Christ Church Helps the Homeless by Donating to Grassroots, Buying Clothing to Replenish the Shelves at Its Day Resource Center Your generosity has eased the lives of our homeless neighbors, who rely on the food and clothing available at the Day Resource Center in Jessup. That is one of three sites operated by the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center , which provides free, 24-hour behavioral health, crisis intervention, and homeless services. The Outreach Commission recently approved several purchases for the DRC, where a team of Christ Church volunteers serves a midday meal each month. In response to DRC requests in November and December, we bought $207 worth of men’s underwear and spent $288 for eight hoodies in large sizes and 31 pairs of men’s jeans. These were purchased with funds donated to the church by parishioners. A hearty thanks! At its December meeting, Outreach also approved a donation of $500 to Grassroots for its various services in Howard County. We heard about the comprehensive nature of those programs on Sept. 21, when a Grassroots representative spoke on the theme of Generosity at Sunday Circle. For a recap of the presentation by Anna Katz, Grassroots director of grants and support, go to the Outreach Blog of Oct. 9, 2025 . She responded with gratitude when notified of our recent donation. “Thank you so much, and it is very much needed with the decrease in grant funds and the increase in demand for services,” Katz wrote. “Wishing everyone at Christ Episcopal a Merry Christmas, and thank you for your support.” On Dec. 18, Grassroots participated in the National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, which is held on or near the Winter Solstice - the date occurred on Dec. 21 this year. Communities across the country recognize the Winter Solstice – the longest night of the year – to remember those who have died while homeless or with a history of homelessness. The memorial service honored 19 people, many of whom had interacted with the Christ Church meals team at the DRC over the years. During a candlelighting ceremony, members of the DRC staff were among those reading the names of those who died in 2025. “Each name we honor represents a life with meaning and a story that deserves to be remembered,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball. He issued a call to action to see that “every resident has a pathway to safe, stable housing,” and expressed thanks to the faith community, frontline providers and volunteers, among others. Go to the Facebook Page of the county executive to read Ball’s remarks and view photos. The event was sponsored by the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development, which posted a video recording on the Facebook page of HowardCountyHousing . (Go to the portion from 45:32 to 50:38 to hear names read during the candlelighting ceremony.) A representative of the Outreach Commission attended the service, hosted by Columbia Baptist Fellowship and the Howard County Coalition to End Homelessness at the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center. CCC Takes Holiday Break, Thanks Supporters of Its Annual Toy Giveaway Day Columbia Community Care (CCC) will be closed for the Christmas holiday, which means there will be no distributions on Saturday, Dec. 27. Those who need assistance may go to “Get Help” on CCC’s website to arrange a future delivery. CCC held a successful giveaway of donated toys and gifts for kids 2 to 16, helping 600 families on Sunday, Dec. 21 during a celebration led by STAND Mentorship at the Homewood School. C heck the CCC Facebook Group for photos and comments. That includes thanks to supporters, including several Christ Church parishioners who donated toys, gifts and new or gently-used children’s books. FISH and CCC partnered earlier this year and merged their pantries. 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.  MOCC's Comfort Cases Donation Drive Thanks to everyone who has already contributed to the MOCC's current R.A.K. ( Random Act of Kindness ), supporting Comfort Cases. In our country today, the number of kids entering the foster care system is steadily rising, and that's where Comfort Cases come in - they're a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide a bit of comfort for youth as they enter the local foster care system. Every donation aims to provide comfort to those who are experiencing this firsthand. The MOCC is accepting donations from now through January 10th, and you can see a donation bin in the Narthex. You can also speak with Duane Smith or any MOCC member to get more information about Comfort Cases. We are also taking donations for Comfort Cases at this Saturday's Christmas Dinner, so if you're coming, we hope that you'll consider bringing something to help this cause. 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.

Our incredible youth are featured in the 4:00 Christmas Eve worship, a family service that includes a live Nativity. They each have a role and began rehearsals, so join us on Wednesday afternoon, December 24th, to see their wonderful telling of this beautiful story. That evening, our extraordinary choir and instrumentalists will lead the seasonal music presentation before both uplifting services, so arrive at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. to grab great seats and join us as we celebrate in joyous song! Worship begins at 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. Christmas Day Eucharist is a truly wonderful service, and in 2025 it takes place in the Sanctuary of New Brick. And so, as the hymnist suggested... “Come and worship… worship Christ, the new-born King!”

