SEASONS
A MAGAZINE FOR CHRIST CHURCH, FREDERICA
TIMELESS FAITH FOR TODAY
Christ Church, Frederica is a historic Episcopal Congregation that serves the spiritual needs of today. Our congregation is a place of inclusivity, hospitality, community, and discipleship. We have a place for you!
Clergy
The Right Rev. Frank Logue, Bishop of the Diocese of Georgia
The Very Rev. Thomas Purdy, Rector
The Rev. Ashton Williston, Associate Rector
The Rev. Bill Barton, Asst. to the Rector for Formation
The Rev. Becky Dorrell, Deacon
The Rev. Deb Luginbuhl, Deacon
Assisting Clergy
The Rt. Rev. Charles Bennison
The Rev. Bob Brown (UMC Ret.)
The Rev. Becky Rowell
Volunteer Lay Associates
Beryl Blatchford, Pastoral Care Associate
Lay Staff
Harrison Branch, Cemetery Superintendent and Sexton
Jim Broussard, Organist and Choirmaster
Lily Packard, Communications Associate
Ebonee Moore, Bookkeeper
Glenn Queener, Parish Administrator
Scan for more information about Christ Church and our ministries, You can also connect with us by texting the word “Connect” to 912-689-3501
Izzy Hudgins Photography
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Christ Church, Frederica’s Historic Cemetery
The Rev. Deacon Deb Luginbuhl and Kathryn Saunders 14 The Impact of the Tour of Homes
Sharon Altenbach 15 Solvitur Ambulando — It is Solved By Walking
Margaret Bosbyshell 17 A Good Goodbye
The Rev. Becky Rowell
The Gift of Wednesday Night Formation The Rev. Bill Barton
Woven With Love
Making Room for God: The True Purpose of Lenten Fasting
The Very Rev. Tom Purdy
For many, the Season of Lent is a time to accept the Church’s invitation to prayer and repentance in anticipation of Easter. Of course, many Christians receive the invitation but choose not to RSVP to the opportunities Lent offers. Many of us who embark on the Lenten journey toward Easter do so by engaging in some form of fasting. We don’t typically fast in accordance with the scriptural hallmarks of fasting, but instead find ways to do it in our own way. Modern fasting offers excellent potential for spiritual growth, provided we understand what we’re undertaking.
Giving things up for Lent is a time-honored tradition as a way to fast. That limited fast can also become distorted into a personal feat of strength. There is a Christian group of bodybuilders who travel around demonstrating their physical strength to attract an audience that can also hear the Gospel and the need for spiritual strength. Sideshow Christianity has a long history, but it’s not always the most effective means of evangelism
or personal growth. When we choose something to give up but approach the fast as a test of sorts to see how much we can endure, we can inadvertently make our fasting about ourselves.
Trust me, it would be an incredible feat of willpower for me to give up cheese for Lent, as an example, but if I refrain from eating cheese as a way of earning some kind of religious merit badge for self-control, I will have missed the mark. Similarly, if I give it up because I know it’s better for my heart and for my morning visit with the bathroom scale, I’ve made the fast about me, and not about God. That’s not entirely surprising, though. Many of us are good at making everything about ourselves. This Lenten practice is not meant to be about us alone.
Fasting builds spiritual strength, but it is meant to make way for God. Fasting from anything is intended to clear space and quiet in which to discern, to step
aside, and to surrender to God. Fasting allows us to reallocate our time, energy, or thoughts to God. Giving up chocolate but filling our mouths with some other sweet treat doesn’t create that space. Giving up cheese but adding more savory junk food to our diet isn’t surrender. Refraining from social media but spending more time watching cable news does not elicit the quiet through which God often whispers. Fasting is an act of humility meant to foster dependence on God and God’s mercy, not an occasion to pat ourselves on the back.
Once we have traveled through Lent with an appropriate fast, we will arrive at Easter. We will be able to look back on our fast with some satisfaction, not because we are so wonderful, but because God showed up along the way and we recognized the gifts God shares so freely. Easter isn’t about us, either, at least in one sense; it’s about God’s grace, mercy, and love. It is also about us, because we are the motivation for God’s outpouring of love through Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. God’s deep love for God’s children is what instigates the entire paschal cycle of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.
