​Christ Church Presents: Grieving through the Holidays workshop Saturday, December 18th at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom Christ Church presents a new Zoom gathering this season, called Grieving Through the Holidays. Everyone is welcome to join us, and those who have lost a loved one are especially encouraged to attend. Let's take some time to learn new strategies and receive support from others who may be spending this Christmas without someone special in their lives. In addition to content led by Mother Marcia Davenport and Kathleen Lyon, we will be using the following as reference materials during our virtual gathering: Setting Holiday Boundaries (even when it’s hard) We Don’t Recover From Grief, and that’s Okay 64 Tips for Coping with Grief at the Holidays Let us know if you’d like to receive the Zoom details. Email us: info@christchurchcolumbia.org

Last week, I wrote about the invisible man and woman who make things happen for us. This week, I want us to reflect on pouring out our souls into our families, relationships, communities, church, work, and all things that are dear to us. This week, I invite you to be the shoemaker who pours himself or herself into doing the best that they can, and more. Over the past several months, once it became clear that we will have a deluge of refugees from Afghanistan, some of our parishioners asked what we can do as a parish to help. As a result of this question and many others, we began a process of discernment of what God might be calling us to do. We knew that this was a heavy task and so we committed ourselves to a process of discernment. The process was methodical, open, and inviting. Each participant at these meetings was encouraged to ask questions, asking as many questions as possible. During this time, I have seen parishioners pour out their souls into this new developing ministry. Surprisingly, I have read more emails from some of our parishioners who are involved in our Refugee Ministry than I have read from them in the last four years. That, in itself, tells of their deep investment in this ministry. If, at the beginning of the year, anyone had predicted that Christ Church would be engaged in a refugee ministry, I wouldn’t have believed it. But what has been heart-warming and fulfilling is the extent to which we have poured ourselves into this ministry and worked as hard as possible to prepare ourselves to welcome a family. Many are the parishioners who have donated money and household items to help. Pouring ourselves into this new ministry - and every other ministry - is emblematic of who we are at Christ Church. At our core, we are a compassionate and caring parish. We pour our souls into our outreach mission for those in our community, and well beyond. As I wrote this article, there were parishioners who were dropping off items to support our Angel Tree Christmas outreach, which benefits those in our community who may not be as fortunate to find a gift under a Christmas tree this season. At every step of the way, when Christ Church invites you to walk with fellow parishioners on any particular journey, you put on your shoes and walk. Talking about putting on shoes reminds me of a story about President Lincoln. President Abraham Lincoln was said to have delivered a speech in the United States Senate. He was being heckled as he gave this particular speech. Many were the insults that were thrown at him, but the President maintained his composure until a senator reminded the President, “Mr. Lincoln, you should not forget that your father used to make shoes for my family." This was followed by a burst of laughter; many of the President’s Republican colleagues couldn’t help themselves at this particular insult directed at him. This reminds me of the sneering comments that were thrown at Jesus when he visited a Synagogue in his hometown (Matthew 13:55). After teaching them, hear their reaction: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?” Who cares if he was the carpenter’s son? It was as if being a carpenter’s son or a shoemaker’s son shouldn’t be enough, that one has to be a scion of an aristocratic family in order to be listened to. Does being a carpenter’s son or a shoemaker’s son mean that you cannot pour your soul into what you do? Everyone kept laughing until the President regained his composure. And then he spoke: “Sir," he said, “I know that my father used to make shoes for your family. And there will be many others here, as well, because he made shoes the way nobody else can. He was a creator. His shoes were not just shoes. He poured his whole soul into them.” The President continued: “I want to ask you, have you any complaint? Because… as far as I know, nobody has ever complained about my father’s shoes. He was a genius – a great creator, and I’m proud of my father.” One of the many things I have learned along life's path is that when you are proud of your work, there’s no one person who can denigrate that work. When you pour your soul into whatever you do, no amount of insult is ever enough to let you lose focus on who you are or what you believe in. So this Christmas, if there’s anything that you can be, be like that shoemaker. Pour out your soul into every single thing that you do - whether you are spending time with family, visiting loved ones, wrapping gifts, buying gifts, cooking, cleaning, or worshipping (we invite you to worship with us), whatever you do - however meaningful it is - pour your soul into it. There’s nothing more gratifying than knowing that you poured out your soul - you did more than you were supposed to do because you did your very best. This Christmas, do your very best. Manny

It's that time of year again, a time for you to turn in fun videos with families and friends. These videos will celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas and are shared on Facebook and our website. You can upload as many videos are you like, so start planning yours and help spread Christmas joy! Submissions are due by December 20th and you can email them to communications@christchurchcolumbia.org. For more details, please contact Yetti at ministry@christchurchcolumbia.org.

