Tonight, our beloved Wednesday Evening Lenten Supper Series continues with a meal and lively discussion of our theme for this year, Reaching Out in Faith . We are very blessed to have our own Reverend Marcia Davenport, Associate Rector Emeritus of Christ Church, joining us and giving her perspective on our theme. We'll begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Great Hall with a communal supper provided by Christ Church Outreach. The presentation portion of the evening will be on Zoom, as well, so if you can't make it, be sure to email us at info@christchruhcolumbia.org for the link. Keep up with all of our 2025 Lenten services and gatherings: https://www.christchurchcolumbia.org/lent

May I live this day Compassionate of heart, Clear in word, Gracious in awareness, Courageous in thought, Generous in love.   ~John O'Donohue

A Streamlined Plan Will Be in Effect During Our Spring Food Drive on Saturday, April 5, 12-4 PM, at River Hill Giant Supermarket in Clarksville In response to a request by the management of Giant Foods, we must streamline the way in which 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.,  21075 . A new corporate policy will limit the number of volunteers on the supermarket premises to four at any one time, and 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. 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. Each pantry provides its list of preferred items that we have printed on a handout and will also be displayed on a poster to inform shoppers. A revised signup sheet reflecting the streamlined plan will be available this Sunday, March 23, in the Narthex or in Old Brick. We plan to ask for an exception to the headcount for those volunteers who wish to bring a child, so it is important when you sign up to indicate if you want to bring your kids. Outreach welcomes new and returning volunteers, but unlike in the past, we’ll have to take turns on limited shifts and won’t be part of a large group. Walk-in volunteers will be encouraged to do their part by taking a shopping list and purchasing some of the needed items. To learn more, email outreach@christchurchcolumbia.org . 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. 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.

God, when I close my eyes to this world may your presence nudge me awake. When I am weary and ready to quit, your passion for this world energize me. When I am hopeless, you raise me up. When I am afraid, your love enfold me. When I am angry and want to blame, your kindness sweep me off my feet. When I am bitter and ready to fight, your forgiveness quiet me. When I find myself in the land of sorrow, Your presence accompany me. When I am broken and in despair, your delight make me whole. God of Grace, as you send me into this world may your hope live in me, your love, your joy.”   by Steve Garnaas-Homes

A PIANO TEACHER, A GIRL,  AND SOME MUSLIM PRAYER BEADS – A TRUE STORY OF THE GREAT CIRCLE OF GOD’S LOVE   The story begins some years ago.  A little girl is taking piano lessons from a teacher whom she dearly loves, as do most of the students of this teacher known for her devotion to her students.  That the young student is Muslim and her teacher Christian (a Christ Church parishioner) is not unusual – this teacher has always taught young people from all backgrounds.  What matters to her is the child and the music, not the “packaging.”   Several years in, the girl’s parents make the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the holy pilgrimage to the holy center of Islam, a journey required of all Muslims at least once in their lives.  As a symbol of the family’s love and respect, the Muslim mother brings back to the piano teacher a simple yet beautiful set of Muslim prayer beads, blessed in the holy city of Mecca for that year’s Hajj. A very special gift.  Even more so as it is chosen by a Muslim for a Christian.   Long after the Muslim student is grown and gone, the beautiful Muslim prayer beads remain treasured by the piano teacher, hung prominently where she can look at them every day.  But as the years piled on, the piano teacher decided these beads should go where they would have new life, to someone who would treasure them as she had treasured them.   And so, the now long-retired teacher asked a friend at Christ Church for help in finding a new home for her treasured beads.  She knew this friend is actively engaged in Christ Church’s Interfaith Refugee Ministry and might have some ideas, which, of course, she did.  And so the teacher’s friend told us in the refuge ministry about the prayer beads. In the way that things happen in God’s time, in that same week near Thanksgiving 2024, a new Afghan refugee family came under the Refugee Ministry’s umbrella of help and hope.  Shell-shocked from three years living under the Taliban, grieving over two grown children left behind and the deaths of two younger children, thrust suddenly into a radically different country with a radically different culture and radically different language which they did not understand (just as we do not understand their language), this family of four was barely functioning.   But when the piano teacher’s prayer beads were pressed into the Afghan mother’s hand, and when her daughter read her the translation into Dari of the prayer beads’ story, a dam of fear and worry began to break.  She, and all her family, suddenly knew, really knew, that they were among friends, friends who were genuinely welcoming them, who would help them, who expected nothing in return, who had deep respect for their Muslim faith.   The simple gift of these Muslim prayer beads, first from a Muslim family to their daughter’s beloved Christian piano teacher, the beads’ years as a treasured possession, the unexpected gift of this treasure from a Christian mother to a grieving Muslim mother she had never met – this completion of a circle of God’s love for all his children, by whatever name they call him, well, isn’t this what we are all called to be about?    Thank you, Alta.  Thank you, Dione.  Thank you, Paula.  Thank you each for your part in this great circle of God’s love.   Ann Barnes Chair, Interfaith Refugee Ministry interfaithrefugeeministry@christchurchcolumbia.org

