Last October, I was able to be a volunteer translator for the Somos Amigos Medical Missions trip to the village of Naranjito in the Dominican Republic. My assigned doctor was ready for her next patient, so I went out into the waiting area to bring him to the exam room. The patient was an 84-year-old gentleman accompanied by his 78-year-old wife. Juan (not his real name) had recovered from a stroke and had to walk painstakingly slowly with a cane in order to maintain his balance. But what blew us away about him was his attitude! There was no “woe is me” in him. He had a terrific sense of humor and kept us laughing as he teased us and his wife. At the conclusion of his consultation with the doctor, he gave us both big hugs and thanked us. He also continued to make us laugh.  And so he taught us, that despite a disability, it is possible to continue to face life with hope, humor, and joy in the moment and share those gifts with others.  “And let us not grow weary of doing good,  for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9

A Definition   Christ Walked And talked And cried And… Died So that We might Also walk And talk And cry And Fly. I know What Love Is.        Pamela Pruitt     Jan, 25, 2023

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 23 Service leaflet link

Third Sunday in Lent 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Exodus 3:1-15 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8 Today's Sermon: Father Manny gives this Sunday's sermon, and you can watch him give it once the livestream begins. Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

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. Lead Me to the Cross Savior I come Quiet my soul, remember Redemption's hill Where Your blood was spilled For my ransom Everything I once held dear I count it all as lost Lead me to the cross Where Your love poured out Bring me to my knees Lord I lay me down Rid me of myself I belong to You Oh, lead me, lead me to the cross You were as I Tempted and trialed Human The word became flesh Bore my sin and death Now you're risen Everything I once held dear I count it all as lost Lead me to the cross Where Your love poured out Bring me to my knees Lord I lay me down Rid me of myself I belong to You Oh, lead me, lead me to the cross To Your heart To Your heart Lead me to Your heart Lead me to Your heart Lead me to the cross Where Your love poured out Bring me to my knees Lord I lay me down Rid me of myself I belong to You Oh, lead me, lead me Lead me to the cross Where Your love poured out Bring me to my knees Lord I lay me down Rid me of myself I belong to You Oh, lead me, lead me to the cross ~written by Brooke Gabrielle Fraser

Second Sunday in Lent 8:00 a.m. in Old Brick 9:00 a.m. Family Worship in New Brick 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with music in New Brick Collect for Today: O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Today's Readings: Genesis 15:1-12,17-18 Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35 Psalm 27 Today's Sermon: Father Manny gives today's sermon, and you can view him give it in the video below. You can also read the text version here . Holy Eucharist Livestream: Our service livestream begins at approximately 10:20 a.m. this Sunday. The service leaflet for this worship service is here .

I spent a number of years studying NDE's (near death experiences). One of my favorite moments comes towards the end of the experience, just before the soul chooses to return to the body. The soul comes before a proverbial stadium full of supporters applauding their efforts in growth and service. This is something seemingly only experienced on a few occasions, usually in place of the typical "life review". I don't know why these souls get the red carpet rolled out for them.. However, the mental image of a stadium of supporters has stuck with me. I can only imagine the lift such an experience would give--knowing the full extent of those believing in and supporting you through the tough times.   The obvious interpretation of the stadium imagery is imagining the crowd of souls whom you have had a positive impact on in your life (children/students/co-workers) or who have had a vested interest in your spiritual journey (family, mentors, church and ministry leaders). When faced with a challenging stretch, sometimes it is comforting to imagine a stadium full of your soul's biggest fans believing in you and encouraging you to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:6-8).   Yet this morning, as this image crossed my mind once more, I couldn't help but think of the flip interpretation. What about the large numbers of souls to whom I owe gratitude?   It's a heart-warming exercise to think of all the people who have "loved you into being" (thank you, Mr. Rogers, for that).   Speaking of Mr. Rogers, some of those who have impacted our souls (such as TV personalities) we may never have met, or have met (random run-ins at the DMV or the grocery store), but so briefly as to not even know their names. As Christians, we hope to be remembered not so much for the good that we do but for the love that we show--the Christ light shining within us. Which leads me back to the first, most obvious, interpretation of the stadium--who knows how many people's lives are touched by Christ's love within us?   None of us exists independently--we are all dependent and interconnected. Perhaps both of these presentations of the cloud of supporters can be true simultaneously. Close your eyes and imagine yourself standing in the center of a football stadium, in the halftime show of your life. On your left are all those who have loved you into being. On your right, all those whom you have loved into being, whether known or unknown, And lining the end zones, those with whom you walk the path of mutual growth together.   We do not walk this path of life alone. No action we take is completely of us. For what remains after we pass from this life is the love that we show (1 Corinthians 13:13). And the love that we give is not of us, but is a gift from those who encouraged us and showed us the way. That love we pass on, and it becomes the guiding light to others.   Really, it's about getting out of the way, and letting the Christ within take centerstage. In Christ, we are all simultaneously--we are the cheerleaders, the givers, the receivers, and the witnesses. We are all one in Christ. And maybe that answers my initial question about why some souls get to experience that stadium experience and others don't. Maybe they are the ones who get it--who know it isn't about them. That there is no cheerleader, supporter, one being supported or cheered--we are all one. We are all Christ.   ~Leah C.