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: Baruch 5:1-9 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 Canticle 16 Today's Sermon Text Deacon Denise's Sermon for today, the first in our Advent Preaching Series: Emmanuel, God is With Us, can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

I remember when I used to work at Marshalls. That seems like a long way from sitting in an office here at Christ Church. I loved my job at Marshalls. I worked in the shoe department, and Heaven knows how many shoes I touched on any given shift. I tried very hard to keep my area of responsibility as clean as possible so that when it was time to leave, I didn’t have to stay a single extra minute in order to tidy up my department. It was a fun job that provided me with some necessary resources - enough to even send money back to my mother in Ghana. I also remember some of the people that I worked with. I don’t know where they are or what they may be doing nowadays, whether they still work on those floors, or whether have moved on as I have. In spite of enjoying the job, though, my experience working at Marshalls was that staff had to remain invisible to patrons unless the patrons had a need or a question. Prior to the pandemic and throughout this horrible period in history, millions are the people who stock shelves and move all kinds of merchandise for our use. When the pandemic was at its peak, at a time when many of us actually had to quarantine, many were the people who cooked meals that were delivered to us, unnumbered were the people who did our shopping for us. For those of us who actually made it to the stores to purchase items that we needed, it was gratifying to know that there were still items on the shelves - and that people were actually working to put those items on those shelves. The tragedy is that they remained invisible to us. I couldn’t make it to any store during the Black Friday craze. You and I can only imagine the work that others did to make our shopping experience as less tasking and as pleasurable as can be. The tragedy is that those who work to make all these happen remain invisible to us. When was the last time you asked the associate at the cash register how he or she was doing? When was the last time you sought to inquire from the server how life is treating them? When was the last time you asked about the cleaner's family? When was the last time you shared a laugh with a subordinate? When was the last time you said, "Thank you" to someone at the store? The tragedy is that they, too, remain invisible to us. There’s a story of an Indian pilot whose name was Vishal. He was a great pilot who flew a dangerous solo mission over enemy lines, and almost made it back until he was shot down just as he re-entered Indian airspace. But as he felt his engines begin to fail and with the aircraft plummeting to earth, he ejected from the cockpit, deployed his parachute, and landed safely by some rail tracks. He was considered a national hero. And for his valor, he received numerous national and military honors and a great promotion with all the benefits. Well, one afternoon, while Captain Vishal was off duty, he stopped by a restaurant for a meal. Halfway through his starters, a short wiry looking man appeared by his table carrying with him a great deal of excitement. "Captain Vishal? Are you the fighter pilot who got shot down? Sir, I’m a big fan,” he exclaimed. Vishal was taken aback. “How did you know who I was?” he queried. The little man beamed. “Captain,” he said, “my name is Corporal Khan. I packed your parachute that day.” Captain Vishal couldn’t sleep that night. The conversation he had with Corporal Kahn weighed on him. He thought about Corporal Kahn and the important life-saving work that he did. He figured that he had probably walked past Corporal Khan on countless occasions without even acknowledging his presence. Yet, his very life depended on the good job that the anonymous little man did on that very day and continued to do every day afterward. We are a few weeks away from Christmas, which is fantastic. Christmas is, to me, the best season. As we approach the height of our holiday shopping season, you and I will be buying lots and lots of stuff - for others, and for ourselves. This is what I implore you to do - I plead with you to keep in mind the invisible men or women who toil to make life a little easier for us this season - the cook and the server at the restaurant; the men and women who stock up the store shelves; the student at the market cash register; those who clean the many spaces in which we conduct business, worship, and gather for fun; the driver who delivers our purchases to our homes; the many people who work to make our lives a little comfortable. The invisible men and women. There’s a story in Luke’s gospel of Zacchaeus. He desired to see Jesus but because of the crowd and his height, he decided to go ahead of the crowd and climb a tree with the hope that he would have a good glimpse of Jesus from there. He thought he made himself invisible. But the Lord Jesus - who sees us, notices us, calls us each by their names, and for whom no one is invisible - saw Zacchaeus and called him to climb down from the tree. No one should be invisible to us, especially those who serve us in ways we can not serve ourselves. My prayer for you this Advent season and always is for you to notice the Corporal Khans in your life. Take a minute, and talk to them. Ask them about their lives and families. Tell them how special they are, and thank them for the work they do. My prayer for you today is that you may take a moment and bless the invisible man or woman with your presence and heartfelt thanks. Captain Vishal wouldn’t have been alive were it not for Corporal Khan, who did his job well. Likewise, you are who you are because others did their jobs well and continue to do so. Notice them. Let no one be invisible to you. Manny

