Transfiguring Times – 1/16/25
The Rector’s Metamorpho-News 1st Row (l to r): Fr. Caleb’s baptism by the late Rev. Donald Thompson at Love of Christ Lutheran Church, Fr. Caleb’s First Communion at Love of Christ Lutheran Church with his family2nd Row (l to r): Fr. Caleb with Fr. James Coles after his Chrismation (Confirmation) in the Greek Orthodox Church of…
| The Rector’s Metamorpho-News |
  |
  |
| 1st Row (l to r): Fr. Caleb’s baptism by the late Rev. Donald Thompson at Love of Christ Lutheran Church, Fr. Caleb’s First Communion at Love of Christ Lutheran Church with his family 2nd Row (l to r): Fr. Caleb with Fr. James Coles after his Chrismation (Confirmation) in the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch, Fr. Caleb with his godparents, Bruce and Lenore, and their church |
| Dearly transfigured people of God, Last Sunday we celebrated the Theophany, or the Baptism of the Lord, during which the worship of the Holy Trinity was revealed. At Epiphany, the magi, the Zoroastrian priests who followed a star to Jesus, realized that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. At Theophany, as St. John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, the Trinity is revealed, with God the Father speaking in a loud voice, God the Son, fully human and fully God, and God the Spirit descending in the form of a dove. We worship one God in three persons who share the same divine essence. All of the baptized in the Church have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Do you remember the baptism of loved ones or, perhaps, your own baptism? Many of us were baptized as infants, but we can remember the baptism of loved ones and other parishioners. Some of us were baptized as children but were old enough to remember. Others were baptized as adolescents or adults and can remember their baptism. I invite you to reflect on your baptism, the baptismal vows made, the saving and regenerating grace that is received through the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism. If you do not remember your baptism, reflect on other baptisms you have seen and reflect on your Confirmation. In the rite of Confirmation, we make a public profession of faith and are reminded that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, an heir to God’s promises. I was baptized as a child, about 10 years old, and I can remember my baptism. I was baptized at Love of Christ Lutheran Church by the late Rev. Don Thompson. I remember the feeling of community, of being supported by the congregation, of the water being poured upon my head, and the presbyter (priest) declaring that I am forever a part of God’s family through Christ. I was chrismated (confirmed) in the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch when I was 15 years old. The priest anointed me with holy oil (or chrism) and announced that the Holy Spirit had “sealed” me as Christ’s own family. Pastor Don recently passed away, but our baptism reminds us that he has only fallen asleep in the Lord; he is alive in Christ and joins all the faithful departed in waiting for the bodily resurrection with Jesus. It is our baptism that marks that journey through eternity and our confirmation that reminds us and confirms to us that we have received the saving grace of Christ. Blessings, Fr. Caleb |
| Fr. Caleb deeply values the connection with the members of our congregation and welcomes your input. Whether it’s through office or home visits, phone calls, or email, he is here for you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any needs, or concerns, or simply want to chat. |
| This Weekend |
| Sunday, January 19, 2025 Second Sunday after the Epiphany 8:00am (spoken service – Rite II) Please see the Order of Worship in the pews or click here 10:00am (choral service – Rite II) Please see the Order of Worship in the pews or click here youtube.com/@transfigoffice7704/streams YouTube link (for streaming the 10:00am service) OR https://www.facebook.com/transfiguration.mesa Facebook link (for streaming the 10:00am service) Our Treasurer, Heidi Kinney, will give a detailed report of the 2024 financials in between the 8am and 10am services in the Fellowship Hall. We hope you can attend! |
 Book Club The January Book Club will meet on Friday, January 17 at 10am AZ time via Zoom (see link below). We will discuss The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. Lynn Graff will be the discussion leader, the Goodreads rating is 4.32, and click here for the reviewThe book club Zoom link is: Launch Book Club To enter manually: Meeting ID: 740 940 1419 Passcode: 514514 |
 We will hold a funeral service for Patricia Uplinger on Saturday, January 18 at 10am in the sanctuary. The Rev. John Church, Patricia’s son-in-law, will officiate. |
