On Sunday, October 21, 2018, we will gather to celebrate our life together as a community of faith that reflects God’s rainbow - rich in diversity, enterprising in mission, compassionate in our care of the vulnerable and welcoming of all who seek a place to worship the Creator God of our being. It is an important day in the life of our faith community as we gather to celebrate our life together, render an account of our stewardship, to elect lay leaders to serve on the Vestry and to offer a compelling vision for the coming year. I walked to New Brick on Tuesday afternoon to check on the technicians who were working on the installation of the new Rodgers 599 Organ. It was a joyous moment for me. And I am sure when you hear the organ sound on Sunday, you will be filled with as much joy. It has been long in coming, but the depth of commitment and the drive by parishioners to ensure that we have a new organ was immense, captivating and actually tells a much deeper story about the character of the people of our church. It is that character that I hope we can tap into as we work to live out God’s mission for us and for our beloved community in the coming year and beyond. That brings me to a story of an old wise old man who lived in a small town. Every day he and his granddaughter would sit outside his gas station in rocking chairs, waiting to greet tourists as they passed through their town. One day a tall man with the appearance of a tourist started looking around like he was checking out the area for a place to live. 'So what kind of town is this anyway?' he asked. The old man replied, 'Well, what kind of town are you from?' The man replied, 'One where the people are critical of each other. It is a real negative place to live.' The old man said, 'You know, that is just how this town is too.' Later, a family passing through also stopped for petrol. The father stepped out and asked the old man, 'Is this town a good place to live?' 'Well, what about the town you are from?' he replied. The man said, 'Where I'm from everyone's close, and always willing to lend a helping hand. I really hate to leave it.' The old man smiled and said, 'You know what, that's a lot like this town.' After the family drove off, the old man's granddaughter looked up and asked, 'Grandpa, how come you told the first man this was a terrible place to live, and when the second family asked, you told them it was a wonderful place to live?' The old man looked into her big blue eyes and said, 'Sweetheart, no matter where you go, you take your attitude with you - and that's what makes it terrible or wonderful.' After a moment of silence, he added “Life is what you make it.” What kind of town or in our case, what kind of church? With God’s grace, it should be our hope to build a church that imagines the future, and creates a path to that future. The path should be about speaking the truth in love, listening intently to all, daring to forgive all and be committed to change, not for its own sake, but with a purposeful drive towards transforming lives-our own and that of others. What kind of church? In part, our attitude will determine that kind of church-a church that reflects the perception of the tall man or that of the family. My prayer, as we mark this milestone in the life of our church is that we may seek to be a church where each heart bleeds with the joy that is of God, each eye looks each other in the face with a love that is of God, each hand welcomes each other with a handshake that tells of God’s assuring presence and each person hugs the other with an embrace that tells of God’s glory. Join us on Sunday and help us become the church you want to see and be a part of! Manny.

Last week we began mailing out the “Pledge Your Love” campaign letters and cards to individual homes of our parishioners and friends. We will also have several of the cards in the narthex for those who have not as yet received theirs or those who are new to our parish and feel called to pledge their love in support of our life together. Each fall, members and friends of Christ Church make an annual pledge to support the Mission and Ministry Budget of our church. Unlike many parishes that do have an endowments upon which they can draw funds to support their mission and ministry, Christ Church doesn’t have one, and so we have to rely on each and every one of our members and friends to give generously towards our life together. This brings me to a story about the Berlin Wall, and each giving what he (she) has. It is said that when the Berlin Wall was constructed, diving Germany into East and West, turning neighbors into strangers and friends into enemies, it so happened that those on the Eastern side of the border increasingly became poor, hungry and destitute whiles their former neighbors on the Western side of the border became increasingly rich and lived a much more comfortable life. One night, those who lived on the Eastern side of the Wall, picked up as much trash as they could and unloaded the trash on the Western side of the Wall. Those on the Western side of the wall awoke to find this unsavory sight of trash. They knew that their neighbors beyond the wall did it. However, instead of responding in kind, they thought about all the wonderful things that they have to enjoy but which their neighbors on the Eastern side did lack. They were keenly aware that their Eastern neighbors were hungry and didn’t have some of the good things they had. What they decided to do was to buy lots and lots of grocery supplies: milk, cheese, ham, eggs, bread, cereal, bacon, burger, rolls, chicken etc. They neatly packed the supplies on the Eastern side of the border, and then, on a poster board, they wrote “Each Gives What He Has”, placed it on the supplies and departed into the darkness of the Western side of the wall. Each indeed gives what he or she has. Those on the East had trash, and that’s what they gave. Those on the West had food, and that’s what they gave. What do you have to give? I am reminded of the idea of giftedness- give and it shall be given to you. But the honest truth is that you must receive in order to give. So the question is not so much about what you can give, but what has been freely given to you. It is in that spirit that we are being invited to give, and to give generously towards the ministry of our beloved Christ Church. In many ways, this has been a great year, and it is mainly due to your kindness. I offer grateful thanks for the many ways in which you have blessed Christ Church, and so bid your generosity at this time. It is my fervent prayer that each of us may be moved, encouraged and motivated to give what he or she has in celebration of all that has been given to them. Manny.

