A little over a week ago, our Vestry voted to formally establish an endowment for Christ Church. This, in my view, is one of the most important decisions that the Vestry has been called to make in recent memory, and I cannot thank them enough for taking such a step to secure the future of Christ Episcopal Church. I had the unique blessing of serving at a Cathedral - Trinity Cathedral in Columbia, SC - and two parishes - All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill, PA. All of these churches have substantial endowments to fund their common life in perpetuity, and in times of deep crisis - like the pandemic - the endowment proved to be a lifeline for them. I am thankful to all the faithful people who started this congregation nearly three hundred years ago, and to all of you who have sustained it to this day. I am very sure that, should any one of those who planted the seed for this parish come back and see the work you have done to keep this place alive for these many years, they would be as elated as we would be if we were to visit 300 years in the future to see a flourishing community still drawing on the support of the legacy we gave them. For me, this is the beauty of an endowment. Over the past six or seven months, the Stewardship Committee of Christ Church - chaired by Hugh Fatodu, and assisted by Drew Eaton, Elizabeth Everett, Mai Kweekeh, Andrea Leeman, Anne Moore, Jim Schempp, Nancy Schempp, Kelly Tokasz, and Erin Whong - have worked very hard, meeting on a monthly basis to work on a new endowment for Christ Church. The committee met with consultants to guide us through this difficult but important work. After all the work, the Stewardship Committee produced a document and shared it with the Vestry, which later voted to establish an Endowment for Christ Church. In two or so months, I will be celebrating my first four years with you as your pastor. This time has been both humbling and gratifying, and there’s no other parish I’d want to be at than here at Christ Church. I thank God for the blessing of serving you all, and I cannot thank you enough for your prayers, support, and guidance. One of the things that I tend to obsess over is thinking about the future, and what that future may hold for Christ Church. As I do, I have seen several things that highlight the need for an endowment, and I’d like to share three of those with you now. First - a parishioner once reached out to me some time ago about donating stocks to Christ Church. At that time, I was a little lost on the topic, and so I told this parishioner that I'd get back to them. As I researched, it became obvious to me that we did not currently have a vehicle or an instrument through which we can accept and even hold gifts of such a nature. I was sure that if we had an endowment at the time, we could have easily accepted the gift. Our goal, then, is to soon provide you, and many others who are desirous of supporting the ministry of Christ Church in perpetuity, with the ability to donate stocks, bonds, cryptocurrency, life insurance policies, real estate, individual or qualified retirement plans, tangible personal property, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, or charitable lead trusts. Second - a few years ago, the Vestry took a line of credit to replace our HVAC. As a result, the air conditioning in New Brick is now fantastic. In real terms, that loan could have paid for a Youth Minister or Children's Minister to help organize and build our common life. Servicing the loan means our inability to hire the personnel that could help organize and give life to the many ministries of our church. Thankfully, we should be able to pay the remaining balance of the loan by June of next year. We should keep in mind that our buildings are aging, and as many of you know, older buildings generally need a lot more work and are expensive to maintain. Currently, Old Brick has a leak in the roof that must be fixed, and it will cost even more money to maintain this historic, beautiful, and important part of Christ Church in the future. The goal is not to run to the bank whenever we have issues that require a substantial amount of money to fix. Rather, by the creation of an endowment, we will be passing on a legacy to our children and grandchildren and will be securing the future of our common life and the future of the buildings in which we meet to pray, break bread, and fellowship. We will be providing the resources with which our children and grandchildren can take care of these properties that we have left in their care. Third - the past year has been rough on every single one of us. Families had to deal with losing loved ones, unemployment, and reduced income. I once called to check on a parishioner during the height of the COVID pandemic. The parishioner told me that although she’s been asked to do more, her salary was unfortunately reduced. Many of us have suffered losses. In our case, just like many other churches, the PPP loans helped us in dealing with