ILLUMINE enlightening and celebrating where God is at work in our midst S U M M E R 2022
VOL . 8 NO. 2
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F RO M T HE RE C TO R
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T HE TA BL E
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GOODS AND GE T BE TT E RS
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A LIFELONG JOURNEY TO THE WATER OF BAPTISM
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S POT T HE C A MPU S U PDAT E S
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A HA L LOWE D RE ST I N G PL AC E
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FA I T HF U L C O N N E C T I O N
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U N I T E D BY A S I N GL E HO PE
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A FAREWELL INTERVIEW
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PHOTO I N DE X
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F R OM THE RECTOR The Rev. R. Casey Shobe, D.Min.
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he nature of God as a Trinity of persons is not something most of us think a lot about. We speak about it in the Nicene Creed, we hear the three persons named at the close of collects, but the Trinity is, for most of us, a big mysterious theological concept that surpasses our understanding. There is something about the Trinity, though, that we can all understand, no matter how much theology we’ve read. At the heart of it, the mystery of the Trinity speaks to us of the power of relationship. The fact that God is Father and Son and Holy Spirit means that God’s very being is a relationship. God is not a soloist, but a choir; not a loner, but a community. Which is pretty powerful to consider, especially in a society that glorif ies individualism. In a world that is all about “me,” we worship a God who is, fundamentally, a “we.” So while the doctrine of the Trinity may seem esoteric and abstract, it is among the most important and relevant of all the things we believe. In many of the cultures of southern Africa, there is an idea known as ubuntu. Ubuntu is diff icult to translate precisely into English, but the late Bishop Desmond Tutu liked to describe ubuntu as the idea that a “person is a person through other persons.” “Ubuntu is the essence of being human. It speaks of how my humanity is caught up and bound up inextricably with yours. It says, not as Descartes did, ‘I think, therefore I am’ but rather, ‘I am because I belong.’ I need other human beings in order to be human. The completely self-suff icient human being is subhuman. I can be me only if you are fully you. I am because we are, for we are made for togetherness, for family.” Several years ago, the leaders of the Episcopal Church decided to make the idea of ubuntu the theme of General Convention. In her opening address, then Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori spoke of the many crises currently facing the world and the
Church: environmental destruction, war, political and philosophical polarization. Then, in a reference to the theme of ubuntu, Bishop Schori said, “The overarching connection in all of these crises has to do with the great Western heresy: that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God … That individualist focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my words in the place that only God can occupy, at the center of existence, as the ground of being.” Before she had even f inished her address, there was a f irestorm of outrage at her words. Even within the Episcopal Church, there are many who bitterly resent the suggestion that salvation is anything other than a personal, individual activity. The only thing that matters in the practice of religion, they insist, is my decision, my faith, and my actions. But if we really believe in a God who is a community of persons united in one being, why would we think we can follow that God by ourselves?
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Another important contemporary provocateur, Pope Francis, has taught that there are no such things as “do-it-yourself” Christians. It may sound nice to think that we can practice our faith by ourselves on our sofa, or on hikes, or at yoga class, but it is impossible to be a Christian alone. Being a Christian requires being a part of a community. Living the Christian faith – following Jesus on his way, according to his truth, and embedded in his life – it takes others. It is fundamental we remember this, because the Church is desperately struggling to emerge from the long ordeal of the pandemic. And our biggest problem is the waning commitment to community, to being together, to taking part in intentional, committed relationships with other members of the faithful. The truth is that, over the last few years, we got pretty used to doing church on our own. We could watch the service in our jammies, whenever and
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wherever we wanted. We didn’t have to go anywhere, chat with anyone, or do much of anything. Heck, we were pretty much prevented from volunteering! The church shrank down to the size of our living room, or the screen on our mobile device.