In one of my daily morning devotionals, I chanced upon this phrase “Blessing Machine.” I thought that was very cute because that was my first experience with the phrase “Blessing Machine.” The phrase was actually coined by a Vicar of the Church of England in his attempt to describe the Church and all faithful people as Blessing Machines. I can at least appreciate his grasp of what it is that God calls us to do, and the metaphor of a machine seems to imply abundance and efficacy. What I find most fascinating about the phrase Blessing Machine is that it takes into consideration the capacity of a machine to efficiently produce and over-produce if necessary. To be a Blessing Machine then is to produce and over-produce all that is good, lovely and kind. It is more like experiencing in a totally new way, the joy of blessing others with more blessings than is necessary. I feel the urge to be a blessing, and I know many of us feel that same way. One story I’d like to share with you is about a gentleman who came by the office seeking help with his rent because he’s scheduled to be evicted tomorrow if he doesn’t pay what he owes by close of work today. He came as I typed this article. Well, the question for me was, how can I be a blessing machine to a man with kids who is on the verge of being evicted from his home? Thankfully, he didn’t need as much because he had a good portion of the total sum. There are lots and lots of similar stories. And I know for a fact that we cannot solve all these problems. I also know that although we cannot solve even half of them, nothing stops us from making a genuine effort towards being the Blessing Machines that we can be. In fact, nothing holds us back from being a blessing to another person with just a simple hug or a smile. I‘d like to cite two examples of how to be a Blessing Machine. First, we should take genuine interest in others. Do not hesitate in letting others know that you care about them, and that what matters to them matters to you. Do not hesitate to ask people questions about their welfare. Do not let self-interest blind you, be interested, ask, inquire for that’s one way of being a blessing machine. Second, show courage on behalf of others. During the Plague of Cyprian in AD 250, Cyprian, who was the bishop of Carthage demonstrated remarkable courage during the plague by tending to the sick and burying the dead. Whereas other fled from the sick and the dead for fear of being contaminated, Cyprian and a band of Christians showed tremendous courage by risking their own lives. They too, became a Blessing Machine. Over the next couple of days you will find in your mailboxes a letter and a card from Christ Church inviting you to participate in the Pledge Your Love Campaign. This is our Annual Stewardship drive where we invite all of Christ Church to pledge their support to the Mission and Ministry Budget for the coming year. In a sense, this is an invitation for you to be a Blessing Machine to Christ Church just so Christ Church may continue to deepen its interest in the life of others and to speak and act boldly on behalf of the vulnerable in our community and around the world. I believe there’s nothing more gratifying than to know that others around you get caught up in the blessings of God, if you yourself are experiencing the blessing of walking in close relationship with God. You are blessed if you walk with God. And if you walk with God, you will no doubt be a Blessing Machine – one who abundantly blesses others with the blessings from God. Manny.

Any animal that you have deserves God’s blessings. For those of you who have pets - dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, birds, fish, horse - we are having a special Blessing of Animals service on Sunday, October 7th at 5:00 p.m. in Old Brick. We will have lots of goodies for each animal. A pet is not required for joining us. All are welcome, of course!

