Mud In Our Eyes

by Father Casey

One day as Jesus was walking along with his disciples, they noticed a blind man by the side of the road. The disciples assumed the man had done something wrong to deserve his blindness, or perhaps it was his parents’ fault. Jesus replied with a lesson for us all: stop with the blame game. Stop with all the simplistic and self-righteous explanations for suffering. Some hard things are the way they are not because someone sinned, or because God is angry, but for deeper reasons that defy our easy understanding.

I know how badly we want things to make sense. We want bad things to happen to bad people (i.e. other people), and good things to happen to good people (i.e. us). When we get a challenging diagnosis, we wonder what we did to “deserve” it. When a tragedy happens, we wonder “why me”? When something awful happens to someone else, isn’t there a ripple of a thought that says, “I wonder what they did?” But there is not always an easy answer for why things are the way they are. There is not always someone to blame, and our impulse to easily understand can prevent us from the hard and holy work of moving forward.

In the story, even after Jesus makes it clear that the blind man is not to blame for his condition, the path toward sight is not straightforward or clean. There is a miracle, but it is messy. Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud with his fingers, and smears the mud on ...

Faithful Departed

Doris Philips

We mourn the death of Doris Philips, longtime nursery worker and director, who died on March 9. For over two decades, Doris loved the children of Transfiguration as her own, and many in our community left their infants for the first time in the care of another person with Doris. She left the staff in 2021 but has remained beloved here. There will be a private funeral.

Rest eternal grant to her, O Lord.

And let light perpetual shine upon her.

May Doris' soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and rise in glory.

In this E-news:

Sunday Bible Study in Lent
Help Stock the Little Pantry
Wednesdays – The Idol of Family
Art Music Monday
Austin Street on Wednesday
EMF Parish Wide Shrimp Boil
SWANS meet March 21
Gateway of Grace Easter Baskets
Submit Easter Dedications Now
Holy Week ScheduleHoly Week

Retreat with Scott Gunn
Carter Blood Drive
Figs With Kids Potluck & Game Night
Volunteer for Guns to Gardens
Lent Is For Kids, Too
VBS - June 1 - June 5
Children's Chapel
Children's & Youth Formation
Support St. Hilda's Guild

This Weekend

Sunday Bible Study

Sundays throughout Lent, our Lenten Sunday Morning Small Group Bible Study continues. These small groups enable us to dig deeper into the concept of idols in our lives. Join us in Roper Hall beginning at 10:15am. Please note that this class is only available as in in-person class.

Help Stock our

Little Pantry

Help us keep the little free pantry outside the church entrance stocked with critical supplies for our neighbors in need.

We need individuals or families to sign-up to be responsible for a week at a time starting with the month of March through June. There are several week slots coming up that need volunteers.

Learn more and sign up using the button below.

Sign-up Here

This Week at the Fig

View Our Lenten Schedule

The Idol of Family

Wednesday, March 18 at 7:00pm

The Rev. Melody Wilson Shobe,

Chief of Staff & Ministry Operations at Forward Movement

Our family is a gift from God, people with whom we share our lives most intimately. There is virtue in being devoted to our family, but there is also danger when we confuse our devotion to our families with devotion to the Almighty. How might we be loving our children or our parents in ways that are actually a barrier to loving God more wholeheartedly?

The Rev. Melody Wilson Shobe is an Episcopal priest who has served churches in Rhode Island and Texas. A graduate of Tufts University and Virginia Theological Seminary, Melody serves as the Chief of Staff and Ministry Operations at Forward Movement and as Associate for Children and Families at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Dallas. Melody spends her spare time reading, quilting, hiking, playing board games, and being with her spouse and amazing kids.

Join us for the full evening program:

5:00pm – Stations of the Cross

6:00pm – Holy Eucharist

6:30pm – Lenten Meal

7:00pm – Guest Speaker

8:00pm – Compline (Click to View)

View Full Speaker Line-up and Previous Recordings

Art Music Monday

Transfigured Nights presents the next Art Music concert on Monday, March 16 at 7:30pm in the Performance Hall. The program will include Dallas composer Jonathan Cziner’s Lunaris, Nadia Boulanger’s Three Pieces for Cello & Piano, and Chopin’s Piano Trio in G minor, Opus 8. Performers are Maria Schleuning, violin, Gayane Manasjan Fullford, cello, and Liudmila Georgievskaya, piano. The program is free and includes light desserts at intermission. Since these concerts have become exceedingly popular, and seating is limited, it is recommended to arrive by 7:15 pm.

Austin Street Is Wednesday

Our monthly dinner service for the clients at Austin Street is this Wednesday, March 18. This rewarding ministry is open to all at Transfiguration. To participate and to learn more, click the button below.

Sign-up to Learn More & Serve

EMF Shrimp Boil Sign-Up

Episcopal Men’s Fellowship

March Parish-Wide Dinner

Thursday, March 19, 6:30pm

Come join us for a shrimp broil with bread pudding for dessert and hear Mtr. Maddie Hill speak!

$25 per person.

Sign-Up / Pay to Attend

SWANS Monthly Meeting

The Single Women Living Alone Network) will hold their monthly meeting this Saturday, March 21 from 4:00pm to 5:15pm in the Library. If you are a single woman living alone. this group welcomes you to a supportive and encouraging fellowship.

Easter Baskets for Gateway of Grace

Our Outreach ministry offers you an opportunity bring Easter joy to the children at Gateway of Grace by assembling Easter Baskets. You can be a part of this ministry by donating items we need for the Gateway of Grace Easter Family Fun Day.

