| The Rector’s Metamorpho-News |
| Dearly transfigured people of God, This Sunday, we are reading about one of our favorite parables in the Gospels, the parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. Over the years, this timeless favorite has been used as an example of forgiveness and how, no matter how far we stray from God, we can always return home to God’s community. This meaning holds true and is at the heart of our Lenten reflections. At the same time, repeating a story over and over and passing into popular expressions of speech, such as “the prodigal son returns,” can cause us to take the parable for granted. To reflect more deeply on the meaning and impact of the parable of the Prodigal Son, I invite you to read it again, this time imagining you are one of the characters in the story. Ask yourself these questions: which character are you? Why do you identify with that character? Do you identify with anyone else? What kinds of surroundings do you imagine? Pay close attention to who says what and to whom. As you ask yourself these questions, think about how that changes and connects with what you have learned about the parable in the past. Does this guided reflection with the scripture challenge anything you’ve been told or heard about the story? As I prepared for this Sunday, something in my reading caught my attention. Dr. Callie Callon, a biblical scholar who published an article in the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, pointed out that one of the most scandalous things of what we think we know or assume about the prodigal son is never confirmed as being true about the prodigal son. For years, I’ve imagined the prodigal son, spending all of his family’s inheritance on sexual immorality and prostitution. However, Dr. Callon points out that it is the elder brother, the one who remained faithful to his father and did not leave home, who accuses his younger brother of spending the money on prostitution (259). How does the elder brother know? Was he there? Does the older brother have an ulterior motive, incentive to keep his younger brother from being forgiven? As is often said, consider the source. There is no doubt that the younger brother, the prodigal son, sinned against his family. There is no question that the younger brother tried to separate himself from his father’s presence. There is no dispute that the prodigal son wasted the money and sinned in doing so. Yet, the story does not confirm what all of his sins may have been. Do these kinds of accusations seem familiar? I think so. Humans are self-interested beings and, although we are also created with God’s original blessing, we still are inclined to sin because of the original sin of our ancestors, Adam and Eve. In our self-interest, we often otherize, demonize, and speculate about the ‘sins’ of those we want to exclude from community life and the life of the Church. To be clear, this does not mean that the prodigal son is innocent of the charges. In fact, Dr. Callon acknowledges that the audience of Jesus’ time would probably not have experienced these kinds of speculations as we do today (259). Yet, we should always be listening to the words written in the text of Scripture, and the words do not confirm the prodigal son’s sin of wasting money on prostitution. The parable says that the prodigal son wasted his inheritance on “dissolute living,” a term that has been interpreted as possibly referring to sexual immorality, but the phrase is not limited to sexual immorality nor does it necessitate that meaning (261). The elder brother was so focused on his younger brother that he ignored his own need to examine himself and to repent of his own sins. Although he remained faithful to the father, he sinned in pride, in holding a grudge, and in lack of mercy. When we focus on the sins of others, and make excluding them from our churches the focus on our lives, we miss out on focusing on the true center of our faith, Jesus Christ himself. Lent is a time to reflect on ourselves and acknowledge our own mistakes, as well as society’s sins committed on our behalf, and is not the time to judge and condemn our neighbors. The Church, you’ve often heard no doubt, is a hospital for sinners, not a palace for saints. The Church is home to both saints and sinners at the same time, and all of us are both saints and sinners. We are saints through our baptism and adoption into God’s family; we are sinners because of our own actions, mistakes, and ways we’ve hurt others. Lent reminds us that if we repent and ask God for forgiveness, then, we are promised forgiveness. That is all because of Jesus’ grace. We are all the elder brother, the prodigal son, and the household servants in the story. The parable is about all of us. The good news is that God the Father welcomes us home through his Son Jesus Christ who sends the Holy Spirit upon us. Blessings, Fr. Caleb |
 Photo Credit: Etcher: (?) Thomas Rowlandson (British, London 1757–1827 London), et al. Filus Prodigus (The Prodigal Son). Hand-colored etching, 1783–95. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, JSTOR, https://jstor.org/stable/community.27398569. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025. |
| 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, March 30, 2025 Fourth Sunday in Lent 8:00am (spoken service – Rite I) Please see the cream Order of Worship in the pews or click here 10:00am (choral service – Rite II) Please see the white 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 St. Patrick’s Social festivities (see article below) |
 St. Patrick’s Social Sunday, March 30 | after the 8:00am and 10:00am services Fellowship Hall We will celebrate the life and ministry of St. Patrick with Irish Cream Coffee after the 8am service and a Baked Potato Potluck after the 10am service. For the Baked Potato Potluck, please bring your favorite baked potato toppings (e.g. sour cream, bacon bits, shredded cheese, scallions, chili, etc.) to share. We will also welcome new members at both socials. |
 We now offer non-alcoholic white wine (to distinguish it from the alcoholic wine). This option is on the left side of the sanctuary near the gluten-free station. Although called wine, this non-alcoholic option is certified non-alcoholic. |
 Food Collection Superstition Community Food Bank Collected Weekly Suggested donations for this week are: canned and 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. |
| The Week Ahead |
