This past Saturday, we hosted a retreat for the confirmation class. Part of our conversation covered our covenantal relationship with God, identifying our unique gifts and the best possible ways that we could channel those gifts in service to God and neighbor. Before the retreat concluded, I shared my closing thoughts with the group. Those closing thoughts were the four things that I believe helps drive a meaningful and thriving life and faithful person. It isn’t about being successful; it is about living a meaningful, thriving and faithful life. These are the four thoughts: first, you should always have something to love. Second, you should always have something to believe in. Third, you should always have something to work on. Last, you should always have something to look forward to. Thinking about these four principles reminds me of a story. It is a long story, but I have tried to shorten it. "My name is Stuart. I’m twenty-eight, and as of last Tuesday, I was officially “redundant,” which is just a cold corporate way of saying "unemployed." I had spent more than five years studying Aerospace Engineering, graduating at the very top of my class, only to get dismissed from a mid-tier company because of “budget restructuring.” I was driving home in my old 2012 Ford Focus — a car that smelled permanently like stale French fries and disappointment — after yet another failed job interview in Philadelphia. The interviewer barely looked through my portfolio. He said I lacked something he called “real-world resilience.” I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. I was exhausted. I was running out of money. I wanted nothing more than to return to my basement apartment, hide under a blanket, and sleep off my humiliation That’s when I saw them. A worn-out beige Buick Century was parked awkwardly on the shoulder. Its hazard lights blinked weakly through the storm. Next to the car, leaning into the wind while trying to work a tire iron, stood a fragile elderly man. He looked like he had no business being outside in a drizzle, let alone a downpour like that. Inside the car, an elderly woman sat stiffly in the passenger seat, fear etched across her face. Cars rushed past them at full speed — BMWs, Jaguars, Teslas — spraying them with filthy road water and not even slowing down. I sighed in frustration. I tightened my grip on the wheel. I truly didn’t feel like stopping. My energy was gone, my future felt bleak, and I wasn’t in the mood to play the hero. Then the old man slipped. He almost toppled into traffic. “Okay, fine,” I muttered under my breath. I pulled over. I threw on my heavy raincoat, stepped outside, and the wind immediately shoved me as if trying to push me back into my car. “Sir!” I yelled through the noise. “Get inside the car,” I told him firmly. “You’re going to freeze out here.” Twenty minutes later, soaked, shivering, covered in mud and grease, and definitely ruining my only good suit pants, I finally got the spare tire mounted. “You’re all set,” I said. “But that spare isn’t meant for long distances. Stay under fifty, and take the next exit.” The old man stared at me with eyes so intensely blue they didn’t seem to match his aged face. Sharp. Aware. “What’s your name, son?” he asked. “Stuart. Stuart Miller.” He reached into his pocket with shaky fingers. His wallet was old leather, soft and worn. He pulled out some bills. “Take this… I have forty dollars here.” I looked at the money. I knew it was probably a lot for them. “It’s okay,” I said, gently refusing. “Buy your wife something warm to drink. You both look chilled to the bone.” The woman spoke softly. “But your clothes… You look like you were on your way to a business meeting.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “I’m an unemployed aerospace engineer, ma’am. This suit wasn’t helping me much.” The old man raised his eyebrows. “Unemployed? Aerospace?” “Yeah,” I said, rubbing my hands. “But apparently, I don’t have enough ‘grit.’” I headed back to my Focus before they could insist further." The old man that Stuart helped was Arthur Sterling, the founder of Aero-Dynamics. Mr. Sterling would later explain at a press briefing that he began a personal experiment with his wife. They disguised themselves and traveled around the country, driving an old car to test how society treats strangers in need. On that day, although hundreds of cars passed him during the storm, no one stopped until Stuart pulled over in the pouring rain. Stuart fixed my car and destroyed his own suit doing it, and when I offered him forty dollars, he declined and asked me to buy some warm soup for my wife. Mr. Sterling then did something remarkable, looking into the plethora of cameras, he said this “Stuart, if you’re watching — I fired my current Head of Innovation today. The job is yours. Come claim it.” Stuart was picked up from his apartment and offered the position of Head of Special Projects & Innovation, $450,000 annual salary, stock options and a signing bonus of $50,000. That began a dramatic turn for Stuart. I don’t think he even thought about any potential benefit to what he did. All he thought he was doing was helping an old man in the rain, trying to fix his tire. At this time of the year, there are a lot of metaphorical old men standing in the rain trying to fix their tires. But you have also had a bad day; you have nothing in you to give, but you have one thing to offer. Are you going to throw caution to the wind and jump into the rain? Let’s chat next week! Manny+ (This article has been broken into two parts. Part 2 is scheduled for next week.)

