News You Can Use – 11/9/23
| A Message from Fr. Caleb |
 Matthew 25:13 – “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Dear Transfiguration Community: In this week’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that the second coming of Christ is unexpected and that none of us can know the day or the hour. First, that warns us that we are to be cautious if someone tells us that they know when Jesus is going to return and exactly how He is going to do it. There is another message I see here and that is for us to always be prepared to respond to God’s call and hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to God’s people in a dynamic world. The Church undoubtedly misses the mark sometimes and we often do not reflect on the missed opportunities to participate in the new things that Christ is doing in our world. However, there are also many examples that show us how the Church can boldly proclaim the Gospel in a way that may shock some people and in a way that blazes a trail forward for new generations of Christians. This week, some members of our congregation will be heading to All Saints’ Church in Phoenix to watch a documentary, The Philadelphia Eleven, a documentary about the first women to be ordained priests in The Episcopal Church in defiance of the refusal by others to ordain women to the priesthood. In response to these women’s bold acceptance of God’s call to Holy Orders in their lives, The Episcopal Church adopted changes to formally support and allow women to be ordained in 1974. The journey did not begin there for the Anglican Communion. The first woman to serve as a priest in the Anglican Communion was the Rev. Florence Li Tim-Oi. She was ordained to the priesthood in 1944 by the Hong Kong Anglican Church. Yet, it would be another 30 years before any Anglican church officially and explicitly supported the ordination of women to the priesthood. It can often feel like meaningful change is slow, but we know that God’s will is justice and mercy for all humanity and we trust in the faith of Christ. So, we must be prepared to answer God’s call and plant the seeds in the fields knowing that it may take a generation, or more, before the Church sees the fruits of those labors. We do not know the day or the hour of Christ’s second coming, but we do know that we are to respond to Christ’s call as if that were today. Amen. Blessings, Fr. Caleb+ |
| This Sunday |
| Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost November 12, 2023Holy Eucharist Rite II, in the Sanctuary 8am (quiet without music) 10am (music with choir) Please pick up the Order of Worship in the Narthex or click here Facebook link (for streaming the 10am service): https://www.facebook.com/transfiguration.mesa OR YouTube link (for streaming the 10am service) youtube.com/@transfigoffice7704/streams Today we salute our Veterans and are forever grateful for their contributions to our freedom; we honor and appreciate their dedication to our country. Coffee, snacks and conversation follow the 8am and 10am services in the Fellowship Hall |
| The Week Ahead |
| Monday, November 13 7:00pm Compline w/ Spiritual Communion Tuesday, November 14 1:00pm Vestry Meeting 7:00pm Compline Wednesday, November 15 9:30am Morning Prayer 7:00pm Compline Thursday, November 16 8:00am ECW Rummage Sale 7:00pm Compline Friday, November 17 8:00am ECW Rummage Sale 10:00am Book Club 7:00pm Compline Saturday, November 18 8:00am ECW Rummage Sale Sunday, November 19 8:00am Worship Service 8:45am Choir Rehearsal 10:00am Worship Service Refreshments after both services |
 Stewardship Campaign We are currently at 46% of our goal in pledges; our pledge financial goal is $160,000. This Sunday is the final day for placing your pledge form in the offering basket. Next Sunday Father Caleb will do the blessing of the pledges. You can also return your pledge to the office during office hours or complete it online (link here). Please prayerfully consider what you plan to give to the church next year; the information will be used by the Treasurer and the Vestry to help determine our budget for 2024. We also want to learn what talents or time you would be willing to share with the church next year. Thank you for your continued generosity and support in time, talent and treasure! |
 Thursday Coffee Hour Please stop by for coffee & conversation in the Parish Office living room continuing at 10am on Thursday, November 9 and Thursday, November 30. This is a great opportunity for us to become better acquainted with Fr. Caleb and with each other. Coffee will be provided and you’re welcome to bring snacks. |
 Piano Recital Music director Mackenzie Marr will be giving a doctoral collaborative piano recital on Sunday, November 12 at 7:30pm in Katzin Concert Hall at Arizona State. The program will feature music by Debussy, Faure, and Barber; Mackenzie would love to see you there! If you cannot attend in person but would still like to hear the performance, it will be live streamed at the following link where it will remain available afterward as well. https://www.youtube.com/live/CX7OeNgfqVg?si=052jEAcgWnZCyh4w |
 Rummage Sale The ladies of ECW will hold their annual rummage sale on November 16, 17 and 18 (8am – 1pm all three days). Please bring your donations to the Parish Hall. If it is after office hours, please call Jo first before bringing items. For questions, contact Jo Laslo at jfaith3844@aol.com or (818) 825-3007. |
 Book Club This month’s book club discussion will be held on Friday, November 17 at 10am AZ time via Zoom. The selection for November will be The Book of Goose, a novel by Yiyun Li; our discussion leader is Jane Weichert. It is 368 pages long, the Goodreads rating is 3.74 and the link to the Goodreads review is here. |
 Angel Tree We will have the Angel Tree for Brinton School set up and decorated in the Narthex by the first Sunday of Advent on December 3. Tags will be hanging on the tree with the name of each child, their gender, age, size and their wish list. All gifts will need to be wrapped and returned with the tag attached to the package before school dismisses for the Christmas break (exact date coming soon). |
