This is in memory of a gentleman to whom I reached out in faith in 1985. I will forever remember his kindness. His name was Jacob, Father Jacob Beck. How lucky I was that, after hours, he was still in his office at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Laurel, where he was the interim rector. I called the church. Father Beck answered. I asked if possibly there was a Wednesday evening church service.  “No, but I wish we had one.” I think he sensed a note of sadness in my voice when I told him that I had just finished graduate school and had moved from Georgia to start a new job; my wife Pam would not be able to join me for a few months. He invited me to get a hamburger at the Tavern, just across the street from the church.  I accepted his offer, and spent a good two hours conversing with this kind man. I remember that I told him that I was having some difficulty getting accustomed to the faster pace of life I now had. “I think your problem is simple,” he said. “You miss your family.” He was so right.  I became a regular attendee, and Pam joined me in June. At her first service, Father Beck greeted her with “We’ve been waiting for you!” Father Beck usually ended his services with this closing prayer: Deep peace of the running wave to you Deep peace of the flowing air to you Deep peace of the quiet earth to you Deep peace of the shining stars to you Deep peace of the gentle night to you Deep peace of Christ to you. Deep peace to you, Father Beck (1933-2017).   ~Shannon P. #lent2025 #LentenMeditation #episcomd #hocomd #christian #ChristIsKing #salvation #peaceonearth

God, I come to you as I am. It is all I have, really.  This moment.  And the next one I’m conscious of will be the same. I can feel the way I move, moment to moment, without the comfort of “solutions.” It seems wild to me now how I imagined any once-and-for-all cure for this, or a master plan to ensure things will work out. But, truth be told, that’s always been my secret hope. So, Lord, let’s try again. I’m begging for a new plan. I want a plan that is an “unplan. I must keep moving and planning, trying and changing, knitting my days together even as they unravel. So can we do this together?  Remind me to pray: come Lord and quiet the worry. I step, and you steady me. I give, and you keep my hands open. I act, and you fortify me with courage to try and try and try again.  This life is uncertain, Lord, but your love is not. You tell the story of my life regardless of how little I know about how it ends, except to say, you were there since the beginning and you appear on every page.    ~Kate Bowler #lent2025 #LentenMeditation #episcomd #hocomd #christian #ChristIsKing #salvation #IcometoGodasIam #acceptedthisway #GodLovesMe

Vespers is a liturgy of Evening Prayer that combines scripture readings, prayer, silent meditation, and rich music. Each Sunday evening, Christ Church offers a service of contemplative prayer and music in the tradition of the Taizé community of France. It offers this special service each Sunday evening during this Lenten season with the hope of offering different opportunities for prayer, music, and reflection.    The founder of the Taizé community, Brother Roger, explains: "What we usually call 'worship' the Taizé community simply calls 'Prayer.' Taizé Prayer consists of 'short chants, repeated again and again, giving them a meditative character. Using just a few words, they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God." ​ This community promotes peace and justice through prayer and meditation. Our Taizé Vespers service mirrors Taizé-style attention to silence, holy words, prayer, and singing and offers a chance to meditate and reflect on God's love and presence in one's life, to offer prayer for oneself and others, and to share in a supportive community of fellow pilgrims on the way.   SUNDAY, APRIL 6 Service leaflet link

Fifth Sunday in Lent 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalm 126 Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

On weekdays during the season of Lent, we post daily meditations on our website, and on Saturdays we include a piece of music, as well. These songs are submitted by parish family members and friends of Christ Church, and meant to uplift, comfort, and inspire. We hope that you enjoy. Forty days You wandered through the desert bleak Forty days You withstood temptation Forty days You wrestled, though the flesh be weak You kept the faith for our salvation Lord, we follow You Lead us in your ways Lord, we follow You Guide us on, we pray Forty days we pray, for strength to keep the fast Forty days we walk in Your grace Forty days we wait, till Easter comes at last And we see the glory of Your face Lord, we follow You Lead us in your ways Lord, we follow You Guide us on, we pray From ashes we came To ashes we return Blessed be the name of the Lord From dust we came To dust we return Blessed be the name of the Lord © Stacey Plays Hymns 2025

My son loves to sail.  We had sailed together many times when he was a young boy.  Several years ago, I had an opportunity to purchase a sailboat and make it available for his use.  I love him and would get great pleasure from knowing that I have given him the opportunity to enjoy something he likes – sailing.  So, I told him at the time that he could use it whenever he wanted to do so. But he never asked, and the boat sat in drydock for years.  It broke my heart to know that the boat was not fulfilling its intended purpose.   Then one day, my son told me that he had begun taking sailing lessons on another boat.  So, once again I offered him use of our boat that was just sitting in drydock waiting for him.  His response was, “Gee, Dad, I didn’t know.  But I’ll accept your offer now.”  I was so overjoyed, I immediately put everything aside and flew back to get that boat ship-shape for his use.  I cleaned, scrubbed, painted, and fixed everything within my capabilities to make that boat as perfect as I could for his use. I was delighted to know that the boat would ultimately fulfill its intended purpose.   It is the same with salvation.  In His love, God has prepared a boat for each of us to use and is simply waiting for us to ask. If we only ask, He will fly and get everything ready just perfectly because He loves us so much – and it breaks His heart when we don’t even ask.  And – just as I could not force my son to use the boat that I had set aside for him until he was ready to pick up sailing once again – He cannot and will not force us to seek His salvation.  We must ask Him for it. #lent2025   #LentenMeditation   #episcomd   #hocomd   #christian   #ChristIsKing #salvation

