Today is the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. Readings for today: Jeremiah 15:15-21 Psalm 26:1-8 Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28

Dear Friends, As many of you already know, we have been granted permission by the Diocese of Maryland to offer indoor worship. This is such an exciting moment in the life of our church and, indeed, of our individual lives as well. I cannot thank you enough for your resiliency and for sticking together throughout these perilous times. This isn’t over by any stretch of the imagination, but we are hopeful, and grateful that we can see a flicker of light. As we re-gather for worship this Sunday, October 4, 2020 and each Sunday thereafter, it is my prayer that you will pay very close attention to the following protocols that have been developed to ensure your safety and mine, and a safe environment for our collective worship. Best, Manny. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH Columbia, MD Re-Gathering for Worship As Christ Church Re-Gathers for worship beginning on October 4, 2020, our primary goal is to offer a safe and holy space for worship. We plan to continue livestreaming our worship. As Christ Church Re-Gathers for worship, Federal, State, County and Diocesan directives will always be followed.  Although we are permitted to gather at 75% capacity, it is not our expectation to do so. We can conveniently and safely hold a 75-person worship. As Christ Church Re-Gathers for worship, we plan to hold one service at 10:00 a.m. We intend to evaluate and possibly a second services at 5:00 p.m. beginning in November. As Christ Church Re-Gathers for worship, Eucharist will be in one kind (Bread). There will not be any wine served. As Christ Church Re-Gathers for worship, all are required to register for worship by calling: 410-381-9365, email: office@christchurchcolumbia.org, or going to our website page www.christchurchcolumbia.org/attend. As Christ Church Re-Gathers for worship, please be assured that the Christ Church sanctuary will be fully sanitized and thoroughly cleaned when we welcome you to worship every Sunday. As Christ Church Re-Gathers for worship, please use the exterior stairs for entry when you arrive for worship. The exterior stairs lead to the two upper doors to New Brick. You may also park your car by Old Brick and use the walkway to New Brick. Upon entry, there will be volunteers who will check your temperature. If your temperature is above 100.4, you will be asked to return home and consult with your physician. If not, we will welcome you to worship. Please plan to sit on only the rows that are open. If you arrive as a family, please plan to sit together. If not, please make sure that there’s a three chair interval between you and the next worshipper. Only those who need to use the elevator will be admitted through the lower doors of New Brick.  Those lower doors are for exit only. There will be no hugging, touching, or singing. You must always keep your masks on to cover your mouth and nose. When absolutely necessary, please use the restrooms on the New Brick Lower Level. Our Sexton will be available to sanitize restroom after every use. To re-enter the church, you must go out, and use the exterior stairs to do so. Please endeavor to follow all the directions from our Ushers. Follow all Entry and Exit Signs. Maintain Social Distancing. Stay Safe. We need more volunteers than normal to help direct worshipers and to sign people in.  If you are able to help, contact Yetti: ministry@christchurchcolumbia.org or Christie: office@christchurchcolumbia.org You can also find this information on our website's new RE-GATHER page: www.christchurchcolumbia.org/re-gather