ADVENT QUIET DAY Presented by the Christ Church Spiritual Life Commission and led by The Rev. Timothy Grayson Saturday, Dec. 6, from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon in Old Brick Everyone is welcome to join us as Advent Quiet Day gathers in Old Brick this Saturday. This special Christ Church tradition marks the start of the Advent season and helps us to focus and retain our perspective in these hectic weeks leading up to Christmas. We are grateful to have the Rev. Timothy Grayson leading our morning retreat this year. We'll gather in Old Brick for an informal breakfast and conversation at 8:30 a.m., then take part in a morning of insightful readings, spirited discussions, inspiring songs, and moments of quiet meditation, creating a warm feeling of shared community. Our retreat then concludes around noon with an informal Eucharist. It's a meaningful gathering each year, and we hope that you'll join us as we let the Light enter our feelings and actions to help make this a remarkable and joyous Christmas season.   #adventpeace   #adventquietday   #advent2025   #episcomd   #hocomd   #episcopal   #episcopalian   #reflectiontime

During Advent at Christ Church this year, we have many ways - Morning Prayer livestreams, Evening Vespers livestreams, in-person and virtual fellowship gatherings, to name but a few - that you can celebrate this most blessed season. One such way is with our Poems for Advent, by Christ Church parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt. She has created a poem for each day of Advent and the days leading up to Christmas. 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

During Advent at Christ Church this year, we have many ways - Morning Prayer livestreams, Evening Vespers livestreams, in-person and virtual fellowship gatherings, to name but a few - that you can celebrate this most blessed season. One such way is with our Poems for Advent, by Christ Church parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt. She has created a poem for each day of Advent and the days leading up to Christmas. 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

