ILLUMINE enlightening and celebrating where God is at work in our midst S U M M E R 2021
VOL . 8 NO. 1
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F RO M T HE RE C TO R
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O U R L A ST N I GHT O U T
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T HE N E I GHBO RLY T HI N G TO DO
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ME E T T HE T HO MPS O N S
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RE F L E C T I O N S O N BA PT I S M I N PA N DE MI C
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A LTA R GU I L D C A RRI E S O N
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LOVE I N T HE T I ME O F C O RO N A
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U PDAT E O N T HE C A PI TA L C A MPA I GN
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WE LC O ME BAC K, T E D!
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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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t is easy to forget just how strange and uncertain the days after Jesus’ resurrection were for the disciples. For us, the season of Easter is all about joy and hope, when we celebrate a story we know well with beloved traditions. But for the f irst followers of Jesus, it was far from a uniformly happy time. The risen Lord was with them, but he was also different, and he had a habit of disappearing. They were overjoyed at his presence, but the gospels also say they were amazed and even fearful at times. The ground beneath their feet had been shaken – literally and f iguratively – and things they took for granted before now seemed permanently altered. Pentecost didn’t loom ahead of them on a nifty liturgical wall calendar, nor did they have the clarity of 2,000 years of hindsight. Recently I read a blog by Anne Warner, who imagined asking one of the disciples in the days after the resurrection to “tell me about yourself.” “Well, in the Before Times I was a f isherman, then I dropped everything and followed Jesus the teacher for a while, but now I really don’t know…” He might go on to talk about the “New Normal” of trying to go back to f ishing but having trouble making sense of it, of being sort of fog-brained, disillusioned, and exhausted. It’s a common thing for contemporary Christians to wish for the experiences of the apostles, and yet, in a funny way, hasn’t the pandemic given us just that? Grieving the regular life we once knew, anxious about the present, and wondering just how God will be with us in the future. The questions those early followers must have been asking themselves are also ours all these years later:
Whatever that was seems to be over, or is it? What we witnessed has changed everything, but how?
Something new and good should come out of this, but what? Where do we go from here? Who will lead us? As the process of reopening gains speed this summer, it’s important that we lean into these questions. We need to give prayerful consideration to where and how God has been present with us, and what God may yet be up to. Like the disciples in those earliest days of the Church, we need to keep discerning, so we can seek the answers God has for us about who we are to be, and where we are to go. We def initely need to keep reading our Scriptures, to listen for what God’s Word has to say to us, and perhaps most importantly, we need to redouble our commitment to being together. Because as much as we have missed one another, we’ve spent a year becoming habituated to being apart. We’re used to staying home, perhaps turning on the computer every now and then but mostly being conditioned to disconnection.
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But Pentecost didn’t happen when the disciples were each at home alone. Pentecost happened when they were all together, because being together was a necessary condition for them to experience the movement of the Holy Spirit. So, if you’re feeling like you’re still in a pandemic fog; if you’re wondering where God is in all this; if you’re asking big questions and trying to f igure out what life could or should be now; well, you’re in the good company of the apostles. So let’s follow their lead. Let’s stick together, and pray through the questions as a community. And if we stay open and ready, that same Holy Spirit, who took their confusion and weakness and turned it into the greatest movement the world has ever known, will show us what’s next, too.
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O UR LAST N IGH T OU T by Lorna Goldsmith
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t the beginning of Lent 2020, my family had made a plan to fully commit to Transf iguration services despite the hour drive to get there. We didn’t realize that a Wednesday night would be our last time out in society. And it was a great night, too, with wonderful speakers and Legos with Bible stories for Bear, our youngest. Then things got weird, and really awful in some ways. Summer hit, and Miss Cindy and the children’s ministry pulled us back in. I cannot believe they put together a virtual VBS, and it was fun! The Christmas Pageant was one for the books, funny and sweet! But the most important thing through this whole pandemic time has been the weekly connection to humans on zoom through Children’s Chapel and Faith Formation. A few days ago a close friend asked me about our experiences with Transf iguration, and why we are still committed there. (She goes to a really great little Methodist church close to us, that we’ve gone to, but the f it hasn’t been right for our kids.) And here’s what I told her: Yes, I do trust the services at Transf iguration to be beautiful, and to not cater to oppressive or toxic theology. Yes, my husband does feel more at home at Transf iguration than anywhere else we’ve gone in the last decade. But more than anything, it is doing Godly Play (Faith Formation) with our youngest that has strengthened my faith, and made me feel part of a community. As a child, my mother would read scripture to us almost every day. When it was ambiguous, or conf licted with other scripture, she would point it out and have us think about it. She resisted the need to put a neat explanation on it. We would just have to sit with the “not knowing.”