Angel Tree Drive Continues to Brighten Christmas for 12 Children From an Easy-Bake Oven to socks and underwear, there are still slots remaining to grant the wishes of children on the 2021 Christ Church Angel Tree list. The Outreach Commission invites you to help bring the joy of Christmas to a group of 11- and 12-year-olds, whose names can be found in two places: on the signage by the actual Angel Tree in the Narthex, and online at the Christ Church Angel Tree SignUp page. We are focusing our support on children in this age range to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army. The nonprofit organization, which oversees the Angel Tree initiative here and elsewhere, has announced a new theme for 2021: “Wear, Need, Want, Read!” Please plan to provide one or more gifts for a girl or boy on our list. There are a dozen children in our group. Each one will receive an outfit, consisting of pants and a top. Besides the clothing, there are three other categories this year for each angel: Wish, Need, and Educational Item. Some people prefer to sign up for a single slot, such as the practical (need) category for one child. Some parishioners desire to complete the entire “package’ for an angel by signing up in all four categories. Another shopper might choose the clothing (outfit) category for multiple angels. After you make your choices on the Christ Church Angel Tree SignUp page, you’ll find instructions there on the next steps. Or, if you stop by the tree in the Narthex after services on Sunday, Dec. 5, someone will assist you in logging onto a device and will give you a handout with instructions. The deadline to bring unwrapped gifts is 2:30 p.m. on Friday, December 10th. If you wish to participate by giving of your time, please volunteer for one of two duties: Sign-up or Fulfillment. The former is to help people log on to a device after services on December 5th. The latter is to collate packages or to shop for --but not pay for-- any unmet items. Fulfillment occurs from December 10th through December 12th. To volunteer, specify Sign-up or Fulfillment, or both, in an email to outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. For any parishioners who have pandemic concerns and prefer completely contactless delivery, there is an arrangement between Salvation Army (Central Maryland) and Amazon. To use this method, you’ll need to choose an angel from a list that differs from the one given to Christ Church. Please request instructions on how to proceed by emailing outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Through either method, we will lift the hearts not only of the angels but of their families. Friends of Sabina to Share Plans December 8th during their 2nd Annual Virtual Fundraiser For more than a decade, Christ Church has backed efforts to educate students at Sabina Primary School in Uganda. Leaders of the nonprofit, Friends of Sabina (FOS), have kept us up to date on improvements, most recently at an online forum during virtual coffee hour on Aug. 1. Now parishioners have the chance to look forward along with other supporters of FOS during its virtual program, to be held from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The theme is W.A.S.H., which stands for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. You’ll find a link on the FOS website when the time comes to view the event. The Outreach Commission continues to encourage parishioners to sponsor Sabina students whose families otherwise cannot afford fees and tuition. (They are among Sabina students pictured here.) Parishioners stepped forward to sponsor eight children, whose photos are among a dozen shown on this Christ Church site that describes our support. Anyone interested in exploring that option is invited to email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Uganda, schools are not expected to reopen until at least January. But FOS has taken education packets to students' homes to keep them engaged in learning during the pandemic. Through Outreach, Christ Church also supports the Sabina library; it serves as a community center in a rural part of Uganda called the Kyotera District. Columbia Community Care Holds a Holiday Toy Drive for Kids 2 to 12 Years Old To help families celebrate the holidays, Columbia Community Care(CCC) is holding its annual Holiday Toy Drive to gather gifts and treats for children from 2 to 12 years old. Items such as crafts, books, puzzles, gloves, mittens, hats, and after-school snacks will be distributed on Saturday, December 11th. Please drop off new and unwrapped items by December 10th. This is in addition to the typical collection at Christ Church, which consists of diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Please put the holiday items along with the usual ones in the yellow bin, marked “CCC,” inside the Parish Hall. You can drop off items on weekdays when the church office is open or on Sunday. As an alternative, CCC offers a