Kudos to All Who Gained a Silver Ladle for Christ Church by Helping Families Through Bridges to Housing Stability Supported by Christ Episcopal Church and 17 congregations of many faiths, Bridges to Housing Stability got a big boost in its mission to solve homelessness with housing in Howard County. An outpouring of donations brought in $32,968, exceeding a goal of $30,000 in proceeds from its Chili & Challenge Virtual Edition, a multipart event that included takeout chili on Sept. 13 and an online auction that concluded Sept. 16. Christ Church won a Silver Ladle for the greatest pre-event contribution made earlier in 2020. Another Silver Ladle award went to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a Roman Catholic church, for having the most money in its virtual “tip jar.” The Golden Ladle went to a repeat winner of the award for best overall fundraiser, as First Presbyterian Church of Howard County also won in 2019 when the so-called “Hotter Than Thou” cook-off was held at Savage Mill. That’s when Christ Church made its debut in the decade-long competition at the urging of parishioner Jim Collins, who is a Bridges board member. Many months ago before the pandemic, Christ Church held its own chili cook-off on Feb. 9, 2020, selecting Chuck Rees as the winning chef. The effort, which included the Youth Group’s collection from Souper Bowl Sunday, raised $1,000. That turned out to be enough to claim the Silver Ladle. After Bridges moved its key fundraiser online, Christ Church parishioners contributed nearly $1,000 to our virtual “tip jar” in addition to $375 in proceeds from ticket sales for chili and drinks supplied by the participating restaurants. Our grand total was $2,436. A hearty thanks to all who donated funds and/or those who bought tickets and took part in the festive, curbside pickup outside the Periodic Table on Sept. 13. The announcement of the Silver and Golden Ladle awards can be seen in an informative video on YouTube in which Bridges’ leaders discussed the difference being made in the lives of Howard County residents who struggle to afford housing, such as Monique, who tells her family’s story. She is among 673 individuals helped in the past 12 months, during which Bridges rehoused 86 households, helped 66 households remain in stable housing, and provided 43 affordable rental units. The nonprofit organization is among those supported by the Outreach Commission at Christ Church. For anyone who has suggestions about ways to help the community or want to get involved, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