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So, even when it became possible to gather in person to pray and praise God and share meals and attend classes and help out and be with one another…not everyone came back. We’re still at about two-thirds of our pre-pandemic attendance, and many weeks it’s more like half. Which is why we need to remember what we believe about God: the God we believe in is not alone, so we should be careful about believing we can follow God alone. We need God, and we need one another. What we do and believe in our individual lives is enormously important, but it is not the entire story. I am not my best, most made-in-the-image-of-God self, when I am alone. I am my best, most-made-in-theimage-of-God self when I am with you. It’s like Bishop Tutu said, “I am because we are, for we are made for togetherness.” So let’s all remember just how important we are to our church, resist some of those habits that grew during the long time apart, and recommit to taking an active part in the life of our community. This is adapted from a sermon preached on Trinity Sunday, which you can access at www.transfiguration.net/trinity-sunday-2022
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T HE TA B L E by Chris Kelley
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he late comedian Robin Williams was a proud Episcopalian. On one of his HBO Specials, he counted down his list of 10 top reasons to be an Episcopalian: 10. No snake handling. 9. You can believe in dinosaurs.
8. M ale and female God created them; male and female we ordain them. 7. You don’t have to check your brains at the door. 6. Pew aerobics. 5. Church year is color-coded. 4
4. Free wine on Sunday. 3. All of the pageantry - none of the guilt. 2. You don’t have to know how to swim to get baptized. And the number one reason to be an Episcopalian: 1. No matter what you believe, there’s bound to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you. The Table, Fig’s 5:30 p.m. service on Saturdays, is like Williams’ humor in that both can be summarized in one word: Approachable. Simple and intimate, rich and practical, truthful and smile-producing, The Table is intentionally less formal than other Fig worship services on Sunday with fewer readings and a more relaxed atmosphere. The sermon is delivered from the f loor – albeit behind a portable podium. (We are Episcopalians, after all). The Table is especially welcoming to newcomers. The worship bulletin, for example, includes red-letter explanatory notes that brief ly unpack the purpose and meaning of a worship service component.
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The Nicene Creed is noted as “one of the most ancient statements of Christian belief about God. It is theologically dense, and includes several core doctrines shared by the great majority of Christians around the world. We profess this ancient formula to remember what we believe, which inspires how we live.” And, depending on the Church season, the marginalia explain why some common worship aspects are missing as in: “The Confession of Sin and the Absolution are omitted during the Great Fifty Days of Easter.” Good to know! The 5:30 p.m. service seems a particularly accessible time for newcomers, established parishioners, and those wholly new to the Episcopal faith tradition who are more comfortable in a casual setting. Times of the Sermon, Birthday & Other Anniversaries Prayer, The Peace, and Communion of the People are deeply intimate aspects – during which, for many, eye contact is a heart-to-heart connection. At The Table, the Presider & Preacher are often the same clergy member, which one can’t typically get on a Sunday. If there is a No. 1 reason to attend The Table, it may well be the acoustic music—a weekly gift provided by some of North Texas’ most talented musicians—that weaves mind, heart and soul in just under an hour most weeks.
“Transf iguration has such a rich history of liturgical worship and beautiful music,” said David Stanley, Music Director and Pianist for The Table. During the college year, Dr. David Stanley is an Instructor of Voice at Texas A&M University in Commerce. “The goal for this service is to make it a little bit more approachable without losing the richness of the liturgy. So instead of having a beautiful pipe organ arrangement, we use piano and guitar most of the time and the f lute and clarinet without a choir.”
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A Cantor, most often a professional singer and musician by vocation, leads congregational Opening and Closing Hymns, Gospel Acclamation, Sanctus, and offers a deeply stirring Solo prior to Communion of the People. Fueled by time at The Table, the Dismissal, preceded by a Blessing, is most often a joyous send-off: Presider: Let us go forth into the world rejoicing in the power of spirit (!). People: Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia (!). Amen. Chris Kelley, a relative newcomer to Fig, attends The Table regularly
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GO OD S AND GET BE TT E RS by Michael Sturdy
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“How was your day?” “Fine.”
was good this week and one thing that we hope will get better going forward (also known as the thing that wasn’t good this week).
My mother and I had this exact conversation almost every day after school for years. Maybe the tone with which I said “f ine” gave some indication of how it actually went, but mostly my mom would light-heartedly joke about what an interesting and descriptive answer that was and leave it up to me whether I felt like talking about it beyond “f ine.”
“Something happened that makes me feel like my friends like each other more than they like me.”
I have a feeling that we were far from outliers when it came to this conversation. Maybe a student doesn’t feel like reliving what they just experienced. Maybe there are too many characters to keep up with in a story to make it worth telling. Or maybe it’s just hard to tell a story to your parents, even if they’re the best ones in the world (which mine happen to be).
