The Center That Can Hold

by Father Casey

For our Taizé service on the labyrinth back in Advent, Mother Maddie selected a poem by the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats entitled “Second Coming.”1 In the tradition of truly great poetry, it requires slow and careful reading. This isn’t a simple poem to be quickly read, but a thing to be patiently pondered and even prayed. Which may be why I’ve come back to it several times since Advent, and in particular, to its first three lines.

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold

Penned over a century ago, these verses remain timeless. The world seems to spin faster and faster, a whirl of noise and motion. The speed of life seems only to accelerate, and there are too few voices in the crowd asking to tap the brakes. And so we struggle to hear our true master, the one on whose arm we are safe to land. Instead, we become tethered to things that cannot hold us, to things that ought not be at the center of our “gyre.” We attach ourselves to...

Faithful Departed

Minnie Ruth Harper

We mourn the death of Minnie Ruth Harper on February 25. Minnie was a beloved member of our church for the last 15 years, and served for nearly a decade on the Altar Guild. A Requiem Eucharist will be held on Saturday, March 21, at 11am.

In this E-news:

Sunday Bible Study in Lent
Wednesdays in Lent – The Idol of Busyness
Young Adults Brunch
Lost & Found
Transfigured Nights Concert
Gateway of Grace Easter Baskets
From the Vestry
Lent Madness
Ubuntu Up-Close Pilgrimage Deposits
Women's Thursday Evening Book Group

Lenten Journey Offered
Taizé in Lent
Dallas Pride Planning Committee Forms
The Ramp Project March Event
St. Jude March Meal Service
Considering Matthew Shepard
Lent Is For Kids, Too
VBS - June 1 - June 5
Children's Chapel
Children's & Youth Formation
Support St. Hilda's Guild

This Weekend & Week

View Our Lenten Schedule

Sunday

Bible Study

This Sunday, March 1 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.

Wednesday Evenings

Wednesday, March 4 is our third guest speaker and the second Wednesday in Lent for our Modern Idols series. Come 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)

This Wednesday Evening

The Idol of Busyness

Wednesday, March 4 at 7:00pm

The Rev. Dr. Neil G. Thomas

Senior Pastor of Cathedral of Hope

We live in a world that praises exhaustion as a virtue and treats a packed calendar as a sign of worth. We rush from obligation to obligation, measuring our value by how full our days are and how little we rest. Without noticing, busyness can become more than a habit; it can become an idol, quietly demanding our time, our attention, and even our souls. How might God be calling us, not to do more, but to be more fully alive, attentive, and free?

The Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas has served the Church as a leader, pastor, and preacher since 1981. In his work in both the United Church of Christ and in Metropolitan Community Churches, Pastor Neil has led conversations about the intersection of faith, race, sexuality, and gender identity. Today, Dr. Thomas pastors the world’s largest LGBTQ+ congregation.

View Full Speaker Line-up and Previous Recordings

Young Adults Brunch

The Young Adults Fellowship invites those Young Adults among us to join them for Brunch, this Sunday, March 1 after the 11:15am Eucharist. They will meet at Cafe dé France, 17370 Preston Rd, Dallas. Join the Young Adults Realm group to stay informed.

Contact
Jeff Button

See If

We Found It

If you have misplaced something around the church, you are invited to stop by our lost & found items table in the Gathering Space now through Sunday, March 8. Items not claimed by Sunday, March 8, will be donated to a local charity.

Transfigured Nights Concert

Sunday, March 1 at 7:00pm

Transfiguration’s Artist-in-Resident, Jonathan Gregoire, explores the rich tradition and evolving voice of the German organ sonata in this compelling Lenten program. From the intricate counterpoint of Bach’s trio Sonata No. 4 to the expressive pathos of C.P.E. Bach’s Sonata in A minor, the journey continues through Mendelssohn’s Sonata No. 3, built on the Aus tiefer Not (Out of the Depths) chorale – a fitting reflection for the season of Lent. Hindemith’s Sonata No. 3 based on old German folksongs and Ritter’s dramatic Sonata No. 3 will round out the program. Our stunning Richards, Fowkes & Co. organ will be on full display, revealing its expressive range and color through these five sonatas spanning three centuries.

Click to watch an interview with Jonathan Gregoire on his upcoming performance.

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.

Mark Your Calendar

Who Will Win the Golden Halo

Don't miss out! It's time to create your 2026 heavenly roster of saints! Be sure to check the bracket poster which will be updated weekly in the Gathering Space.

Learn more and vote at:

lentmadness.org

Pilgrimage Deposit Deadline

Ubuntu Up-Close

Summer 2027

$750 Deposit by: Mar 1

Women's Book Club

The Women's Thursday Evening Book club invites you to join us on Thursday, March 5 at 7:00pm for their regular monthly meeting.

Our selection this month is The Violin Conspiracy by Brenda Slocum. We will be meeting in the Vestry Room and on Zoom. All are welcome to join.

Join the Realm Group

The Lenten Journey

Lenten Journey is a beloved program which offers eight self-paced meditation centers with guided activities to help you reflect on the meaning of Lent and Easter.

This immersive, individual experience takes about an hour to complete. Join us on Thursday, March 5 from 1:00pm - 5:00pm; Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 from9:00am - 5:00pm in Roper Hall.

Taizé

in Lent

Taizé on the Labyrinth is scheduled for March 8 at 6:00pm. Experience a contemplative evening of prayer and song on the candlelit labyrinth. Members of the choir will chant songs from Taizé, an ecumenical monastery in southeast France. Participants may walk the labyrinth throughout the service, which will also include periods of silence and spiritual readings.

Pride Planning Meeting

It is time for the Fig to start making plans for participation in Dallas Pride on June 6. We are forming a planning committee on Sunday, March 8 at 12:30pm in the Vestry room and are looking for folks who wish to assist. If you can join us, let us know. We’ll provide lunch!

Contact

Brooke Robb

The Ramp Project for March

The Dallas Ramp Project, the local chapter of the Texas Ramp Project, builds ramps for low-income elderly and disabled individuals identified by local health care providers, to enable them to leave their homes, especially during a fire or other emergency. These projects take 3-6 hours on a Saturday morning. No experience required.

Full details and the location where we build the ramps is contained in the registration. Click the button below and be a part of this rewarding ministry.

Sign-up by March 9

Serving Dinner at St. Jude

Tuesday, March 10 we invite you to serve dinner to the residents at St. Jude Center at the corner of Coit Rd. and I-635. Click the button to sign up and contribute your cooking skills as we practice loving our neighbors as ourselves. Full details and food items needed are detailed in the registration.

Sign-up No Later than March 9

Considering Matthew Shepard with Grinnell Singers

Hear the renowned Grinnell Singers from Grinnell College, Iowa, in a free concert at Transfiguration on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:30pm. This tour features Considering Matthew Shepard by Craig Hella Johnson, blending classical, folk, and contemporary music to reflect on compassion, community, and Matthew Shepard’s legacy.

Lent Is For Kids, Too

There are so many special events planned for the children of Transfiguration that we cannot list them all here. They were shared earlier this week in a special Children's E-news including an opportunity to help us bury the Alleluia on Ash Wednesday to the unforgettable Passion Experience for children and their parents. You can read the full Children's E-news 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.