SLYC Invites Parishioners to its Christmas Cafe on Saturday, Dec. 6 We’re invited to attend the “Christmas Cafe” to be held by St. Luke’s Youth Center ( SLYC ) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Church of the Good Shepherd, 1401 Carrollton Ave., Towson, Md., 21204. A carpool will depart Christ Church at 1 p.m.; to ride along, email us by Friday -  outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org .   SLYC is a collaborative of West Baltimore families who together provide youth with critical resources, life-enriching experiences, and a safety-net of support. Its annual celebration includes food, music, and a chance to meet and interact with SLYC’s children, parents, and volunteers. Many of you may recall hearing from SLYC Engagement Coordinator Darlene Clark, who visited Christ Church on July 13. (To view Clark’s remarks at a worship service, go to Pentecost V: July 13, 2025 , on the Christ Church YouTube channel. Changes at Grassroots’ Emergency Shelter Will Impact Our Winter Routine; Christ Church Continues to Serve Meals at Dorsey’s Day Resource Center The Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center on Dec. 1 posted  an announcement  about the start of winter accommodations to protect homeless residents from the cold and the completion of an expansion funded by Howard County. Grassroots has set aside beds for a Cold Weather Shelter program at its Emergency Shelter from Dec. 1 to March 29, and will take in additional residents on days when the temperature drops to 26 degrees or below as part of its Code Blue program. For the duration of both programs, Christ Church will suspend providing a monthly evening meal at the shelter. The next date for an evening meal drop-off and dish delivery will be Monday, April 13.  These changes do not impact the interaction of volunteers at Grassroots’ Day Resource Center (DRC) at the Leola Dorsey Center. On the second Monday of every month, a group led by Outreach member Shahra Toth makes side dishes and desserts for a midday meal that our volunteers serve in person after car-pooling to Jessup. To help on Monday, Dec. 8, refer to our DRC online signup form for details. Meet-up and drop-off time is 12:45 p.m. in the parking lot near Old Brick. We last participated on Nov. 10. Dates early in 2026 are Jan. 12, Feb. 9, March 9, and April 13. Your donations and Vestry-approved funds pay for the fried-chicken entrees. Thank you! Grassroots explains that it will rely upon its faith-based, Cold Weather Shelter partners for meals and other duties this winter. Before the expansion, these congregations hosted the county’s Cold Weather Shelter on their own premises on a rotating basis.  Angel Tree Gifts Due by Dec. 12 to Grant a Dozen Children's Wishes Parishioners have rapidly filled up the list for our Angel Tree tradition, buying gifts to brighten Christmas for a dozen middle-school aged children. To view choices and find instructions, see the list at https://cecevents.org/AngelTree . The deadline to bring unwrapped gifts is noon on Friday, Dec.12. Please put them under the tree or in the Parish Hall Operations Room.   If you prefer to give of your time, please volunteer for tasks on Dec. 12, such as sorting and bagging items. To do so, send an email to outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Any monetary gifts go toward purchasing a pair of shoes for each child. To help, consider a contribution to Christ Episcopal Church made online through Realm , by check, or by putting cash in a marked envelope in the collection plate. Designate Outreach/Angel Tree in the memo section.   With your help, we will lift the hearts not only of the angels but of their families. Parents obtain the unwrapped gifts from The Salvation Army to prepare for a Christmas that will be much brighter than they could otherwise afford. See How You Can Help - We Invite You to Join Our Monthly Outreach Meeting this Coming Monday, Dec. 8 Learn many ways to help others by joining us remotely for the Outreach Commission meeting on Monday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Our mission has a local, national, and internat ional scope. Email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org for the Zoom details. MOCC's Random Act of Kindness The MOCC's current R.A.K. ( Random Act of Kindness ) is supporting Comfort Cases, and they can use your donations and assistance. A Comfort Case is a small duffel bag or backpack designed to provide comfort for youth as they enter the local foster care system. 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 and care for the youngest is welcome. The MOCC is accepting donations from now through January 10th, and you can find details and a 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 upcoming MOCC gatherings. CCC Holds Its Annual Toy and Gifts Giveaway to Help Howard County Kids Columbia Community Care (CCC) plans holiday activities to help children and their families. Its annual giveaway of children’s toys and gifts for kids 2 to 16 will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during a celebration at Wilde Lake High School. The deadline is Friday, Dec. 12 to donate a new, unwrapped toy or new or gently used books at Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, or at CCC Pantry, 8775 Cloudleap Ct., Suite 107, both in Columbia. Find dropoff times on CCC’s Facebook page .   FISH and CCC partnered earlier this year and merged their pantries. CCC continues to hand out food at three sites on Saturday mornings and by home delivery to Howard County residents. 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”. Bring baby wipes and diapers, especially large sizes. Kindness Pantry Assistance Needed Thanks to all of you who helped the students and families of Lake Elkhorn Middle School over the last month. To those of you who contributed funds this fall, some of your contributions helped to supply water, medals and prizes for the annual one mile Turkey Trot. All students in each grade compete to see who can be the fastest runners, but also the best sports. Jan DeBoissiere and Cathy Whittaker were at the finish line for the 7th graders to congratulate the runners and hand out water. There were smiles on lots of faces, whether they ran or walked the course because they were outside in the sunshine having fun. And one of the staff dressed up like a turkey, so that added to the festive spirit.  Wednesday, December 17, is the next Kindness Pantry, so we are asking that you sign up for one or more items on the SignUpGenius. As I reported in the last email, the need is greater than the supply. This is a very busy time of year when you are asked to contribute to just about every worthy cause imaginable. One of the best things about giving to the LEMS Partnership is that ALL your contributions go directly to families in need of support. There are no administrative or advertising costs. Please sign up for the Kindness Pantry here . We will need your contributions by Sunday, December 14 at the latest. Put them in the blue bin in the New Brick Narthex.   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.