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 16 Service leaflet link

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. Hymn of Promise In the bulb, there is a flower In the seed, an apple tree In cocoons, a hidden promise Butterflies will soon be free In the cold and snow of winter There's a spring that waits to be Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see There's a song in every silence Seeking word and melody There's a dawn in every darkness Bringing hope to you and me From the past will come the future What it holds, a mystery Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see In our end is our beginning In our time, infinity In our doubt, there is believing In our life, eternity In our death, a resurrection At the last, a victory Unrevealed until its season Something God alone can see ~written by Natalie Sleeth

Easter is our celebration of rebirth - we celebrate the risen life of Christ and open ourselves to rise with Jesus. This Easter, we challenge each parishioner to lead another person to the resurrection experience. Invite a loved one, a friend, a neighbor, a colleague, or even a total stranger to church to experience the joy of rebirth. Let's share this experience with as many as possible! Easter will be celebrated on April 20 and Christ Church will have services are 8:00, 9:00, and 11:00 a.m. You can send your family, friends, and new guest(s) a link to www.christchurchcolumbia.org/lent so they can learn more about Christ Church and our upcoming Lenten season .

Lenten Reflection Day This Saturday, March 15th 8:30 a.m. in Old Brick This Saturday in Lent will set the stage for this year's Lenten Reflection Day, beginning in Old Brick at 8:30 a.m. This year, we are very blessed to have Christ Church's Rector, Father Manny, lead us in prayer and meditation on our 2025 theme, Reaching Out in Faith . Following a casual breakfast and the morning's program will be an informal Eucharist to close out this peaceful morning gathering. We hope that you'll find time to join us for this special gathering, a meditative start to the Lenten season.​ #lent #meditation #episcopalchurch #Christ #howardcountymd #prayer #ColumbiaMaryland

I engage in prayer time every day. I want to keep my faith strong. Lately, I feel like it is being greatly tested. In these times, I reach out to quotes from three of my heroes. These three heroes are connected to my birthday.   MY MOTHER – She was there (smile!). My mother was fond of sending cards and letters. She would often include a quote from scripture, and there was one quote she would send most often:   “Lord, help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12   Having kept some of her correspondences, I turn to them, or recall this quote from her, to bolster my faith.   MAYA ANGELOU – We share a birthday. She is an inspirational author (among many other talents) and I have enjoyed reading her poetry. There is a quote of hers that I used in my school email closings:   “Be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud.”   This is in my power to do, and in doing for others, it, in turn, helps to fortify my faith.   REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. – He died on my fourteenth birthday. Before that day, I knew of his ministry from speeches I saw on TV. It was later that I learned more of the deep faith he had to uplift us all and the hardships he endured. Of his many quotes, this is the one I find myself using as a mantra:   “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”   This can be a challenge. It is something I encourage myself to do because it is a love choice. I will, with God’s help.   I’d like to close with another quote I happened upon that I have on the desktop of my computer (often after reading the news!): Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. Hebrews 11:1   Keep the faith, Pam F.