couple of other collection drop-offs on its website or its Facebook group. Or go directly to either of the two CCC sites where gifts will be distributed: Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., and Oakland Mills Middle School, 9540 Kilimanjaro Road, both in Columbia. To drop off gifts, please arrive between 9 and 10 a.m.; to receive gifts, arrive between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., or while supplies last. FISH Has an Updated Request: Cookies, Crackers, and Snacks As the holidays begin, organizers for FISH of Howard County are making a more festive request than the previous one. Cookies, crackers, and snacks are what’s needed at the pantry to fulfill shopping lists. They also say thanks to Christ Church for its response to their earlier needs, which produced an adequate inventory of household cleaning supplies and personal items. The bin is on the breezeway near the door to the Parish Hall. Springfield Hospital Donations The Women of Christ Church will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits due to the pandemic, 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. We will need them by December 15th, in order to meet their deadline. If you want to donate gifts but can’t get them to church, please contact Cathy Gold or email info@christchurchcolumbia.org, and we will find a way. Here is the current wish list from Springfield Hospital, in case you would like suggestions. Baltimore Seafarer Ministry Our next delivery date by the WOCC to the Seafarers Center is Tuesday, December 7th. Find the drop-off bin marked “Seafarers” in the Tower Room of New Brick. Each year, the WOCC helps prepare those Seafarers that come to the Baltimore Harbor with ‘Warmth and The Holidays’. These are people who are often away at sea for very long periods of time. Please help by contributing any of these needed items! Calendars Current magazines (especially National Geographic & Smithsonian) Toiletries for their “Christmas shoe boxes” that are handed out to each Seafarer, such as: toothbrushes, small and medium-size tubes of toothpaste, travel-size shaving cream, disposable razors, etc. Warm socks, warm hats, and gloves. 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.

Advent Preaching Series: Emmanuel, God is With Us Each Sunday during Advent at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. in the New Brick Sanctuary and 10:30 a.m. via the CEC website, Facebook, and YouTube The season of Advent is one of preparation, and one to hear the greatest story ever told - that God made His home among humans. This story has changed the course of human history and opened our eyes to see not only the divine in each of us but to experience the self-giving love of God. In this preaching series, we will explore what the greatest story is all about and, more importantly, the depth to which this riveting story invites us into the mystery and majesty of God. Please join us on November 28 and December 5, 12, and 19 at both the 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 services. ​

Today is the First Sunday of Advent. 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: Jeremiah 33:14-16 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36 Psalm 25:1-9 Today's Sermon Text Deacon Denise's Sermon for today, the first in our Advent Preaching Series: Emmanuel, God is With Us, can be read here. Today's Worship Livestream: Today's service bulletin can be found here.

What a Haul! Thanks for Donating 400 Pounds of Thanksgiving Side Dishes for Distribution by the Howard County Food Bank Dinner tables this year will be laden with all the fixings, thanks to the generosity of Christ Church parishioners. The annual Thanksgiving Food Drive yielded 11 cardboard flats full of items, amounting to an estimated 400 pounds of groceries to help the Howard County Food Bank feed local families and individuals. Thanks to all for bringing in non-perishable items such as stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and canned fruits and vegetables. We also provided entrees for many of those tables, thanks to carry-over funds from parishioners’ donations in 2020. Christ Church donated $650 to the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC), which operates the food bank, for its purchase of alternatives to whole turkeys. The food bank obtained partial or whole chicken roasters, vegetarian options, and options with the proper protein for those on dialysis. These were delivered to those who are homebound and would not cook a 16-to-19 pound turkey (the usual food bank size), along with the side dishes. Meanwhile some of the fixings were distributed in the usual way, as households picked up menu items and turkeys at the food bank. Christ Church Has Launched Its Annual Angel Tree Drive to Provide Christmas Gifts for a Dozen Howard County Children The Outreach Commission invites you to help bring the joy of Christmas to a group of 11- and 12-year-olds. We are focusing our support on children in this age range to meet a need identified by the Howard County (Central Maryland) division of The Salvation Army. The nonprofit organization, which oversees the Angel Tree initiative here and elsewhere, has announced a new theme for 2021: “Wear, Need, Want, Read!” Please plan to provide one or more gifts for a girl or boy on our list. There are a dozen children in our group. Each one will receive an outfit, consisting of pants and a top. Besides the