“The school administration said there was a f ight on campus, but I saw it happen and that wasn’t how I experienced it.”
That’s why I love Wednesdays. For the uninitiated: During the school year, the Fig Youth meets almost every Wednesday night for Crossover. We say Evening Prayer together, share a meal, and generally hang out– some of us play video games together while others play chess or pool or foosball, and some of us draw or color or make origami art. During all of that we talk, we vent, we joke, we laugh.
“My Good is that I looked forward to coming to Crossover all week and now I’m here.”
And then we do my favorite part - Goods and Get Betters. The middle schoolers go to their room in the Youth Center, the high schoolers go to their room, and we talk. In the high school room, where I most often found myself on Wednesdays (because I sat with the middle schoolers on Sundays), we would sit in a circle and everyone got a chance to say one thing that
“I got to work with horses this week and I loved it so much.”
“The doctor is prescribing new medicine to see if it helps.” “My cat woke me up at 4:30 this morning.” “My favorite show is coming back with a new season.”
“I’ve got four tests in two days and I need some of them to go really well. I don’t know what’s going to happen if they don’t.”
As a parent, I am desperate to know how my children’s day went. I want to know what went on in the lives of the people who hold my heart and soul. At Crossover, the volunteers and I get to be listening ears for the highs and lows of our church’s youth, and we do not take that responsibility lightly. The Fig has long strived to be an extended family for so many who come here, and it has been an honor to continue the work of expanding the family our youth have access to. It absolutely counts as my Good for this year.
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A L IF ELONG J OU R NEY TO T HE WAT E R O F B A PT I SM by Xin-Min Zhang and Mother Rebecca
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in-Min Zhang f irst visited Transf iguration on Sunday, October 4, 2020. It was a beautiful fall day, perfect for outdoor worship. A native of the People’s Republic of China, Xin-Min was not raised in the Church. He describes being “brainwashed by Communist party doctrine” which left him cynical about Christians and their kindness toward strangers. “We were taught,” Xin-Min recalls, “to be suspicious of charity of any kind.” Xin-Min f irst encountered Christian charity as a graduate student in mathematics at the University of Massachusetts. A church near campus offered struggling students clothes, food, and other help. Certain there must be a hidden agenda, Xin-Min never accepted their help even though he could have used any help he could get. Several years later, Xin-Min’s view of Christians began to change. In the wake of a tragic shooting by a Chinese physics student at the University of Iowa, Xin-Min read that the Christian community in Iowa City embraced Chinese students and prayed for the repose of the souls of all who had died, including the physics student. He read that several of those who were killed came from Christian families who, in the aftermath of their loss, wrote to the shooter’s family in China extending forgiveness, prayers, and compassion to them in their loss. “I couldn’t believe there were people who love even those who hurt them.” The childhood narrative of Christians as people with hidden agendas began to be replaced by a sense of wonder. “Christians,” Xin-Min wrote in his spiritual autobiography, “are a very unique group, beyond my understanding at this time.” In July 2017, Xin-Min’s wife of 40 years died after a prolonged battle with cancer. Before her death, they travelled through Europe. Xin-Min found himself attracted to cathedrals, including St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. In the cathedrals of Europe, he was
drawn to Christian art and iconography. He began reading books about the art he was seeing, seeking to understand more about the faith and inspiration of the artists. After his wife’s passing, Xin-Min became a pilgrim, traveling to Israel during Holy Week of 2018 and twice walking El Camino de Santiago in Spain. He was searching for meaning in the next phase of his life. Along the way, he met other pilgrims and encountered many Christians, speaking openly about their spiritual journeys. Xin-Min travelled extensively in the United States as well, feeling the presence of God in such places as the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone. His experiences in these settings moved his heart and left him with a sense of his own insignif icance in contrast to God’s majestic creation.
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Xin-Min and Sara met online in June 2020. On All Saints Day just four years earlier, Sara had lost her husband of eight years, Jerald Sluder, to cancer. She and Xin-Min were grieving and, yet, both hoped they might f ind “one last love” of their lives. They corresponded daily for 40 days. (“Kind of biblical, right?”, Xin-Min asks.) They grieved together; found ways to heal one another; shared stories; and, because Sara’s faith is so important to her, she shared that faith as a source of healing in her life. Rather than preaching doctrine or pushing Xin-Min to convert, Sara spoke of how her relationship with Jesus has strengthened, challenged, and supported her throughout her life. They met in person in July that year, and found they’d fallen in deeply in love. They decided to marry, and Xin-Min moved to Dallas. At their wedding, he recited vows from the Book of Ruth in Spanish, Mandarin, and English: “Where you go, I will go; where you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” “Your God will be my God.”