Fourth Sunday in Lent 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Joshua 5:9-12 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Psalm 32 Today's Sermon: Father Manny gives today's sermon, and you can view it below once the livestream has begun. The text for it can also be read by going here . Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

May I become at all times, both now and forever A protector of those without protection A guide for those who have lost their way A ship for those with oceans to cross A bridge for those with rivers to cross A sanctuary for those in danger A lamp for those without light A place of refuge for those who lack shelter And a servant to all in need For as long as space endures, And for as long as living beings remain, Until then may I, too, abide To dispel the misery of the world.   ~Shantideva was an 8th century Indian Buddhist monk.

Enjoy a Late Afternoon Harbor Cruise on Wednesday, April 30, to Benefit the Baltimore International Seafarers' Center Mark your calendars: the deadline for ordering tickets is Saturday, April 19, for  a fundraiser   on Wednesday, April 30, that supports the  Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center  (BISC), a program of the  Episcopal Diocese of Maryland . You are no doubt familiar with the seafarers’ ministry through the annual collection of woolens, magazines, and calendars by the Women of Christ Church . The Center’s outreach to mariners gained much wider attention after the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was struck a year ago by a disabled container ship . The director of the center, the Rev. Joshua Messick, has continued to minister to 11 members of its crew, as described by the Baltimore Banner in a March 24, 2025, article, “ The Dali crew is still in Baltimore, one year after the disaster .” The cruise offers spectacular views of the harbor, as seen by a group from Christ Church in 2023 when parishioner Shahra Toth took this image of a then-intact bridge (see photo). On Wednesday, April 30, please park at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Garage, where a discount coupon will be made available during the cruise. Board the “Catherine Marie” promptly at 4:45 p.m. at Baltimore Finger Piers, 555 Light St., Baltimore, MD. Once aboard, you’ll enjoy food, beverages, and a silent auction while exploring the working Port of Baltimore from the water. Tickets are $70 each and can be purchased here . BISC provides spiritual care and hospitality to mariners who are working far from their homes and loved ones around the world.  Fewer Volunteers Will be Needed on Saturday, April 5 in Clarksville than in Past Food Drives at Local Giant Supermarkets The highly anticipated Spring Food Drive will at last take place this weekend as we adapt to new rules that limit the number of volunteers on the supermarket premises. In response to a request by the management of Giant Foods, we must streamline the way in which Christ Church conducts its drive on Saturday, April 5, from noon to 4 p.m., at River Hill Giant, 6050 Daybreak Circle, Clarksville , Md., 21029. A new corporate policy will limit us to four volunteers at any one time, and two of the four will be packing any collected groceries rather than interacting with Giant customers. Walk-in volunteers will be encouraged to do their part by taking a shopping list and purchasing some of the pantries’ requested items. For information, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . Groceries collected from shoppers will go to two food pantries. One is the Howard County Food Bank, which is operated by the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC). The other is SAFE , its partner pantry that provides free gluten-free and allergy-safe foods to low-income families and individuals. The need is great. The number of struggling households has grown in Howard County due to inflation and the mass firing of federal workers. In response, the CAC posted: “Terminated federal employees living in Howard County may visit the Howard County Food Bank to receive a bag of shelf staples twice a month for up to three months.”  FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket FISH of Howard County is calling for new volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents. Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support.   Columbia Community Care Turns 5, Continues to Request Our Support When the pandemic hit and Maryland entered a lockdown in March 2020, many students were going hungry without the school meals that they had grown to depend upon. That’s when a local teacher founded Columbia Community Care (CCC) to collect and distribute essentials to families in need. After individual parishioners began helping, Christ Church became a regular supporter in June 2020. CCC marked “5 Years of Community” this month with a post on its Facebook page . It distributes groceries, diapers, and personal care items at three sites on Saturday mornings and delivers to those without transportation. To volunteer, go to “ Volunteer Opportunities .” Those who need help are urged to go to “Get Help” on CCC’s website. Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin marked “CCC” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents. 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.

The most prominent scripture on decision-making is Proverbs 3:5-6, which states "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  This verse emphasizes seeking God's guidance and trusting in His plan when making decisions.

When my sister was in Spain last year, she and her husband stopped for a visit to the Montserrat Monastery in Barcelona.  This monastery is a pilgrimage stop for many, since it is the home of the statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, also known as The Black Madonna.  My nephew, who as an infant had been adopted from Guatemala, was starting a new job which required looking after the safety of others but was not without personal risk.  So my sister fervently prayed to the Madonna to watch over him and keep him safe. By the monastery and church exit, there is a courtyard with breathtaking views, so my sister started walking toward that area.  The courtyard was full of people from all over the world.  My sister paused and happened to glance down at the ground.  And there at her feet was a small rock with the Guatemalan flag painted on it.  To my sister, the message was clear:   “We have heard your prayer and we are with him.”