Calling on Christ Church to Make Thanksgiving Dinner Special for 30 Families It’s time to help feed families at Thanksgiving, but with important changes due to the pandemic. FISH of Howard County is counting on Christ Church once again to provide the menu items for turkey or roast chicken dinners for 30 households. This year we’ll order the frozen poultry directly from suppliers; for non-perishables, one collection bin will be set up outside. For those who want to participate but remain totally hands off, you can donate toward the costs. Here’s what you need to know: ▪The Thanksgiving Dinner Drive begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8 and ends at noon on Sunday, Nov. 22. Those who attend worship services during that time period will find a bin in the narthex where you can drop off items on Nov. 8, Nov. 15, and Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ▪Those who wish to drop off items in the outdoor bin may do so curbside, near the entrance to the Parish Hall. You should not need to enter the building unless you encounter a problem with the bin, such as an overflow of items. ▪Needed non-perishables include: boxes of stuffing; jars or cartons of gravy; instant or fresh potatoes; canned or fresh yams; canned vegetables such as peas, carrots, green beans; applesauce; canned fruits such as peaches, pears, fruit cocktail; jars of pickles and olives; cans of cranberry sauce. ▪You are invited to bring dessert items, but, given their perishable nature, please do so only on the final collection day, Sunday, Nov. 22 until noon. Needed desserts include pies, pound cake, cookies, donuts, and brownies. ▪If you wish to donate toward the cost of the dinners, please designate Outreach/turkey dinner online in Realm, put a check in the Offering, or mail a check to the office with Outreach/turkey dinner in the memo line. We anticipate the cost of a frozen turkey to be approximately $20. The cost of side dishes for one family’s meal is about $26.00. If we need particular items or have an oversupply of others, we will update everyone in the Gatherings email on Thursday, Nov. 19th. Once again, Shahra and George Toth of the Outreach Commission are leading the drive, but if you have questions, email us at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.com. The goods will be assembled at the FISH pantry by its volunteers, who also handle deliveries to the families. Thanks to everyone for considering a donation of food or funds to help make this a special Thanksgiving holiday for our neighbors in need. Outreach Invites Parishioners to a County Presentation at the Nov. 9th Zoom Meeting Natalie Hall, who is the CAREAPP Engagement Coordinator with the Howard County Health Department, will give a presentation at the Outreach Commission meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9. Learn more about CAREAPP, which is a Howard County-wide initiative that assists residents with accessing social services and resources. The county is encouraging Christ Episcopal Church to join the CAREAPP network. Information on how to join the meeting by Zoom or by phone will be provided in the Church notices about online activities next Monday. For more information about CAREAPP powered by Healthify and participating community partners, visit www.hccareapp.org. Springfield Hospital Christmas Gifts We will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital.  This has been a particularly difficult year for them, as they have been unable to have visits due to the pandemic. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits, we will be gathering gifts for them to bring a little Christmas Joy.  If you would like to contribute, we have placed a large container in the Tower Room to accept your unwrapped donations, before December 14th.  If that’s inconvenient, please contact Cathy Gold and we will find a way. heycathy@verizon.net or (410) 440-4178. Baltimore International Seafarers' Center Donations The Seafarers charity is again requesting donations from Christ Episcopal Church. The group is looking for warm hats for men, 2021 calendars, and copies of the following magazines: Time; People; Sports Illustrated; National Geographic. These items may be placed in the bin marked 'Seafarers' in the vestibule of New Brick. Thank you for your attention to this important community outreach. Please have your donations in by November 30th. To learn more, click here. 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.