some of the shortfalls in income. But that was not enough to help us through 2021, and so in order to help fund our budget for 2021, we had to eliminate positions and make some deep cuts to the salaries of all who are on our payroll. As an organization, we want to attract very skilled, high-level staff to lead our ministries. But we can only do so if we can offer job security, even in times of crisis. If there’s one important lesson from this pandemic, it is that we may not necessarily be in the position to keep our common life together should anything of such magnitude happens in the future. An endowment will offer us the opportunity to make our parish an attractive place to work. I am so very excited about the future of Christ Church. If you had been here this week, you would have heard the cacophony of voices in our sanctuary. We had over forty (40) children participate in Vacation Bible School. During this time, one parent shared with me that Christ Church is the only church within Columbia and surrounding cities offering Vacation Bible School to children. I see these children, and I see a bright future for Christ Church. The question is, how do we want to prepare that future for them? Over the coming weeks and months, we will share more information about the endowment and offer parishioners the opportunity to donate. I hope you will consider doing so. I am incredibly thankful to the Stewardship Committee for all the work. I am thankful to the Vestry for endorsing the work of the Stewardship Committee. And I am thankful to you, our parishioners, for supporting us through the ages. It is my prayer that you will faithfully reflect on the part you can play to help give life to this legacy. ~Manny

Melissa Shindel, Lake Elkhorn Middle School's principal, has requested the support of Christ Church parishioners this summer. She is hoping that we can provide vital school supplies for 125 children in need as they begin the upcoming school year. This is a task that requires the assistance of many; every contribution can help us reach our five thousand dollar goal. Why can’t the families or school cover these costs? Families are stressed, more than usual - over 50% of LEMS students qualify for free and reduced meals, the highest percentage amongst the middle schools in Howard County. Additionally, LEMS has the lowest discretionary budget in the county. Why can’t the current LEMS budget cover this cost? The current budget is primarily for the Weekend Food Program, which provides meals for those families at the school who need assistance. The school wants to distribute the supplies the week of August 16th, so we are requesting your generous support now in order to reach this important goal. We are planning to purchase the supplies between July 11-24 so that we can fill the bags on a morning some time between July 25-30. If you would like to help, contributions can be made via check, on-line, or via text. If you’d like to write a paper check, please make sure you indicate “LEMS School Supplies” on the Memo line and either mail it in a sealed envelope to our address (located at the bottom of this page) or drop it off at the church office. If you would like to give securely via computer/tablet, you can find our "Support Christ Church" button at the top of every page on our website, or simply click here. On the form that's displayed, choose "LEMS" from the Fund drop-down menu. Please also write "School Supplies" in the Memo line. To give via your mobile device, you can text CECGIVING to 73256 and you'll immediately receive a secure link to our form. Click that link, then choose "LEMS" from the Fund drop-down menu. Please also write "School Supplies" in the Memo line so that your donation is used as you wish. (This number will never send you unsolicited texts. To cancel further messages, text STOP. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Standard text message and data rates may apply). If you have questions or would like to help in some way, please contact our LEMS School Supply Coordinators, Catharine and Onyx, by emailing lemspc@christchurchcolumbia.org

Somos Amigos Medical Missions Expresses Gratitude for Our Donation to Honor Mary and Ed Keath, Supporting Health Care in the Dominican Republic In March, Christ Church bid farewell to longtime parishioners Mary and Ed Keath, who also are longtime volunteers with Somos Amigos Medical Missions. As a tribute to the Keaths upon their move to a new home in Oregon, contributions poured in to Outreach. (At the Keaths’ request, contributions were also requested for music education.) The Outreach Commission, in response, donated $2,000 of these Keath funds to support Somos Amigos’ clinic in the Dominican Republic. The timing was fortuitous, given the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. Somos Amigos’ previous healthcare delivery model had depended on volunteer clinicians and other helpers traveling four times a year, collaborating with residents of Naranjito. Instead, Somos