The most prominent scripture on decision-making is Proverbs 3:5-6, which states "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."  This verse emphasizes seeking God's guidance and trusting in His plan when making decisions.

When my sister was in Spain last year, she and her husband stopped for a visit to the Montserrat Monastery in Barcelona.  This monastery is a pilgrimage stop for many, since it is the home of the statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, also known as The Black Madonna.  My nephew, who as an infant had been adopted from Guatemala, was starting a new job which required looking after the safety of others but was not without personal risk.  So my sister fervently prayed to the Madonna to watch over him and keep him safe. By the monastery and church exit, there is a courtyard with breathtaking views, so my sister started walking toward that area.  The courtyard was full of people from all over the world.  My sister paused and happened to glance down at the ground.  And there at her feet was a small rock with the Guatemalan flag painted on it.  To my sister, the message was clear:   “We have heard your prayer and we are with him.”

Join seekers of a deeper relationship with the Divine at the 2nd Saturday Center for Spiritual Nourishment. The 2nd Saturday CSN offers experiences that engage the mind, body, and spirit by offering safe spaces to explore an array of opportunities for spiritual growth.  The CSN is for anyone interested in spiritual nourishment, regardless of religious affiliation or spiritual beliefs.   Come for one session or the entire morning.  April’s CSN includes group sessions for Spiritual Direction, Yoga, Contemplative Meditation, Drawn to God: Praying through Art, Self and Spirit: Bible Study Resources, and Spiritual Practices: Self-Denial.  The morning concludes with a short Reflection Circle service. Join us on Saturday, April 12th as we offer: Drawn to God: Praying through Art   led by Jenn Todd Lavanish God gave everyone a gift - a special aptitude, ability, power or talent. And gifts are meant to be an act. Drawn to God is a place for spiritual nourishment through the practice of creating. Creating ways to engage with God. A short session of fellowship in process oriented art projects. Art as Prayer and Prayer as Art. No matter what gifts or talents you bring, you will be inspired to become a maker - and enjoy a moment of creative flow. Plus it is just fun to make things. The joy is in the journey, your creation your reward. Bible Study Resources led by Michael Looney During his three years in seminary at The General Theological Seminary, Mike Looney has been exposed to an array of Bible study resources.  During this session, Mike will present his favorite resources, including taking a tour of a few websites, and sharing books that provide differing perspectives on biblical and theological reflection. Contemplative Meditation led by Leah Chrest Discover the desire God has to commune with us and how to inwardly attune ourselves to the Spirit's voice.  Learn about the history of contemplative Christianity, study the power of breathwork, be led through guided visualizations, become proficient in multiple techniques for stilling the mind, and practice drawing focus into your heart center.  In a mixture of teaching, discussion, and practice, strengthen your ability to engage in the equally important side of the conversation with God--if prayer is talking to the Lord, meditation is listening to God’s voice, and being changed by God’s presence.  Conversations on Spiritual Practices and Growth led by Fr. Manny Mercer How well do you know yourself? Which practices help you in trying to discern who you are, your relationship with God and how to best nurture that relationship? Join us in a conversation about how we can better know ourselves and deepen our relationship with God. If self-knowing leads to greater participation in life, then join us as we journey to better know ourselves.  April's session will be focused on Self-Denial. Yoga led by Connie Bowman The word yoga means union. Yoga is a centuries-old sacred practice for integrating and unifying body, mind, soul, and spirit and involves the entire person. There is often breathwork and meditation, along with physical asanas or movements. This yoga practice will be customized to meet the needs of the practitioners who show up. If students prefer, they may practice seated in a chair. Yoga class will take place in the New Brick sanctuary. Spiritual Direction Group by André Noel In this spiritual discernment and direction group we will practice listening deeply to each other using prompts from scripture, poetry, nature, and our bodies. These practices are designed to help us notice and respond to the voice of the Holy moving in our lives. Schedule of Events: 8:30 – 9:00: Breakfast and social time 9:00 – 10:00: Contemplative Meditation                      Drawn to God: Praying through Art                      Yoga – beginners                      Bible Study Resources 10:15 – 11:15: Conversations on Spiritual Practices: Self-Denial                        Drawn to God: Praying through Art                    Yoga – Intermediate                                                       Spiritual Direction 11:30 – 12:00: Reflection Circle Service Have Questions? Wish to Help Lead Future CSN Sessions?