 Prayer and Reflection As a Christian community, fellowship and prayer are among the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Please, observe quietude when entering and exiting the sanctuary for worship so that members may greet one another quietly and also pray and light candles. For those in need of and seeking silence for prayer and reflection, we are opening the Parish House Chapel before each service for prayer. The Chapel will be open at 7:30am and at 9:30am respectively. Please observe silence when in the chapel so that this may be a space for those in need of silent prayer and contemplation. |
 Superstition Community Food Bank Suggested donations for this week are: canned vegetables, instant potatoes and rice. For next week: canned fruits, pudding and gelatin. You can place your donations in the basket at the back of the church or in the bin in the Fellowship Hall. |
| The Week Ahead |
| Tuesday, January 21 7:00pm Compline Wednesday, January 22 9:30am Wednesday Morning Prayer 11:00am Wednesday Morning Eucharist 7:00pm Compline Thursday, January 23 10:00am Bible Study & Coffee Hour 7:00pm Compline Sunday, January 26 9:00am Worship Service Annual Meeting and Potluck Following |
 Annual Meeting Please join us on Sunday, January 26 at 10:30am in the Fellowship Hall for our Annual Meeting and potluck lunch. We will have one service that day at 9:00am. Please bring a dish to share for the potluck! |
 Valentine Baskets Once again ECW will be raffling off Valentine baskets. Come join in the fun and creativity of putting a basket together on January 22 at 9:30am. Please bring an item or two to fill the baskets. Suggestions include wine, candy, soap, book, greeting card, candle, etc. or even something to put in a man’s basket! Raffle tickets will go on sale January 26 at the Annual Meeting and will continue the next two Sundays with the drawings on February 9 after the 10am service. If you have any questions, contact Mary Lou Lockwood at (803) 707-0730. |
 Spring Field Trip All are invited to attend a field trip to St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ on Saturday, February 8. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall at 9am for coffee and snacks and then head together to Florence. For questions, contact Wayne Smith or the Church Office. |
 Planned Giving Workshop On Saturday, February 15 from 10-11:30am, Clyde Kunz, Canon for Stewardship and Planned Giving for the Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, will conduct a planned giving workshop, The Basics of Legacy Giving in the Fellowship Hall. For more details click here. So we can make logistical arrangements, please let us know if you can attend by clicking here. |
 Spring Luncheon Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 22 for the annual ECW spring luncheon and style show. We will start selling tickets to the event on Sunday, February 16. Also, if you’re interested in providing a themed raffle basket for the event, contact Mary Hovden here. More details to come! |
| Worship & Formation |
 Compline We meet T, W and Th at 7pm via Zoom for Compline/Evening Prayer. The service is available on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. Call Barbara Press for any questions at (847) 651-1396. |
 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, contact Barbara Press at (847) 651-1396. |
 Wednesday Morning Eucharist On Wednesdays at 11am we celebrate Holy Eucharist in the Parish House Chapel. |
 Bible Study & Coffee Hour We meet on Thursdays from 10 – 11:30am in the Fellowship Hall. Please bring a snack to share. Starting January 9th we will have a new book for our Bible Study, Jesus in Egypt: Discovering the Secret of Jesus’ Child Years. We will learn about Jesus’ early life from history, scripture, and early Church legends. The book is free from Amazon Audible Audiobook and Amazon Kindle by clicking here. |
 Movie Night Our next movie night will be on Monday, January 27 at 6:00pm in the Fellowship Hall. Movie TBD. |
 A list of those on our prayer list is posted in the Narthex. Prayers are offered up at Compline, by the Daughter’s of the King, and in the Sunday Services. Please contact the Church Office with your requests and updates. |
| FYI |
 Birthday Wishes The following parishioners are celebrating a birthday this week: Catherine Schuyler on 1/16, Cathy Bishop on 1/20, Mari Fennell on 1/20, Jennifer Zakaras on 1/21, Janice Scalzo on 1/21. Please wish them well and keep them in your prayers! |
 Vestry Openings We have two vacancies (two three-year terms) on the Vestry and an incumbent (Janet Kahn) who is up for re-election. We will vote on and elect parishioners for these openings at the January 26 Annual Meeting. If you’re interested in learning more, contact Fr. Caleb. |