Amigos created a local model to serve patients in the rural, mountainous region and launched a “Close the Gap” fundraising campaign to make the switch possible. The transition was successful, thanks in part to Christ Church. At the outset of the April clinic, Somos Amigos described its accomplishments in a blog post: “We had to figure out new ways to provide the care our patients depend on while making sure we protected everyone’s health and safety. We navigated a complex and evolving landscape of travel restrictions, government and expert recommendations. And we provided critical care and medications to our patients on time and with little disruption to them. We should all be very proud of the things we’ve accomplished together this past year.” The April clinic was able to offer eye care in addition to locally-provided medical, dental, and pharmaceutical services. “It’s been a challenging year for us, but what we have been able to accomplish despite the obstacles has been incredible,” said Executive Director and CEO Frank Brightwell in a letter to Christ Church. He has regularly visited Christ Church to deliver the sermon and conduct adult forums, most recently joining Mary Keath to speak about Somos Amigos in March 2020. “As we approached the end of our fiscal year, our gratitude and success were juxtaposed to our budget deficit of more than $50,000, expenses we could not have anticipated that were directly related to COVID. I am happy to report that we have nearly closed the gap. “I want to thank you, your parishioners, and the Outreach Committee, for your years of support. Thank you for believing in Somos Amigos. Thank you for helping us heal. I'm truly grateful,” wrote Brightwell. For information about Somos Amigos, feel free to speak to parishioners Dione Mahoney and Shahra Toth, who also regularly volunteer at the Naranjito clinic when circumstances permit. Or visit the volunteer portion of the Somos Amigos website. The nonprofit will once again operate its July clinic with local providers, but it anticipates the possibility of returning volunteers to the clinic in 2021. CCC Takes a Break for the July 4th Holiday Weekend During the holiday weekend, Columbia Community Care (CCC) will close its three donation sites and the New Hope pantry on Saturday, July 3. Please spread the word so that those who benefit from CCC or sign up for duties with this all-volunteer organization may plan accordingly. The distribution sites are located at Oakland Mills Middle School, 9540 Kilimanjaro Rd., Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., and Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Court, all in Columbia. At Christ Church, our Racially Aware Group of Episcopalians (R.A.G.E) and the Outreach Commission join in asking parishioners to continue supporting CCC in various ways. To make it convenient, you may drop off requested items in the yellow collection bins in the Parish Hall. We have been gathering diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers such as Depends. You can drop off items on weekdays until 2 p.m., but we ask that you call the church office (410) 381-9365 ahead of time. The office will be closed Monday for the holiday. Donate Toiletries, Cleaning Supplies for FISH in its Yellow Bin Organizers for FISH of Howard County request household cleaning supplies such as liquid dish soap, bleach, and cleanser. Also the families who call on FISH during times of crisis could use personal items such as deodorant, shampoo and bath soaps. At the present time, the pantry has an adequate supply of groceries. 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. SEAFARER’S Donation Requests We could use your help in gathering the following items. Delivery is made and the date announced when the number of collections gets reasonably accumulated. Contact Carolann Sawyer with any questions. Bible in modern English (or Tagalog, Russian, or Chinese) Times/Newsweek/etc. up to 3 months old Sports Ill/People/etc. up to 6 months Cars/Computers/Consumers up to 1 year Reader’s Digest up to a couple of years National Geographics post-2000 Books (except for Bibles) are less often requested, but some seafarers do appreciate action novels, as well as picture books about Baltimore or the U.S. Action/adventure DVD’s. Recent popular CDs. Religious books (in easy English), DVDs, CDs; rosaries. Clothing - men’s jeans, other sturdy pants (no bigger than XL) or shorts, T-shirts, warm outerwear, and non-skid shoes/boots (in good condition only), and gloves, hats, scarves, and warm socks 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.

There's a lot to unpack this Tuesday evening, and we hope you'll join us. We'll discuss the highlights from the National Church's "The Racial Justice Audit: Where Do We Go from Here?" webinar, as well as discuss various other plans and ideas for our Christ Church ministry. We sent the Zoom details yesterday but if you need them, let us know at info@christchurchcolumbia.org and we'll send them right away.