A few days ago, members of the Spiritual Life Commission (SLC) met to discuss our parish theme for the coming year. The SLC is an important part of our common life. They plan the annual retreat, which usually takes place in Delaware. They work on both the Advent and Lenten Quiet Days. They organize the daily reflections for Lent, and the Wednesday Evenings at Lent series. Another important ministry is the Book Club, where they pick a book, read it, and then meet to discuss. Quite recently, they concluded a book discussion on Zoom, and they plan to next read The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life by Emmett Fox. Please be on the lookout for more information soon, as you are all invited to join us. Before we meet as SLC, members of the commission are invited to send thoughts, scripture verses, or ideas about what the theme should be for the coming year. I am so glad that we had lots of thoughts and verses to choose from. This time, after much prayerful deliberation, members of the SLC settled on a theme for the coming year: Be God’s light that shines in the darkness. I thought it was such a powerful representation of what we need to BE, especially considering all that is currently going on in our world. For many people - myself included - I feel like we are in some dark place. One of my professors in college defined theology as looking for a black cat in a dark room. The point he sought to make was that it is impossible to search and to find what you are looking for in a dark place. For that reason, we always, always need some light - even if a little bit of it - to help us find what it is that we are looking for. One of the forms of darkness in which we find ourselves is the pandemic caused by COVID-19. Over the past several months, we have seen our world turned upside-down. As a parishioner remarked this morning during our Virtual Coffee Hour with the Rector, we do not know when spring began, or when it ended. Some of the important plans or celebrations we had planned for the year have been cancelled. We have had to celebrate the lives of our loved ones on Zoom. A parishioner has requested that I bless their marriage, but to do so on Zoom so that family and friends who were supposed to have traveled from Nigeria and elsewhere could still be a part of the service, as they have had to cancel their actual wedding plans. The reality is that we wake up, by the gift of grace, each morning. And when we do, we see the sunlight shining through our windows, giving us some light and comfort for the day. But there seems to be little to look forward to. And even if you are lucky enough to look forward to something, as meaningful as it may be, it often evokes tears and consternation. Another parishioner, for example, shared a story about not being able to touch her older grandchildren, or even hold the newest grandchild. There are some that have had to see their grandchildren come by their homes but have had to stand by the roadside, and simply wave at them and express their love distantly instead of having them come in to the home - the place where the story of their lives actually began. You want to hug your grandchildren. You want to touch them. You want to look forward to all the summer travel. You want to look forward to being with friends and loved ones. You want to look forward to being at the beach, or perhaps by the lake. You want to do some of the things you are used to doing in the summer. But alas, it feels like we have been surrounded by thick darkness - one that renders us impotent because we cannot see the black cat in the dark room. We need some light. For many of us, the emotional and psychological toll has been devastating. Many are those who are struggling to thrive amid living. Many are those who have lost jobs or have had significant cuts to their income. Many are those who are railing under the heavy burden of taking care of themselves and their loved ones. Many are those who do not even see the sunlight pierce into their rooms because they prefer being asleep over being awake to face the rigors of the morn that awaits them. A parishioner who works in an assisted living facility recently shared a story about how the management of their company decided to turn the entire facility into a COVID treatment facility. As novel as the plan may have been, however, the hospitals are keeping their COVID patients there because there is no elective surgery. And because the hospitals are keeping their COVID patients, the census at the assisted living is running low, and so management have had to split hours among all their employees so that each can earn their keep. They, too, are covered by the sort of darkness that consumes energy and reduces them to people who become disconnected from themselves. In the midst of all the darkness of this pandemic, we have had to deal with another darkness that has plagued our lives for so long, yet none seem to have a clue as to how best to deal with it. As a result of the killing of George Floyd, racial tensions have flared up and have led to daily demonstrations across the country and in the world. As a result of the needless deaths of others like Rayshard Brooks or Ahmed Arbery, we have had to confront the darkness of systemic racism. Look around you, and you might feel a cover of darkness. Therefore, our task this coming year, and always, is to BE God's light that shines in the darkness. Do not let the weight of this darkness dampen your spirit, for your task is to BE the light in that darkness. To BE is an active verb. It is intentional, because we need you to BE - to console, counsel, mourn, walk, share, uplift, motivate, and love. When I was a little boy, I learned a song, Brighten The Corner Where You Are. I don’t remember where I learned it, but I have always been moved by its invitation to brighten; that is to say, to bring light wherever I might find myself. BEing that light may take many and varied forms, but I have no doubt in my mind that darkness cannot comprehend the light within you, a light that has the capacity to bring transformation to both our individual, and communal, lives. Jesus said something about light. He once said, "I am the light of the world. And who ever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." He also said that no one lights a light and puts it under a bushel basket. For those who follow the light, and for those who light their lamps but do not put it under the bushel, there’s always an opportunity to shine with the brightness of God’s light that is in you. Remember, there are days when you can be a light for others. There are also days that others may be a light for you. So long as there’s light, there is hope, and that hope comes alive only when we BEcome God’s light that shines in darkness. Change is always made possible when that lights shines radiantly. You can BE that light, for God created you not only to bring light, but to shine that light. ~Manny If you would like to join, or want more information about the Christ Church Book Club, email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org

Christ Church as been given the permission by the Diocese of Maryland to begin to worship indoors. We plan to open our doors this coming Sunday, October 4th, at 10:00 a.m. and are, therefore, working extremely hard to offer a safe and holy space for you to worship. Attendance will be strictly limited, so if you are interested in joining us you must complete the registration form on our website at www.christchurchcolumbia.org/attend or by calling the Christ Church Office at 410.381.9365. Masks must be worn at all times while on campus. More information will be available during the week and in our Christ Church Gatherings email on Thursday.

Today is the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Readings for today: Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32 Psalm 25:1-8 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32

