The Epiphany Proclamation

“Kids these days have it too easy,” the old priest said. “If they want to know when Easter is, all they have to do is ask Siri or the Tic-Toc. Back in my day, we had to use a telescope, an almanac, and an abacus to figure it out.”

The old priest is not wrong. If you’ve ever looked at the section in the prayerbook titled, “Tables for Finding Holy Days” (BCP pp. 897-885), you would have some sympathy for the old priest. Figuring out Golden Numbers and Sunday Letters is enough to drive anyone mad. 

Today, we can simply ask a computer to tell us when a particular holy day will happen. But before computers, and to make people’s lives a little easier, the Church had a custom of announcing all the dates of the moveable feasts of the year at the Epiphany, which is conveniently at the beginning of January. It became known as the Epiphany Proclamation. Here is what it would sound like in 2024:...

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In this E-news:

• Feast of The Epiphany
• New Christians & George Mason
• Parish-wide Breakfast
• Faithful Departed Update
• Care Package Collection
• The Ramp Project
• Loose Plate Outreach
• Join us for Dawnland
• MLK Fest 2024

• St. E's January Potluck
• Food Pantry Needs Bags
• Office Closed January 15
• Transfigured Nights Presents
• Youth Confirmation Preparation
• Wonderfully Made Opportunities
• Solar Roof Update for the Year
• Support St. Hilda's

The Feast of The Epiphany

Saturday, January 6 at 5:30pm we will celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. After an extended Advent season and the joy of Christmas, our celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus ends with a final Festival Eucharist remembering the arrival of the Magi, Christ’s manifestation to the Gentiles.

The service will conclude with the annual Burning of the Greens and Wassail-to-go. Childcare will be available. This service will be livestreamed.

New Christians and

The Rev. George Mason

Sunday, January 7 we will resume our normal two service schedule with the Holy Eucharist being celebrated at 9:00am and 11:15am. Both services will be marked by special events: we will share in the baptisms of new Christians and welcome The Rev. George Mason as our guest preacher for both services.

The Rev. George Mason is the retired Sr. Pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. He is a renowned preacher, pastor, and community leader, whose presentation at the Fig in Lent several years, on the subject of Christian love, was deeply impactful. Under his 30-year leadership, Wilshire (a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) became a flagship of compassion and inclusivity in our community, echoing our own core values and witness.

Please come join us as we welcome those receiving the sacrament of baptism:

9:00am Eucharist

Megan Paulus

Jackson Thomas Frazer

Brodie Frazer

William Brumm

11:15am Eucharist

Patrick Marquardt

Rose Marquardt

Kailee Massey

Taylyn Massey

Parish-wide Breakfast

The New Year is better with bacon! Join your Fig Family for Breakfast between services this Sunday at 10:15am in Roper Hall. EMF is our host for this opportunity to gather and share fellowship. Don't miss this special opportunity to start the new year with renewed friendships and meaty conversation. There will be a visit from the "Wise Guys", as well.

Requiem Eucharist for Hollye Carson Fisk

A Requiem Eucharist for Hollye Fisk, who died just before Christmas, will be celebrated Saturday, January 13 at 2:00pm. We know many will wish to honor Hollye's enormous impact on Transfiguration and to support his loving wife, Susan, and their family. A reception will follow the service in Roper Hall.

Outreach Reaches Out

Care Package Collection

The outreach committee is gathering care packs to give to Housing Forward during their annual homeless count. Fig organizations have been asked to contribute the following items: drawstring bags, blankets, beanie hats, gloves, socks, hand warmers, tooth brushes and tooth paste, masks, deodorant, razors and shaving cream, combs, hand sanitizer and ziplock bags. Check with your organization or with Brooke Robb for more information about what you can bring. Bring your donations to add to our collection on Sunday January 7 and 14 in the Tower Cloister.

The Ramp

Project

Volunteer with Dallas Ramp Project next Saturday, January 13 at 7:30am. Help us build ADA compliant ramps for low-income elderly and disabled individuals with the local chapter of the Texas Ramp Project. No experience required. Must be 16 or older to paticipate. We have 12 slots to fill so sign-up now.

Loose Plate Outreach

We are pleased to share that, through your generousity, the loose plate offering collected at our four Christmas Eve services and the Christmas Day Lessons & Carols service yielded $10,000. This amount is being equally shared between New Friends, New Life and Episcopal Relief & Development's Middle East Fund.