I knew two of my grandparents as a kid. I grew up in my maternal grandfather’s house - that was where my mother lived, as well. I don’t remember much about my grandfather - he passed away when I was about six or seven years old - but I knew him to be a kind and wise man because many were the people who came to him seeking his counsel or advice on a whole range of issues. My paternal grandmother lived about three city blocks from my maternal grandfather’s house and so we walked to her house almost every day to hang out with other cousins and family members. Her house was always busy, filled with people and with lots of food. Both grandparents were repositories of wisdom. In fact, many of the grandparents that I have had the chance to meet over the years, both in Ghana and in the United States, are repositories of wisdom. I have met a lot of people with grandparents who are wise. As best as they can, and in varied circumstances, they share the wisdom that they have accumulated over the years with their grandchildren. The goal has always been to offer the kind of guidance that will help these grandchildren to grow into successful, content, joyful, faithful, and loving adults who find pleasure not in how useful another human being is but who find value in the presence of another person. It is about passing on a legacy of values that have served them very well to the next generation. A grandparent’s duty may not necessarily be about doing something but instead about being something - just being. Last Saturday, I had the blessing of leading the Lenten Reflection Day retreat. Over the years, there have been two people, Denis and Cindy, that I have always known to participate in Advent Quiet Day or Lenten Reflection Day. I asked Ellen, our Spiritual Life Commission leader, where they were. She told me that they had traveled to New York to take care of their grandchildren - what a blessing! I also know that Ellen babysits her three grandchildren, and when Charlie was with us, the two of them took care of their grandchildren, and Charlie worked with the boys on a train line in their basement. My mother babysat my children when they were kids, offering an opportunity for me to do further graduate studies. Harolyn, her daughter, and her granddaughters have the same style of dresses that they wear together on occasion - I think it's during Easter. Suzanne holds a family Vacation Bible School for her many grandchildren. Don and Carolann pick up their granddaughter at BWI and also drop her off there when she’s on recess from Indiana University. I can tell many, many stories of grandparents who are doing and not simply being. There are many of you who do extraordinary things for your grandchildren and, in fact, continually stay present in their lives. It hasn’t always been about doing something but just being something - just being. The honest truth is that there is great value in being. We don’t always have to do something in order to be found or deemed valuable. We don’t derive value from our ability to do something, we derive value from just being. My first experience with assisted living facilities was in Atlanta. It was a culture shock for me to many old people living by themselves in a community. Yes, they did have support and all but it felt a little strange to me at first because we do not have that kind of community in Ghana. Over the years, I have come to learn the value of these communities. Some are thriving communities where our grandparents find a new zest for life. But I am afraid to say that some of these places are neither about doing something nor is it about being - because the quality of life doesn’t support the idea of being. Sometimes it hurts me greatly to have others want to make us believe that there is no value in being old because one’s level of productivity has gone down or it’s even non-existent. For some of these people, value is dependent on productivity or a perceived benefit. I believe that there’s more to growing old than simply wasting away, as some claim. These are the three things that I have learned from the aging process: 1. Wisdom, 2. Mortality, and 3. Humility. Wisdom - when I was called to my former parish - St. Paul’s Chestnut Hill - Cliff, the rector, once asked why I decided to work with him. I responded with a story I was told by a priest many years ago. The priest said, “You should always look to work with an old, wise priest.” That thought never left me, and my experience as a priest in the Episcopal Church opened the way for me to understand the wisdom behind those words. The old, wise priest was an embodiment of experience, guidance, direction, thoughtfulness, and pastoral leadership. He had worked the vineyard and had more than enough scars to prove their worth. And for him, it wasn’t about doing something for a young priest but about being there for them. It was about the value of being, the value of presence. Mortality - this past Sunday, I paid a visit to one of our parishioners, Chuck, who is in hospice. Visiting him were his daughter and three grandchildren. We gathered by his bed and, together with Paula, shared the Holy Eucharist. What I found to be a powerfully holy and sober moment was the acknowledgment of our common mortality. These grandchildren were confronted with mortality in ways they possibly hadn’t experienced before. And that is the gift of that moment - from a grandfather to grandchildren. He didn’t have to do anything; he was simply present. And the gift that he offered was about his being, his presence, that even as sleepy as he was - we all care about him and his presence in our lives, and his value to us isn’t about what he was doing for us, it was about his being, his presence. Humanity - we can’t talk about humanity and not be drawn to mortality. We are fragile. And we are fragile to the point where we become so helpless that we can’t do anything for ourselves. We tend to forget how fragile we are - like an egg that breaks upon contact with a hard or sharp surface. We go through the same trials and tribulations, joys, and triumphs. Your situation may not be terribly different from mine. It is simply by the grace of God that we are what we are, St. Paul doesn’t hesitate in reminding us. Experience with old age reminds each of us about humanity’s enduring cycle - birth, growth, and death - which we all share in common. In view of this fact, looking at someone who is aging or older should remind each of us that there will come a time when we won’t have to do anything to be valued, and simply being is enough to be valued. During the season of Lent, we give something up, we deny ourselves, and we self-sacrifice. My invitation for you this Lent is to reflect on this question: Do my parents, grandparents, or any senior citizen have to do something in order for me to believe that that person has value? If not, can they simply be , and yet still be of value to me? May you always remember that it is not what we do that brings us value, but simply being is as valuable, if not more valuable.   Manny+