Having given up something during Lent through fasting, Easter becomes an incredible feast. We celebrate God’s goodness by living fully, having been reminded that we are fully alive because Christ is alive. We enjoy Easter feasts around tables full of family and friends. Many of us eat candy and treats. All of our celebrations may feel like the opposite of our fasting, but the feasting invites God to come close as well. Our hearts are full, and our joy manifests itself in special celebrations and indulgences, which only help to draw us into gratitude for God’s gifts.
As we consider our invitation to undertake a holy Lenten fast, I pray we will do so with ample thought as to how we will use our fasting to make room for God—in stillness, in quietness, and in denying our urges so that we can learn God’s ways. I pray that we will get out of our own way and make room for discernment about our brokenness and the brokenness of the world around us. From that work, God will lead us to remember and acknowledge all the ways God is working for the transformation of the world and of us. If we can open ourselves up to truly meeting God this Lent, and not just treating the season as a sideshow, God can work wonders.
2026 EASTER SCHEDULE
Holy Week & Easter 2026 at Christ Church, Frederica
Palm Sunday March 28 & 29, 2026
Saturday, 5:30 pm at St. Ignatius Chapel
Sunday, 8:00 am, 9:15 am, and 11:15 am, in Christ Church
Maundy Thursday Thursday, April 2, 2026
Thursday, 12 pm & 7 pm, Eucharist with Foot Washing in Christ Church
Good Friday Friday, April 3, 2026
Friday, 12:00 - 3:00 pm, 3-hr Meditation on the Last Words of Jesus at St. Simons Presbyterian Church
Friday, 4:30 pm, Stations of the Cross, at St. Ignatius Chapel
Friday, 7:00 pm, Good Friday Liturgy, in Christ Church
Holy Saturday Saturday, April 4, 2026
Saturday, 2:00 pm, Guided Walk, in the Christ Church Labyrinth
Saturday, 8:00 pm, The Great Vigil of Easter, in St. Ignatius Chapel
Easter Sunday Sunday, April 5, 2026
Easter Services at 8 am, 9:15 am, and 11:15 am in Christ Church
10:30 am, Easter Egg Hunt held on the front lawn
Easter 1
Sunday, April 12, 2026
The Most Rev. Sean Rowe, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, will be our guest preacher at the 9:15 and 11:15 am services
Holy Humor Sunday April 18 & 19, 2026
A fun celebration at our services.
A Lenten Journey Through the Seven Last Words
Lent is a season when the music of worship often takes on a more contemplative and somber tone. Just as in every season of the Church year, our goal is for the music to reflect and compliment the liturgy. During Lent especially, the hymns, anthems, and instrumental offerings invite us into reflection, repentance, and a deeper awareness of Christ’s sacrifice.
You can see this spirit reflected in The Seven Last Words of Christ by Joseph Haydn and revised by Theodore Dubois. For several years now, Christ Church has offered this program in a darkened, candlelit space as a nod to its original setting, a dimly lit cathedral in 18th-century Spain. While our parish hall may not be draped in black or illuminated by a single lamp as it was then, the atmosphere we create still invites reverence.
It remains an incredibly moving experience, where music and spoken word intertwine, allowing us to pause with each of Christ’s final sayings from the cross from each of the four Gospels. In the stillness, the combination of music, silence, and scripture allows us to have a greater understanding the weight and beauty of the Lenten Season.
7 Last Words of Christ
The Parish Choir, Soloists, and Orchestra will come together to perform The Seven Last Words of Christ.
Sunday, March 22, 6:00 pm Free Admission
Experiencing Joy at Christ Church
Jim Eskew
As we all think about our first experiences at Christ Church, we hopefully have thoughts of how the church has brought joy and fulfillment to our spiritual and personal lives. That is true for me and my wife, Gail. We moved to St. Simons Island from Indiana in February 2020. This was a time when COVID affected every facet of our lives, including our ability to worship at church.
