Transfiguring Times – 2/6/25
The Rector’s Metamorpho-News Sts. Augani and Ahrakas, the martyrs Dearly transfigured people of God, Repentance. Redemption. These are two words that are close to the heart of every Christian believer. All disciples of Jesus, through all generations, have received the Good News that if we repent of the wrongs we have done, those done on…
| The Rector’s Metamorpho-News |
 Sts. Augani and Ahrakas, the martyrs Dearly transfigured people of God, Repentance. Redemption. These are two words that are close to the heart of every Christian believer. All disciples of Jesus, through all generations, have received the Good News that if we repent of the wrongs we have done, those done on our behalf, and of those things we failed to do, then, we receive God’s unconditional forgiveness. This is sometimes a difficult message for the world to receive, for a variety of reasons. Sin a word with a lot of baggage onto which people project many feelings. The word for ‘sin’ in the Greek New Testament is derived from the word ᾰ̔μᾰρτᾰ́νω, “amartano,” meaning “to miss the mark,” “to fail,” and “to do wrong” I think we are familiar with these meanings about ‘sin.’ However, the Greek word also carries another meaning; it can mean “to be deprived of” and “to lose.” This meaning and reading of the word, “sin,” is poking and prodding at me as I prepare for this Sunday’s sermon. How might the world hear the message of repentance if we talked more about this depth of the word, ‘sin?’ Sin is not only doing wrong; it is also the consequences of evil in the world, loss, loneliness, and emptiness. We are hungry for fulfillment, truth, and wholeness. This Sunday’s Gospel includes this passage about Peter, from Luke 5:1-11, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” Up until this week, when I have seen this verse, I imagine Peter saying, “Go away from me, Lord, because I miss the mark and I do wrong.” That is not an inaccurate reading; however, my reflection about the other meanings of “to sin” or “amartano” caused me some new wonderment. What if we read the text like this? Peter: “Go away from me, Lord, because I am deprived of what I need and I have lost so much.” And, what does Jesus do? He embraces Peter. He tells Peter and the new disciples that they are going to help him to FILL the net, to fill the world with what it desperately needs. Redemption. Right now, for our Bible Study, we are studying about Jesus’ childhood in Egypt using both the scriptures and texts to help us explore where the scriptures are silent. We are learning about legends of Jesus’ childhood and miracles as believed in the Coptic Church, the ancient Christian church in Egypt (Coptic just means Egyptian in the Coptic language, the indigenous language of Egypt). One of the Coptic legends about saints is about the family of St. Mercurius, a martyr for Christ. According to the legend, two jackal-headed warriors killed and ate the grandfather of Mercurius. They were going to kill Mercurius’ father when an angel surrounded them with a ring of fire; upon seeing the power of God, the two jackal-headed warriors repented and turned to Christ. To show their repentance and faithfulness, they became the bodyguards of Mercurius’ father and later St. Mercurius himself, even accompanying him in battles when he was enlisted as a soldier in the Roman Empire. This strange tale is not so strange in Egypt. The jackal head represents “death,” like the jackal-headed pagan god of death, ‘Anubis.’ Could it also be that their hunger represents their longing, their deprivation and loss? They were trying to fill the void. After seeing the power of God and love of God for God’s people, they repented and turned to Christ. In the icon, or holy image, of the two saints, Aughani and Ahrakas, they are turning cheerfully away from sin and to a fruiting pear tree, representing the Tree of Life. In the Tree of Life, we are fed with the food that fills us and because of which we will never hunger again. For us, Christ gives us the Sacrament of Holy Communion, feeding us with the Real Presence of the body and blood 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, February 9, 2025 Fifth 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) Join us after the service in the Fellowship Hall for coffee, snacks and conversation! |
 Spring Field Trip Saturday, February 8 | 9am Fellowship Hall & Florence, AZ All are invited to attend a field trip to St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence. Before we depart, we’ll meet for coffee and snacks and then carpool to Florence. Please check out this link for what to wear while at the monastery. For questions, contact Wayne Smith or the Church Office. |
 Valentine Baskets Sunday, February 9 | 11:30am drawing Fellowship Hall Raffle tickets for the beautiful ECW Valentine baskets will be sold after both services with the drawing after the second service. If you have any questions, contact Mary Lou at (803) 707-0730. |
 Weekly Food Collection Superstition Community Food Bank Suggested donations for this week are: canned or dehydrated soups. For next week: canned meat and peanut butter. You can place your donations in the basket at the back of the church or in the bin in the Fellowship Hall. There were 107 lbs. of goods donated in January. Thank you to Christine Farrell for her help in delivering our donations! |
| The Week Ahead |
| Tuesday, February 11 4:30pm Vestry Meeting 7:00pm Compline Wednesday, February 12 8:30am Walking on Wednesday 9:30am Wednesday Morning Prayer 7:00pm Compline Thursday, February 13 10:00am Bible Study & Coffee Hour 1:00pm Stitchery Ministry 7:00pm Compline Saturday, February 15 9:00am Chili Farm Planting 10:00am Planned Giving Workshop Sunday, February 16 8:00am Worship Service 10:00am Worship Service |
 Walking on Wednesday Wednesday, February 12 | 8:30am Apache Junction Library You are invited for a walk in the desert! We will walk for about 45 minutes on fairly level dirt paths on land belonging to the city park. Meet us in the parking lot behind the Apache Junction Library on Idaho. Lynn Graff and Laura Whayne will be there to guide you. Future plans, times, ideas are open for discussion. Contact Lynn Graff if you have questions or suggestions. |