Lenten Evening Prayer Weeknights at 8 p.m. on YouTube, Facebook, and our website During Lent this year, Mother Marcia Davenport presents us with a nightly Lenten Evening Prayer livestream, and if you haven't tuned in to any of these yet, you're truly missing out. She leads us in a brief worship using different prayer books from around the world, followed by a unique, personal reflection. They go live at 8:00 p.m. each weeknight, but you can view all of these on our website at https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/lenten-evening-prayer , our YouTube page, or our Facebook page, at any time. Don’t miss this beautiful way to worship in your own time at home during Lent, as it's a perfect way to close out another day.   #episcomd   #episcopalchurch   #hocomd   #God   #Lent2025   #lentenmeditation

Last night during Christ Church's Wednesday Evening Lenten Supper Series, Mother Marcia Davenport presented some of her reflections on kindness, and how the word affected her in other cultures (she has traveled and served in many countries around the world). Today's meditation continues to center on that word. "Kindness and compassion towards all living things is a mark of a civilized society. Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well ourselves." ~Cesar Chavez Mother Marcia has also presented a nightly Lenten Evening Prayer livestream, and if you haven't tuned in to one yet, you're truly missing out. Each weeknight, she leads us in a brief worship using different prayer books from around the world, followed by a personal reflection. They go live at 8:00 p.m. but you can view all of these on our website at https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/lenten-evening-prayer , our YouTube page, or on our Facebook page at any time. #kindnessmatters   #bekind   #bekindtoanimals   #bekindalways   #bekindtoyourself    #episcomd   #episcopalchurch   #hocomd   #God   #Lent2025   #lentenmeditation

During Holy Week worship, Christ Church will have a Baptism! It will occur on Holy Saturday, April 19th, and to prepare all children and adults wishing to be baptized, we'll host a special class in the New Brick sanctuary this Saturday, March 22nd at 10:00 a.m. Lunch will be provided. If you have a child to be baptized - or you, yourself, wish to be baptized - or you're interested in learning more, please contact the Church Office at office@christchurchcolumbia.org any time this week.