Today I am going to share a story from Katherine Hepburn, the famous U.S actress from the 1930's. This is her story: Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean. The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives. The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy. The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price. The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price. The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus? Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket." The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation. He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family." My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with. Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide. "That day I learnt the value to Give." "The Giver is bigger than the Receiver." "If you want to be large; larger than life, learn to Give." In a way, our life seems like that of the father and mother who walk up to the circus without knowing how much it would cost but thinking they could afford it, and then realizing that they do not have the means to pay for them and their children to enjoy the circus. Think about the embarrassing spectacle of having to communicate to their children that they have to return back home without going to the circus because they didn’t have the means. But amid the shock of the parents, and often our own shock when we are faced with difficult challenges, the psalmist reminds us that God shows up when we least expect. God works in mysterious ways His purpose to fulfill. God brings a new smile on our faces-which is always an exhilarating experience which we cannot put into words. For the reason that God shows up when we least expect, I have come to believe that when we look up, when the psalmist wonders: "I lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help." The assurance from the psalmist is always comforting: "My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy feet to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not slumber. The Lord is thy keeper. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." Even in our moments of utter humiliation, in times when we're lost, we can still feel a tap on our shoulder - someone, a stranger, perhaps YOU - who has been gifted with much by God, has that unique honor, even against your own personal interest, to turn another’s humiliation into a deep sense of bewilderment and gratitude. For reasons of your goodness and more, we can yet again believe in one another, and in human goodness, in its purest form. It is with this spirit - the one which reminds us that the reward of goodness is nothing but goodness itself - that we begin our conversation about our Stewardship Campaign for the year 2021. Over the next several days, you will receive mail from our Stewardship Committee which will invite you to pledge in support of our common life. You may also make your pledge online by completing the form on this page. The circus can, no doubt, be an incredibly fun place. Katherine didn’t get the chance to enjoy the circus that day because her father decided to express love in a way that had nothing to do with what you expect to get, but had everything to do with what you expect to give. Christ Church’s hope is that, like Katherine’s father, you will tap on her shoulder and assure her of your support for her life and ministry to her many children. For as fun as the circus may be, there's no joy greater than knowing that in giving, our hearts become as big as the ocean, all in tune with the Almighty God. Manny.

Our music program is off to a strong start this program year! Christ Church is partnering with St. John's, Norwood Parish to offer two weekly webinars focusing on vocal technique, music theory, aural skills and sight-singing. We are affectionately calling it "Quarantine Quire Camp." This past week, members of both choirs submitted individual recordings of Hymn 527, which we spliced together to make this fabulous virtual choir performance. The words are below - sing along, and enjoy! Singing songs of expectation, onward goes the pilgrim band, through the night of doubt and sorrow, marching to the promised land. Clear before us through the darkness gleams and burns the guiding light: trusting God we march together stepping fearless through the night. One the light of God’s own presence, o’er his ransomed people shed, chasing far the gloom and terror, brightening all the path we tread: one the object of our journey, one the faith which never tires, one the earnest looking forward, one the hope our God inspires. One the strain the lips of thousands lift as from the heart of one; one the conflict, one the peril, one the march in God begun: one the gladness of rejoicing on the far eternal shore, where the one almighty Father reigns in love for evermore. If you want to know more about our fall musical offerings, please contact Adam Detzner, Director of Music, at music@christchurchcolumbia.org.

This summer, Howard County General Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine has held several community testing events for COVID-19. Howard County General is collaborating with locations such as Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I. Columbia MD, St. John Baptist Church - Columbia, MD, and Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia, MD to offer these community testing events. For the latest details and locations, please visit: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/Health/MM-Alerts-and-Recalls/Coronavirus-Testing ----------------------------------------------------- Howard County General Hospital ofrece pruebas para detectar la COVID-19 en Howard County. Por favor, reserve su plaza para la prueba con anterioridad. Se administrarán pruebas para adultos y niños. Por favor regístrese aquí https://bit.ly/39aitTX. Consultar cualquier pregunta, las personas interesadas pueden contacto Tehani Mundy a 410-720-8788 o HCGH-J2BH@jhmi.edu

This month, we celebrate Father Manny's three-year anniversary as Rector of Christ Episcopal Church, and we want to thank him for his loving and caring heart, his tireless leadership, and his faithful service to our parish and community. Thank you, Father Manny! Looking forward to what's yet to come!

Today is the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Readings for today: Jonah 3:10-4:11 Psalm 145:1-8 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16