During Advent at Christ Church this year, we have many ways - Morning Prayer livestreams, Evening Vespers livestreams, in-person and virtual fellowship gatherings, to name but a few - that you can celebrate this most blessed season. One such way is with our Poems for Advent, by Christ Church parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt. She has created a poem for each day of Advent and the days leading up to Christmas. 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

During Advent at Christ Church this year, we have many ways - Morning Prayer livestreams, Evening Vespers livestreams, in-person and virtual fellowship gatherings, to name but a few - that you can celebrate this most blessed season. One such way is with our Poems for Advent, by Christ Church parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt. She has created a poem for each day of Advent and the days leading up to Christmas. 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

The weeks leading up to Christmas can be a pressured time, and frazzled nerves can cause us to get beside ourselves. In addition, the impact of losing a loved one has been felt by all of us at one time or another. To comfort us all, we encourage you to gather with us for our Taizé · Rosemary for Remembrance service, worship that’s created to support those who have experienced loss this year, as well as those dealing with an added amount of strain or stress during the holiday season. Gather with us at Christ Church on Sunday, December 7, at 6 p.m. in New Brick. It’s a quiet, reflective worship that helps us slow down and recover ourselves as fellow parishioners gift us with songs, reflections, and poems as we all pray together in worship and support. It’s a comforting and meditative service that inspires us to lift up all of those loved ones who have left us and help each other through the hectic season ahead. If you can't gather with us in person, you can always worship with us online - https://www.youtube.com/@CECC/streams . Either way, don’t miss it.

Welcome to Advent Compline with Mother Marcia Davenport, subtitled "Advent Saints and Holy Ones." Mother Marcia began this tradition last Advent season, and this year she returns, drawing inspiration from a different prayer book each night and reflecting on a different person, as well. We hope you'll find this series a perfect way to wind down after a hectic day of a busy season. You'll find these each night at 7 p.m. on our website, YouTube, and Facebook pages. https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/advent-compline #Advent2025   #adventcompline   #episcomd   #hocomd   #Compline   #PrayerAndReflection

Giving Tuesday is a global call to radical generosity that invites us to give to a charity of choice. Christ Church is inviting you to be radically generous with your kind support. With a simple click on our Online Giving Form , you can help us grow Christ Church's Music Ministry. Every gesture - no matter what size - will help us deepen and strengthen our parish and community. Music is such an important part of our worship experience. It can uplift us, comfort us, and help us to pray and praise God. At Christ Church, we are blessed to have many musically gifted members who share their time and talents with us. For some services, though - especially those around Advent and Christmas - we hire professional musicians to enhance our services and highlight this special season. These professionals are paid for their services, taking into consideration their travel time, practice time, instrument upkeep, and musical training. Please consider a donation to the Christ Church Music Ministry on Giving Tuesday this year and help us continue to make a joyful sound. And if you have any questions, please reach out to Larissa on Sunday morning at church, or you can email her . Whether it's by introducing new instruments to our church, and enriching our worship experience... ...or by sharing our experiences and teaching the youngest members of our parish family the value and beauty of music... ...or by celebrating in worship with gorgeous choral pieces... ..each of us is immeasurably blessed to have the Christ Church Music Ministry in our lives. Thank you so much - we are incredibly grateful for your generous and giving spirit.

During Advent at Christ Church this year, we have many ways - Morning Prayer livestreams, Evening Vespers livestreams, in-person and virtual fellowship gatherings, to name but a few - that you can celebrate this most blessed season. One such way is with our Poems for Advent, by Christ Church parishioner and poet, Pamela Pruitt. She has created a poem for each day of Advent and the days leading up to Christmas. 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