My cousin, Lucy, is fond of texting me daily “thoughts for the day,” in the form of brief prayers for the morning and evening.  And though the words change from day to day, the essence of each prayer remains the same: “Don’t be afraid.  We are in God’s care day and night.  Let go and let God do the worrying.”  Easier said than done!  By nature, we are worriers.  So, pick a new mantra to start your day and another to ease your bedtime.  When I’m stressed, my personal favorite is Philippians 4:13. It gives me strength and courage no matter how often I repeat it.  It never grows old. This Lent, find that verse that speaks to your heart and mind.  Sit with it in stillness and let the words wash over you with the reminder that God is here and God’s love surrounds us and manifests itself in ways large and small — smiles, kind words, hugs, a loving touch, a nod of encouragement, a joyous dance, tears shed together, shared meals, laughter, voices raised in song, and the beauty of nature.         Amen.

Vespers is a liturgy of Evening Prayer that combines scripture readings, prayer, silent meditation, and rich music. Each Sunday evening, Christ Church offers a service of contemplative prayer and music in the tradition of the Taizé community of France. It offers this special service each Sunday evening during this Lenten season with the hope of offering different opportunities for prayer, music, and reflection.    The founder of the Taizé community, Brother Roger, explains: "What we usually call 'worship' the Taizé community simply calls 'Prayer.' Taizé Prayer consists of 'short chants, repeated again and again, giving them a meditative character. Using just a few words, they express a basic reality of faith, quickly grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality gradually penetrates the whole being. Meditative singing thus becomes a way of listening to God." ​ This community promotes peace and justice through prayer and meditation. Our Taizé Vespers service mirrors Taizé-style attention to silence, holy words, prayer, and singing and offers a chance to meditate and reflect on God's love and presence in one's life, to offer prayer for oneself and others, and to share in a supportive community of fellow pilgrims on the way.   SUNDAY, MARCH 30 Service leaflet link

