At 5 p.m. this Sunday afternoon, our Director of Music, Adam Detzner, will present Christ Church's October Church Organ Recital - Selections from the Clavierübung (1744) of Johann Ludwig Krebs. You can read about this month's program in the recital bulletin, located here. This livestream will be broadcast on our usual locations, and so we hope that you'll visit them and enjoy.

When it comes to pastoral care, we Episcopalians have it down. Our response to crises like physical illness, injury, and loss of a loved one is swift and supportive, from meals to cards to prayers to lending a listening ear. But what about the ongoing crises of mental illness facing people in our community, in our nation, and around the world? What is our comfort level in responding to those with mental health concerns? Do we feel safe talking about things like depression and anxiety, addiction and substance abuse, and living with family members experiencing serious disorders such as bipolar and schizophrenia? Chances are, there’s some hesitation around these topics. Some tiptoeing. Some uncomfortable shifting and hushed conversation. For though Congress designated the first full week of October to focus on mental health, the stigma in our society around mental illness persists. As we are called to Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.(Galatians 6:2), this includes the heavy burden of being affected by mental health issues. Beyond serious mental disorders, we all have days and moments—lately, even months—where stress and anxiety can overwhelm us. God created us as whole beings, with thoughts, feelings, and spirit all wrapped in flesh-and-blood, earthly bodies. Our approach to health and wellness should thus be holistic: the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual within us are all deeply interwoven. As we embark on Mental Illness Awareness Week, I invite you to explore how you can learn more about mental health concerns, to become more aware, more sensitive, and more comfortable around these topics. As a faith community, I pray Christ Church is open to discerning ways we can serve as a haven of welcome, acceptance, support, and advocacy for those affected by mental illness. Mental Illness Awareness Week runs from October 4 – 10, with specific events including: Tuesday Oct. 6: National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding Thursday Oct. 8: National Depression Screening Day Saturday Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day Saturday Oct. 10: NAMIWalks National Day of Hope If you’d like to learn more about our Christian response to mental illness, let’s talk. I also invite you to check out the valuable resources available from Howard County National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). Finally, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7 God’s Peace- Denise deacondenise@christchurchcolumbia.org

The second hymn from our new "Quarantine Quire Camp" series is here! Christ Church is partnering with St. John's, Norwood Parish to offer two weekly webinars focusing on vocal technique, music theory, aural skills and sight-singing. We have spliced together everyone's contributions and are proud to present "Rock of Ages" to you. The words are below - sing along, and enjoy! Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood from thy wounded side that flowed, be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power. Should my tears for ever flow, should my zeal no languor know, all for sin could not atone: thou must save, and thou alone; in my hand no price I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyelids close in death, when I rise to worlds unknown and behold thee on thy throne, Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. If you want to know more about our fall musical offerings, please contact Adam Detzner, Director of Music, at music@christchurchcolumbia.org.

During this season of giving, we are writing to ask that you consider donating to support our music ministries, especially if you have not done so in the past. Specifically, we are hoping to soon launch a Choral Scholars program to support our new offerings of Choral Evensong. It is our hope to raise singers from local high schools and colleges, and train them to lead worship in the Episcopal and Anglican traditions. Tomorrow, December 3rd is Giving Tuesday, worldwide. Would you consider donating to support this important mission? Our central location, historic Old Brick Church, positions us perfectly to offer this beautiful service to our entire community. We can be a center for musical excellence in Columbia, but it will take time, talent, and treasure. Click here to help support the Christ Church Music Ministry. Registration to our Realm church database is not necessary in order to give, but if you'd like to set one up you can find instructions here. And please email us at info@christchurchcolumbia.org with any questions. Be sure to also mark your calendars for our Festival of Lessons and Carols on December 15th. All are welcome at 6 p.m. in New Brick, as this unique and festive service will feature classic carols, anthems from our choirs, and performances by the Lumen Christi dance ensemble. The entirety of our Advent and Christmas season outline can be found on the Christ Church website. Thank you! More info on Giving Tuesday can be found here.

Christ Church presents a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in New Brick, a wonderful gathering whose origins date back to late 19th century England. All are most welcome to join us in this celebration of glorious carols, anthems, and hymns led by our wonderful choir, as well as performances by the Lumen Christi liturgical dance ensemble. Please join us for an evening of joyful expression, in word, song, and dance, of the greatest story that has ever been told.

Over the past several months, many are the new parishioners who have joined our common life. We seek to honor and formally welcome our new members of our parish family with the first Choral Evensong and Reception of the fall season. Thankfully, it is also a day when we celebrate St. Francis, and so we invite you to bring your pets - dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, birds, fish, horse and even your stuffed animal, all deserve God’s blessings on this special day. Our Choral Evensong is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Old Brick, with a reception that follows at the Parish Hall. Come and join us.