Items needed are:

Empty Easter baskets
Filled plastic eggs
Individual packaged snacks – cookies, chips, crackers (candy must be Halal, no marshmallows or gelatin)
Filled Easter baskets (no toys – max. value $25 / suggested items – crayons, coloring books, stickers)

Drop off your gifts at the Outreach Table in the Tower Cloister now through Sunday, March 22.

Planning for Holy Week

Make Your Easter Dedications Now

It's time to make your Easter Dedications of Flowers, Music, and Butterflies. Please make your dedications no later than April 1 so that we have time get them into our Easter service booklets.

Make Flower, Music, & Butterfly Dedications Here

Holy Week at The Fig

As we enter the later portion of our Lenten journey toward Easter, start making your plans to participate with your Fig Family in the milestones of our Faith in Holy Week. More details will be arriving in your mailbox soon, but for now, please note these key dates:

Palm Sunday

Saturday | March 28 at 5:30pm

Sunday | March 29 at 9:00am & 11:15am

Monday & Tuesday | March 30 & 31

Holy Eucharist at 12:00noon

Wednesday in Holy Week | April 1

Holy Eucharist at 12:00noon

The Passion Experience for Families at 6:00pm [SIGN-UP]

Tenebrae at 7:00pm

The Triduum

Maundy Thursday | April 2

Soup Supper by Open Door at 5:00pm

Eucharist & Foot Washing at 7:00pm

Vigil before the Sacrament overnight [SIGN-UP]

Good Friday | April 3

Good Friday Service at 12:00noon

Stations of the Cross in the Nave at 2:30pm

Stations of the Cross for Families & Children at 5:30pm

The Great Vigil of Easter | April 4 at 8:00pm

Break The Fast Celebration following [See Below]

Easter Day | April 5

Easter Eucharist at 9:00am & 11:15am

Children's Easter Eucharist at 9:30am

Butterfly Release at 10:30am

View Full Holy Week Details Here

Sign-Up Today

Following the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday, it is a long standing tradition to continue our celebration as the long lenten fast is ended. Join in helping to make this event truly joyful. Use the buttons below to make your contribution whether it is of food for the event or a monetary contribution.

Sign-up to Bring Food Here

Make a Monetary Contribution

Holy Week Retreat with Scott Gunn

St. David's Denton invites you to a Holy Week Retreat with Fr. Scott Gunn, Executive Director of Forward Movement, on Saturday, March 28 from 9:00am - noon. Fr. Gunn will talk about what happens in each liturgy and why it matters for us today as disciples of Jesus. Whether this is your first Holy Week or your 90th, this interactive retreat will offer new insights on the mystery of our redemption. The event is free and open to the whole diocese. Childcare available through age 4.

Click Here to Register

Future Events

Give the Gift of Life

Carter Blood Drive Help save lives by donating blood. The Carter Blood Care Bloodmobile will be in Transfiguration’s parking lot on Sunday, March 22, from 10:00am - 2:00pm.

Sign-up to Give

Figs With Kids Potluck & Game Night

Join Figs with Kids, our ministry for families with young children, for a an evening of food, fun, and relaxed fellowship at the Transfiguration Youth Center on Friday, March 27 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm! Figs With Kids is hosting a Family Game Night and Potluck, and we’d love for your family to be there.

Bring a favorite dish or snack to share, and don’t forget to bring a game or activity your family enjoys. We’ll provide pizza and drinks, so come ready to eat, play, and connect.

Whether you’re competitive or just in it for the laughs, it’s a great chance to spend time together and build community with other families. All ages are welcome!

Volunteer with
Guns to Gardens

On April 18, Transfiguration will once again co-sponsor Guns to Gardens, at which the Biblical vision of “swords into plowshares” will come to life (Micah 4:3). The next event will be held at Royal Lane Baptist Church, and it will closely resemble the event held here last September. At G2G, owners of unwanted firearms can safely surrender them to be chopped into parts and transformed into garden tools.

Volunteers are essential, especially people who can operate a chop saw or have received gun safety training. Contact Fr. Casey with questions or to find out how you can help.

Contact

Fr. Casey

From the Vestry

Setting Our Future Goals

At the vestry retreat, your Vestry, in coordination with staff, established a series of key goals as they plan for the future. Take a few minutes to review these goals and reach out to any of your vestry members if you have questions.

View the Vestry Goals

Lent Is For Kids, Too

There are so many special events planned for the children of Transfiguration that we cannot list them all here. Pay special attention to the upcoming events planned for Holy Week such as the unforgettable Passion Experience for children and their parents. You can read the full Children's E-news detailing all the lenten and Holy Week events by clicking the button below:

Read Children's E-news for Lent

VBS - Save the Date

Monday, June 1 - Friday, June 5

9:00am - Noon each day

Children's Chapel

In Children’s Chapel kids are able to experience scripture, prayer, song, and worship in a way they can understand and enjoy. Children are able to attend this service while parents attend the regular Sunday Holy Eucharist at 9:00am. We meet on in the Gathering Space prior to the service.

Children's Formation

Wee Wonder shares God’s love with our youngest children by introducing them to God through song, action rhymes, Bible stories and responsive play. It is open to children agest 2-3.

Godly Play is a Montessori-based curriculum for children 4 years-old through 5th grade that follows the pattern of Christian worship and our church seasonal calendar. It teaches children religious language through sacred stories, parables and liturgical action, as well as enhances their spiritual experience through wonder and responsive play.

Youth

Formation

Formation for our Youth (grades 6-12) takes place in the Youth Center from 10:15am - 11:15am on Sunday morning.

Crossover on Wednesdays at 6:30pm is a time for our Youth (6th – 12th grade) to unwind from the stresses of growing up. The core of Crossover is Food, Faith, Fellowship, and Fun. Crossover is a dynamic group, and an excellent way to be involved and grow in the life of the Transfiguration Community.