Runners Will Raise Awareness of Suicide Prevention and Support Grassroots at ‘Light the Night’ 5K and Community Event on April 4 Lace up your shoes or cheer the runners who enter the fourth annual “Light the Night” 5K , a public awareness event on Friday, April 4. It is intended as a “county-wide acknowledgment that we support and care for those impacted by suicide.”   The Howard County Department of Health, the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, and Bullseye Running are sponsors. Proceeds go to the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Maryland (AFSP Maryland).   Christ Church has long supported Grassroots, which helps the homeless and provides 24-hour crisis intervention and a supportive counseling hotline .    “Light the Night” will be held at Oakland Mills High School, 9410 Kilimanjaro Rd., in Columbia, where speakers who are active in suicide prevention will give remarks at 6:30 p.m. The race begins at 7 p.m. There will be activities for non-runners, take-home items such as bracelets and keychains, and resource packets on suicide prevention.   Runners who sign up online no later than Wednesday, April 2, will pay a $35 registration fee. On race day, cash-only registration is $40 to be paid at the event during runners’ late packet and shirt pickup at 6 p.m. Runners’ regular packet and shirt pickup is Thursday, April 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Feet First, 5305 Village Center Dr, #110, Columbia, MD 21044.   Besides raising awareness to save lives, organizers will accept donations that will go to Grassroots and AFSP Maryland. AFSP is the largest private funder of suicide prevention research; it also creates and hosts education programs, leads public policy efforts on mental health and supports suicide-loss survivors. Fewer Volunteers Will be Needed on Saturday, April 5, in Clarksville than in Past Food Drives at Local Giant Supermarkets In response to a request by Giant Foods' management, we must streamline the way Christ Church conducts its Spring Food Drive on Saturday, April 5, from noon to 4 p.m., at River Hill Giant, 6050 Daybreak Circle, Clarksville , Md., 21029. A new corporate policy will limit the number of volunteers on the supermarket premises to four at any one time. Only two people can be positioned at the table and available to engage with arriving shoppers. Two of the four volunteers will be packing any collected groceries or seated off to one side and won’t interact with Giant customers.   Because of these limitations, the signup sheet is nearly full. Look for the Food Drive clipboard after services in the Narthex or in Old Brick. If you find too few slots but still hope to volunteer, especially if you wish to bring the kids, please email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org so we can devise a way to take turns. Walk-in volunteers will be encouraged to do their part by taking a shopping list and purchasing some of the pantries’ requested items.   Groceries collected from shoppers will go to two food pantries. One is the Howard County Food Bank, which is operated by the Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC). The other is SAFE , its partner pantry that provides free gluten-free and allergy-safe foods to low-income families and individuals.   The need is great. The number of struggling households has grown in Howard County due to inflation and the mass firing of federal workers. In response, the CAC posted: “Terminated federal employees living in Howard County may visit the Howard County Food Bank to receive a bag of shelf staples twice a month for up to three months.” FISH Asks for Volunteers As Well as Groceries and Toiletries in its Bin and Basket FISH of Howard County is calling for new volunteers. If you are interested, ask parishioner Andy DeLong, who is FISH treasurer and a board member of the nonprofit, which provides committed support to Howard County residents. Please continue to put non-perishable foods and toiletries in the FISH basket at the altar or in the bin on the breezeway. The neighbors you help are grateful for all you do in their support.   Columbia Community Care Turns 5, Continues to Request Our Support When the pandemic hit and Maryland entered a lockdown in March 2020, many students were going hungry without the school meals that they had grown to depend upon. That’s when a local teacher founded Columbia Community Care (CCC) to collect and distribute essentials to families in need. After individual parishioners began helping, Christ Church became a regular supporter in June 2020. CCC marked “5 Years of Community” this month with a post on its Facebook page . It distributes groceries, diapers, and personal care items at three sites on Saturday mornings and delivers to those without transportation. To volunteer, go to “ Volunteer Opportunities .” Those who need help are urged to go to “Get Help” on CCC’s website. Please keep collecting diapers, baby wipes, sanitary and personal care items, and adult diapers. Put them in the yellow bin marked “CCC” inside the Parish Hall. Our point of contact is Leigh Smith, who monitors the bin and delivers its contents. Christ Church is Invited to Attend the LEMS Performance of Shrek Later this Week LEMS is presenting its production of Shrek Jr., the Musical, later this week, and on Saturday, Christ Church is sponsoring a special "meet the cast and have some fun" event before the performance! Teachers are dedicated to including over 150 students through performance, set design, and tech crew, and on Saturday, you can come and meet a few of them at their Snacks at the Swamp event, followed by a great show! Here's their announcement: This year, our spring production is  Shrek Jr the Musical ! We would love for you to come and join us and see this  Shrek-tacular show. There are 3 opportunities for you to come and see our show... Friday March 28th at 7pm Saturday March 29th at 2pm - and as a  special added bonus thanks to a generous donation from our partner Christ Episcopal Church , before our Saturday matinee performance at 12:30, we will be having  "Snacks at the Swamp"  where you can meet some of the characters, do fun arts and crafts and have some snacks. Saturday March 29th at 7pm Please use this link to get your tickets now! https://hcpss.booktix.com/dept/lems/e/LEMS 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.

On weekdays during the season of Lent, we post daily meditations on our website, and on Saturdays we include a piece of music, as well. These songs are submitted by parish family members and friends of Christ Church, and meant to uplift, comfort, and inspire. We hope that you enjoy. Jesus, Meek and Humble  Jesus, meek and humble, heaven's gift to earth. Word from Word among us, spoken from the first. Song of our salvation, rising from the fall. Jesus, meek and humble, heaven's hope for all. Jesus, meek and humble, teaching by the shore, casting nets to gather broken lame and poor. Living bread you offer, hungry we receive. Jesus, meek and humble, teach us to believe. Jesus, meek and humble, mercy born of pain on the cross we fashioned from our sin and shame. God himself providing, Lamb and sacrifice. Jesus, meek and humble, in this death is life. Jesus, meek and humble, by the break of day. Heaven now awaking, love has made a way. Light from light embracing all that once was dark. Jesus meek and humble, lead us to your heart. copyright music and lyrics, Sarah Hart and Ben Walther Stained glass window detail from Old Brick