clothing, there are three other categories this year for each Angel - Wish, Need, and Educational Item. Some people prefer to sign up for a single slot, such as the practical (need) category for one child. Some parishioners desire to complete the entire “package’ for an angel by signing up in all four categories. Another shopper might choose the clothing (outfit) category for multiple Angels. This year’s drive has launched in two steps. The first is fully online. Go to the Christ Church Angel Tree 2021 SignUp Link to make your choices. It has instructions on next steps. The second stage begins Sunday, November 28, after the Angel Tree appears in the Narthex. In keeping with tradition, we’ll have the list of all the children’s names so that you can refer to it when selecting in person. But in a nod to digital progress, we’ll ask that you actually sign up for your angel by using the online form. Someone will be on hand after both worship services on Sunday and again on December 5 to assist if you wish to log on then. The deadline to bring unwrapped gifts is Friday, December 10. If you wish to participate by giving of your time, please volunteer for one of two duties: Sign-up or Fulfillment. The former is to help people log on to a device after services on November 28th and December 5th. The latter is to collate packages or to shop for --but not pay for-- any unmet items. Fulfillment occurs from December 10th through December 12th. To volunteer, specify Sign-up or Fulfillment, or both, in an email to outreach at outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. For any parishioners who have pandemic concerns and prefer completely contactless delivery, there is an arrangement between Salvation Army (Central Maryland) and Amazon. To use this method, you’ll need to choose an Angel from a list that differs from the one given to Christ Church. Please request instructions on how to proceed by emailing outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org. Through either method, we will lift the hearts not only of these 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. Collection Drive Continues to Provide Diapers, Personal Care Items for CCC At Christ Church, members of R.A.G.E and the Outreach Commission ask parishioners to support Columbia Community Care (CCC) by collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Please put any of these items in the yellow bin that's marked “CCC” and located inside the Parish Hall. You can drop off items on weekdays when the Church Office is open, or bring them on Sunday. FISH Has an Updated Request: Cookies, Crackers, and Snacks As the holidays begin, organizers for FISH of Howard County are making a more festive request than the previous one. Cookies, crackers, and snacks are what’s needed at the pantry to fulfill shopping lists. They also say thanks to Christ Church for its response to their earlier needs, which produced an adequate inventory of household cleaning supplies and personal items. The bin is on the breezeway near the door to the Parish Hall. Have a Pizza and Help Bridges to Housing Stability to End Homelessness Put away the turkey leftovers next Tuesday, because we have the opportunity to help Howard County residents find and keep affordable housing by eating out. Ledo Pizza will hold a benefit for Bridges to Housing Stability from open to close on Tuesday, November 30th. The restaurant is located at 6955 Oakland Mills Rd., Columbia, MD 21045. Its phone number is 410-381-5550. Please use the code 306-159-855 at checkout online or, if ordering in person, mention Bridges, and 10 percent of your total meal purchase will be donated. Christ Church has a warm relationship in helping Bridges, starting with our participation in a countywide chili cook-off in 2019. At the Chili & Challenge virtual fundraiser held in 2020, Christ Church won a Silver Ladle Award. Then, at the 2021 Chili & Challenge, we won the Gold Ladle. For a glimpse of how the funds we have raised are helping people, read about Carmen and her 22-year-old son among Bridges’ success stories. Springfield Hospital Donations The Women of Christ Church will once again be collecting Christmas gifts for our friends at Springfield Hospital. Though we haven’t been able to make our usual visits due to the pandemic, 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. We will need them by December 15th, in order to meet their deadline. If you want to donate gifts but can’t get them to church, please contact Cathy Gold or email info@christchurchcolumbia.org, and we will find a way. Here is the current wish list from Springfield Hospital, in case you would like suggestions. Baltimore Seafarer Ministry Our next delivery date by the WOCC to the Seafarers Center is Tuesday, December 7th. Find the drop-off bin marked “Seafarers” in the Tower Room of New Brick. Each year, the WOCC helps prepare those Seafarers that come to the Baltimore Harbor with ‘Warmth and The Holidays’. These are people who are often away at sea for very long periods of time. Please help by contributing any of these needed items! Calendars Current magazines (especially National Geographic & Smithsonian) Toiletries for their “Christmas shoe boxes” that are handed out to each Seafarer, such as: toothbrushes, small and medium-size tubes of toothpaste, travel-size shaving cream, disposable razors, etc. Warm socks, warm hats, and gloves. 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.