Pentecost V Sermon The Reverend Emmanuel Ato Mercer Today’s gospel begins with a story of a helpless man whose daughter was seriously sick and at the point of death. His desire was for the daughter to be made whole. And so as any parent would do, he reached out to Jesus with these words “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” Come and make her whole for me. The cry of helpless Jarius reminds me of the words of the psalmist “Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice; let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. That was Jarius’ prayer and it should be the prayer of any person of faith. Jarius knew that for his daughter to be made whole, he had to take that one step that placed his faith squarely in the hands of one man. Upon hearing Jarius’ plea from the depth of human helplessness, Jesus listened to the voice of his supplication, made a turn, and walked with Jarius to his home. The savior hears us and will walk us home to make us whole, but would we take that first step of faith? On the way, something strange happened. There was a woman among the crowd who had been dealing with an issue of blood for twelve years. She has seen all the experts. She’s been to Mayo Clinic, she’s been to Hopkins, and she’s seen the best doctors around. And yet no one could help her. She is helpless. She is desperate. You can possibly hear her cry of agony and desperation from the depths in which she found herself. She faces the horror of her illness each morning. She is supposed to be unclean and therefore should not be around other people. But no one in the crowd knows what she is dealing with and so no one can show her any sympathy nor can anyone be her advocate. She is her own advocate. She sees the crowd and is intimidated by it. She wonders to herself, how can I get this man’s attention? I know he can heal me, but considering all the people milling around him, how can I tell him what my problem is? This was her breakthrough moment, she said to herself, if only I can touch the hem of his garment, I will be made well. If only I can overcome my fear and touch him, I will be made whole. And so she did. And immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Her desire was to be made whole. She knew her moment of wholeness was near, her moment of restoration was now, and so she reached out with faith and touched the clothes of the one man who makes us whole. She didn’t let the crowd be an impediment to her desire for wholeness. She had to take that one step, that step that recognizes obstacles and yet is ready to overcome them in order to be whole. The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus would even complain that someone had touched him. Look at the crowd!! They said. How can you possibly say that someone touched you? But he was the one who had felt power leave him and so was unwilling to let that power go without any acknowledgment. And when he asked the question, ‘who touched me?’ the woman came forward and confessed. She knew that to own and confess is life. To deny and disown is death. She had hoped to leave unnoticed. But her confession freed her soul because wholeness begins with a confession. The good news is that Jesus claimed no credit for the healing. He gave her the credit. Your faith has made you whole. Not mine, but yours. The empowering part of Jesus’ interaction with the woman was the affirmation of her faith. The only way we can be empowered is when our fragile faith is affirmed. When our faith overcomes all obstacles to stay true to itself and God, that faith is affirmed. But the affirmation only happens when we take that first step, the step that recognizes obstacles and yet is willing to overcome them in its desire to seek wholeness. What obstacles do you see standing in your way and hampering your desire to be a person of faith? How can you be made whole? It isn’t the case that you are at the cusp of death. No. It isn’t the case that you are hemorrhaging blood. No. You and I know that we need to be made whole but we have not as yet taken that first step. That first step that recognizes obstacles and yet with faith is willing to overcome them in its desire to seek wholeness-not for itself alone, but for others, as well. We have been tested over the past several months by the Corona Virus. We have been tested over the years by some of the challenges that our country has faced. The divisions within our society and politics. The divisions within our homes. The divisions within our churches. Sometimes it feels like our society is like the sick daughter of Jarius lying in bed and on the cusp of death. Sometimes it feels like our society is dead. Sometimes it feels like there is no life or even if there is, there are a good number of us who are like Jarius’ daughter-we are dead. The tragedy is that we sometimes act like the crying crowd near Jarius’ home who told Jesus not to bother himself. Don’t bother yourself, the girl is already dead. Don’t bother yourself the community is dead. Don’t bother yourself there is no life at Lake Elkhorn Middle School. Don’t bother yourself because there is no value in any new initiative. Don’t bother yourself. If the community is dead, why bother to advocate for life? Why bother to make it whole? But you and I know that our society needs more than healing, it needs restoration. It has to be restored like the woman who had been hemorrhaging blood for twelve years. It has to be given new life like Jarius’ daughter. It has to be made whole. The good news is that you and I know the part we can play to make ourselves whole and to