One of our nagging questions is about what the will of God is. How do we know God’s will? How can we tell if something represents the will of God? How do we know that it is the will of God for one person to win an election, or if the candidates who contested are all interested in serving the common good? How do we determine that a good fortune - or even a not-so-good fortune - is the will of God? There is a book by Leslie Weatherhead entitled The Will of God. In the book, Weatherhead makes the claim that God’s will is inextricably related to God’s character and ultimate intentions for us - for you, and for me. That is to say that God’s will for you and I cannot be separated from God’s character. According to Weatherhead, there are three ways in which you can categorize the will of God: Intentional, Permissive, and Ultimate. Begin in the Garden of Eden, where there was absolute tranquility. There was no death, only life. There was a personal relationship between Adam, Eve, and God. These two Biblical progenitors could walk and fellowship in the Garden with God. Humanity was at its most peaceful and harmonious with God. We can look back at that time as the most trustworthy moment of humankind's relationship with God. There was a time when human innocence was such that by following its will was also following God’s will. Adam and Eve did not have to till the land for sustenance. Everything they needed was provided by God. However, when Adam and Eve ate the fruit they were asked not to eat, when they decided to follow their own will was the moment when they rejected God’s Intentional Will for their own. The rejection of God’s Intentional Will was heartbreaking for God. But God did not banish Adam and Eve outright; he still maintained contact with Adam and Eve but developed a new way of interacting with them. It is this new mode of interaction that Weatherhead calls God’s Permissive Will. It is not what God wanted, but Adam and Eve - and, by extension, you and I - had to be permitted to make their own choices. For example, should someone decides to drink and drive and ends up killing someone, that is not God’s Intentional Will, but rather has become God’s Permissive Will. If, for example, someone becomes so upset over the election results that they act on the anger, then that is not God’s Intentional Will, but has become God’s Permissive Will. God had to let us make fateful choices, or we would no longer have free will. Over the past couple of days, many of us have been glued to our television sets, computers, and phones, constantly checking the results of the November elections. This has been one hard-fought battle. You and I may have made different choices, which is God’s Permissive Will at play. We have the freedom to choose our leaders, and so we may choose differently. Each choice, however different it may be, is a valid one and so we should not be upset or sullen just because our choice of candidate did not win. I think one of the fundamental decisions that confronts us is whether we want to walk in God’s Permissive Will or in God's Intentional Will. Our model, when it comes to God’s Intentional Will, is to look at Jesus. Most especially, consider Jesus’ cry in the Garden of Gethsemane where, in agony, he cries “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will but your will be done.” This is the Intentional Will that Adam and Eve could not express in the Garden of Eden. Another example of Jesus’ model of God’s Intentional Will was his love for everyone. He reminded the lawyer, who came to ask about the greatest commandment in the Law. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as yourself. God intended that we love the Creator God and each other. To love God and another is not a Permissive Will but the Intentional Will of God, for there is no inherent choice in it. To put God ahead of our personal desires is to love God. To put the needs of neighbor ahead of our personal desires is to love neighbor - even when we vehemently disagree with our neighbor over politics. Permissive Will guarantees our free will, but with that comes self-centeredness... "The world is all about me," we tend to assure ourselves. But the world has never been about any one person. If our elections were to teach us anything, it is that the world is not all about anyone; the world is all about us. And the choices we make should reflect not only our character, but God’s character. The third will is the Ultimate Will. The Book of Revelations talks about a new heaven and a new earth, which will be just like the Garden of Eden - the very place where we violated God’s Intentional Will. This time, there would not be only two people, but multitudes of people, including you and I, in fellowship with God. Remember, God’s Ultimate Will is that we abide with Him eternally. ‘O how sweet and glorious will it be in that place where there’s no more tears, pain and sorrow.’ I long for that place - that Garden - but I think God also wants us to have a taste of it right here on earth, for that is why He constantly invites us to walk in His Intentional Will and not in Permissive Will. To be honest, God’s Intentional Will may not always be clear to us. But one thing that is always clear to me in my pursuit of God’s Intentional Will is to always be in love with generosity, be in love with justice, be in love with compassion and mercy, and to in love with love itself. For me, it is the one sure way of knowing that nothing comes between my God and me. ~Manny.

In celebration of the gift of our freedom to vote, and in celebration of our country, Christ Episcopal Church will offer a space for quiet prayer, reflection, and worship for members of Christ Church and the community. On Thursday evening, November 5th, a Service of National Unity, Healing, and Reconciliation will be held in New Brick at 7:00 p.m. and you are all welcome to join us. If you want to attend, please complete the registration form here (for contact tracing purposes) and be sure to wear your mask covering mouth and nose at all times while on campus. The service will also be livestreamed on the main page of our website, as well as our Facebook and YouTube pages. We hope that you will all join us, either in person or online.