Initially, there were no services offered on the island, but over the next couple of months, churches became creative in their approaches to Sunday services. As lifelong Catholics, our preference was to attend St. William’s. However, their Masses at the time consisted of driving your car to their parking lot, remaining in your car, and watching the Mass from your vehicle. It seemed to be an atmosphere much like a drive-in movie theater. The only thing missing was the pole with the speaker that you would affix to the window of your automobile. I’m not sure about you, but I would have a difficult time praying and worshipping God in a drivein movie setting.
Our close friends told us about the services being offered at the picturesque Episcopal church on Frederica Road. Services were being held under a tent on their beautiful grounds. Since my daily-Mass-going, forever Catholic mother had passed away several years before, we felt it was probably safe to attend a “Protestant” church as we waited for the Catholics to move their Masses out of the parking lot.
As we entered the grounds, a pleasant, well-dressed usher (from Kokomo, Indiana) greeted us, handed us a program, and showed us where to sit. The service was led by a youngish priest with long hair and a beard. He gave a meaningful sermon (although longer than Catholics were used to) and, surprisingly, invited everyone to Communion. Even Gail and I, as wayward Catholics, could partake in Communion. We met the pastor, Father Tom, through our masks following the service. He seemed like a pleasant man. Despite mask-wearing and social distancing, everyone at the
service seemed to interact with and care about each other. We came away thinking this was a very good experience and that we should return. But I was still concerned about what my mom might be thinking as she looked down from above.
As the months went by, we continued to attend Christ Church. We were struck by how welcoming and cordial the staff and parishioners were. Eventually, we decided it was time to meet with Father Tom. As we entered his office, I noticed something strange. It was decorated with little brown trucks and UPS paraphernalia. My brother had a long career with UPS, and it turns out he was their CEO when Tom worked for them in Pennsylvania. We had a connection and spent the hour talking about the tenets of the Episcopal Church and the logistics of package delivery.
A couple of months after our meeting with Father Tom, we attended EC 101. We learned that the Episcopal Church was similar to the Catholic Church. Two notable differences were its openness to all comers, married priests, and the inclusion of women the priesthood. Those were very positive changes for us.
We were soon confirmed by the bishop and became Episcopalians and full members of Christ Church.
Over the past six years, we have become very involved within Christ Church. We serve on a number of committees and participate in various outreach activities. We had the good fortune of having Father Tom preside over our daughter’s wedding in 2024.
The joy that Christ Church brings us is through its ministry, but primarily through the many friends we have made through the church. It is truly an inclusive environment. Christ Church, Frederica, is a special place in every way.
Christ Church, Frederica’s Historic Cemetery
The Rev. Deacon Deb Luginbuhl and Kathryn Saunders
The history of Christ Church, Frederica is written not only in documents and archives, but in stone. The gravestones in our churchyard trace a story that closely parallels the early history of America itself. From the British Anglicans who first gathered for worship on these grounds in the early 1700s, to the early Georgia families who formally organized the parish— names such as Couper, King, Hazzard, and Gould— the church grew alongside a young colony finding its footing.
After seasons of growth and decline, the parish experienced a remarkable revival under the leadership of the Rev. Anson Dodge, Jr., whose vision and determination helped restore Christ Church in the nineteenth century. From those early beginnings through revival and renewal, and into the present day, the story of Christ Church reflects the larger American narrative of perseverance, faith, and community.
Today, that history continues to draw thousands of visitors each year. Our dedicated docents welcome more than 15,000 guests annually into the historic church itself, sharing stories of the parish’s founding, its challenges, and its enduring witness. At least twice that number—more than 30,000 people—walk our grounds. Many wander quietly through the cemetery, searching for tangible connections to the past. Some come seeking the stories of colonial Georgia; others look for the resting places made familiar through the beloved novels of Eugenia Price. All encounter a sacred landscape shaped by generations of faithful lives.
In the coming months, we will offer visitors and congregants new ways to engage more deeply with this rich heritage. Building on the cemetery database developed under Harry Branch’s direction, the 2018 publication Early History of Christ Church, Frederica, and additional historical research, we are creating an accessible cemetery history resource for the public.
This project will help bring the stories behind the stones to life—illuminating the people, families, and
moments that shaped both our parish and our region—so that all who walk these grounds may better understand the faith and history that continue to define Christ Church today.