advocate for wholeness for others. In a few days, our country will be celebrating its independence anniversary. Our country has come a long way. From the mosquito-infested shores of Jamestown to the dreary winter of the pilgrims at Plymouth, our country has come a long way. Imagine the patriots who had to take up arms to defend themselves against a system that subjugated them and took as much from them as possible-they wanted to be whole. Imagine the African American Slave who labored from dawn to dusk under harsh and brutal conditions, and never got paid for all the work. Imagine this man or woman, arguing against the incoherency of slavery and the American Creed that all men and women are created equal-they too wanted to be whole. Imagine the woman who for reasons of being a woman was denied the right to vote. She could do any and all things but was considered inferior to the man, and she didn’t possess the capacity to make self-determining decisions-they too wanted to be whole. Imagine having to hide your sexuality. Imagine being so afraid of even your parents and loved ones that you have to hide who you are, hide your sexuality because of the possible hostility that you could face-our Gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters also wanted to be made whole. Imagine knowing that you couldn’t go to certain places or sleep in certain hotels. Imagine knowing you can only live in a particular area because of redlining. Imagine knowing that you cannot drink from certain water fountains or sit on a particular seat on a bus-the freed Slave desired to be whole. Wholeness doesn’t usually come on a silver platter-there is both joy and suffering. Joy carries us but we must carry suffering. We must carry the cross, bearing in mind that wholeness is possible when we take that step, the one step that sees and recognizes obstacles, and yet is willing to interrupt the supposedly usual way of doing things to ensure that there is wholeness in the land. Remember, it is your faith that can make you whole. And so the burden is on you to be rich in nothing but only in faith. That is the one gift that is acceptable to God and which you can also have in abundance. Are you ready to take that first step of faith-to cry out to God? To reach out from your depth and cry out to God. Wholeness may be yours if you can dare to live in the power of the cross. Amen.

Today is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; 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: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 Psalm 130 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Mark 5:21-43 Today's Sermon: Father Manny's sermon can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

We welcome you to Sunday morning worship at Christ Episcopal Church. There's an 8 a.m. Eucharist in New Brick and outdoor worship (weather permitting) on the main lawn at 10:30 a.m. Please let us know which you'll be attending at https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/attend We'll have refreshments on the lawn after the 10:30 service - our first for 2021! - and will check in on Zoom with those of you at home. If you're interested in helping us prepare for this brief fellowship, please call the church office. For those of you who wish to worship online, we'll always livestream our 10:30 service on our website, Facebook, and YouTube, so join us there. And if you'd like the Zoom link for fellowship after the 10:30 service, email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org No matter which you choose, we are always happy to have you at Christ Church.

Children Whose Families Are Suffering in the Opioid Crisis Anticipate a Healing Week at Claggett’s Camp Spirit Song Thanks to parishioners at Christ Church, a young person whose family life has been upended by the nation’s opioid crisis will spend a week in early August at Camp Spirit Song at the Claggett Camp and Conference Center. As the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland said in a news release: “The Claggett Center partnered with the SpiritWorks Foundation to provide children an opportunity to lay down some of their heavy burdens and just be kids for a week.” This is the second year of Camp Spirit Song and the first camp program of its kind on the East Coast. After its first season in 2019, BBC America featured it during Part III of a documentary series on struggles with opioid addiction in the United States. (View at 0:47 to 5:33 minutes and from 43:55 to the end for a look at the camp in-session.) The diocese describes camp as a “safe space created for children to have fun while surrounded by caring, compassionate staff and peers who can relate to their experiences.” How do our parishioners play a role in helping this healing to occur? It’s three-fold. At a recent Outreach Commission meeting, we approved a $1,000 donation to Claggett to cover the expenses of one child for the Aug. 1-6 camp. That includes room and board, program materials, and staff fees. The funds come from the commission’s Vestry-approved budget for 2021 which is derived from your pledges and contributions. So, thanks to all on behalf of our camper and the child’s extended family. The second way that parishioners can be involved is to reach out to friends, relatives, and people whom you may know in the Mid-Atlantic region whose lives are touched by opioid addiction. Recommend a child or siblings, preferably entering grades 4 to 8, who could benefit from a week of fun and more. The activities include swimming, games, crafts, canoeing, a ropes course, and chapel. The healing