In celebration of the gift of our freedom to vote, and in celebration of our country, Christ Episcopal Church will offer a space for quiet prayer, reflection, and worship opportunities for members of Christ Church and the community: Tuesday, November 3rd: We will open Old Brick for quiet reflections. We will offer Noon Day Prayer at 12:00 noon and Evening Prayer at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, November 5th: A service of Healing and Reconciliation in New Brick at 7:00 p.m. If you would like more information or are interested in attending, please email the Christ Church Office at office@christchurchcolumbia.org

Today is All Saints' Day. Collect of the Day: Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. Readings for today: Revelation 7:9-17 Psalm 34:1-10, 22 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 Sunday Worship Livestream: November Organ Recital: Welcome to Christ Episcopal Church’s November Organ Recital, presented by our Director of Music, Adam Detzner. You can learn about tonight’s program at https://bit.ly/2TH41vp

Growing up, I lived through three or four coup d’états in my native Ghana. They were always filled with violence. I remember when an older woman was whipped in public and then paraded through the town by soldiers. And why, you might ask? Simply for selling bread at exorbitant prices and hoarding flour for baking bread. Each time the memory of the woman being maltreated by soldiers pops up, I ask myself why anyone in this world would want to treat another person in such a way. A Christ Church parishioner, Sonni, tells a story of his experience as a kid during a civil war in Nigeria, a war known as the Nigerian-Biafran War in the early 70’s. There are horrible stories of regular air raids, incursions where innocent people became victims of their own government’s quest to crush a rebellion. Be it a coup d’état or a civil war, the point I am trying to make is this: differences which yield divisions among citizens and within society can become so dire and sharp that people find more than enough reasons to harm another person. For me, it's during those times that we lose track of what it means to be human - to keep "one for the wall" when differences that are simply philosophical lead to violence. We are now a few days away from our national elections. Many of you have already voted; many are yet to vote. The reality is that the ballot paper does not have only one name. The fact that we are presented with different choices from which to choose is enough a reflection of what differences and preferences mean. And there is nothing wrong about that. In and of itself, differences which yield division is not a bad thing. The world would have been a rather boring place if we all looked the same, were of the same weight and height, ate the same food, did everything the same way, and lived at the same place. It would not have been possible, nor would it have made any sense. I believe that God created our world in such a way that our differences may bring out the best in us. One thing I know is that our differences generate diversity, and diversity - when explored to its fullest - is the best gift that has ever been given to you and I. What’s disconcerting is when we act on our differences - not for the good of another and, by extension, for our own good. What is troubling is when we assume that our differences are permanent features of our lives, and that acting on them saves us from the other. But the point is, you do not need to be saved from the other if you keep one for the wall. There is a story about a small coffee shop called Molto in Venice, located just around the corner from St. Mark’s Basilica. Two sisters, after touring the Basilica, stopped by Molto for some Italian espresso. While they were sipping their drinks, a man in a business suit came up to the counter and placed an order that they had not heard before. “Two black coffees please. One for the wall,” he said. The sisters looked at each other quizzically; the waiter nodded and made the man his order. He handed one black coffee to the well-dressed customer and wrote caffé nero (which is "black coffee" in Italian) on a piece of paper, and stuck it to the wall. A few minutes later, two laborers in dirty clothes came in, and they ordered “Three cappuccinos please. One for the wall.” Again, the waiter made their orders and stuck a paper with cappuccino written across it onto the wall. "What does this mean?" the sisters asked themselves, but they did not have enough faith in the quality of their spoken Italian to ask the waiter what this "one for the wall" thing was all about. Suddenly, something happened that made the whole thing crystal clear to them... a man walked into the café. His clothes were tattered, his skin was streaked with dirt, and his body odor preceded him by a good five feet. It was clear that this was a homeless person living on the streets of Venice. He walked up to the counter and asked in slow, measured speech that even the sisters could understand, “May I have one coffee from the wall, please?” The waiter made the man a nice, piping hot cup of coffee, and handed it to him with a smile. The man sat down