Splinters

by Mother Rebecca

On Tuesday, I noticed a prickling feeling on the edge of my right pointer finger. I’d been rubbing on it for most of the day, when my brain finally engaged with the dawning understanding that something was wrong. Bringing my hand toward my face and turning to allow light to shine on my finger, I readily realized what was causing the sensation. A splinter of wood had lodged itself into the layers of my skin. I’d love to be able to tell you where it came from, but I do not truly know. What I do know is that how the splinter got into my skin was far less important to me on Tuesday afternoon than how I could get it out. That was an arduous and painful process, leaving my skin even more irritated after the procedure than it was when the splinter was lodged in place. It’s taken the better part of the week for the skin to come back together – for healing and wholeness to return.

I tell you this story, because this incident – the lodging of the tiniest fragment of wood into the skin of the pointer finger on my right hand – had me reflecting all week long. At first, these reflections seemed mere mundane musings: how is it possible that something so small can create such huge pain and take so long to heal? I soon realized these musings were far from mundane. Anyone who’s ever been in relationship with another human being knows that the smallest of things – an eye roll, a murmur, an oversight – can cause deep and prolonged pain and lead to a splintering of relationship that takes a long time to heal.

All these reflections on splinters led me to the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew’s Gospel. If you haven’t read these chapters lately, please pull out your Bible and read them afresh this week. Because in the Sermon on the Mount, we meet ...

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In this E-news:

• Are You Ready for the EMF Fish Fry & Auction
• Peace Post Sunday
• VBS Food Drive
• Pride Event Sign-ups
• Last Call - Pentecost Readers
• Summer Formation: The Book of Common Prayer
• Faith vs. Force Workshop at St. Thomas
• Figs with Kids Shrimp Boil & Splash Party

• Serving Dinner at St. Judes
• Legacy of Freedom Presentation & Potluck
• Footsteps of Paul Pilgrimage
• Second Half Lunch Bunch
• Evensong for Trinity Sunday
• Newcomer Coffee Hour
• Donating Snacks for VBS
• Visit the Bookstore & the Clothes Horse

EMF Fish Fry & Silent Auction

This Weekend

Bidding opens at 4:30pm on Sunday for this year's auction. Join us in Roper Hall for fish 'n' chips, games and all sorts of fun as we try to reach our $75,000 fundraising target for grants to Fig ministries and other local causes.

All bidding is online using your own mobile device, so please visit the auction website in advance, register if you're new to it, check your information if you used it in 2023, and enter a valid credit card so that you can bid. We recommend downloading the Auctria app to your phone (leave Notifications ON so that the system will notify you if someone outbids you), but you can use your browser if you prefer by going to this link: auctria.com/auction/emf2025

At 6:00pm there will be a short live auction of some very special items, with a special guest auctioneer.

Attending in person: Entry is $10 per person or $25 for a family. Buy tickets in advance on the website or pay at the door. Four door prizes of $100 HEB gift cards will be drawn during the evening.

Can't be there in person? You'll miss a lot of fun, but you can still bid from home or from your vacation spot anywhere in the world through the website. You can also make a donation - all donations made will be matched by the EMF up to $10,000 and given equally to the children and youth ministries.

You can also browse the auction catalog on the website, which features hundreds of items, including more than 30 fantastic parties and trips, with more items being added daily. Come and find yourself a bargain!

Additionally, EMF will be accepting donations for the auction until 5:30pm on May 31, so there’s still time to organize a party or contribute items. For assistance with donations, contact Jim Kirkman (972-814-6742).

Pentecost Readers Needed

Next weekend of Pentecost, June 7 & 8, we will hear a portion of our lesson from Acts read in a cacophony of languages. If you can speak a language other than English and would like to add your voice to the mix at any of our three services, please let us know.

Contact

Fr. Ted Clarkson

Summer Formation

The Book of Common Prayer

Join Fr. Michael Merriman beginning next Sunday morning, June 8 for a class on the development of The Book of Common Prayer (1979).

Fr. Michael was a consultant to the Standing Liturgical Commission from 1973 to 1979 and also participated in the creation of the original Book of Occasional Services. During that period he was also the Chair of the Liturgical Commission of the Diocese of Dallas. After serving on congregations in Texas, California, Minnesota, and Australia (serving as chair of the diocesan liturgical commissions in all of those places), he served as Assisting Priest at the Fig from 2004 to 2016. 