I read a story about a little boy who was walking with his father on a beautiful evening in their neighborhood. They walked past a house where there was a man sitting in his rocking chair with his dog lying by his feet. This dog was the kind of dog who felt so entitled and so complacent. He always thought that everything will be done for him, and so he was complacent and didn’t have to worry about anything. But as they walked past the dog, the little boy heard the dog moaning and groaning. And so out of curiosity he asked “Sir, what is wrong with your dog?” The owner looked at the boy and responded “Oh, it’s okay. He’s just sitting on a nail.” The boy became a little flustered and so asked his dad “Dad, why is he letting the dog just sit on the nail?” The owner of the dog said to the boy “Oh, that’s easy. It is not hurting enough for him to get off.” Woow!! To what extent does it have to hurt to make you get off the nail on which you sit? Yes, you also may be complaining, moaning and groaning about a nail. That nail has been sapping all your energy, eating you up, tearing you apart, creating doubts in your mind and giving you sleepless nights. For whatever reason you can’t get up. Your vision has been clogged to such an extent that you only see your limitations. How can you get up? How do you pull the nails out? In fact, how do you promise yourself that you will and deserve to live victoriously? I think one of the important lessons of our Christian faith is the gift of victory. Not the kind of victory that smacks of triumphalism but one that understands victory as a gift made possible through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. St. Paul emphasizes this point when he says “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Recognizing this victory as a gift, our appropriate response is not one of pride but of thankfulness and a gratitude that fills us with pride. The kind of pride that gets you up from the nails upon which you sit because you recognize that God made you for something-to live victoriously. St. Paul also says elsewhere that we battle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers. Unfortunately, this battle is played out in our minds and our hearts, and that is where we are either victorious or not, that is where we feel so shattered and dispirited enough to sit on nails moaning and groaning thinking that that alone will cause a change in our circumstance. When do you plan to get up from those nails? Why are you still sitting on those nails? What are you wrestling with that you cannot quite put your finger on? I can go on and on with additional questions, but I know you understand my point. Often times it becomes impossible to name those nails and you feel like being in shackles. To live victoriously then is to redefine ourselves by breaking free, waking up, dusting ourselves and learning how to walk again. My prayer for you this day is that you may recognize the amazing gift of victory that God has given you and give thanks. There’s a story of a man who heard the cries of a frightened little daughter who was being chased by a bee. He run out, wrapped his arms around the little girl and after a time let her go. He said to her, ‘you need not worry anymore, the bee has stung me. Bees don’t stung twice.’ Thank God that bees don’t sting twice and that you have been offered an amazing victory. A victory that makes it possible for you to live victoriously. In response to our victory therefore, we are encouraged to give ourselves, talents and treasure in service to God and neighbor. And we do this with the awareness that giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord is never in vain. Even more, being aware of ourselves elicits a great depth of generosity for all things victorious. My hope is that we would all rise from whichever nails we may be sitting on just so we can live victoriously. Manny.

The Choir of Christ Church will present a service of Choral Evensong in Old Brick on Sunday, September 30th at 5 p.m. This service follows substantially the order found in The Book of Common Prayer of 1662, with psalms, Bible readings, and the Songs of Mary and Simeon - the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis. The sung prayers, hymns, and anthems come from many centuries of the Christian Church. At Evensong, we participate mostly by allowing the minister and choir to speak and sing on our behalf. Many find this frees them, in a busy world, to offer to God their own thoughts and prayers. Please join us in worship as we commemorate the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, and join us for a festive reception afterwards.

Registration forms are available on our Children Formation page, or you can pick up a form in the Narthex. For more information on our Formation programs, click here. If you still have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

There's nothing like a bargain sale. We all desire to buy something at a less expensive cost than it is sold. On special holidays when stores have a mark down, we all troop to the mall to purchase what we need and want. There are many occasions where I watch with pure wonder long lines of patrons at an Apple Store who wait to lay their hands on a new Apple product.  Black Fridays always blows my mind. It is interesting to watch people camp out at Best Buy because of the huge mark down prices. Bargain sales draw crowds.       On Saturday, Christ Church will host the Annual Flea Market where many vendors from the community will set-up tables and sell their wares. More than hosting vendors, we will also welcome shoppers from the neighborhood and beyond who are either eager for a bargain sale, a chance to get out of the house, simply walk around our beautiful campus, meet people or grab some hot dogs, burgers or some goodies.  Whatever it is that may bring people out here on Saturday is as much a celebration of our long standing openness to engage with the community that is around us.       A remarkable aspect of the Flea Market is that all proceeds goes back into ministry. For that reason, many parishioners have donated and continue to donate several items for sale. One of the interesting stories that I'd like to share with you is about our burgeoning relationship with Lake Elkhorn Middle School. As many of you know, the Principal of the school-Lynette Moore came by Christ Church several weeks ago to preach and to share stories about Lake Elkhorn with the entire parish.       During her visit, she learned about the Flea Market and the fact that proceeds go back into ministry, and she can also contribute towards it. I had a meeting with her a few days after her visit. After our meeting, she told me that she's donating five boxes of books to benefit the Flea Market. Her theory was, if Lake Elkhorn Middle School of which she is the head is benefitting so much from its relationship with Christ Church, then the best she could do to honor that relationship was to donate books to support the Flea Market.       This story simply tells of the importance of building and maintaining relationships with the community and even beyond. An important benefit of these relationships is the transformation that is made possible by it. In my mind, Mission and Outreach makes it possible for us to touch the community and be touched by the community. If we can believe that Christ Church is and can be the hope of the world, there will be nothing like it when it's working right: when it is turning lives around and being a beacon of hope.       A Christian community is one marked by the extension of hospitality, helping those in need and pleasing God with sacrifices and offerings of praise. On Saturday, our hospitality will be put to test once more as sellers and buyers ask questions about where to find what and also about Christ Church. Be ready and prepared to talk about Christ Church. Our desire to help those in need will be supported by the broader community as they walk around this campus and enjoy the beauty and grace of all that embodies Christ Church. I hope you will all be motivated to touch and be touched by those you see on Saturday and beyond, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. By the way, I will have a little table with information about Christ Church. Stop by and say hello! Manny.