in the corner of the shop and calmly sipped his blessing-in-a-cup, savoring what might perhaps be his only moment of dignity for that day, all thanks to the kindness of someone he will never meet. The sisters stared at him for a few seconds, and then without a word, got up together and ordered four cups of coffee for the wall. When we cast our eyes upon our political landscape, what we see are the blood-stained hills and valleys of our country. "Who are we fighting, and for what?" I ask myself. If the fight is with one another, if our differences - differences which have generated so much divisions that people are willing to kidnap and kill others - are just about what we believe to be our approach to the common good, then what, indeed, are we fighting for? Why all these bruises? For me, the common good supersedes any philosophical differences that we may have. Jesus did remind us that there will be divisions - that brother will rise against father, and that daughter will rise against mother. He also said that the poor will always be with you. Taking these two together may mean that divisions may not necessarily be a bad thing, nor can poverty be eradicated. The reality is that some will have to challenge others in our quest for the common good. Also, not all of us can be doctors, or teachers, or nurses, or any one particular profession. Some will have to have different careers just so the society, as a whole, can function. For that same reason, there will always be among us people like the homeless man who walked into Molto for a coffee from the wall. See, there will be no point in leaving anything for the wall if we know no one will come for it. But we leave one for the wall because we know that whoever comes for that coffee is as human as we are, and that our own ability to leave one for the wall is, in fact, a blessing. If the desire of the customers at Molto was to provide for the wall, then it should not matter who it is that comes to pick off a piece of paper from it. Their joy should be in knowing that someone of equal dignity and worth, no matter how different, came to the wall and gave meaning to their own generosity. Every election is about the duty we owe to each other, and to those who come by the wall to pick a sticker from it - no matter how different that human being is from ourselves. In that same way, every Stewardship Campaign is an expression of the duty we owe to each other, to our beloved Christ Church, to the many people we serve, and to our God. And so, this Sunday, November 1st, we invite you to join us in person or online at 10:00 a.m., and together we will bless our generous commitment to our common life. If you cannot join us in the morning, you may join us for the Organ Recital at 5:00 p.m. Beloved, I invite you today, this Sunday, this Tuesday, and beyond to keep "one for the wall". You never know who you may be blessing with your generosity, but please know that your generosity goes a long way to sustain the life of those who come by the wall. More than that, remember that our differences dissolve when we give life and meaning to those in need of the blessings left on the wall. ~Manny.

How to Obtain Free Food on Oct. 30th, or to Spread the News to Help Others A Farmers to Families distribution will take place this Friday, Oct. 30th, at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center Parking Lot located at 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., Columbia, MD 21044, from 10a.m. to 12 noon. The FREE Food Box Pick Up is open to anyone in need of fresh food. You will receive a 35-pound box of fresh produce, meat, and dairy products. First-come-first-served, one box per car, with no residency requirement. You can see the flier HERE. Bridges Continues to Play a Role in Parishioners Lives in Unexpected Ways Surely everyone recalls the excitement this fall as Christ Church won the Silver Ladle Award during the Chili & Challenge fundraiser for Bridges to Housing Stability, but for some households that thrill didn’t stop in September. Outreach Commission members Sonni Aribiah and Patricia Fanning each became winning bidders in the Bridges’ silent auction and that, in turn, produced benefits for the Aribiah family and friends as well as for future bidders in the Christ Church auction that will take place from Nov. 7-14. Meanwhile, there have been subsequent developments for the nonprofit organization that supporters will find of great interest. But first things first. When Bridges held its auction to help end homelessness through housing, Sonni fought off several competing bids to secure the item, “Soccer Session with Freddy Adu.” It was described this way on the online auction site: “Starting the 2004 season at only 14 years of age, Adu became the youngest athlete to ever participate in modern professional team sports and at D.C. united, Adu broke several records. The certificate was redeemable for one hour of one-on-one training with Freddy Adu and the autographed Freddy Adu Flashback playing card is a souvenir of the lesson.” The item was promoted as “the perfect gift for the budding soccer star in your life,” who in this case is Luke Aribiah. And the convenient location for instruction