One of my many blessings here at Christ Church is the gift of hearing other parishioners tell their stories of a transforming faith. Listening to parishioners like Rebecca, Leah, Jonathan, Lee, Steve, Greg, Kiona (until she became a deacon), and Kathy share their faith, whether at Taizé devotional or on Sunday mornings, brings me so much joy. Not only do I believe that these opportunities nurture our faith, but it also assures all of us that our fellow parishioners are dealing with many of the same issues as we do, our fellow parishioners struggle with faith as much as we do, and the hand of God has been present in their lives, as well - and if that is the case, God’s hand can be present in my life as well. The truth is, I can preach every single Sunday - but of what good is that? How does that deepen your own faith? How does that build you up? You have to be awake enough to know that God has been faithful to you as he has been faithful to others, God has been merciful to you as He has been merciful to others, God has been generous with you as much as He has been generous with others and that each of us has had an experience with God. For that reason, the door should be open to those who are willing to share their experience of God with others. All are more than welcome to share their stories of faith. The good news is that this our beloved Christ Church congregation has been more than welcoming to our lay preachers, and has embraced their voices as valued within this community. In fact, it takes a congregation that's awake and aware to the gift of each human being to affirm - and to affirm not only the voice of their clergy, but also the individual parishioners whose experience of faith matters as much as their clergy. I was on a Zoom call last week when a professor who was also on the same call with me referenced a thought by Howard Thurman, an African American theologian: "Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." "How appropriate," I said to myself. To be awake is to be alive. To be aware is to be alive. To be woke is to be others-centered. To be woke is to be justice-centered. To be woke is to be alive, fully alive enough to see. But the question is, are you alive? I mean, are you fully alive? It is indeed true that many of us feel that once you open the door to wokeism, you can never tell where it will end. Opening the wokeism door is a slippery slope in itself, and we should all avoid upsetting the so-called applecart. This all sounds interesting, but if being aware makes me alive, why do we have to fear being aware and alive to the point where we can make accommodations that reflect our shared human stories, the progress we have made, and the extent of work we have to do? For some people, they would rather we keep the lid on the cup. This is how Shakespeare sums it in the Hamlet soliloquy:   The undiscovere'd country, from whose bourn   No traveller returns, puzzles the will,   And makes us rather bear those ills we have   Than fly to others that we know not of?   Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all.   Shakespeare makes the point that we are hesitant about exploring new things, new ideas, and the undiscovered country, and even as awful and downright disgusting as our old thoughts, ideas, and the discovered country may be, we are willing to stay with the old as opposed to exploring the new. If we can tolerate all the ills of our present state - even though there may be better alternatives - then our conscience makes us cowards. If we are not willing to let go of what we know to be sickening in order to birth a new paradise, then Shakespeare is right about our cowardice.   If conscience makes cowards of us all, then it stands to reason that it is this very cowardice that makes us blind. And since we are then blind, we cannot see the ills around us. And if we cannot see the ills around us, then why clamor for change, or why fix what you don’t see to be wrong?   Here is a story for you - once, Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving a city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So, they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”   In some translations, you read “Rabbi, that I may see.” To see, is not only about sight; if that were the case, our brothers and sisters who have disability with sight would be further disadvantaged. To see is to be aware, to recognize, to notice - it is not a benefit of sight, it is the benefit of a kind of disposition that is humble enough to understand that human beings aren’t perfect, like Bartimaeus, human beings are blind. And because of our blindness, we have committed some grave sins, both the past and the present. But here is the important piece: this very sinful imperfect human being is committed to preventing any such ills or giving voice to the perpetuation of such ills, either in the present or the future.   That is what it means to be woke, and DEI is simply a tool or a means by which we promise ourselves, "Never again." To be very blunt, I see DEI as a symbol of repentance.   Being woke is about the Bartimaeus in all of us, the Bartimaeus who throws away the old cloak representing his past and makes a simple request to Jesus for the sake of a new beginning marked by a deep sense of awareness.   During the season of Lent, we commit ourselves to the process of repentance and reconciliation. We commit ourselves to the process of healing. We acknowledge our perfect imperfections - the sin that dwells in us, and then, should we repent, seek the promise of forgiveness from God.     If you ask me, to seek forgiveness is to be woke. It is to be aware of who you are - a sinner, awake to acknowledge who you are in God’s eyes - a child of God, and alive to accept what you have done and left undone.   Maybe what we have all left undone is being open to be awakened by human consciousness.  Manny+