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Sara invited him to church. Knowing how important shared faith is in marriage, Xin-Min accepted. Initially, he just came on Sundays, f irst on the lawn and later inside. He listened to sermons, passed the Peace, and came forward to receive a blessing each week. “Doing this,” he says, “I felt the warmth of God’s presence.” He observed how members interacted with him, with Sara, and with one another. He began accompanying Sara on eucharistic visits to members who cannot attend in person. Later, he joined her when she served on Altar Guild. XinMin intincted countless hosts with a drop of wine in preparation for the Eucharist he was not yet able to receive. Only after a year of worshipping and watching, of serving and sensing God’s presence, did Xin-Min join The Way and begin to explore baptism.
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In The Way, Xin-Min came to understand God had been drawing him closer and closer throughout his life. He read Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis and learned about prevenient grace, God’s love for us, unearned and undeserved, which comes before our profession of faith. Xin-Min looked back at his wonder after the events in Iowa, his awe at Christian places of worship and art, and his sense of God’s presence with him on pilgrimages and in nature, and he realized all of this was God’s prevenient grace in his life. Xin-Min was baptized this year at the Easter Vigil and was conf irmed by Bishop Smith on May 15. As he ref lects back on his lifelong journey to the water of baptism, he sees Jesus gently and gradually leading him to the Father, opening to him the way of abundant life. The name Xin-Min means “new person.” At the time Xin-Min was born, the People’s Republic of China had just been formed. Many boys born in the early ‘50s share this name in celebration of the hopes of a new era in Chinese life and culture. Today, Xin-Min says, he knows the true meaning of his name. “It means new person in Christ.”
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SP OT TH E CA MPU S U P DAT E S by Robbi Rice Dietrich
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ne of the games I enjoyed as a child was in a monthly magazine where the reader was presented with two similar photos and asked to identify the differences between the two. Some were easy to spot while others were not obvious and could easily be missed. Such is the case with the capital campaign-funded changes going on our campus if you were to compare photos from six months ago to now.
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Improvements to the parking lot surfaces and lighting, replacement of the perimeter fence and retaining wall, and landscaping are changes easy to spot. Other external changes you might not notice are upgrades to the Memorial Garden, power washing and masonry repairs on buildings, and improvements to ensure safety and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. An easy to spot change was the scaffolding on the outside of the sanctuary for replacing the current slate roof with energy-generating solar tiles. Harder to spot is the new HVAC equipment that’s been installed, although you may feel the difference with more comfortable and consistent temperature inside the church. The skylights in the Gathering Space and in the sanctuary roof have been replaced to improve lighting and eliminate leaks. Inside you’ll f ind another easy change to spot – Roper Hall’s new paint, LED lighting, ceiling surface, millwork, and f looring. Take a closer look and you’ll f ind new security cameras and thermostats. Bigger changes are coming:
Roper Hall Kitchen: Renovation design plans are now complete. Next, we’ll obtain bids, and per insurance requirements, a general contractor will be selected to oversee the work. Sacristy Renovation: Initial plans include the addition of 700 square feet of additional space, doubling the amount of storage space and correcting traff ic f low within the area. This work will begin once the improvements in Roper Hall and Kitchen are completed, f inal design are approved, and costs and cash f low are conf irmed. Church Improvements: Lighting levels have been obtained at various locations and times throughout the Sanctuary. For an idea of how the lighting will improve here, note the new brightness of Roper Hall. We’re in the process of negotiating detailed architectural services for improvements to the Sanctuary. Infrastructure Sustainability Fund: Over $860,000 has been transferred from Capital Campaign pledges into this fund. It represents the commitment we have as a parish to have funds available to properly maintain our buildings and grounds in the future. Keep a sharp eye out for changes as you come to Transfiguration - we hope you are pleased with what you see.
