More Than A Barcode Faith

by Fr. Casey

This weekend our gospel features what is almost certainly the most famous verse in the New Testament: John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

As familiar as these words may be, overuse may have removed most of their power. Many Christians take the story of Nicodemus, in which this verse appears, and package it as though all Jesus really cares about is a single decision. All you have to do is recite a formula in which you declare your belief in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, and then, poof, it happens. You get your ticket to heaven punched.

The writer Dallas Willard compares this version of the faith to a grocery store bar code. When we profess belief in Christ and say the “magic words,” God simply changes our bar code, so that when we die and arrive at the pearly gates, the heavenly scanner will register us as the brand of person who gets let in.

But when you really examine the stories of Jesus in the gospels, including this one, you see that he was far less concerned with what happens when we die than he was with the shape and meaning and depth of our life. Or, as the writer Rob Bell puts it...

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Last weekend our Lenten Program launched laying the foundation for our Journey toward Holy Week and Easter. Join us this weekend, and throughout the week, for outstanding opportunities to grow deeper in your faith.

Children & Youth Wednesdays

Children and Youth have a series of activities planned for Wednesday evenings focused on their own exploration of The Saint John's Bible including creating their own illuminations, prayers, and poems.

Childcare is available with Registration. Click the button to see all details and registration opportunities.

The First Sunday of the Month

As is our monthly tradition, the first Sunday of each month offers you these opportunities:

Parish Nurses Health Screening

in the Library before and after services provides blood pressure checks and consultation.

Vestry Meet & Greet

Vestry members are available in the Gathering Space. Meet our parish leaders and share your thoughts and questions.

Peace Post Sunday

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship gathers to write our elected officials concerning important matters. Join us in the staff offices from 10:00am - 1:30pm

Blood Drive Sign-up

This Sunday, March 5, Carter BloodCare will be on-site at Transfiguration. We are teaming up to help our neighbors who are in need of blood. Help save a life by donating blood. Sign up online to schedule an appointment to donate between 10:00am and 2:00pm.

St. E's Potluck on Thursday

St. Elizabeth's will be hosting their monthly potluck supper on Thursday, March 9 at 6:00pm in the Parlor. If you wish to attend, please register as soon as possible so we can plan accordingly. All members of the parish are welcome, especially new folks among us. This is a great opportunity to meet new people and fellow members at the Fig!

Civil Rights Pilgrimage Begins

Youth and Adults of the Parish will depart on their pilgrimage to sites that instruct and transform one's understanding of the struggle for civil rights and human dignity this Friday, March 10. Please keep our pilgrims in your prayers throughout their journey.

Next Saturday night, March 11, Daylight Saving Time begins. Don't forget to set your clock ahead 1 hour so you won't miss Church on Sunday, March 12.

Join us for a special Sunday Evening event, Sunday March 12 at 5:00pm. We will be honored to host The Beatitudes with the Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, Vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London.

EMF March Meeting

The Episcopal Men's Fellowship welcomes all adult parishioners at 6:30PM on Thursday, March 16 in Roper Hall for their monthly dinner meeting.  This month the featured speaker is TOM HULSEY, heart disease and cancer survivor, Ironman triathlete, and author. We would love for you to join us. Cost is $20 per person, or $30 per couple. Click the button below to let us know you are coming.

Help the Butterflies Fly

On Easter Morning at 10:30am, to the delight of Children and Adults alike, we will release butterflies as visible symbols of The Resurrection. You can be a part of what has become a beloved custom by contributing to the butterfly release fund today.

Flower & Music Dedications

Memorial and thanksgiving gifts are welcome toward the music and Easter decorations. The church will be adorned during Easter, and we have a brass quintet and timpani to enrich our services.

Find a Donations for Special Occasions envelope in the Gathering Space or visit the link below to make special donations for flowers and music. Please make your dedications by March 31.

Break The Fast Volunteers Needed

Following the Easter Vigil on April 8, we will celebrate with the return of the Break The Fast party. For newer members and those who forgot over the pandemic, this is a potluck supper to celebrate the arrival of Easter and the end or our Lenten Fast. Everyone is invited to stay after the Vigil, have a late dinner, and enjoy socializing with all your church friends. The food and beverages for this event are donated by generous parishioners rather than paid for by the Church. Sign up now to contribute to the success of this celebration. Sign up sheets will be available at the Wednesday Lenten series and also in the Gathering Space for the next five weeks. Since the Roper Hall Kitchen may not be complete by Easter, all food will need to be prepared and plated in advance. Volunteers are needed to help with set up, serving during the party and clean up following.

For more info and to volunteer, contact:

Judy Loveday-Corbett or Liz Kerner

Fellowship of the Fig

The Fellowship of the Fig, our ministry for the 20 - 30 age group, has been forged! They had a great time meeting everyone at Game Night last Friday! More events are coming your way, so the best way to keep track is through their social media accounts:

Facebook - facebook.com/TransfigurationYAM,

Instagram - @transfigurationyam, 

or by joining their Discord server.

You can reach the Fellowship on their social media pages or contact them here for info and to join the server:

Colleen Carson or Kellan Reid (they/them) 

Questions About Budget

We’ve received some questions about the state of our parish finances and our 2023 budget. So we assembled a few FAQs in hopes of helping everyone know the essential information.

You are also encouraged to watch the presentation to Annual Meeting by Lacey Garcia, Chair of the Budget, Finance, and Administration Committee. The FAQ page also contains links to various resources and actions you can take.

Children & Youth Illuminating The Word

We invite all children of the parish to join us on Wednesdays in Lent beginning March 1 to create our own version of The Saint John’s Bible. Children will use scripture to create their own beautiful art and illuminations. We will combine all our works in to one collection to share with the congregation and use during Children’s Chapel.

Our older Youth will engage in creating poems, devotions, and prayers based on Lenten readings from The Saint John’s Bible. 

Childcare will be available during our Wednesday evening activities but registration is needed so we can prepare.

For full details on all offerings for Children, Youth, and Adults and to register for Childcare visit our Lenten Page.

The Passion Experience for Families

Sunday, April 2, 2023 | 4:00pm to 6:00pm | Pizza Picnic 

Kids and their families are invited to experience an amazing and thought-provoking Easter journey together. On this family mini retreat, you will experience the excitement surrounding Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, the significance of the Last Supper, the darkness at Gethsemane, the confusion of Good Friday, the silence of Holy Saturday and the Joy of Easter. Families will walk together from station to station, experiencing this journey that provides opportunities for families to discuss their faith. We ask families attending to bring a picnic blanket that will be used at each station and for our pizza picnic at the close of our time together. Childcare provided. For questions, contact Allison Blalock.

Please RSVP Now for this event to help with our planning. 

Shop Our Bookstore

The Kay Andrew's Bookstore & Gift Shop offers Christian Books and Gifts. 

Store Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10:00am - 2:00pm

Sundays from 8:00am – 1:00pm.

All proceeds benefit St. Hilda's Guild and our church's ministries.

For questions about books or gifts, contact Carolyn by phone at

(972) 231-1634.

Visit The

Clothes Horse

The Clothes Horse is a resale shop providing the community with a place to donate gently worn clothing and offering budget-minded customers a source of reasonably-priced, good-quality apparel.

They are open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00am until 2:00pm.

Clothing donations are accepted at any time the shop is open.

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