​'TIS THE SEASON Please join us as we celebrate Advent and Christmas. ​All are Welcome! Christ Church is continuing to welcome back parishioners week after week, and that is a great joy. With the Advent and Christmas season now upon us, we're blessed to have more and more in-person services and gatherings. For those of you with us virtually, we will continue to have our usual Sunday morning worship online, as well as many other special services and gatherings. Our comprehensive Advent and Christmas page is on our website now, complete with event descriptions, service times, and location information. Be sure to bookmark it for easy access; you'll find it here. We've also published an Advent and Christmas trifold that you can grab from the Narthex on Sunday morning. Be sure to also visit our Parish News page often, as announcements of other Advent features and gatherings will be published there throughout the season. The best way to keep up-to-date is to sign up for our mailing list, as we email the latest Christ Church Gatherings newsletter every Thursday and one with Zoom details for the coming week each Monday. You can sign up for this at the bottom of our website's main page.

This Thanksgiving, unlike last year’s, many of us are traveling to be with family, friends, and loved ones. The last time millions of us undertook such a journey was in 2019. Last year was different, and this year will be different because we can be with family both far and near. We can be with the family we couldn’t see last year because of the pandemic. We can be with the family we love, even if we vehemently disagree with them over a myriad of issues. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians, encourages us with these words: “…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” It seems a little condescending and unrealistic to give thanks when, especially, all the odds are stacked against you, when you needlessly lost a loved one because someone drove his car into a joyful parade. How do we give thanks? Today, I want to share with you a story centered around Itzhak Perlman, a renowned American violinist who has won 15 Grammys and four Emmys. He is most celebrated for his live performances. Itzhak has had polio most of his life, and getting on stage to perform is a real challenge. Itzhak’s most memorable performance was at the Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, on November 18, 1995. When he arrived on stage and started to play, there was a loud crack. The sound was unmistakable - one of Itzhak’s violin strings had snapped. But instead of stopping and picking up another violin, he simply paused, took a deep breath, and nodded to the conductor to continue. Itzhak played with a gusto that no one had ever yet experienced from him. It was intense. It was passionate. It was as if the whole world was watching and counting on him to make the kind of music that soothes, comforts, and heals. The kind of music that lifts our spirits up and provides us with a reason to be thankful, even when we are playing on three strings instead of four. His audience sat in awe; the hall fell silent. When it was over, everyone stood up with applause that could be heard within the walls and beyond. In the midst of the adulation, Itzhak raised his bow for silence. The hall went dead silent, and then he said, “You know, sometimes it’s the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.” It's this profound statement from Itzhak that reminds me of this aphorism: "I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a man who had no feet.” This blessed Thanksgiving, a time when we will get the chance to sit together as family, friends, and loved ones, my question is, what do you have left? And for all that you have left, for all that you do not have, can you find it within you to make music with it? Can you find it within you to be thankful for it? Can you find within you the strength that notices all circumstances but isn’t defined by them? Can you find within you the resilience that overcomes obstacles? The tragedy in our individual stories is that we often want everything to work the way we think it should work in order to find it useful or at least be thankful for it. We want to make sure that if a string snaps on our violin, we immediately have to have it fixed or replaced before we can make some sweet music with it. But life often doesn’t work like that. Life teaches us that we can still make music with what we have left. Life is such that no one is ever given everything. There’s a story in Matthew’s gospel about the Parable of the Talents. I share that story with my second daughter almost every morning when I drop her off at her carpool. I remind her, it is not about how much you have, it is about what you do with what you have. Life is about playing on three strings, even when you know you are supposed to be playing on four. This Thanksgiving, I invite you to do yourself a favor. Think about all that you have been freely given - family, friends, relationships, talent, knowledge, experience, beauty, health, qualifications, anything. Remember this, even if one string is broken, you can make some good music out of it. This Thanksgiving, remember that three strings are more than enough, and so be thankful and remain thankful to the God who makes all things possible in our lives. This Thanksgiving, when you gather with family, friends, loved ones, or even by yourself to break bread, be thankful and remain thankful to the God who invites us to be thankful for all things and in all things. This Thanksgiving, I wish you nothing but the very best of the season. Happy Thanksgiving! Manny