 Crazy Chile Farm Saturday, February 15 | 9am – 12noon Field behind Fellowship Hall Chile seedlings are ready to go, maize (aka corn) and sorghum will be planted from seed. Lunch will be provided. Please let Bill Robinson know if you’re able to help. For additional information about these workdays, click here. |
 Planned Giving Workshop Saturday, February 15 | 10 – 11:30am Fellowship Hall 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. For more details click here. So we can make logistical arrangements, please let us know if you can attend by clicking here. |
 Book Club Friday, February 21 | 10am AZ time via Zoom The February Book Club will discuss Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Linda Soper will be the discussion leader, the Goodreads rating is 4.33, and click here for the review. |
 Secret Prayer Sister Reveal Saturday, February 22 | 11:30am Fellowship Hall Come and let your sister know who’s been praying for her, enjoy lunch and have some fun together! Fr. Caleb will be joining us too! Please bring a wrapped gift for your sister with a maximum value of $25. On the outside of the package, include a few clues to help her guess your identity. The big reveal will happen when she opens the gift where your identity will be revealed inside! For the ‘Secret Garden’ luncheon sign up, contact Jo at (818) 825-3007 or Barbara at (847) 651-1396. |
 Spring Luncheon & Style Show Saturday, March 22 | 10am – 2pm Fellowship Hall Mark your calendars for for the annual ECW spring luncheon and style show. We will start selling tickets to the event on Sunday, February 16. More details to come! |
| Worship & Formation |
| Prayer and Reflection Sundays | 7:30am and 9:30am Parish House Chapel 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. Please observe silence when in the chapel so that this may be a space for those in need of silent prayer and contemplation. Compline Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays | 7pm via Zoom Compline/Evening Prayer is held via ZOOM. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. Contact Barbara Press with questions at (847) 651-1396. Morning Prayer Wednesdays | 9:30am via Zoom Please join us via ZOOM to prayerfully start the day. Meeting ID: 740-940-1419. Passcode: 514 514. Contact Barbara Press at (847) 651-1396 for questions. Morning Eucharist Wednesdays | 11am Parish House Chapel Please join us in a small group setting as we celebrate Holy Eucharist. NOTE: We will not meet on Wednesday, February 12 as Fr. Caleb will be at Chapel Rock. Bible Study & Coffee Hour Thursdays | 10am Fellowship Hall We are studying 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. Please bring a snack to share! Prayer Requests 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. |
| Ministries |
| 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 donate altar flowers, please sing-up on the flower sheet posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Ruby Seyffert will then reach out to you regarding any special requests. NOTE: When using Zelle or a check, designate ‘Altar Flowers’ in the memo field. Altar Guild Monthly Sanctuary Sacristy 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) Wednesday, February 19 | 6pm Organ Stop Pizza (Stapley and US 60) All men who attend Transfiguration are included in ECM. The February meeting will focus on planning for the rest of the year. If you have any questions, contact John Collins at (480) 406-3121. Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Saturday, March 1 | 10:30am Fellowship Hall All women who attend Transfiguration are included in ECW. This vibrant group meets the first Saturday of each month to plan their projects and activities – a potluck lunch follows. For questions, contact Peg Wier. God’s Soup Kitchen Monthly Fellowship Hall Kitchen This group meets monthly to prepare delicious soups for those in need. The latest offering is Chicken Taco Soup (gluten free) located in the freezer in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested in volunteering for this ministry, contact Miriam Waddington. Stitchery Ministry Thursday, February 13 | 1pm Parish House This group meets the second and fourth Thursday each month to knit, crochet, sew and quilt. 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. 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. |
| Giving |
| Second Sunday Offering Sunday, February 9 | 8am & 10am services All loose plate collection money (not pledges) this Sunday will be donated to Camp Genesis at Chapel Rock. The mission of Camp Genesis is to create a safe space for children who have had or have an incarcerated parent to have fun, grow in self-esteem and encounter Christ. 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 Planned Giving Planned/legacy 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. |
| FYI |
 The God’s Soup Kitchen Ministry team met this past Tuesday to prepare delicious chicken taco soup. What a wonderful and giving group!! |
 Thank You!! Because of Doug Wynn’s unwavering commitment to Transfiguration and his numerous contributions, we are honored to recognize him by appointing him as Deputy Warden! We deeply appreciate all you do for us Doug! Doug is holding the cross and serving as crucifer in this photo. |
 Annual Meeting If you were unable to join us for our annual meeting and would like to see all the reports, please click here to read about and celebrate our accomplishments in 2024. |
 Birthday Blessing The following parishioner is celebrating a birthday this week: Ally Robertson on 2/12. Please wish her a very happy birthday and keep her in your prayers! |
| Around the Diocese |
 Diocesan Publication 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 Wayne Smith, Senior Warden (480) 245-9310 wsmith17@cox.net Tom Kevern, Junior Warden keverntom@gmail.com Heidi Kinney, Treasurer churchtransfigtreasurer@gmail.com Diane Klock, Clerk Ben Brooks Anita Joy Bob Kistler Janet Krahn Jo Laslo Joe Myshko Ruby Seyffert Garth Seiple 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, Frank George IV – worship service streaming |