As we begin Christmas week, these beautiful Advent poems written by parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt, take on more significance and power. You can view them on our website, Instagram, and Facebook, and we hope you find them restorative, comforting, and inspirational. We are so grateful for Pam and her willingness to share her art with us. #adventpoem   #poems   #episcomd   #hocomd   #poetrylovers   #poetry   #poetryislife   #poetryoftheday

After worship this morning, our parish family got together and prepared Christ Church for Christmas - we call it "The Greening of the Church." Come and see the beautiful transformation for yourself, as we present our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in the New Brick Sanctuary later this afternoon. Christ Church presents this service each year, a truly remarkable gathering whose origins date back to the late 19th century in England. The glorious carols, anthems, and hymns are led by our wonderful choir and interspersed with Bible passages, readings, dances, and much more. It's truly a beautiful celebration of the season, and should not be missed. We will host a reception with beverages and hors d'oeuvres before the service, so gather with us in the New Brick Narthex at 5:00. We will then enter the sanctuary at 6 p.m. for an evening of joyful expression, in word and song, of the greatest story ever told. If you can't gather in person, you can use the service leaflet here , and watch the livestream below.   #lessonsandcarols   #christmas2025   #christmastime   #episcomd   #hocomd   #worship   #Christisborn

As we begin Christmas week, these beautiful Advent poems written by parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt, take on more significance and power. You can view them on our website, Instagram, and Facebook, and we hope you find them restorative, comforting, and inspirational. We are so grateful for Pam and her willingness to share her art with us. #adventpoem   #poems   #episcomd   #hocomd   #poetrylovers   #poetry   #poetryislife   #poetryoftheday

Advent IV at Christ Church 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Choral Eucharist in New Brick Sunday School (Pageant Rehearsal), Adult Forum, and all other formation and fellowship gatherings take place this Sunday morning. Join us! Collect for Today: 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. This Sunday's Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 Sermon for This Sunday: The Reverend Marcia Davenport, Christ Church's Associate Rector, delivers today's sermon, and you can view it in the video below once the service starts. Sunday Worship Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

As we begin Christmas week, these beautiful Advent poems written by parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt, take on more significance and power. You can view them on our website, Instagram, and Facebook, and we hope you find them restorative, comforting, and inspirational. We are so grateful for Pam and her willingness to share her art with us. #adventpoem   #poems   #episcomd   #hocomd   #poetrylovers   #poetry   #poetryislife   #poetryoftheday

As we approach Christmas week, these beautiful Advent poems written by parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt, take on more significance and power. You can view them on our website, Instagram, and Facebook, and we hope you find them restorative, comforting, and inspirational. We are so grateful for Pam and her willingness to share her art with us. #adventpoem   #poems   #episcomd   #hocomd   #poetrylovers   #poetry   #poetryislife   #poetryoftheday