was Oakland Mills High School (OMHS). The session went so well that Sonni arranged to pay for a subsequent lesson that would include not only Luke, who attends Dunloggin Middle School, but also his longtime friend, Greyson Dove, who attends Lake Elkhorn Middle School and -- in pre-pandemic days -- accompanied Luke to Sunday School at Christ Church. He was joined at OMHS by his dad, David Dove. The fathers observed their sons during the lesson (see photo), although Sonni did more than watch as he retrieved any soccer balls that went wide of the net. Adu said he supports Bridges because affordable housing meant a lot to his own family when he was growing up in Rockville and then in Potomac, Md. According to Adu’s Wikipedia entry, he was already playing soccer at age 8 when his mother won the Green Card Lottery and his family immigrated from Ghana in 1997. The rest of the Bridges’ auction had a favorable outcome for Christ Church parishioners as well. There were so many components contained in two separate items that their winning bidder, Patricia Fanning, was able to convert these to several entries in the upcoming Christ Church auction. In October, Bridges conducted a successful fundraising event that several parishioners supported at The Periodic Table in Columbia, released its 2020 annual report, and received a Rise to the Challenge grant funded by the CARES Act. Its executive director, Jen Broderick, said Bridges was honored to have been chosen by Howard County to receive one of the grants. “This funding will allow Bridges to make needed safety changes and upgrades resulting in housing and eviction prevention services for more Howard County households at this critical time,” she said. In their annual report, you can read about its efforts such as the vital Alliance Program that has expanded to serve 141 people living in 42 affordable rental homes. Because Bridges tenants pay less than market rate, they spend an average of just 31 percent of their incomes on rent compared with many low-income renters in the county who must spend more than 50 percent on housing. The annual report also lists board members for Fiscal 2021, including Christ Church parishioner James Collins. It’s Not Too Late to Support the Diocese of Maryland Sutton Scholars Even if you missed the virtual gala on Oct. 27th, you can still be a part of “Building a Better Baltimore, One Scholar at a Time.” The Sutton Scholars® High School Enrichment Program, founded by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, supports Baltimore City youth (see photo of two of the scholars on our website). Several participants in the most recent Christ Church “Conversations on Race” asked about ways to improve the lives and educational outcomes of young people in underserved neighborhoods in Baltimore. Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton had asked that same question and, in 2008, directed the Diocese “to identify areas of need among Baltimore City youth that we could help address.” To read about what transpired, you can go to the scholars’ program portion of the Diocese website. The gala raised about $42,000 but contributions are still essential to support the high school students and their mentors. That’s because the cost to sponsor one student is $3750 per year, or $15,000 for all four years, according to the Sutton Scholars’ donation page. You can also watch a recording of the gala on YouTube. Springfield Hospital Christmas Gifts We will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital.  This has been a particularly difficult year for them, as they have been unable to have visits due to the pandemic. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits, we will be gathering gifts for them to bring a little Christmas Joy.  If you would like to contribute, we have placed a large container in the Tower Room to accept your unwrapped donations, before December 14th.  If that’s inconvenient, please contact Cathy Gold and we will find a way. heycathy@verizon.net or (410) 440-4178. DreamBuilders: Save the Dates for our Third Desk Build! The DreamBuilders’ first two efforts at building portable and foldable desks for students was so successful, and the demand for our desks is so great, we will be hosting a third event in November! As before, we’ll be working on two successive Saturdays - November 7th and 14th. We will be moving our work site inside, to a large warehouse. As before, we will include social distancing, masks, family teams, and other measures to minimize potential exposure to the coronavirus. We are especially looking for family teams to work the multi-person work stations. Nov. 7th registration Nov. 14th registration Baltimore International Seafarers' Center Donations The Seafarers charity is again requesting donations from Christ Episcopal Church. The group is looking for warm hats for men, 2021 Calendars, and copies of the following magazines : Time ; People;  Sports Illustrated; National Geographic. These items may be placed in the bin marked 'Seafarers' in the vestibule of New Brick. Thank you for your attention to this important community outreach. To learn more, click here. 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.