This class will provide a rich overview of the origins of our prayer book and where The Episcopal Church could choose to go from here.

Faith vs. Force Workshop

Episcopal Church of St. Thomas the Apostle located at 6525 Inwood Rd, Dallas, Texas, extends a warm invitation to attend the Faith vs. Force workshop on Saturday, June 7 from 10:00am – 3:30pm. The focus will be how Christianity itself helps us fight the serious threat of Christian Nationalism. Marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, this event gathers leading theologians and faith leaders, such as Dr. Scott MacDougall, the Rev. Natalya Cherry, and the Rev. Dr. George Mason, to explore the Church's role in advancing justice, truth, and hope amid societal upheaval with courage and humility.

10:00am – 11:30am | Anchored in Faith: 1,700 years of the Nicene Creed

1:30pm – 3:30pm | Christian Nationalism Exposed: What's at Stake

Figs with Kids Shrimp Boil & Splash Party

Figs With Kids invites all families to celebrate the start of summer with a Summer Shrimp Boil and Splash Party! Join us at the Parish Pavilion on Saturday, June 7 from 4:00pm - 8:00pm for family fun featuring a splash pad and a delicious meal featuring Cajun-style shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes, along with kid-friendly food for the youngsters, and ice cream dessert.

Please register by 6:00pm on Wednesday, June 4 so we can know how many to expect.

In addition to the splash pad, the playground will be open, and we’ll have music and other entertainment. Come enjoy the fun and meet other families and kids!

Serve Dinner at St. Judes

On Tuesday, June 10 at 4:45pm you are invited to join us at St. Jude Center, located at the southeast corner of Coit and 635, where we will serve dinner to the residents. In the registration below you may sign-up to provide the food items listed and/or help us serve food. When signing up, please read the description of needed food items carefully.

Legacy of Freedom

Presentation and Potluck

Join our Racial Justice Ministry on Saturday, June 14, at 6:30pm for a presentation by Sheniqua Cummings, a historical marker researcher and descendant of the African American settler families of North Dallas. She will speak about the history of our area, including the White Rock Chapel of Addison, the White Rock Garden of Memories, and the families who settled the area after emancipation. Please bring a dish to share as we explore this hidden history of our region.

Contact

Barbara Woster

Footsteps of Paul

Pilgrimage

Transfiguration is organizing a pilgrimage through Turkey and Greece along the Apostle Paul’s missionary path. We'll visit significant sites like Istanbul, Perga, Colossae, Smyrna, and others, with three days cruising the Aegean Sea, stopping at Patmos, Santorini, and Ephesus. The pilgrimage runs from April 13-28, 2026, costing $5,100 per person plus airfare (double occupancy).

Plan to attend an informational meeting on June 15 at 10:15am in the Parlor.

Contact

Mother Rebecca

Evensong for Trinity Sunday

Transfigured Nights invites you to the closing of the 2024-2025 season on Sunday, June 15, at 5:00pm with an evensong honoring the feast of the Holy Trinity led by the Transfiguration Choir.

The canticles will be Joanna Forbes L’Estrange’s King’s College Service. H. Balfour Gardiner’s Evening Hymn will serve as the Introit, and Joel Martinson’s ethereal Ancient of All Mysteries – a setting of a poem by Frederick William Faber – will be the Anthem. The Rev. Melody Shobe will be the preacher, and a reception will follow the service in the Gathering Space.

Newcomer Coffee Hour

If you are new to Transfiguration or you just feel "new", we invite you to mark your calendar and plan to join the clergy for an informal meet and greet and Q&A on all things FIG! This will take place on Sunday June 22 at 10:15am in the Parlor.

You will get a brief history of Transfiguration, some casual conversation and a chance to meet the clergy on more personal level, get acquainted with other newcomers, and enjoy some light refreshments.

Contribute Snacks for VBS 

This year's Vacation Bible School is right around the corner and we are collecting individually wrapped snacks for our 45+ road trippers. If you would like to help out, donations can be dropped off in front of the puppet theatre located in the tower cloister beginning this Sunday through June 1.

Suggested items: Goldfish, cheez-its, fruit snacks, veggie straws, fruit bars, granola bars, animal crackers, teddy grahams, mini oreos, mini chips ahoy, etc. Only individually wrapped items, please.

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