I have thought long and hard about the two tragedies that happened over the weekend, shootings in Providence, Rhode Island, and Bondi Beach, Australia. I didn’t want to write about these shootings because the thoughts almost always sound the same. But I decided to write about these tragic stories, especially at this time of the year when each of us yearns for an environment devoid of violence. But even as we deal with violence, we can never forget these words: EIN OD MILVADO .  It hurts me to the core because I know that the violence at Bondi Beach was related to antisemitism. I have never in my life heard or read a compelling case justifying antisemitism. I know that antisemitism isn’t a new phenomenon, and millions of people from before antiquity have hated Jews for no other reason than being Jews. Some estimate that the level of hatred reached its highest level during the Second World War, when millions of Jews were burned alive in the gas chambers of Europe. During my sabbatical a year ago, I made it a point to visit a concentration camp in Germany. While there, I heard of horrific stories of atrocities committed against the Jews. One of my goals is to visit Auschwitz. Again, there isn’t any compelling narrative for hatred against the Jews. And even if there were, it wouldn’t make any sense, because there is absolutely no justification for hating anyone . We may disagree, which we all do all the time, but to hate , to hate to the point of dehumanizing and killing another human being, is so much of a stretch for me that I have always found it difficult to understand how some people can do that. I believe that we all struggle with the desire to be superior to others. The fact of the matter is that whenever there are two or more people in any environment, there is bound to be an unstated comparison among them. That comparison, in part, fuels competition. The ultimate question is this: do we compare ourselves down , or do we compare ourselves  up ? Do we strive to be superior to those with whom we compare ourselves? Within our political environment, we have experienced a situation where the striving for people has been towards political dominance, cloaked in superiority. Political dominance has replaced the idea of the common good, which has been at the core of our domestic politics, and the politics of all those who subscribe to the ethos of liberal democracy, including the government of Israel. Has it been the case that the government of Israel has acted responsibly? No. Has it been the case that the government of Israel has extended to the vulnerable women and children in Gaza some modicum of decency and safety? No. But do the severe failures of the present government of Israel warrant the killing of people who had simply gone out to worship? I don’t think so. And I don’t think so because two wrongs don’t make a right, nor does the cycle of violence help mitigate the problems of the world or solve any of them. The whole point of striving for superiority is to stand above another person. And the tragedy is that we don’t mind convincing ourselves that we are better and can become better than others, while they become worse than us. That is to say, we don’t mind when others are worse than us, insofar as we are better than they are.  In his book The Cost of Ambition,  author Miroslav Volf writes that “When striving for superiority concerns the person rather than their ‘work,’ we have come to a key anthropological watershed. Do we all have equal worth as human beings independently of our performances or possessions, or is our worth as humans dependent on our relative status as performers and possessors of qualities or things?”  Depending on where you are and your station in life, this question might be a bit of a challenge for you to answer, but I want to submit to you that it shouldn’t be. This is because our worth is established by the One God, who is the primary reference for all our different identities. The same One God invites us as Coram Deo  and offers us our humanity. It is for this reason that Kierkegaard believes that Humanity is not something that a person achieves.  And as Einstein said,  Humanity is given to each of us simply by being particular human creatures.     Here's a story someone told about his friend who was riding a motorcycle on a stretch of road in Israel around 2:00 a.m. There were no cars, no traffic, just the sound of his motorcycle. He suddenly heard a weird sound from the engine, and his dashboard started flickering. Before he knew it, the motorbike slowed and came to a complete stop. And there he is, in the middle of the night, pitch black, no cell phone, and no cars in sight. And then he remembered something he once heard - that whenever you find yourself in a difficult situation, say three words: EIN OD MILVADO. There is no one but you, God. Everything that happens is from you, God. And only you, God, can save us.   So, he closed his eyes and started repeating the prayer EIN OD MILVADO until he felt it in his bones and believed it. A few minutes later, he noticed a truck coming from a distance, and when it got closer, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Across the entire side of the truck, in huge bold letters, were the words EIN OD MILVADO. The driver pulled over and realized that his motorcycle was dead. The driver stopped and promised to take him home. He had a bunch of mattresses in the back and was able to wedge the motorcycle between them so they wouldn’t get scratched or damaged in transit. On their way, the driver turns to the man he picked and says to him, "You know - eight years ago, I was in a motorcycle accident at the exact spot where your bike broke down. I was lying down on the side of the road, totally helpless, until a few good people stopped to help me out. They literally saved my life. And for eight years, I have been waiting for a chance to pass that favor forward. Well, it looks like tonight was that night." If, according to Kierkegaard, humanity is given to each of us, Volf believes that every human being, each in their own way, has the same glory, and this glory is incomparably greater than the glory of any distinction they could struggle themselves into. To me, it is the glory made possible by Coram Deo  that leads us to constantly renew our faith in the words EIN OD MILVADO. The tragedies that occurred at Bondi Beach, Providence, Brookline, and many other places will, in no small way, lead us to wonder about where God is. Indeed, human tragedy may be necessitated by the striving to be superior, but the example of the Muslim man who took it upon himself to tackle the Muslim aggressors who were shooting Jews at a Hanukkah event not only reminds me of EIN OD MILVADO, it also re-establishes my belief in the humanity that doesn’t seek to be superior. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, nothing so excites me as the joy of my belief in God, and the joy of knowing that it is this same humanity that God sought to save, not with power and great might but with a humbleness that rejects our tendency to be or feel superior. This Christmas, I invite you to join me and many others at Christ Church or wherever you worship, to celebrate the one God who is our EIN OD MILVADO.   Manny+

As we approach Christmas week, these poems written by parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt, take on more significance and power. You can view the poems on our website, Instagram, and Facebook, and we hope you find them restorative, comforting, and inspirational. We are so grateful for Pam and her willingness to share her art with us. #adventpoem   #poems   #episcomd   #hocomd   #poetrylovers   #poetry   #poetryislife   #poetryoftheday