The project will include discreet, thoughtfully designed markers placed at selected family plots throughout the cemetery. Each marker will feature a QR code linking directly to stories on the Christ Church website, where visitors can learn more about the families and individuals buried there. In this way, the quiet beauty of the churchyard will remain undisturbed, while modern technology offers a deeper encounter with its history.
The first phase of the project will focus on nine of the most frequently visited plots, sharing the lives and legacies of those whose names are most often sought by guests. Future phases will expand the resource, continuing to uncover and tell the stories that rest beneath the stones.
This initiative grew out of our participation in a vestry leadership workshop and from a shared love for the history of Christ Church. We were inspired to find a way to steward that history more intentionally—honoring the past while making it accessible to the present.
The historic building and grounds of Christ Church, Frederica, continue to bear witness to the unfolding story of America and to the generations who have lived, loved, worshiped, and labored on St. Simons Island for nearly three centuries. Through this project, we hope to ensure that their stories remain not only remembered, but truly known.
“This project will help bring the stories behind the stones to life— illuminating the people, families, and moments that shaped both our parish and our region”
OUR OF HOMES CHRIST CHURCH
2026 RAFFLE
MARCH 14, 2026
Includes appetizers and cocktails for up to 40 guests aboard a 71-foot yacht. Cruise Sea Island Explorer on the with Lunch on Any Sea Island Golf Course
Round of Golf Four for
Original Oil Canvas Artist Rani Garner on by
Donated by Anderson Fine Art Gallery
Cruise Frederica Golf Club at
Includes wine and cheese for up to 8 guests on Frederica Lake
CHE CK OU T I T EMS ON T HE TOUR OF HOME S T ICK ET SI T E AS W ELL AS TO PURCH ASE YOUR T ICK ETS!
The Impact of the Tour of Homes
Sharon Altenbach
Lent is a season that reflects on Jesus’ sacrifice and encourages the inner conversion of our hearts. It is also a time of almsgiving—sharing our resources with those in need—and a season of reflection on how we can be channels for ministry and God’s hands in the world.
Many of us at Christ Church have found that the Annual Tour of Homes is one such way to live out this call. This year’s Tour of Homes will take place on Saturday, March 14, with the theme “Lifestyles Around the Lodge,” giving guests the opportunity to visit homes never before featured on the tour, located around the Lodge at Sea Island. Chair Linda Feuss and Co-Chair Patty Hermann have set an ambitious goal of raising $175,000 to support local charities selected through a rigorous grant process.
In opening their homes, Tour of Homes participants offer more than beautiful spaces—they offer hospitality, a sacred practice woven throughout Scripture. During Lent, we are reminded that welcoming others is one way we encounter Christ himself. The Tour of Homes invites us to reflect on how generosity, hospitality, and shared abundance can become expressions of faith lived out in tangible ways.
One of the most frequently asked questions about the Christ Church Tour of Homes is: “Does the money raised go to Christ Church?” While it may surprise some, the proceeds from the Tour of Homes go directly to charities that support local families and children in need within our community—not to Christ Church itself.
Each year, Christ Church establishes a grant committee—chaired this year by Leslie Morrison—to accept and review applications from local nonprofit organizations. Applications are accepted from September 1 through October 31 of the year preceding the tour. The mission of the grant program is to be a lasting, effective, and compassionate charitable resource for families and children in need in our local communi-
ty. Eligible programs address issues such as hunger, physical and mental health, housing, safety, education, or the provision of a religious and moral foundation.
Applicants are asked to provide a brief organizational history and mission statement, a description of the specific program or project the grant would fund, the amount requested, and the total project cost, including other funding sources if applicable. Additional information includes how the program aligns with the organization’s mission and the demonstrated need for the services provided. The grant committee met in November and selected 29 deserving charities to receive funds from the 2026 Tour of Homes.
Once the tour is complete and net proceeds are confirmed, the committee will meet again to determine the allocation of funds to each grant recipient. The impact of these grants extends far beyond a single day’s event. Through the Tour of Homes, lives are touched, families are supported, and hope is strengthened across our community. Each grant represents Christ Church’s commitment to walking alongside those in need and responding faithfully to the call to love our neighbors.
