to Housing Stability will hold its annual Sheehy Toyota Birdies for Bridges Golf Tournament on Friday, Sept. 25, at The Timbers of Troy, 6100 Marshalee Dr., Elkridge, Md. Participants will help Bridges achieve its mission – advocating for affordable housing and helping individuals and families who struggle to keep a roof over their heads. The tournament begins with a light breakfast, a shotgun start at 9 a.m., and a full day of golf, food, and awards. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. The cost for a single golfer is $200, or $800 for a foursome, which covers greens fees, unlimited range balls, food, and beverages. The event is for a worthy cause. All proceeds from Birdies for Bridges will benefit Bridges and its work to provide a path to self-sufficiency to prevent and end homelessness through affordable housing solutions and advocacy in Howard County. Christ Church has supported Bridges in various ways since 2019, most recently last fall, when a group of volunteers spent several workdays refurbishing a Columbia townhouse. Known as Guilford House, it is the residence of several returning citizens who have gotten their lives on track after incarceration. Bridges operates this transitional housing in partnership with the Howard County Department of Corrections. Read about improvements – made indoors and out – by a team led by Vestry and Outreach member George Toth in the Outreach Blog of Dec.18, 2025. “The transformation is night and day!” said Sarah Hicks, Affordable Housing Program Manager at Bridges. Registration is Open for DreamBuilders' Mission Trip to Puerto Rico on October 18-24, 2026 Hurricane Maria, a category 5 hurricane, struck Puerto Rico in September of 2017 with sustained winds of 155 mph. 53% of all structures on the island suffered major damage. Today, almost 9 years later, many families are still trying to repair their homes. We will be helping one of those survivors, Maria del Carmen Rivera Nieves. You can read about Maria and her project below. We have worked with the nonprofit Apoyemos/One Hand Foundation of Puerto Rico, led by Kike Garcia, on a previous trip to the island. They will supply the materials needed and supervise our project. Maria's home needs windows, interior doors, ceiling panels, flooring, and more that we can't complete in one week. But we can make a big difference in moving her home closer to completion. We will be staying at Posada Colonial Apartments in San Juan, where you can walk to an outstanding beach, and it is only 3 blocks from Calle Loiza, a street full of restaurants, cafes, and shops. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Cathy Gold (heycathy@verizon.net). Trip Dates: October 18-24 Missioner Fee: $1100 (covers airfare, lodging, rental cars, and food) Age Requirement: 18 or older How Many? Maximum of 8 missioners Partner Organization in Puerto Rico: Apoyemos/One Hand Foundation of Puerto Rico If you would like to join the trip, please find instructions and the registration form on their website: dreambuildersmd.org/puerto-rico-trip-october-2026. Registration closes on July 31st. In general, if you have suggestions about ways to help the community, if you want to get involved, or if you need assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

Pentecost VIII at Christ Church 8:00 Holy Eucharist 9:00 Family Worship 10:30 Eucharist with Music All three services take place in New Brick. Collect for Today: Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. This Sunday's Readings: Wisdom of Solomon 12:13, 16-19 Psalm 86:11-17 Romans 8:12-25 Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 Sermon for This Sunday: Father Manny gives today's sermon this Sunday. You can view it once the livestream begins. Sunday Worship Livestream: Our service livestream begins just before 10:30 a.m. The service leaflet for this worship is here.

A couple of months ago, we engaged a consultant to help us discern a path for our congregation. Christ Episcopal Church will soon mark 300 years, and we will celebrate that important milestone beginning in November 2027. I wonder if those who started this congregation thought it would be a thriving place of spiritual growth and nurture for so long. In the face of enormous challenges, those pioneers sowed a seed, and I am glad that they sowed the seed that has grown to become what it is today. As we reflect on the best way to celebrate this milestone, we are also obligated to consider what we can do today to ensure this congregation remains a beacon of hope and renewal in the Columbia and Howard County community. It was based on these conversations, which started a couple of years ago, that led us to recently engage a consultant to help us discern the best path forward for our congregation. I believe so strongly that the witness of this congregation is so important to Columbia and beyond that we should spare nothing to ensure its continual sustainability. But we can only do that if we build a strong foundation that secures our future. As your pastor, priest, and friend, I owe it to this beloved congregation to raise concerns wherever I see them and to help us better understand those concerns, so that together as a congregation we will discern the best way to overcome them. The consultant we hired to help us presented her conclusions to the Vestry and me earlier this week, and she will present them to the congregation this Sunday. It is my fervent prayer that no matter which worship you attend, you will gather with us at 11:15 a.m. in New Brick for this important conversation. Blessed Summer, Manny+

Join us for French toast and fellowship - the MOCC breakfast is a monthly tradition, and in July, it will take place this Saturday, July 18. Set your GPS to Silver Diner at 8250 Gateway Overlook Drive in Columbia. We'll meet at 9:30 a.m., and all ages are welcome. You can also set a calendar reminder on your phone for every third Saturday of a month, for that's when we always meet up for this tasty start to our weekend.