Dear Christ Church Family, I hope this message finds you and your families safe and healthy during this difficult time. It feels like an eternity since we were last singing together, hugging at the Peace, and sharing bread and wine at Holy Communion. It has been a little over five months since our last Sunday worshiping in person in beautiful New Brick. When we first started livestreaming in March and continued into Holy Week, it took me some time to learn to play to an empty sanctuary. In truth, I’m not really used to it yet. I long for our safe return to our sanctuary, our sacred space, our church home. As anyone in either of our choirs will tell you, I often recite the “forgotten Beatitude:” “Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape.” This pandemic has forced all of us to be flexible, to adapt and change, to find new answers to unanticipated questions. Church musicians everywhere, paid and volunteer alike, have been grappling with our “new normal” in a uniquely existential way. Singing, and leading singing, is so central to what we do and who we are. Worshiping God in song is a biblical imperative. And isn’t the hymn titled “How can we keep from singing?” Lamentably, from a public health perspective, group singing is among the most dangerous activities possible at the moment. Robust and spirited singing feels great - as anyone in our choirs will assure you - but scientists (including university researchers funded in part by my professional organization, the Association of Anglican Musicians) continue to uncover new evidence about the dangers of communal singing at this time. Recognizing this unfortunate reality, in our current phase of reopening, the diocese has forbidden choral and congregational singing during in-person worship. So, what on earth are we supposed to do? Or, to ask this question more productively: how is God calling us to use this time? Luckily, I have not had to wrestle with these questions alone. My partner, Karl Robson, is also a church musician and organist, serving as Director of Music Ministries at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Norwood Parish, in Chevy Chase. We have been bouncing ideas off of one another throughout this pandemic and checking in with our friends and mentors around the country. We came to consider what it will be like when we, our clergy, our choirs and our congregations do finally return to our sanctuaries. How best can we use this time to prepare for our return to our normative means of worship? How can we use this time to grow our music programs, and our musicians? To those ends, we are launching an exciting joint initiative between our two parishes! We will offer a Thursday evening sight-singing class and a Tuesday evening music theory office hour, both via Zoom, from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. We will provide workbooks and other materials to help participants grow as singers and musicians. Our fabulous RSCM Vocal Coach, Dr. Madeline Miskie, will offer group voice lessons on Tuesday evenings in a breakout room. We would be looking for about an 80% attendance rate on Thursdays (akin to a commitment to our choir under normal circumstances); Tuesdays are optional. Week by week, Karl and I will generate hymn and anthem accompaniments in a variety of styles which we will send out to our choirs. Choir members can record their parts individually and send it to us for us to splice together into a “virtual choir” performance, which we will share on our web site and Facebook page. Our hope is that when we do return to worship, we will be stronger singers and musicians than we were when this pandemic began. If you are not already a part of our Adult Choir, this is the perfect time to join. Don’t know how to sing? We’ll help with that! Don’t know how to read music? We’ll teach you! Don’t want to wake up early on Sunday? No need (for now…)! If you would like to participate, please fill out this Google form. Sixteen musicians from our two parishes have already signed up – it is going to be a blast! What better way to use this time than to build new skills and make new friends? Many of our Royal School of Church Music Choristers returned to digital Zoom rehearsals and vocal coaching sessions this Spring; many of them will do so again when we reconvene in September. RSCM Chorister rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 5-6 p.m. We begin with a brief warm-up and group lesson, after which our Vocal Coach works with children individually or in household groups. While she works with them, the other Choristers work on music theory workbooks and packets. We close every rehearsal with the Choristers’ Prayer and some social time with one another. Any child aged eight and up is eligible to participate. Long term, our goal is to have our Choristers record hymns and simple anthems remotely for us to splice together, just as we will with our adult singers. Please e-mail me at music@christchurchcolumbia.org if you would like to enroll your child, or if you have more questions. Please know that for safe church guidelines, we expect a parent or guardian to be in the room with their young singers during rehearsals. We will also be inviting the young singers from St. John’s to join us. We hope that as our virtual program year develops, we will be able to join our youth and adults to make a truly fabulous intergenerational choir. Both the Adult Choir and Chorister offerings will begin in the second full week of September, with our first Tuesday and Thursday sessions on September 15th and 17th. Please ponder in your hearts whether this is the right time for you to dive into our amazing music program. And know that if you are not feeling called to join us on this digital frontier, we will welcome you to our program whenever you wish. There is much to mourn these days. But we are called to be a resurrection, people! I am excited to begin this digital “adventure” with all of you. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch with me with any questions or thoughts. Your feedback is invaluable. In Christ, Adam Detzner Christ Church Director of Music

Adam Detzner, Christ Church’s Director of Music, presents an organ recital livestream at 5 p.m. this Sunday, and you can watch it on our Facebook page and on our church web site. The program is titled “My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord” and features organ settings of the Magnificat by Southern German Baroque composers (Kindermann and Pachelbel) and Northern German Baroque composers (Scheidemann and J.S. Bach). The recital will conclude with a favorite hymn paraphrase of the Magnificat – “Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord.” The music for the hymn is included in the program notes (available here), and will also include some interesting historical commentary about the music. During the second half of 2020, Adam will offer a virtual organ recital on the first Sunday of each month, so mark your calendars!

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

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

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