Mark your calendars! The Christ Church Annual Flea Market and Bake Sale is hosted by the Women of Christ Church, and will be held on Saturday, September 22nd. It runs from 9am to 2pm, and takes place on the church grounds. You can have your own space in the market, or if you’re cleaning out closets or garages the church will be sponsoring the white elephant tables & welcomes your unwanted treasures. Rain date is the following Saturday, September 29th. Forms for those interested in selling their items are available in the Narthex and in the drop box outside the Parish Hall, but also by clicking here. If you’re one of those who are interested, please fill one of the forms out soon, as space is limited and we do tend to run out of available space! The turnout for our Annual Flea Market is always significant, so whether you’re someone who wishes to sell their wares or are simply looking for that unique item to take home, we hope that you can come and join us!

Very often, the most challenging part of our experience has been our ability to embrace change. There has been times when some go to war to maintain the status quo, and there has been times when have gone to war to against the status quo. Both sides of the argument usually has some merit. But the ultimate question we are often confronted with is, if we don't embrace change or at least try something new, how can we grow? Or, how would we know that a particular change may not fit into our cultural mold if we do not give it a chance? All growth requires some change; some new way of approaching the age old problem. Over the past several months we have been working together to try something new, something different. All the programs we have been working on are designed to create the necessary atmosphere for our spiritual growth and to expand our ministries-to make an impact. I'd like to share with you my fondest memories of my first visit to this Church. I looked around the campus, the peace and quiet and the vast space we have. During my interaction with the Vestry, I heard stories about the amazing people who worship here; the talents, gifts and resources of our people. It didn't take me that much time to determine that there's an incredible amount of potential that abounds in this place. And over the past several months, I have experienced at first hand, the depth of strength that abounds within this community. Christ Church is uniquely positioned as a community with an amazing and endless potential for growth. The question then is, how do we best utilize all our potential? How do we look outward? How do we to touch and change lives? How do we engage ourselves and others in God's life transformation business?  These are loaded questions, but they are questions which are meant to inspire us towards our goal of a re-imagined love with unbounded energy. And I say this with a deep belief in what St. Paul assures us in Philippians "And my God shall supply all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." And so we begin this Sunday on the premise that we can do great things, we can do amazing things and we can be agents of transformational life only if we try, and keep trying. My prayer is that we may never rob ourselves of the joy of being transformational because we failed to be innovative. And so this Sunday, join us. Let's begin our journey together. There's something for everyone: Christ Church Nursery is now fully staffed. On each and every Sunday, we will have two paid and certified Nursery Caregivers taking care of all children 6 months -3 years. Nursery Care will run from 9:00 - 12:00 noon. Christ Church will be serving Continental Breakfast on Sunday mornings for all Children and Youth in the Great Hall from 9:30-10:00 a.m. The Great Hall will be devoted solely for Children Formation or Sunday School. Children ages 3-11 are invited to Breakfast and then to the classrooms after Breakfast. Sunday School for Children will run from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Children will join their parents during the peace. The Youth will join their teachers in their two new classrooms in the Parish Hall after Breakfast. Youth Sunday School will run from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. The Youth will join their parents during the peace. Young Families and Parents will have the opportunity to gather for a Parenting Seminar in the Parish Hall from 9:30-10:15. Conversations will be aided by watching DVDs on parenting. Adult Forum will feature different speakers and topics each Sunday. Adult Forum will run from 9:30-10:15 in Old Brick. This Sunday will feature Dr. Rebecca Hancock, an Old Testament Professor at St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute. She will lead a session on 'Humor In Scripture' Coffee Hour will begin at Old Brick and then continue in the Elevator Room after the 10:30 a.m. service. Bible Studies continues in the Conference Room of the Parish Hall.       As I indicated earlier, there's something for everyone. And so please join us on this and every Sunday morning as we begin our new journey of a love re-imagined. Manny.

Readings for today are found here. Due to technical difficulties, we could not record this Sermon.