Join Us for Dawnland

The Racial Justice Ministry invites you to join us to view Dawnland, a behind-the-scenes documentary about the first official Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the United States. Dawnland explores the struggle the commission faced as it grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations. The showing will begin at 12:30pm in Roper Hall Sunday, January 14. Hors d'oeuvres will be provided.

MLK Fest

2024

Join RJM at the MLK Clean Team Initiative in the Fair Park neighborhood in honor of Dr. King's memory on Saturday, January 13 from 9:00am-2:00pm. T-shirts, trash retrieval items, and lunch will be provided. Check-In at the MLK Center, 2922 Martin Luther King Blvd, Dallas TX.

St. E's Potluck

Thursday, January 11, Saint Elizabeth's will be hosting their monthly Potluck in Roper Hall at 6:00pm. This is an excellent opportunity if you are new to the Fig to meet fellow parishioners, enjoy a good meal, share your cooking skills, and have a great time. This month's special focus will be support of the Outreach Ministry's collection of shaving supplies for the homeless Be sure to sign-up soon so we will know to expect you.

Food Pantry Needs Bags

Our Food Pantry Ministry fills countless bags of much needed groceries for families each month. We need your help stocking up on bags. Donate your clean, un-torn, brown paper bags with handles to the Food Pantry. This month, the Food Pantry will be organizing food distribution on Monday, January 15. Volunteers are welcome and no experience is necessary but your brown paper bags are.

Church Office Closed January 15

The Church offices will be closed in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday January 15. The offices will reopen the next day on Tuesday.

Transfigured Nights Presents

Transfigured Nights begins 2024 with a recital by the internationally-acclaimed organist James O’Donnell on Sunday, January 21 at 7:00 pm. For 23 years, the Scottish-born musician served as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey and is currently a Professor in the Practice of Organ at Yale School of Music. Mr. O’Donnell has chosen to play a program of organ works for Christmas and Epiphany by J. S. Bach, Brahms, Buxtehude, Daquin, Duruflé, Messiaen, and Reger. This recital is open to the public and presented free of charge. 

Youth Confirmation Preparation Starts January 14

Students 9th grade and up are invited to join us as we prepare for the Sacramental Rite of Confirmation this spring. Starting January 14, 2024,  we’ll meet in the Youth Center on Sundays during formation hour (10:15am - 11:00am) for 9 weeks. Each lesson will help guide our youth as they mature and ask the tough questions we should all ask about our traditions and beliefs. 

To participate, please sign-up using the button below by January 7. If you have questions or need more information, contact Delynda Moravec.

Wonderfully Made for Grades 5-8

Wonderfully Made is a faith and sexuality resource that will help children and youth understand their bodies, the changes they are going through, and how God loves them now and always. This program will walk with both children and parents as they seek faithful answers to some of life's great questions.

The program for grades 5-8 is made up of 2 sessions beginning January 26: One Friday night from 6:30-9:00pm and the second reconvening on Saturday at 9:00am for a full day session. Cost is $40 per youth (lunch and snacks provided). Click the button below to register and download a copy of the Parent's Guide.

If you have questions or need more information, contact Delynda Moravec.

Wonderfully Made Refresher for 9-12 Graders

Whether you have previously participated in the Wonderfully Made Retreat or not this is the perfect refresher covering topics like intimacy, relationships, and boundaries while also giving a refresher on biology and anatomy. The class will take place Sunday, January 28 from 12:30pm - 6:00pm and is appropriate for all youth in grades 9-12. Parents will be required to attend a pre-workshop meeting. Cost is $40 per youth.

If you have questions or need more information, contact Delynda Moravec.

The members of St. Hilda's Guild faithfully serve the Fig by staffing the Kay Andrews Bookstore and Gift Shop and the Clothes Horse Resale Shop.

The Kay Andrews Bookstore

Our Bookstore and Gift Shop, located in the hallway near the Memorial Garden and the Children's wing are making adjustments to their hours of Operation. Until further notice the they will be open and ready greet you at the following times:

Thursdays: 10am - 2pm

Sundays: 9am - 1pm

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. 

Tuesday: 10am - 2pm

Thursday: 10am - 2pm

Saturday: 10am - 2pm

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

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