Christ Church presented our Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols online for the first time, an online gathering whose more analog origins date back to late 19th century England. We welcome you all to join us in re-watching this celebration of glorious carols, anthems, and hymns with Bible passages. The video of this service, an evening of joyful expression, in word and song, of the greatest story that has ever been told, is below and the service bulletin can be found here.

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Collect of the Day: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Canticle 15 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 Today's Sermon: Father Manny's Sermon for today can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream:

Christ Church presents our annual "Christ Church Caroling" gathering tonight, but this year - like most events and gatherings these days - it is held as an online event. Our Director of Music, Adam Detzner, leads us and we'll all sing of God’s glorious presence captured in some of the most beautiful and beloved carols from around the world. You can sing along with our Caroling Packet, located here, and gather for this festive online celebration. The video replay is below:

Save the Date - Dec. 21 - to Help Feed the Hungry at Grassroots Christ Church plans to bring not only a tasty, nutritious meal but a little holiday cheer as well when we provide supper for the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center on December 21st. That’s because we’re encouraging parishioners to bring decorated cookies in addition to our ordinary desserts. We suggest that you wear gloves to keep everyone safe and that you put the cookies in sandwich bags of five each. Please mark your calendars to be at Old Brick this coming Monday at 3:30 p.m., when volunteers may drop off their contributions safely in the parking lot. Please wear masks and plan to practice social distancing. Of course, we still need the usual side dishes, fruit, and granola bars to complement our main course. In what has become a tradition during the pandemic, co-coordinator Nancy Winchester acquires the chicken at Weis and meets the other volunteers as they drive up to Old Brick. She then transports the items to Freetown Road for handoff to the staff of Grassroots. A generous donation of $200 from the Women of Christ Church is helping to pay for the chicken. Christ Church has claimed the slot for the third Monday of each month, which means we’ll be providing the evening meal on January 18th and on February 15th. Additional volunteers -- and the resulting side dishes and desserts are always welcome. On their own, parishioners at Christ Church have signed up to provide the evening meal on several evenings this month for the 50 adults and children. Consider pitching in, by picking a date during January to provide an entree and side dishes. Grassroots encourages an order of six pizzas -- two with cheese and four with meat (any kind), or rotisserie chickens (12 to make a meal, plus sides), but discourages lasagna or other pasta entrees. Another welcome option is takeout from restaurants to help the workforce. Here is a link to the sign-up list that's maintained by Grassroots. Meanwhile, the Dorsey/Rt. 1 Day Resource Center remains closed due to the coronavirus, except for curbside distribution of non-perishables. A Limited Selection of Stocking Stuffers Available to Benefit DreamBuilders Traditionally the Outreach Commission has sold fair-trade coffee, tea, and chocolates to benefit DreamBuilders prior to Christmas. Despite the pandemic upending our traditions and keeping us apart, we can make a limited inventory available. If you want to purchase any of the following items, one of us will make a curbside dropoff between now and this Sunday, December 20th, and give you instructions to mail a check in payment directly to DreamBuilders, which has been building desks for underserved students this fall. Here are the choices in our remaining inventory of chocolate: (14) dark chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce; 3 for $5 or $1.75 each, (4) milk chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce, 3 for $5 or $1.75 each; (3) bags of Java Drops (chocolate-covered coffee beans), size 16 ounce, $12 each. In our remaining inventory of coffee, we have several bags of each of the following, in order of the heartiest to lightest flavor blend: Italian Espresso, (whole bean only), 16 ounces, $11; Moka Sumatra (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Uprising Breakfast Blend (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Hazelnut Dream (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Peru French Roast Decaf (ground only), 16 ounces, $11. There’s no tea nor hot cocoa available. To order, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. 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. December LEMS Committee Update Last week the LEMS committee delivered Christ Church's final contribution to the Weekend Food Program for 2020! Thank you for your support of the LEMS community during this unusual school year, you have made learning easier for students that really need the help. We plan to continue to provide food for ten families once a month in the new year, though as with everything, we may need to adjust to changing circumstances and needs. With local COVID cases at their peak we are following strict safety precautions, but we look forward to having greater involvement from parishioners when it is safe to do so. If you have any questions, please contact lemspc@christchurchcolumbia.org. Donations can be made towards future LEMS support online using Realm and listing LEMS in the memo line. Be Aware of Email Phishing Scams, Especially During this Holiday Season 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. You can learn about these phishing scams, and what you can do to help stop them, on our website's blog. Click here.