 If you are interested in serving in and/or supporting the following foundational ministries, please get in touch with the contact listed in each section below. 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 as a general thanksgiving. If you would like to contribute to future altar flower displays, contact our Flower Guild Director, Ruby Seyffert with your special requests. When using Zelle or a check, designate ‘Altar Flowers’ in the memo field. Altar Guild Altar Guild members care for the altar, vestments, vessels and linens under the direction of the Rector, and prepare the altar and worship space for services including weekend worship, weddings, funerals and baptisms. Contact Barbara Press to volunteer or to learn more. Episcopal Church Men (ECM) All men who attend Transfiguration are included in ECM. They typically meet the third Wednesday of each month at 6pm in the Fellowship Hall. They are also hosting a field trip to St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ on Saturday, February 8 (see earlier article). If you have any questions, contact John Collins at (480) 406-3121. Episcopal Church Women (ECW) All women who attend Transfiguration are included in ECW and invited to attend meetings and activities. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, February 1 at 10:30am in the Fellowship Hall followed by a potluck lunch. For questions, contact Peg Wier. ECW member, Caryll Prokosch, is collecting aluminum cans. You can deposit your cans in the red bin located either in the Fellowship Hall or behind the Parish House on the patio. For inquiries contact Caryll at (480) 647-8127. God’s Soup Kitchen This group meets monthly in the Fellowship Hall kitchen to prepare soup for those in need. The latest offering is Chicken Noodle Soup located in the freezer in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested in volunteering for this ministry, contact Miriam Waddington. Lay Servers Would you like to be a greeter, member of the welcome team, chalice bearer, reader, torchbearer, crucifer or help count the offerings? Contact the Church Office to learn more. Stitchery Ministry This group typically meets the second and fourth Thursday each month at 1pm in the Parish House living room to knit, crochet, sew and quilt. Our next meeting is on Thursday, January 30 at 1:00pm. In addition to giving to our own members in need, the ministry donates prayer shawls and other hand stitched items to hospitals, nursing homes, shelters and other charitable organizations. Contact Linda Jo Johnson if you have questions. |
 Second Sunday Giving On the second Sunday of each month, all loose plate collection money (not tithes) will be given to a non-profit organization selected by your Vestry. Each organization reflects the mission and values of the Transfiguration Community and the Episcopal Church. January’s donation of $375 will go to Naco Wellness Initiative which is a partnership providing health care, garden and wellness education, and economic development to the residents of Ambos Naco (Both Nacos) on the U.S.- Mexico Border in Naco, Arizona (pop. 1,100) and Naco, Sonora (pop. 5,770). Online Giving Pledging and financial gifts to the Church of The Transfiguration can be made using the following methods:For credit card or ACH gifts, you can use the QR code on the back of the weekly bulletin or this link: https://onrealm.org/EpiscopalChurchTransfiguration/GiveIf you prefer to use Zelle via your banking app, you can find the church via our email address: officetransfig@gmail.com Quarterly Financial Report Hard copies will be available in the Narthex. Planned Giving Planned Giving signifies the wise stewardship of personal resources bestowed upon us by God. Transfiguration offers various opportunities for making immediate and deferred gifts that reflect your dedication and devotion to God and our congregation. If you’re interested in exploring planned giving at Transfiguration, reference our Planned Giving brochure (online or copies in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall) or contact the Church Office. |
| Around the Diocese |
 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. |
| Clergy and Staff Fr. John Caleb Collins, Rector transfigurationrector@gmail.com; office (480) 986-1145 or mobile (480) 980-1981 (call or text) Janice Scalzo, Office Administrator transfigbookkeeper@gmail.com Eileen Chandler, Interim Music Director Office hours: M-T-W-Th. 9am – 1pm Vestry Fr. John Caleb Collins, Chair transfigurationrector@gmail.com Lynn Graff, Senior Warden lwgraff@yahoo.com Tom Kevern, Junior Warden Heidi Kinney, Treasurer churchtransfigtreasurer@gmail.com Diane Klock, Clerk John Bishop Ben Brooks Anita Joy Bob Kistler Janet Krahn Ruby Seyffert Garth Seiple Wayne Smith Jane Stoneback Social Media Tom Blum – website Fr. John Caleb Collins – Facebook page Mary Hovden – weekly e-newsletter (please send stories, announcements, photos, etc. to Mary here) Peg Wier, Joe Myshko – Worship service streaming |