Please give me the ability to comprehend, Spirit To see the pattern without missing the detail. Help me understand the meaning of the complexity That surrounds me. Not with facile answers but with genuine integrity. Let me encounter my life. Let me be mindful of what I have to learn. With diligence I will strive To free myself from assumptions. With joy I will anticipate new discoveries. Give me a touch of your deep wisdom, Spirit And I will follow it like a sailor Looking up to read the stars. ~ from the book Spirit Wheel  by Steven Charleston

There’s always this confrontation with the eternal question, "Why should it be this way?" or, "Why is something (whatever it is) the way it is?" We ask these questions for two reasons: one, out of curiosity, because we want to understand why. And two, it is because we are convinced there could be another way of looking at the same problem. Variations of the eternal question could sound like this: "Who put the fence here?" and "Why did they put it here?" Chesterton’s Fence depicts walking in a field and coming by a fence that sort of blocks your path. You assume that based on the terrain, there’s no need for a fence, and so your first instinct is to knock the face out of your way and continue your walk. But no. You can’t do that. Chesterton Fence invites you to go a little deeper, to think about why the fence was erected in the first place. Whoever first erected the fence believed that it would serve a purpose, for that’s why they put it up and so knocking it out of the way because you find no need for it isn’t going to cut it. The bottom line is that Chesterton’s Fence invites you to probe, to think, to evaluate, and to look beyond what you see for answers that may not be immediately discernible. As we can all attest to, we live lives where we are confronted with situations and incidences that we didn’t create and where those who created them are not available to help with the answers. These situations or incidences may confound us. Those are the times when our instant gratification jumps in and invites us to take the easy way out because we don’t want to think any further, we don’t want to probe any further, all we want to do is to kick the fence out of the way and continue our walk. But life doesn’t work like that, nor is it that simple. There are times when the answers we need are easily discernible, but there are also times when we need to ask, probe, and think a little more deeply in order to arrive at some answers. And especially in situations where we do not know why the fence was put up in the first place or why something is the way it is, our approach should be marked by modesty, humility, and grace. I am reminded of a story of a little girl whose mother was cutting both ends of a carrot stick before putting them in a pot. The curious girl asked the mom, "Mom, why do you cut both ends of the carrot stick before you put it in a pot?" The surprised mother said, "You know, I haven’t really thought about it. It hasn’t occurred to me why I do that. I saw grandma doing the exact same thing when I was growing up, and so I simply thought that was the way we cook carrot sticks." Fortunately, Grandma was close by so they invited grandma to come over. When she came over, the granddaughter asked her, "Grandma, I saw mom cutting both ends of the carrot stick before she put them in a pot. I asked her and she said she saw you doing the same thing when she was growing up. Well, why did you cut both ends of the carrot stick before you put them in a pot?” The grandmother’s response was a surprise to both mother and daughter. Grandma said that she didn’t have a big pot, so to fit the carrot stick in the pot, she had to cut both ends of the carrot stick. If, at some point in her life, the mother of the little girl had been curious enough, she would’ve asked her mother and not continued the practice of cutting both ends of the carrot still when she didn’t have to. Questioning, especially questioning ourselves, happens to be the most introspective exercise that we could ever indulge ourselves. The fact of the matter is that it doesn’t cost much to question ourselves; it is free, but for most of us, it is the most expensive commodity because we hate to question ourselves and our actions. But to question ourselves does, in fact, help in our healing process. It is through these questions that we chance upon the gift of a new approach to old problems. One of the sentiments that are usually associated with congregations is, "That’s the way we have always done it." Great! But why? The why may be lost over time, but that doesn’t dismiss the fact that there was a sound rationale behind that decision. For that reason, it is imperative to interrogate and seek input from others before kicking the rickety fence off your path because you simply don’t know the use of it. I have no doubt in my mind that Chesterton is right about the fence - be it imaginary or real. If you ask me, this fence is everywhere we turn to, and its prevalence in our lives and spaces should provoke a measure of deep thinking within us. I will suggest another word for thinking-reflection. Lent does invite all of us to sober reflection - that’s the time where we get to ask ourselves those eternal questions: "Why do I do the very things that I promised myself not to do? Why are things the way they are with me? Do I have to kick the rickety fence off my path so I can go on with my business?" Tough questions, but very necessary ones. But we must approach these questions about ourselves and others with an open mind and sober reflection. If ‘Good fences make good neighbors,’ as Robert Frost argues, then it may take more than instant gratification to understand why there is a fence - whether we see one or not, for there is more to life than what we see with our naked eyes. Our task, in any and all situations, is to go a little deeper, to think a lot harder, just so we can understand. Indeed, thinking alone may not necessarily reveal another person's good intentions, but you may gain insight into their thoughts. And often, that is what matters—understanding that comes from insight. I learned that revelation comes alive when we understand, and that process takes a lot more effort, some prayer - and some dose of humility.  So, this Lent, don't forget to do some more questioning and thinking. You may gain some understanding of God's walk with you and your walk with others.  Manny+

