I wrote the words below a few Holy Weeks ago, when I lived in a place that could see snow in the spring.  It's not a first-person account, though it's written like one. Well, parts of it are probably true enough, but it's fiction overall. As I found myself gazing out the window, daydreaming about the steady march of days and moments, I remembered this and thought I might as well share it in the midst of this Holy Week when a new Rambling just isn't in the cards. I pray the next few days are indeed holy for you as we march closer to the cross and beyond. 

He sat by the window with his coffee in his hands, one aged hand around the other, watching the snow. The contented sigh of the dog curled up at his feet could have been his own. His life hadn't turned out as he expected, but it had been good, nonetheless. He knows he's nearing the end. Genetics hold the key to just how close death is, but at his age, he knows he doesn't have too many winters left; but he doesn't let the mystery affect his sleep. If he were a younger man, he'd be out in the snow, just for the fun of it. There was a day when he enjoyed the silence of a snowstorm, the dampened sounds and the soft whisper of snow on snow. Today he was just as pleased to experience it from the warmth of the den.

Holy Week  

March 29 - Maundy Thursday 

12:00 pm and 6:30 pm -  Maundy Thursday Liturgy 

with footwashing

 

March 30 - Good Friday

(at St. Ignatius Chapel)

6:30 pm - Good Friday Liturgy  with Veneration of the Cross

 

Easter Services

March 31 - Holy Saturday

 

April 1 - Easter Sunday 

9:15 am - Holy Eucharist in Christ Church

9:15 am - Holy Eucharist in the Parish Hall

(10:30 am - Easter Egg Hunt on the lawn)

11:15 am - Holy Eucharist in Christ Church

From Kathleen Turner, Organist and Choirmaster

There are some pieces of music that warrant repetition. En Priere, a poem written by Stéphan Bordèse and set to music by French composer Gabrielle Faure, is one of them. The piece is from a collection of 30 Songs for Voice and Piano.

The flowering of the cross has become an Easter Day tradition at Christ Church. David Lowe and Chris Triplett begin the process by bedecking the cross outside the church entrance with spring flowers and invite the entire parish to bring blooms that they have purchased or cut in their yards to Easter Day services.  (Mr. MacGregor - aka David - will be there to assist, and he might even take a picture of you and your family as you celebrate this joyous day.) Don't forget your flower and your camera on Easter morning!

The Daughters of the King will next meet on Tuesday, April 10th, at 5:45 pm, in the Parish House. Please contact Mtr. Ashton at [email protected]  if you are interested in becoming part of this  organization or if you would like more information about them.

Episcopal Church 101 is a six-week study for anyone wishing to know more about the Episcopal Church, either in preparation for being confirmed, received or reaffirmed (wonder what the difference is among those?) or simply to answer those "why do we" questions. The class meets on Wednesdays, at 5:45 pm in the Parish Hall. If you are interested in joining this group or would like to know more, please contact Mtr. Becky at [email protected] or call the church office at 912-638-8683.

Join the Women's Study Group on Tuesdays, at 11:30 am, for their study of 24/6, written by Matthew Sleeth. The book is centered on "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." In today's 24/7 lifestyle, remembering to rest can be difficult. During this season of Lent we will focus on centering our lives on Christ and taking our Sabbath intentionally. Contact Mtr. Ashton at [email protected] if you are interested in joining the group.

The  Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take  place on the front lawn of Christ Church after the 9:15 am Easter Sunday services, on April 1, 2018. Bring your children and grandchildren, their Easter baskets and your camera for this delightful, traditional Easter event!  If you have any questions, please contact Mtr. Ashton at  [email protected] .

A newly established scholarship fund created by the Christ Church Frederica Episcopal Church Women is being inaugurated this year. Annually, the Christ Church Frederica ECW Scholarship Fund for Women will provide $2,500 to a female high school graduate pursuing a degree through an academic or technical college or university. The student must be of the Episcopal faith and hale from Glynn or McIntosh County. 

 

"Many of our Christ Church women have, over the last fifteen years, donated to this wonderful effort to establish a scholarship program for our young ladies. The fruit of our gifts will now benefit many young women with their future educational goals. In establishing this scholarship we honor those who came before us and saw this as just a dream... but now it is a reality and we could not be more pleased," noted Jane Watson, President, Episcopal Church Women.

 

Applications may be accessed via the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation website here  and are due no later than April 21, 2018. Candidates will be screened and interviewed by a scholarship committee and the award will be made in May.

(Service and Lunch $3)

 

Friday, March 30 - Day of Sacrifice

At Saint Simons Presbyterian Church

Lunch served from 11:30 am until 12:15 pm

Good Friday Vigil from 12:30 - 3:30 pm

(Worshipers may leave at 1:00 pm or stay.)

 

EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE

Sunday, April 1, at 6:30 AM at the Village Pier

Preacher - Rev. Bob Brearley

An Offering Will Be Received

Bring lawn chairs, bug spray, and warm faith!

Families! Please join the Christ Church Families Facebook group to keep up with all the latest events and activities. Find us on Facebook here !

As part of the Louchery Lecture Series, Dr. Matthew Sleeth will join us on Friday, May 4 at 7:00 pm and Saturday, May 5 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm to lead a seminar focusing on the responsibility of Christians to care for the glorious creation in which God has entrusted us. Dr. Sleeth is a graduate of George Washington University School of Medicine and has two post-doctoral fellowships. He is the author of Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action (Zondervan, April 2007), the introduction to the Green Bible (2008, HarperOne), and 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life. More information about the lectures will be available in the weeks to come.