This summer, Howard County General Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine held several community testing events for COVID-19. They have collaborated with locations such as St. John Baptist Church, Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal M.I, and our own Christ Episcopal Church to offer these community testing events. With the colder weather approaching, more locations have been introduced. This testing for COVID-19 to neighborhoods around Howard County are at no cost to the patient, and a physician order is not required for the testing events listed here. Advance registration is strongly encouraged, but same-day registration is also accepted. Children and adults can be tested. To learn more, email HCGH-J2BH@jhmi.edu or call 410-740-7601. Celebration Church 7101 Riverwood Dr, Columbia 21046 Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Howard Community College - West Garage 10650 Hickory Ridge Road, Columbia 21044 (from Hickory Ridge Road turn onto Campus Drive) Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020 | Noon – 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020 | 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020 | 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Howard County Fairgrounds 2210 Fairgrounds Road, West Friendship 21794 Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020 | 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Howard Community College - West Garage 10650 Hickory Ridge Road, Columbia 21044 (from Hickory Ridge Road turn onto Campus Drive) Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020 | 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020 | 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. To learn more about upcoming testing locations, what to expect when you get tested, and other resources can be found at https://bit.ly/2HCR6rV 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

Our Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Choristers have been hard at work, rehearsing digitally via Zoom with our Director of Music Adam ("Mr. Detzner") and Vocal Coach Madeline Miskie ("Dr. Miskie"). They contributed recordings of Hymn 711 from our hymnal, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God;" our Director of Music spliced them together with a recording of his organ playing. The text is an adaptation of some of Jesus' sayings from Matthew, interspersed with some joyful Alleluias! "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you; Alleluia! Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall fine, knock, and the door shall be opened unto you; Alleluia!" For more information about our RSCM program, please be in touch with Adam Detzner, Director of Music, at music@christchurchcolumbia.org.

We want to make you aware of email and text message scams that are targeting members of religious institutions around the country. There are also recent reports of other Maryland and Howard County churches having been affected by this issue, including Christ Church. This particular scam involves making a fake email account in Father Manny's name (using a "churchmail901" Gmail address in this case, although there may be other email addresses being used, as well) and then sending a request for gift cards allegedly from him to then give to members of the staff. We ask that you please be vigilant if you come across any email that appears to be from Father Manny, Deacon Denise, or any vestry, outreach leader, or parishioner that asks you to take some kind of unusual action (purchasing gift cards and replying with the serial numbers, clicking a link or downloading an attachment you didn’t request, wiring money to a specified account, or simply replying quickly). Their message might give some explanation of why they need your help immediately. They may include some story about another person in dire circumstances whom they are trying to help, or that they want to award staff with gift cards but need your help while they are "out of town". However, instead of helping a needy person, if you respond you might actually be turning over money and/or your identity information to a scammer. It's important to be very thorough with verifying these emails before doing anything. The emails seem harmless; they usually have the rector or staff member's name and an email address that looks legitimate, but upon further inspection you'll see that the email address is actually from a provider different than the "@christchurchcolumbia.org" address that we typically, and safely, use. In some instances, the sender’s name may look correct but is missing a single letter. Or, it may otherwise closely resemble the real email address; for example, bob@churchstaff.org becomes bobchurchstaff@gmail.com, or similar. If you receive an email that appears related to Christ Episcopal Church but you're unsure of its authenticity, please do not respond directly to it or click any links in the email. Instead, please email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org and place "Phishing scam?" in the subject line. Please do not forward the email to us; alternatively, you can type the sender's email address in the message body or take a screenshot of the email (how to do this - Windows / Mac / Android / iPhone) and include that image in the email. We will tell you if the address is in our official CEC database, or if it appears to be a scam. General email DOs and DON’Ts: DO double-check your emails carefully. DON’T ever respond to an email asking you for money. DO verify in person, by email to a trusted address, or by phone any request involving money or personal information. DON’T reply. DON’T click on any links within the message. You can learn more about how to protect yourself, as well as how to report suspected phishing emails or text messages, by visiting the Federal Trade Commission's website here. If you got a phishing email, forward it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. If you got a phishing text message, forward it to SPAM (7726).

Today is the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost. Collect of the Day: Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; 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: Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18 Psalm 1 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46