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A H ALLOWED RESTING PLAC E by David Flick
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he Memorial Garden, the quiet oasis at the literal center of Transf iguration, has undergone a recent renovation that incudes an expansion of the parish’s columbarium. The columbarium, where the cremated remains of people associated with the parish are placed, is part of a relatively recent trend in churches that ref lects a centuries-old tradition. Knowing that the remains of a parishioner’s loved ones are interred on the grounds of the church imparts a feeling “of being where you feel comfortable, interred near others of the church, like an extended family,” said Paul Sternweis, chairman of the columbarium committee. “You’re associated with a place where you had a relationship with God.” For centuries, faithful parishioners were buried on church grounds, within the sound of daily worship. The process disappeared as urban life made burial in churchyards less feasible. The increased use of cremation in recent decades has led to the creation of columbaria, which require far less space than ground burial, and allow the return of the mortal remains of a parishioner to the churchyard. Transf iguration’s columbarium was installed in 1996. Its origins began when Fr. Terry Roper was rector. “It started out as an empathetic response to a situation in which a parishioner’s husband had died and was cremated, but the cost was more than she could handle,” he said. She came to parish off icials, but at the time they had no way to help her.
Parish off icials discussed the matter. “We said, ‘there must be something we can do’,” Fr. Roper said. Other parishes in the area had founded columbaria, and Transf iguration off icials toured several. Among the off icials involved was George Bienfang who was then on the vestry. “I can’t say I began with much enthusiasm,” he said. “We built the thing, but we wondered how much interest there would be.”
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They needn’t have worried. Spaces in the f irst unit, which had about 108 niches, went quickly. “People were astonished at how popular it was,” Fr. Roper said. A second unit was built and, as part of the upgrade of the Memorial Garden, a third unit has been added — bringing the total number of niches to 324. Each niche has room for two urns. The Memorial Garden also includes a landscaped area where ashes can be scattered in lieu of placement in a niche. Interment in the columbarium is available to any past or present church member and their immediate family. Applications are reviewed by a church committee and sent to the rector for approval. For more information, questions may be directed to columbarium@transf iguration.net.
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FA I T HF U L C O N N E C T I O N by Allison Blalock and Sophie Lowrance
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t is our hope at Transf iguration that children receive Holy Communion when they show a desire to do so and as they receive and become more curious about the mystery of the table they are given an opportunity to participate in our First Informed Communion Retreat & Celebration.
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Our First Informed Communion Retreat is designed to help children and their parents connect more deeply with the act of sharing in the Eucharist by providing guided instruction about why we do what we do in worship. At the retreat, we tell the story of the Last Supper to help the children connect our sacred meal with Jesus. Clergy teach about the service, Altar Guild members guide children around the Sacristy, and then children create their own communion chalices. Allison Blalock, Director of Children’s Ministries, sat down with Sophie Lowrance to see what impact this year’s First Informed Communion Retreat had on her daughter Clara.
Why was it important to you and Nash to have Clara participate in the First Informed Communion class? Sophie: I grew up as a devout Catholic and received all my sacraments through the usual formal ceremonies. While I no longer align with many of the teachings of the Church, I have very fond memories of the excitement and extensive preparations (year-long catechesis) involved with receiving my f irst Holy Communion. For Clara, we wanted her to experience, understand, and celebrate the importance of receiving communion.
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What was most special to you about the retreat and/or the First Informed Communion service? Sophie: We really appreciate the hands-on approach Transf iguration takes with the children and the process of understanding communion. From Godly play activities, to tours of the sacristy with Gabby explaining what role all the vessels play, to Father Casey patiently showing the vestments and answering the endless questions, the children were granted full access. Also, having them surround the altar during the service was a perfect way to bring the entire experience full circle. The casual atmosphere did not take away from the reverence of the occasion, it provided a level of comfort and conf idence in the kids since they really understood what was taking place.
As a parent, what did you hope Clara would learn/take away from the retreat? Sophie: The fact that she was able to make bread for their communion was signif icant because she felt connected to the larger church community. She helped with the feast. She was so excited that everyone would be eating bread that she had a hand in making and she was very proud.
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What did she like best about the First Informed Communion retreat?
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Sophie: Her favorite part was making the bread! She also enjoyed painting her chalice and learning what all the symbols meant. She also really liked being able to go back in the sacristy and seeing all the special dishes and ”fancy clothes” they use for communion.