includes daily small-group sessions led by Spiritworks Foundation counselors. Or recommend a potential camper’s older sibling or another worthy teenager who could become a junior staffer. Or suggest an adult volunteer who has a background in addiction and recovery services. Please make your recommendations by email to Lisa Marie Ryder, Co-executive Director of The Claggett Center, at lmryder@claggettcenter.org or you can call her at 1-301-874-5147 Ext. 6388. The Claggett Center is located at 3035 Buckeystown Pike, Adamstown, MD 21710. Thirdly, consider making an individual donation. Claggett is still accepting donations with the expectation of providing a camping experience for at least 30 children from Province III of the Episcopal Church. That is made up of a group of dioceses in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Given the aftermath of a tragic overdose or the other ways that children can be harmed by their loved ones’ addiction, the motivation is simple. Provide children “an opportunity to meet God through the support of a Christian community, fellowship with peers who share a common experience, and time to rest and play away from the distractions of everyday life,” Claggett says in its 2021 Camp Spirit Song description. A Follow-up on Fathers’ Day Supporters of Columbia Community Care At Christ Church, our Racially Aware Group of Episcopalians (R.A.G.E) and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to support Columbia Community Care (CCC). Some heeded the call by pre-ordering a Father’s Day meal for takeout at Bonheur Deli, which pledged to benefit CCC by donating a meal for every pre-order. On Wednesday, the restaurant prepared 19 hot meals for CCC’s three distribution sites, which are located at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., Oakland Mills Middle School, 9540 Kilimanjaro Rd., and at Long Reach Village Center, Suite 9, 8775 Cloudleap Court, all in Columbia. Another one-time opportunity to support CCC is to continue collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items as well as adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin marked “CCC” inside the Christ Church Parish Hall door. You can drop off items on weekdays until 2 p.m., but please call the church office at (410) 381-9365 ahead of time. Donate Toiletries, Cleaning Supplies for FISH in its Yellow Bin Organizers for FISH of Howard County request household cleaning supplies such as liquid dish soap, bleach, and cleanser. Also, the families who call on FISH during times of crisis could use personal items such as deodorant, shampoo, and bath soaps. At the present time, the pantry has an adequate supply of groceries. SEAFARER’S Donation Requests We could use your help in gathering the following items. Delivery is made and the date announced when the number of collections gets reasonably accumulated. Contact Carolann Sawyer with any questions. Bible in modern English (or Tagalog, Russian, or Chinese) Times/Newsweek/etc. up to 3 months old Sports Ill/People/etc. up to 6 months Cars/Computers/Consumers up to 1 year Reader’s Digest up to a couple of years National Geographics post-2000 Books (except for Bibles) are less often requested, but some seafarers do appreciate action novels, as well as picture books about Baltimore or the U.S. Action/adventure DVD’s. Recent popular CDs. Religious books (in easy English), DVDs, CDs; rosaries. Clothing - men’s jeans, other sturdy pants (no bigger than XL) or shorts, T-shirts, warm outerwear, and non-skid shoes/boots (in good condition only), and gloves, hats, scarves, and warm socks 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.

With the last day of a challenging, sometimes surreal school year in our rearview mirror, our children can finally take a breath. Some are looking forward to family vacations. To spending time with friends (and in-person!). To enjoying time at the pool, on the basketball courts, and at camp. To a time of quiet—a rhythm of rest and respite. Though my own children are now young adults, I can still recall the breathless excitement of that last day of school. I also remember the anticipation of the first day of school each fall (at least before adolescence hit and they began dreading returning to the classroom). When my daughter Jordan was in grade school, back-to-school planning became a ritual of sorts. Methodical by nature, Jordan enjoys the detailed work of organizing. Each fall would bring a flurry of preparation: Showing up for the long-awaited posting of class assignments. Clothes to shop for. Forms to fill out. And, of course, school supplies to purchase, sort, and tuck into a new backpack. Jordan relished all of it. Somewhere around the 1st of August, we would make our way to Target, amid throngs of other parents and their children, to pick out school supplies. Not just any supplies: Jordan was adamant about securing each and every item on Howard County’s long list. This was well before Amazon entered our lives, so if an item was missing from Target’s shelves, it would go on a special list to hunt down later at other stores. Selecting those items that could be tailored to taste—backpacks and binders and lunch bags, for example—would be the highlight of our shopping ritual. In the first grade, Jordan’s color preference was bright pink. When she laid all her supplies on her bed that fall, it looked a bit like a bomb exploded in a bubble gum factory. This fall Jordan moves into her own apartment, and her ritual for preparing to enter the classrooms of Virginia Tech will look quite different. But I cherish the memory