Words to live by this Lenten season... and every season. #episcomd   #hocomd   #faith   #FaithfulGod   #FaithInAction   #Lent2025   #lentenseason   #Godisgood   #feastongodsword   #christianity

Each of us wrestle with trying to understand our reality. Countless books, theses, sermons, and other works have studied and expressed their views. Those reading these words likely believe that there is a physical reality in which we are journeying, but there also exists a spiritual reality which we are trying to understand. Some believe that reality is only a perception and reality has no substance beyond our minds. Some believe there is a singular reality which has different images and understanding depending on the perspective of the observer. Can such diverse concepts co-exist, or is one of them degenerate or even possibly flawed? To answer this question fairly would obviously require an onslaught of additional writings and lectures, but is there something which can help tip the scales? All of us of the Christian faith would immediately point to the Bible, and their instinctive and reflexive response would be absolutely true.  To many, the Bible is a spiritual guide, describing a spiritual reality, a work inspired by God. They most often isolate this spiritual reality from the professed “scientific” physical reality they espouse. They believe these two perspectives are irreconcilable, and maintain a wall of separation which is essentially impenetrable.  Why?  The obvious answer comes, “They are irreconcilable.” When we believe something is irreconcilable, we force it to be irreconcilable. We ignore evidence to the contrary of our belief and accept evidence that supports it. But is the irreconcilable nature real or a product of our minds?  The Lord calls us to think and reason. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18). Is this just a spiritual calling? If we accept that our God, our Creator, is the God of Truth, then isn’t there a singular reality? We may not understand it, but it must be singular. Some would argue that there is the reality of the world and the spiritual reality of God. In fact, they are correct, BUT the greater reality is God envelopes both, AND we know whom God cast out of His heavenly realm into the world in which we live, the great deceiver.  I can hear the bricks piling up: “That’s just a spiritual argument you’re making.” There is truth in that thinking, BUT which is the greater reality: the physical, temporal world in which everything dies and decays, or the spiritual reality where life is eternal in a place of oceanic Love or a place of eternal absence of Love? I’m not going to answer that question, but instead insist that you ponder it, for each of us must freely come to an understanding of their mortality and their spiritual eternity.  My own journey has been fascinating and overwhelming, changing my perspective dramatically by creating an understanding of a singular reality. For me there is no physical reality which is inconsistent and irreconcilable with my spiritual reality. They are one and the same, the physical contained within the spiritual – not the other way around! I have reviewed much worldly scientific evidence, spiritual accounts, evidence of spiritual existence, the complexity and intricacies of creation itself from the cellular level to the cosmos, and with great joy proclaim, “I have found the fingerprints of the Almighty, a Creator of Infinite, Perfect Love, everywhere without reservation. He is intimately involved in His creation. He has given us free will and will not make a choice any sooner than the instant we have made ours, AND He wants a dialogue with each of us.”  I am ready to share this understanding the best I can and live his invitation, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord.  Will you join in this exploration?