 Thursday Bible Study Starting on Thursday, December 5 at 10am in the Parish Office living room, we will begin a weekly bible study. If you are interested in leading the discussion on an occasional basis, please let Fr. Caleb know. More details coming soon! |
| Announcements |
 Road Maintenance on Broadway The Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will be applying slurry seal to seal cracks, restore lost flexibility to the pavement surface and help preserve the underlying pavement structure from Thursday, November 2 – Thursday, November 9. Work zones that will affect us are on Broadway Road, Ellsworth Road to 104th Street and Signal Butte Road to Meridian Road. Work hours are M-F, 7am to 5pm. |
 God’s Soup Kitchen God’s Soup Kitchen is seeking volunteers starting in the new year. This wonderful and fun group gathers once a month to prepare soup for the ill, the needy and the shut-ins and make such a positive impact on the community. Their latest offering is tomato basil soup located in the Fellowship Hall freezer. A HUGE shout out to Mabel and Bob Wilks and Mary Lou Lockwood for their selfless commitment over the past 5 years!! Their volunteering has made a significant difference and we couldn’t have done it without them!! |
 Name Tags Wearing your name tag in our church service can be a helpful way for people to connect and build a sense of community. It will also help Fr. Caleb get acquainted with us. If you would like a name tag, please contact the church office here. |
| Stewardship |
 3rd Quarter Financial Overview Copies of the third quarter financial overview are available for pick up at church. Did you know that financial gifts can be made via Zelle using our email address – officetransfig@gmail.com? |
 Superstition Community Food Bank Suggested donations for this week are: canned meat and peanut butter. For next week: canned vegetables, instant potatoes and rice. Please place items in the basket at the back of the church. |
| Worship |
 Sunday Servers Would you like to be a greeter, chalice bearer, reader, torchbearer, crucifer or help count the offerings? If so, please contact Janice Scalzo so she can arrange for training and schedule you to serve. |
 Altar Flowers Altar flowers can be dedicated in honor of special life events such as birthdays and anniversaries, in memory of a loved one or just as a general thanksgiving. If you would like to contribute to future altar flower displays, please contact the Church Office, use Zelle or put “Altar Flowers” in the memo when placing your check in the offering plate. |
 Choir Come make a joyful noise! We rehearse on Sundays at 8:45am, before the 10am service. If you are interested in singing in the choir, please reach out to Mackenzie Marr for more information. All are welcome to join! |
 Compline Come pray with us! We meet M-F at 7pm via Zoom for Compline/Evening Prayer. The service is available on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. For additional information, please contact Thomas Blum. |
 Morning Prayer Please join us every Wednesday morning at 9:30am via Zoom to prayerfully start the day. The service is available on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. For additional information, please contact Ann Williamson. |
| Second Sunday Giving |
| On the second Sunday of every month all loose plate collection money (not tithes) will be given to several non-profit organizations. These organizations were selected by your Vestry because they reflect the mission and values of the Transfiguration Community and The Episcopal Church. For a complete list click here. November collection: RIP Medical Debt |
 RIP Medical Debt uses your donations to purchase bundled medical debt portfolios from hospitals and on the secondary debt market, and then forgives that debt at pennies on the dollar. |
| Diocesan News |
 Annual Diocesan Convention Review The 63rd Annual Diocesan Convention took place on October 17th & 21st, 2023. Click the link below to see the full review of the convention along with photos and videos. Annual Diocesan Convention Review |
 Diocesan Publications Please contact the church office if you would like to receive the Arizona Episcopalian, a free quarterly publication from the Diocese. To sign up for the weekly Diocesan email E-Pistle click here. |
| Who We Are |
 The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration is an open and affirming Christian community in the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement. We acknowledge the living culture of the Salt River Pima and Maricopa people, the traditional custodians of the land we stand on, and pay tribute to the unique role they play in the life of this region. We are a member of the Union of Black Episcopalians, whose mission is “to unite the diverse cultures, concerns and gifts of Black Episcopalians by providing preparation and encouragement for living the Baptismal Covenant and fully participating in the mission and governance of The Episcopal Church.” |
| Clergy and Staff Fr. John Caleb Collins, Rector transfigurationrector@gmail.com; office (480) 986-1145 or mobile (480) 980-1981 (call or text) Mackenzie Marr, Music Director www.mackenzielynmarr.com Linda Ostmeyer, Office Manager officetransfig@gmail.com Janice Scalzo, Bookkeeper transfigbookkeeper@gmail.com Office hours: M-T-W-Th. 9am – 1pm Vestry Lynn Graff, Senior Warden lwgraff@yahoo.com; mobile (480) 201-2939 Heidi Kinney, Treasurer churchtransfigtreasurer@gmail.com Diane Klock, Clerk John Bishop Ellen Jackelen Bob Kistler Barbara Press Garth Seiple Jane Stoneback Peg Wier Social Media Tom Blum & Ben Brooks – website Tom Blum, Jo Laslo & Bill Robinson – Facebook page Mary Hovden – News You Can Use e-newsletter (please send stories, announcements, photos, etc. to Mary here) Peg Wier – Worship service streaming Lynn Graff – Vestry liaison |