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent. Collect of the Day: Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8,19-28 Psalm 126 Today's Worship Livestream:

Thanks to Parishioners as the Virtual Angel Tree Drive Concludes In an outpouring of generosity, Christ Church parishioners responded to brighten Christmas for Howard County children during this year’s Angel Tree drive. The Outreach Commission once again focused our support on children ages 10 to 12 to meet a need identified by The Salvation Army. Twelve “angels” will be receiving a complete package that includes three toys, a coat, a pair of shoes, and an outfit of clothing. Of course, since these are pre-teens, their wish lists were age-appropriate with items ranging from an easel and art supplies to a skateboard. If you are among those who signed up, please accept the heartfelt gratitude of the families who would not have otherwise had such a bright Christmas to anticipate. Please bring in your gifts by the deadline, which is 2 p.m. this Friday, December 11th. Here’s the procedure: ● If you need to review the signup list to label your gifts after shopping, click here. When you are ready to drop off the gifts, please place them — unwrapped — inside a plastic bag and tie a tag or label on it that clearly states the name and identifying number of the angel. ● You may put multiple gifts for the same angel in one bag. Put gifts for a different angel(s) in separate bags. The bags can be dropped off in a marked bin at the church just inside the Parish Hall door until 2 p.m. through Friday. Please call the church office (410) 381-9365 to let them know when you are coming. Due to pandemic precautions, our Angel Tree signup was handled virtually and another option allowed some parishioners to order online and have gifts shipped directly to The Salvation Army. That means Christ Church was able to help additional children, and we thank those who participated in the “hands-off” option. Through either method, we are lifting the hearts not only of the angels but of their parents, who obtain the unwrapped gifts from The Salvation Army. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call Melanie Yaksich at (410) 908-3520 or email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. A Limited Selection of Stocking Stuffers Available to Benefit DreamBuilders Traditionally the Outreach Commission has sold fair-trade coffee, tea, and chocolates to benefit DreamBuilders prior to Christmas. Despite the pandemic upending our traditions and keeping us apart, we can make a limited inventory available. If you want to purchase any of the following items, one of us will make a curbside dropoff between now and Dec. 20th and give you instructions to mail a check in payment directly to DreamBuilders, which has been building desks for underserved students this fall. Here are the choices in our remaining inventory of chocolate: 14 dark chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce; 3 for $5 or $1.75 each, 4 milk chocolate bars, size 1.2 ounce, 3 for $5 or $1.75 each; 3 bags of Java Drops (chocolate-covered coffee beans), size 16 ounce, $12 each. In our remaining inventory of coffee, we have several bags of each of the following, in order of the heartiest to lightest flavor blend: Italian Expresso, (whole bean only), 16 ounces, $11; Moka Sumatra (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Uprising Breakfast Blend (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Hazelnut Dream (ground only), 16 ounces, $11; Peru French Roast Decaf (ground only), 16 ounces, $11. There’s no tea nor hot cocoa available, unfortunately. To order, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Springfield Hospital Christmas Gifts - Deadline is December 14th 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. For anyone who has suggestions about ways to help the community, would like to get involved, or if you need any assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.

Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. Collect of the Day: Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: Isaiah 40:1-11 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 Sermon for Today: Deacon Denise gave today's Sermon, and you can read the text of it here. Today's Worship Livestream:

On December 13th, our Director of Music and Organist, Adam Detzner, will present Christ Church's December Organ Recital from the choir loft of New Brick. A selection of works from J.S. Bach and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck will be performed on our church organ, and we invite you to view the program here and watch Adam's performance on our website, Facebook, or YouTube page at 5:00 p.m. Adam writes: I have only been admitted to one European organ competition, in Saxony in 2017, where I did not make it past the first round. But it was still an unforgettable experience. I played three eighteenth-century Baroque organs, experiencing the feelings and sounds that composers like Bach might have enjoyed. I attended a number of concerts by the competition’s jury members and others, including a few very famous organists. I visited Leipzig and saw Bach’s tomb, outside the Thomaskirche where he served as Cantor; I visited Dresden and saw the opulent Zwinger palace complex, including the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, an art gallery absolutely stuffed with masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. I met a number of young organists from around the world, communicating almost exclusively in German. At that time it was also election season in Germany, so I saw some interesting political ads and demonstrations. Some say that the hardest part of these competitions is getting in. They require an audio CD or MP3 file as part of the “pre-recorded round.” On the one hand, these recordings have to be more or less “note-perfect;” on the other hand, they can’t sound too “careful.” The juries for these prerecorded rounds listen to a hundred or more recordings of the same two or three pieces – how does one stand out? For my monthly organ recital next Sunday evening, I am going to play some of the music for the prerecorded and live rounds of these competitions. You may recognize some of it as preludes and postludes from the past year, but I hope there’s been some improvement! There will be a program with some notes on the music, communicated electronically, and located in the recital’s Facebook feed. I invite you to tune in at 5 p.m. on December 13th In Christ, Adam Detzner Director of Music

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Readings for today: Isaiah 64:1-9 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:24-37 Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18 Today's Sermon: Deacon Denise gave today's Sermon, and you can read the text here. Today's Worship Livestream:

“Shining God’s Light in the World” Led by the Rev. Denise Schiavone, Deacon​ Saturday, December 5th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. This online retreat will be a morning of respite and restoration. Exploring how we nurture the light within to allow us to shine forth in the world, we will share time in active reflection, discussion, and exercises. We’ll also participate in a guided meditation session, led by guest facilitator/yoga instructor Danielle Beyers. The retreat will conclude with an online Eucharist. One of our hopes for this contemplative morning is to compile a Pandemic Journal, to explore how this 10-month period of semi-isolation has affected our lives. This retreat is a time to connect with each other expressing our concerns, our hopes, and our need for joy in our lives. We encourage all interested individuals - both parish members and visitors - to participate. Home communion kits are now available for no-contact pick up at the church. They’re in a marked box in the breezeway between the Christ Church office and Old Brick, so stop by at your convenience and take one; we’ll be using these for Eucharist at the close of the retreat. For planning purposes, we would love to know if you plan on attending. However, a spontaneous decision to attend is more than welcome. If you'd like to join us, email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org and we'll send the Zoom details to your inbox. We hope you’ll join us for this special day of centering, contemplation, and connection. Please have handy writing materials (pen/paper or your computer) and a comfortable blanket nearby, if you’d like.

Parishioners Respond as the Virtual Angel Tree Drive Continues through Dec. 11th We’re almost midway through the timeline of this year’s Angel Tree drive, as the Outreach Commission invites you to collect toys and clothing before Christmas to complete gift “packages” for young angels. We are focusing our support on children ages 10 to 12 to meet a need identified by The Salvation Army. Since we are not physically in church together, our Angel Tree has gone online. And so far, nearly half of the items on our angels’ wish lists have been promised. (For those who prefer to go totally virtual, please skip to the “Hands Off” section below.) Instead of taking a tag with a child’s name and suggested gifts as in the past, you can sign up as follows: - Click here to choose an angel. A child’s complete package includes (3) toys and (2) clothing/shoes gifts (such as one outfit and a coat). - You may sign up for as many — or as few — angels/gifts as you want. You will receive an email notification regarding each angel and gift you have selected. - When you are ready to drop off gifts, please place them — unwrapped — inside a plastic bag and tie a tag or label on it that clearly states the name and identifying number of the angel. You may put multiple gifts for the same angel in one bag. Put gifts for a different angel(s) in separate bags. - The bags can be dropped off in a marked bin at the church just inside the Parish Hall door until 2 p.m. on every weekday through Friday, December 11th. Please call the church office (410) 381-9365 to let them know when you are coming (same day is fine). The last day to drop off gifts is Friday, December 11th. Staying safe by keeping “Hands Off:” If you would like to participate, but want to do everything (shopping and delivery) online, you may do so directly on The Salvation Army web page. Go to www.angeltreemd.org and click on the red bar that says “Adopt an Angel.” Go to Ellicott City (Howard County) and click on “Adopt an Angel” to choose an angel, order gifts online and have delivery made to the Howard County Angel Tree warehouse. Delivery instructions for Amazon should pop up automatically but you can also access them using this link. Please tell us via emailing outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org so that we can keep track of how many children Christ Church supports this year. Through either method, we will lift the hearts not only of the angels but of their families. Parents obtain the unwrapped gifts from The Salvation Army to prepare for a Christmas that will be much brighter than they could otherwise afford. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Melanie Yaksich at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Friends of Sabina To Share 2021 Plans during Online Fundraiser - Dec. 10th For more than a decade, Christ Church has backed efforts to educate students at Sabina Primary School and to strengthen the surrounding community in a part of rural Uganda that is now known as the Kyotera District. The Outreach Commission earlier this year encouraged parishioners to begin sponsoring Sabina students whose families otherwise cannot afford fees and tuition. Christ Church members stepped forward to sponsor eight children, ranging in age from 8 to 15. Anyone who may be interested in exploring that option yourself is invited to email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Due to the nation’s pandemic restrictions, only the eldest students have been permitted to return to class, but there are expectations that additional grades will be cleared to return in January. What a surprise that may await them! Construction has begun on a new kitchen complex and learning center, which is the subject of the upcoming online fundraiser to be conducted by the nonprofit, Friends of Sabina (FOS). Go to its website for instructions on viewing this, their inaugural fundraiser, to be held from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. EST on December 10th. “By stepping out on faith, we built the foundation of our vision to renew and support the Sabina School,” said the FOS leaders. “Through generous donations and additional funding, we raised the walls and brought hope to the community. Our goal is to complete the complex by the start of the new school year in January, which will impact so many lives through nourishment of the body and mind.” 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. For anyone who has suggestions about ways to help the community, would like to get involved, or if you need any assistance, please email Christ Church Outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Your help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.