| Monday, March 31 6:00pm Movie Night Tuesday, April 1 7:00pm Compline Wednesday, April 2 8:30am Walking on Wednesday 9:30am Morning Prayer 7:00pm Compline Thursday, April 3 10:00am Bible Study & Coffee Hour 11:45am Stations of the Cross 7:00pm Compline Saturday, April 5 9:30am Altar Guild Meeting 10:30am ECW Meeting and Potluck Sunday, April 6 8:00am Worship Service 10:00am Worship Service |
 Lenten Collection Wednesday, March 5 – Thursday, April 17 Bins in Narthex and Fellowship Hall Transfiguration Daughters of the King, in partnership with Fr. Caleb who uses one of his days off to work at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, is collecting the following NEW supplies for the Chaplaincy Department at the hospital: Bibles, Electric votive candles (+ batteries), Electric pillar candles (+ batteries), Different color highlighters, Kleenex, Different color pens (blue, black, red), New stuffed animals, Yellow legal notepads |
 Movie Night Monday, March 31 | 6:00pm Fellowship Hall Please join us for our monthly movie night in the Fellowship Hall. Bring your favorite movie snacks! We will be watching St. Patrick of Ireland at 6 pm. |
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 Book Club Friday, April 18 | 10:00am AZ time via Zoom The April Book Club will discuss Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. Sue Burrough will be the discussion leader, the Goodreads rating is 3.84, and click here for the review. A young Puritan woman–faithful, resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soul–plots her escape from a violent marriage in this riveting and propulsive historical thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant. |
 ECM Outing Thursday, April 24 | time TBD Organ Stop Pizza The Episcopal Church Men’s group invites the congregation to join them for an evening of pizza and organ music. Time TBD. |
| 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 | 7:00pm 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. Walking on Wednesday Wednesdays | 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. 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. Bible Study & Coffee Hour Thursdays | 10:00am Fellowship Hall Our Lenten bible study will be Genesis and the Book of Adam and Eve found here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/398/398-h/398-h.htm Please bring a snack to share! Stations of the Cross Thursdays | 11:45am Sanctuary During Lent, please join us for this beautiful worship service. Morning Eucharist Thursdays | 11:45am Parish House Chapel Please join us in a small group setting as we celebrate Holy Eucharist. NOTE: This service will take a break during Lent, resuming on April 17. 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 Weekly donations needed 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. For the remainder of Lent, floral arrangements will be white and green only. NOTE: When using Zelle or a check, designate ‘Altar Flowers’ in the memo field. Altar Guild Saturday, April 5 | 9:30am 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. Monthly meetings are held to plan for upcoming services, Episcopal Church Men (ECM) Tuesday, April 15 | 6:00pm Fellowship Hall All men who attend Transfiguration are included in ECM. The group meets monthly to plant future projects and socialize. If you have questions, contact John Collins at (480) 406-3121. Episcopal Church Women (ECW) Saturday, April 5 | 10:30am Fellowship Hall All women who attend Transfiguration are included in ECW. The group meets the first Saturday of each month to plan their projects and activities with a potluck lunch following the meeting. For questions, contact Peg Wier. God’s Soup Kitchen Monthly soup creations Fellowship Hall Kitchen This group prepares soups for those in need and/or homebound. For March, they prepared a delicious Pasta e Fagioli; containers are available in the Fellowship Hall kitchen freezer. Their heartfelt efforts continue to make a positive difference in the community, one delicious bowl of soup at a time. If you are interested in volunteering for this ministry, contact Miriam Waddington. Stitchery Ministry Thursday, March 27 | 1:00pm 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. No previous experience required – the group can help you learn how to knit, crochet, etc. Contact Linda Jo Johnson if you have questions. Sunday Morning Ministry 8:00am and 10:00am services We are looking for committed individuals to serve in various roles during our Sunday services. Positions available include Acolytes, Chalice Bearers, Greeters, Readers, and Counters who count the donations after the 10:00am service. These roles plays an essential part in our worship experience and help nurture the spiritual life of our community. Training and guidance will be provided to ensure you feel well-prepared and confident in your role. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the office at (480) 986-1145 or email officetransfig@gmail.com. |
| Giving |
| Second Sunday Offering Sunday, April 13 | 8:00am & 10:00am services April’s offering will be donated to Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest. providing a wealth of support for parents and families, including child & parent workshops, resource referral, SNAP and AHCCCS enrollment, developmental screenings, parenting, coaching, and education, and much more. 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 “When my will/trust is read, what will my children and grandchildren learn about my values?” If you want to learn more about making a significant impact on Transfiguration and its mission, please contact the Church Office. |
| FYI |
 Birthday Blessing The following parishioner is celebrating a birthday this week: Ron Gurnee on 3/30. Please wish him a very happy birthday and keep him in your prayers! |
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 Photos from Saturday’s ECW Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show. What a fun event! |
| Rector’s Gift Shop Narthex This wonderful space is stocked with the following gift items:In commemoration of St. Patrick’s Day, the mini statues of St. Patrick are 50% off or $6 each ($25 retail price)Prayer cards for $1Crosses for $1Small framed icons for $5Large wooden icons for $30All proceeds go to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund which supports the Welcoming Committee and New Members’ Ministry. |
 If you were unable to join us for our annual meeting and would like to see the reports, please click here to read about and celebrate our accomplishments in 2024. |
| 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 |