Bridges’ Guilford House Gets a Facelift, and Christ Church Makes a Donation Volunteers from Christ Episcopal Church worked during several outings this fall to spiff up a townhouse that is owned by Bridges to Housing Stability . The Howard County property needed TLC inside and out. Known as Guilford House , it is the home 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. George Toth, a Vestry and Outreach member who is knowledgeable about home repair, led the refurbishment. He and Shahra Toth, who took on the role of landscaper, called on a few parishioners who have worked together on Building & Grounds efforts at Christ Church. Dave Lanczynski worked with George to tackle outdoor drainage issues during the October sessions, while Outreach member Shahra handled pruning, weeding, and mulching. Meanwhile, George conferred with Bridges and Howard County personnel to plan stairwell repairs, including safety upgrades to the handrail. After George completed the improvements, including drywall, it was time to paint. On Nov. 3, a Christ Church team of six took up paint brushes and rollers to beautify the kitchen, living room, and stairwell. Buildings & Grounds Chair Jan DeBoissiere, Cathy Gold, Eileen Harlee, and Outreach member Michon Semon joined the Toths. Planning began during the summer after Bridges called for volunteerism during a presentation to congregations attended by Father Manny. In the next few months, the volunteers had the chance to get to know the Guilford house residents, who work and are involved in the community. Bridges paid the bulk of the expenses for the home improvement. “The transformation is night and day!” said Sarah Hicks, Affordable Housing Program Manager at Bridges. “Thank you for all the work that you have done.” The Outreach Commission, at its December meeting, approved a $450 donation to Bridges for its various programs aimed at preventing and ending homelessness in Howard County. These include Bridges Alliance , which offers a “Circle of Support” for low-to-moderate-income tenants of its properties; an initiative that collaborates with landlords; and its new  HoCo Home Share program,  which could benefit empty nesters. Among the two dozen entries in Bridges’ client stories  of success is one about Bobby, who lived at Guilford House while advancing in a supermarket job. Bobby met his fiancée at work, and they moved on to a home of their own.  Thanks to Every Generous Donor for Making This a Heartwarming 2025 Angel Tree Drive! What a memorable Christmas it will be for each of the 12 children whose wishes are being fulfilled, for their families, and for all the helpers who have made it happen. We focused our support on a group of middle-school-age “angels” to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army . It sponsors the Angel Tree here and elsewhere.   Generous parishioners granted all of the children’s wishes, either buying the items or donating funds. Soon after Thanksgiving, you rapidly filled up all 48 slots on the 2025   Angel Tree signup list .    Our “angels” will be receiving gifts such as a scooter, a soccer ball, earbuds, and a crochet kit. And each child will enjoy an outfit and new shoes.   Outreach Commission member Melanie Yaksich led the drive, which culminated on Dec. 12 when Angela Braham and Jenny Cecil joined her to sort the incoming gifts (see photos). These were delivered to the Salvation Army’s warehouse by December 13. The timing allows families to receive and wrap their children’s gifts, as parents anticipate a much brighter Christmas than would otherwise be possible. On their behalf, please accept this hearty “Thank You!” On Sunday, A Last Chance Before Christmas to Buy DreamBuilders Goods Look for fair-trade coffee, tea and chocolates being sold to benefit DreamBuilders  after worship services on Sunday, Dec. 21. It’s for a good cause so teams can prepare to rebuild after disasters. The group most recently traveled to Kentucky for the third year in a row to build homes after devastating floods. CCC and FISH Need Diapers and Non-Perishables for Their Shared Pantry FISH  and Columbia Community Care  (CCC) partnered earlier this year and merged their pantries. CCC continues to hand out food at three sites on Saturday mornings and deliver it to Howard County residents. If you would like information, you can visit  Get Help online . CCC also offers activities for young people. Find updates on CCC’s Facebook page .   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.   MOCC's Comfort Cases Donation Drive Thanks to everyone who has already contributed to the MOCC's current R.A.K. ( Random Act of Kindness ), supporting Comfort Cases. In our country today, the number of kids entering the foster care system is steadily rising, and that's where Comfort Cases come in - they're a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide a bit of comfort for youth as they enter the local foster care system. Every donation aims to provide comfort to those who are experiencing this firsthand. The MOCC is accepting donations from now through January 10th, and you can see a donation bin in the Narthex. You can also speak with Duane Smith or any MOCC member to get more information about Comfort Cases. We are also taking donations for Comfort Cases at this Saturday's Christmas Dinner, so if you're coming, we hope that you'll consider bringing something to help this cause. 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.