of her childhood ritual with no small amount of nostalgia, even as I know many families in our community do not have this sort of back-to-school experience. Instead, many parents will worry about how to provide these essential supplies to their children, among their other financial obligations. When you’re worried about how to pay for rent, utilities, and groceries, things like notebooks and pens take a back seat. Under Christ Church’s ongoing partnership with Lake Elkhorn Middle School, principal Melissa Shindel has asked for our support in providing school supplies for 125 children for the upcoming school year. Why does the school need our help with this? With more than 50 percent of LEMS students qualifying for free and reduced meals—the highest percentage amongst Howard County middle schools—families are stressed. And with the lowest discretionary budget in the county (a mere fraction of that of many schools), LEMS is not positioned to help provide supplies to its students. Additionally, our own LEMS Ministry’s current budget goes primarily to our ongoing support to the Weekend Food Program, where, with your generous support, we provide groceries to 10 families each month who are experiencing food insecurity. No parent should have to decide between buying groceries and supporting their child’s educational needs. And no child should walk into school without the essential resources for learning: pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, rulers—the mere basics our children need to be able to focus on their education. These are the children of our community, and in supporting them, we live into our baptismal vows to seek and serve Christ in all people. To love our neighbors as ourselves. To strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. We request your generous support now for this important effort. The school wants to distribute the supplies the week of Aug 16th. With the tight timeline, rather than trying to manage the complex logistics of collecting supplies from parishioners, we will need to rapidly raise funds to purchase exactly what’s needed. To meet this goal, we need to raise $5,000 by mid-July. As your Deacon now for just under a year, I’ve learned much about the generous nature of our parishioners in helping those underserved in our community. I’m also well aware that we ask for support for many different ministry efforts—and that some of us may find our own personal budgets stretched this year. Please know that Father Manny and I are truly grateful for your giving spirits. Any amount you can contribute to this effort would be greatly appreciated. This year, two parishioners have graciously stepped up to lead this initiative: Cathy Whittaker and Onyx Williams. We are grateful for their commitment to this cause. If you’d like to help them with shopping and bagging supplies, we hope to purchase the supplies between July 11-24 and fill the bags on a morning between July 25-30. If you have questions or would like to help, let us know at lemspc@christchurchcolumbia.org Contributions for this effort can be made via check, online, or via text. If you’d like to write a check, please make sure you indicate “LEMS School Supplies” on the memo line. If you would like to give online, please also write "School Supplies" in the Memo line. For giving via computer/tablet: you can find our "Support Christ Church" button at the top of every page on our website, or you can click here. On the form, choose "LEMS" from the Fund drop-down menu. To give via text: text CECGIVING to 73256 to give using your mobile device.** You'll immediately receive a link to our form. Click the link, then choose "LEMS" from the Fund drop-down menu. Please also write "School Supplies" in the Memo line so that your donation is used as you wish. My brothers and sisters, may we bear in mind the words of our great teacher Jesus: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:14) May we walk in love and Christ loves us. Thank you for all you do for Christ Church, for our community and to lift up all of God’s beloved children. ~ Deacon Denise **(Note: This number will never send you unsolicited texts. To cancel further messages, text STOP. If you need assistance with text giving, text HELP. Standard text message & data rates may apply.)

This evening, Christ Church's Spiritual Life Commission is having an important gathering on Zoom and everyone is encouraged to take part in this discussion. The SLC is a vital component of life at Christ Church (you can learn more about the SLC at https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/spiritual-life...), and this virtual gathering will center around ideas for our next Spiritual Life Theme. Each year, this theme represents the focus of our parish and plays a vital role in guiding many Christ Church activities. Examples include the popular Wednesday Lenten Supper Series, various daily and weekend retreats, and the widely-read Lenten Meditation Book. Whether this is your first time or you've been a part of the SLC in past years, we hope that you'll come and join us. We sent the Zoom details earlier this week, or you can contact us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org.

Today is the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving-kindness; 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: 1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 Psalm 9:9-20 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41 Today's Sermon: Father Manny's sermon can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here. Sheet music for today is found here.