What symbol(s) did she paint on her chalice and why? She painted the anchor cross and a chalice. She liked the way they looked and thought it was pretty.
How did the retreat help Clara grow in her relationship with God? What did she learn from the experience? She has more conf idence in her faith.
How did it make her feel to wear the same dress that you wore for First Communion? Sophie: She felt special wearing something of her mom’s and she liked carrying on the tradition.
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UNITED BY A S INGLE HO P E by Eric Edling
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was born on June 28, 1993, in Dallas. A few months previously, I was diagnosed with spina bif ida and have used a wheelchair since I can remember. Faith has always been a complex matter for me. When I was a child, I was reminded every day that a Christian’s actions should be def ined by justice and love. Every night, I was put to bed with the words, “God loves you, and so do I.” However, the rest of the Christian world seemed to have mixed feelings about me.
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In the ‘90s and early ‘00s, only a few years after disabled people won civil rights protections in 1990, no one really seemed to “get” what it meant to be disabled. So, hearing negative things about me at church didn’t seem out of place to me. I have always felt as understood in church as I did anywhere else- not particularly. As a child, I was approached at church to pray for my healing on most Sundays, and all I thought was, “Why?” I knew that this was how Christians were “supposed” to talk about disability. I knew disabled people were “supposed” to be thankful for those prayers. Prayer and healing are good things, but the spiritual treatment they prescribed made as much sense to me as recommending the Heimlich for a broken bone. I wasn’t sick, I wasn’t dying, I wasn’t in pain. I was happier than many of the non-disabled kids I knew. All I wanted was to be myself and be loved for it. Things have gotten better, but the world is far too similar to the one I grew up in. So, when I f irst decided to come to Transf iguration in 2013, disability had nothing to do with my decision. I have friends and family who have been alienated from Christianity, and I wanted to f ind a church that would love those friends and family as much as I do. I had quietly given up on Christians extending the same to me. There seemed to be something good at the core of the
Christian message, and that alone was worth staying for. I was hooked from the f irst sermon. Maybe these people would welcome me too. After attending as a guest for nearly a decade, I believe I was right. Transf iguration has the potential to be a spiritual home to so many people like me. However, disability is still a massive blind spot for people on both sides of the ideological aisle, even those who consider themselves open-minded. Perhaps the best place to start the conversation is at healing. As Christians, we pray for healing and restoration. However, different people def ine those words differently. Many people become disabled due to a traumatic illness or injury, and their greatest hope is physical healing. There are also plenty of people like me who look at a wheelchair and see freedom. Our stories aren’t as well-received because accepting a person’s differences is more intimidating than expecting them to change. Our deepest wounds are spiritual and social. There are plenty of others whose feelings defy either side. We are united by a single hope that buoys all of us: one day, all will be set right.
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A FAR EWELL INTERVI E W by TJ McCoy and Anne Schmidt
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n May we bid Farewell to Anne Schmidt, who has blessed Transf iguration in numerous ways – serving on Vestry, as Senior Warden, and most recently as Director of Membership and Evangelism. Anne and her husband Walt have since embarked on their move from Dallas, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our Director of Communications, TJ McCoy sat down with Anne to talk about her time at the Fig.
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Can you give us a snapshot of your journey as a parishioner to Vestry Member, to Director of Ministry & Connections? Anne: There are def initely highlights for me and pivot points when I think back. The f irst, of course, was my f irst time coming here. I had been going to a church that I thought would be a good f it in McKinney, and it just wasn’t right. So, after I f inished the Christmas season with them, I showed up here for an Epiphany Lessons & Carols. Several people had told me about this church and as soon as I sat through that service I felt at home. The liturgy and the music just felt familiar and so I brought my family back the next Sunday. I met Ellen {Dingwall} who did what I do now and that’s where it began. As an Episcopal priest’s kid, I am not shy about or uncomfortable in church. So, I started conversations early. It was always amazing to me that I would have people call – I remember Melinda Wedding calling and inviting me to help with something with a parents group, and Pam Sternweis calling and inviting me to a Saint Elizabeth’s dinner. The fact that I was in a larger congregation, yet I wasn’t invisible from the beginning, was pretty amazing… and so I helped with VBS, and was in the parents group, and those kind
of things. And somehow I ended up, because I have a tendency to say yes whether I have the skills or not, I ended up leading stewardship for a couple of years and that lead to the Vestry. But again, it was always the invitation. I was invited to be on the stewardship committee and I was invited to consider the Vestry… and it was kind of life-changing, the vestry, because JD saw something in me. My second year in he had a private meeting with me and told me that he was going to be leaving for Washington and wanted me to be Senior Warden. He made that announcement the same day I was installed as Senior Warden and my life has completely changed from that. TJ: That’s def initely a baptism by f ire to have such dramatic change in such a short amount of time. Anne: It was because JD had been here a long time and I had been here several years by then. It felt new, but I felt completely supported. Then, after JD left, I remember having a Town Hall with Chris Ayres, who I called “my partner in crime,” and we explained what the search process would be like, what the transition would be like, and what we needed from folk. We explained that this was our time to shine, and that good things were ahead for us. The congregation was wholeheartedly behind us and supportive and stayed that way through the search.