As we journey into the wilderness with Christ during Lent, we are invited to trust in God’s abundance. Through the hospitality and generosity made possible by the Annual Tour of Homes, we seek to give to others in need, experience transformation, and embrace the new life that comes from serving God and our neighbors.
From left to right we have Chair Linda Feuss and Co-Chair Patty Hermann
Solvitur Ambulando — It is Solved By Walking
Margaret Bosbyshell
What is the intention in offering Summer Refreshment and Winter Restoration on the Christ Church Frederica labyrinth to the community? These could be a few reasons.
A labyrinth is a circle of love, wholeness, peace, and transformation where all are welcome — a circle of prayer for all people. We are spiritual beings in physical bodies. Life is a spiritual journey in a body. Everything is sacred; we are all connected. All of us are mystics made with the divine spark of God. We are each unique, one of a kind. Being spiritual is a personal commitment to a process of inner development that engages us in our totality. To be well is to integrate our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“The invitation to this journey of wellness and wholeness is continually being offered by the ONE who created us.” — The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner
Luke 24:15–32 (The Road to Emmaus) is a vivid example of Jesus walking alongside the discouraged disciples who do not recognize him. They later recognized Jesus and shared a meal with him. This Bible passage highlights that Jesus walks with us although we cannot see him, revealing himself in scripture, nature, fellowship, and sharing meals.
Our world is in a time of great change, and with these changes we can feel out of balance and afraid.
“The labyrinth offers us an astoundingly precise model of the spiritual understanding of the universe. Not only are the exact cosmic rhythms built into it, but as well, the other sacred measures that represent our relationship to the ‘journey back’ to our spiritual wholeness.” — Keith
Critchlow
Labyrinths are ancient age, not new age, and have been around 3,000 to 5,000 years. They have been found on all the continents except Antarctica. Our labyrinth is a copy of a labyrinth from 1201 in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France. The Chartres-style labyrinth incorporates one of the oldest labyrinths, the 7-circuit Cretan labyrinth, which is over 4,000 years old.
Christ Church Frederica’s 11-circuit Chartres-style labyrinth is the most famous and popular labyrinth because it is longer to traverse. The longer length offers a deeper, more introspective design. The Fibonacci spiral — the golden spiral often observed in seashells, pinecones, and galaxies — is incorporated in the Chartres labyrinth design.
“Sacred geometry was incorporated by the master builders of the Gothic cathedrals and was considered a divine art. The cathedral builders believed that to enter a temple constructed wholly of invariable geometric proportions is to enter an abode of eternal truth.” — Robert Lawler
The labyrinth is not a maze. Labyrinths are about flow, wholeness, and unity. The path is a metaphor for your life — walking to your own center. The twists and turns represent life’s joys and sorrows. Your walk is your own. There is no right or wrong way to walk. The path is narrow; you have to be intentional to put one foot in front of the other to stay on the path. You naturally release and let go and rest in the NOW — the Divine. Labyrinth walking takes us out of our head and into our heart.
With Summer Refreshment and Winter Restoration, the offerings were — with scripture, poetry, music, sound bowls, and movement — an intentional time of beloved community, beauty, peace, interconnection, pause, reset, love, and honoring everyone’s divine spark. It was a time to highlight that labyrinth walking can be a spiritual practice on our path of transformation in our striving to be the love the world needs.
Upcoming Labyrinth Dates
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light Nature Walk - Saturday, March 21, 2 pm
Stations of the Cross Walk with the Daughters of the King, Saturday, March 28, 2 pm
Planting Seeds Saturday, April 18, 2 pm,
World Labyrinth Day, Saturday, May 2, 1 pm
A Good Goodbye
The Rev. Becky Rowell
Have you ever been to a funeral and thought, “that is exactly what I want for my funeral.” You took the bulletin home and tucked it away for the day when you’d think about planning your own funeral. Maybe you brought it to one of the earlier funeral planning workshops. But the plan is still not done. Or maybe you haven’t given a thought to what you’d like for your service to look like. No worries and no guilt. We have a plan for that!