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Can you describe your favorite moment in ministry here at the Fig? Anne: Ministries are ongoing. You contribute for a while and then others pick up. There’s not a f inish. But when you do a Rector search there is an actual f inish and outcome. When the search committee presented Father Casey to the Vestry and they approved the call. We got on a video conference with Casey and everybody got to meet him. The joy was palpable AND I got to feel like I f inished something! 22
That was a great moment and the other was watching Bishop Curry preach at the Evangelism Matters conference, here. That felt like a real highlight of my time here.
Having grown up in the Episcopal Church, having experienced different ministries and search processes outside of the Fig, and having gotten a 31,000 foot view of the church. I wonder what you consider unique about this place? Anne: From my perspective, this place is uniquely welcoming. And way before I was ever here, the people here decided that this was going to be a community of welcome. It’s so much part of the DNA here that the people in my job have it easy. Because people are genuinely welcome to whoever walks through that door.
Now that you’re moving away from the Fig, what do you hope sticks and what do you hope might flourish while you’re gone? Anne: The pandemic kind of put a halt on some of our evangelism opportunities and so I do hope that
we will spend more effort on growing that welcome. I just hope that with the changes that the pandemic has brought, and with attendance been down a little, and with an inf lux of people who seem to be really searching for something – that we don’t wait for them to step through the door. That we get out there and f igure out ways to engage our community, so people know that we’re here without having to look.
What words of encouragement might you offer someone who feels a tug towards service, leadership, or who seeks a deeper connection with the people and ministries here? Anne: I would urge them to insert themselves. Just take a chance. Talk to somebody. Tell someone that you’re interested. Our whole staff is happy to help connect you to wherever you feel your gifts might be utilized. If there’s one thing that takes my breath away, it’s the giftedness of the people here. And their willingness to share those gifts. I’ve had people step up and offer their skills in origami, their expertise in wine, party planning, etc. Everybody’s gifts are needed and when people offer them so freely and are so skilled, it’s a gift that just reverberates. If you look around, and you feel like something’s missing, the staff will support you in making it happen. Also, sometimes you just have to take a chance and say “yes” to something that may seem ridiculous, that you don’t feel qualif ied for, that you may be feeling a tug towards. If it’s not for you, you don’t have to stay with it, but you might f ind yourself headed down a path that you couldn’t have imagined for yourself.
What are you going to miss about the Fig? Anne: I’m going to miss all the people – they’re my family! (You’re going to make me cry.) The people, you know, It’s not just me. It’s the life of the church that you get to meet the very newest Christians and send off some of the oldest. And all the in-between… It’s touching.
What’s next? Anne: My husband grew up in New Mexico and has slowly dragged me across the country towards it. So, we are going to make a home there. What it enables me to do is focus on my search work and I’ll be collaborating with some friends in Durham, North Carolina who do different kinds of consulting with parishes. I’ll continue working with Bishop searches, parish searches, and I may do some other things with Vestries doing strategic planning and those kinds of exciting things.
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This move also gives me the freedom to travel to visit my parents. My mom is in declining health, my son lives here in Dallas, and my daughter seems to have made Tampa by the beach her home.
You’re a foodie. Is there anything in NM that we can’t readily access here. Anne: Yes, the really good hot chili peppers and Carne Adovada. The breweries here are really really strong so we’ll have to try out all of the breweries and see if we can compete. And… Just a reminder that it’s on the way to Santa Fe, which half this congregation visits almost annually, so I expect some calls when people are in town!
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CHURCH STAFF CLERGY The Rev. R. Casey Shobe, D.Min. Rector The Rev. Rebecca Tankersley Senior Associate Rector The Rev. Nancy DeStefano Pastoral Assistant The Rev. Ted Clarkson Curate The Rev. Terence C. Roper Rector Emeritus PROGRAMS Allison Blalock Director of Children’s Ministries Delynda Moravec Director of Youth Ministries 26
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Gabby Guion Minister for Congregational Life TJ McCoy Director of Communications Al Blackwell Digital Communications Specialist
WORSHIP SERVICES Wednesday | 6:00 p.m. Thursday | 12:00 p.m.
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Saturday | 5:30 p.m. Sunday | 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Illumine is a quarterly publication of Church of the Transfiguration. The word itself has two meanings: to light up or brighten and to enlighten (someone) spiritually or intellectually. The goal behind this magazine is to tell the stories of this congregation, highlight new ministries, and celebrate where God is at work in our midst.
MUSIC Joel Martinson Director of Music and Organist Stefan Engels Artist-in-Residence Chris Ahrens Director of Youth Choir
PHOTO INDEX 1. Cover: Nolan Stout at VBS | Photo by Robert Hacker 2. Finley Callahan reading near the Parlor Photo by TJ McCoy 3. Bottom panel of Triptych | Photo by TJ McCoy 4. Bishop Desmond Tutu visiting Transfiguration in 2016
Kimberley Ahrens Director of Children’s Choirs
5. Father Casey celebrating Eucharist at The Table, assisted by Danielle Shroyer and Bill Wagner | Photo by Dickie Hill
David Stanley Table Music Director
6. Robin Owens playing flute and Austin Cope playing guitar at The Table | Photo by Dickie Hill
ADMINISTRATION Fred Ellis Interim Parish Administrator Lana Mederos Executive Assistant to the Rector Mary Hall Controller Jill Carpenter Office Assistant PROPERTY Bracken Reece Director of Operations Alex Alvarado Sexton Francisco Negrete Sexton Erik Welch Sexton
VESTRY
Mark Ramsay, Senior Warden Peggy Kwoka, Junior Warden Chip Brownlee Kristin Cutts Jodi Dalton Scott Daniels Robbi Dietrich Lacey Garcia Linda Horton Jeremy Teeple Peter Young Jay Madrid, Parish Chancellor Allison Murphy, Treasurer Libby Nicodemus, Clerk
7. David Stanley playing piano at The Table Photo by Dickie Hill 8. Fig Youth at Crossover | Photo by Michael Sturdy 9. Paper Cranes | Photo by Michael Sturdy 10. Father Casey Baptizing Xin-Min Zhang at the Great Vigil of Easter | Photo by Robert Hacker 11. Xin-Min Zhang and wife Sara Ivey at the Great Vigil of Easter 12. Aerial view of new Parlor A/C uni and solar roof installation Photo by Al Blackwell
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13. Angel statue in Memorial Garden | Photo by TJ McCoy 14. Clara Lowrance ready for First Communion Photo by Sophie Lowrance 15. Clara Lowrance making bread at the First Informed Communion retreat | Photo by Sophie Lowrance 16. Sophie wearing the dress Clara wore 17. Eric Edling serving as Banner Bearer at 11:15 service Photo by TJ McCoy 18. Father Casey thanking Anne and Walt Schmidt for their many years of service on Recognition Sunday Photo by TJ McCoy 19. Allison Blalock with a butterfly on her nose 20. Baptism of Autumn Dunnells | Photo by TJ McCoy 21. 2022 Wayfarers at Confirmation | Photo by TJ McCoy 22. Mary Teeple Armored at VBS | Photo by Robert Hacker 23. Parlor AC unit being transported | Photo by Bracken Reece 24. Transfigured Nights Lenten Baroque concert Photo by TJ McCoy 25. Sally Manning and Mark Ramsay | Photo by TJ McCoy 26. Roper Hall under construction | Photo by TJ McCoy Back Cover: Tabitha Neylon and Zachary Renner with a Monarch butterfly at the Butterfly Release | Photo by TJ McCoy The Illumine Editor-in-Chief is TJ McCoy. S U M M E R 2 022
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