We are again offering the planning workshop to outline the details of your funeral. During the workshop, we will review a planning guide that walks you through every aspect of the service from prayers to hymns to scripture. We’ll talk about how the Episcopal Church views death. The Episcopal Liturgy for funerals is an Easter liturgy with all its meaning found in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised. The liturgy is characterized by joy, in the certainty the “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Death is not the end of our souls. We are confident that we will rise again in glory. (BCP p.507)
Once you complete your Easter liturgy, the church will be glad to keep a copy on file and we’ll make copies for you to share with your loved ones. Your family will be grateful and relieved that you have given this gift to them - and you get to have the funeral you want.
Planning Workshop Information
The planning workshop is scheduled for Thursday, March 5 at 2 pm in the Parish Hall. Bring a friend and all your questions. Please call the church office to register so we can be sure to have enough planning booklets. If you have questions, contact Mtr. Becky at becky@ccfssi.org.
Please consider joining us - especially if you’ve come before and haven’t quite finished your plan.
Sundown on the Marsh by William R. Beebe
The Gift of Wednesday Night Formation
The Rev. Bill Barton
When I was asked to write about Christian Formation for the magazine, it was suggested that I write about my favorite Wednesday night speaker or event. So I went back to review who we have heard from this year, and we have heard from some fascinating, talented, and thoughtful folks. I couldn’t choose just one.
I enjoyed learning about people working to make our community a better place: Second Harvest and SOAR. I was awed by the artistry of Kevin Pullen and the history of the Harrington Community and the culture-keeping of the McIntosh Ring Shouters and Mary Washington. Grace Hann spoke to us about how a medieval understanding of Scripture can aid us in our own understanding of the Word of God. Jennifer Michael gave us a master class on poetry, and the Rev. Jody Howard brought us his insights into how a long Southern history of honor and shame shapes our understanding of the Gospels. Can we forget Lucky Lowe’s description of diving into the pitch-black water of the Altamaha delta
and experiencing a kind of trance-like peacefulness in that darkness? I will never think about the National Parks the same way after hearing Sam Gennawey unfold their fascinating history. “If you see a bench in a national park, sit in it. It’s there for a reason.” And just for fun, how about Advent bingo hosted by Fr. Tom and Advent Man himself? Who else gets to hear from Brian McLaren three years in a row as his views on the current state of the church and society evolve?
There will, of course, be more: we will hear about how 8,000 acres of a national treasure, the Okefenokee Swamp, were saved from the threat of heavy mineral mining and added to the National Wildlife Refuge. We will hear about hospice care and how it eases the transitions at the end of life.
So what do I like best about our Wednesday night dinners? Well, the programs are good, and the food is great too, but most of all, I simply enjoy being with the people of Christ Church. This is a thoughtful, joyful, committed community, and we enjoy each other’s company. That’s the best part for me: sharing a meal and conversation, learning something, being in one another’s company, and knowing that we can do it again next week.
See you on Wednesday nights.
Woven With Love
Our Christ Church Comforters are a devoted group within our Ministry and Outreach team whose quiet, faithful work has a powerful impact both within our parish and beyond. They create beautiful prayer shawls, baby blankets, hats, scarves, and other handmade items that serve as tangible reminders of God’s love. These gifts are more than yarn and fabric stitched together—they are expressions of care, comfort, and connection. A prayer shawl may wrap someone in warmth during illness or grief. A baby blanket may welcome a new life into our church family. Each item carries with it the prayers of the person who made it and the love of the Christ Church community.
In the project shown here, the Comforters turned their attention outward to those who often go unseen: seafarers arriving at the Port of Brunswick. Many of these men and women spend months—even years—away from home and loved ones. The Comforters crafted
warm hats and paired them with essential supplies to be distributed to these workers. While the items met practical needs, they also carried a deeper message: you are not forgotten; you are seen; you are loved.
We are proud to shine a spotlight on this meaningful project and on the many other initiatives led by our Ministry and Outreach members. Through acts both large and small, they continue to embody Christ’s call to serve, offering comfort, dignity, and hope to our parishioners and to our wider community.
Their work reminds us that sometimes the simplest gifts—a warm hat, a soft shawl, a handmade blanket— can speak the loudest of God’s love.