The “wondering questions” in Godly Play feel the same, only drawn out, and even more purposeful. I love that children are asked, “where do you see yourself in the story?” or “what do you think we might be able to leave out of this story?” Whatever the kids think of is ok. Their responses are not corrected or shut down. Sometimes they are directed in a beautiful way, but there’s not fearfulness. This allows the children to safely express their concerns or their brilliant and hilarious thoughts without adults reacting and trying to manage their faith into a tidy box. 3
This space that somehow the Transf iguration Children’s Ministry has created, OVER ZOOM, is so special. I was a fan of the idea when Bear would go into the Montessori style classroom pre-COVID, but it’s even more than I realized. Ritual and wonder invite us in, and I have found that to be true with both Children’s Chapel and Godly Play each Sunday morning. And we were invited in when Bear was in a good mood, and when he was not. Miss Cindy & Miss Delynda and all the teachers and assistants have rolled with it and kept things rolling, unconcerned by f idgety kids or the momentary technical diff iculties that arise. The kids also have been helpful (knowing more than the grownups pretty often), and they have been gracious with each other. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to witness love and wonder this last over-a-year now, and I look forward to each and every Sunday morning.
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THE NEIGHBORLY THING TO DO From David Flick
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hen Oliver Cone, Transfiguration’s senior warden, arrived at the church that frigid Ash Wednesday, what he saw was both appalling and inspiring. Water from a broken pipe had spread from the north transept to the nave to the gathering space, and had been creeping past the Memorial Garden toward Roper Hall. But he also saw a group of church members and friends who had come together quickly to clear the f lood, with brooms, a Wet-Vac and hours-long persistence. “We were splashing through water a couple of inches deep,” he said. “It was scary, but in one way it was a joyous sight.”
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Hours later, the volunteers succeeded in clearing the water, preventing a costly disaster. And they had once again demonstrated that Transf iguration is a church lifted by a caring community. “For most people, it was the f irst time that week they had been outside their houses,” Mr. Cone said. “Hillcrest was so covered with snow you couldn’t see the sidewalks. The fact that so many people came out is really remarkable.” Bracken Reece, director of operations, estimated the damage at $24,000, mostly to drywall. But had it not been caught in time, the damage would have been much worse.
If John Selzer, a neighbor, had not been f ighting cabin fever, the problem might not have been caught as soon as it was.
“Had the water risen much higher,” he said, “we could have lost all the pews, it could have damaged the organ. The route it was going, the water could have rolled down into church off ices.”
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If John Selzer, a neighbor, had not been f ighting cabin fever, the problem might not have been caught as soon as it was. “After several days of frigid weather, I felt pent up and had to get out,” he said. “I couldn’t convince my wife or son to come with me, so I put on my ski jacket and ski pants, and headed out.” As he walked nearer the Transf iguration campus, he heard a f ire alarm triggered by a burst pipe in the north transept ceiling. ”I thought, ‘certainly they know about this’ and started to walk away,” he said. “I got about 20 feet, and then I thought, ‘maybe they don’t’.” He texted his wife, Elizabeth. Although the Selzers were not members of Transf iguration, they knew that a neighbor, Jordan Teeple, was a parishioner. Elizabeth texted Mrs. Teeple, who then alerted Father Casey. Soon the rector, joined by Bracken Reece and Oliver Cone, were on the scene. Mr. Reece called an electrician, who shut down the alarm and cut off the water sprinkler.
The Teeples and the Selzers arrived, accompanied by their children.
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Five-year-old Ruthie Teeple manned a broom bigger than herself, and some of the other kids made a game of clearing the water. “They thought it was kind of fun,” Mrs. Teeple said. “You couldn’t get the push brooms away from them. They were kind of racing down the aisle to see who could push the water down the drain the fastest.” By early evening, the water had been cleared, and blowers were put in place to dry the space. With more and more folks f illing the pews on Saturdays and Sundays, it is incredible how little evidence there is of the disaster that might have occured. That the damage was as small as it was is a tribute to luck, quick thinking on the part of church off icials, and a community that helped when it was most needed. “To us it was no big deal,” Mr. Selzer said. “It was just a kind of neighborly thing to do. It felt good to be useful.”
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MEET TH E TH OMPS O N S Interview by Anne Schmidt
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uring the pandemic we have been blessed with many new participants and members who have found a way to become part of our community despite us having limited opportunities to gather. One such couple came to us last April and off icially joined months before they were able to set foot on our campus. Please meet Alyson and Kurt Thompson.
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Kurt is from Sherrill, New York, and Alyson is from Austin, Texas. We met and married in Denver, Colorado, in the Episcopal Church in May 2001. Kurt works as an insurance underwriter until August 2021 when he will retire! Alyson worked as an internist/ nephrologist for 24 years in direct patient care, most recently with Parkland, before starting work from home with an insurance company in December 2019. Kurt is an audiophile, mostly jazz and classical, and enjoys a good beer. He was very athletic before a skiing accident in February 1972 when he was a freshman in college. Alyson enjoys organic gardening with native plants and she absolutely loves cats. She was a Peace Corps volunteer and really enjoys learning about language. We adopted our daughter from China when she was 10 months old, and she will soon be off to college in California to study business.
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What brought you to Transfiguration? Did the pandemic influence/inhibit your decision to join/find a new church? At the beginning of the pandemic, many people were asking questions that may have been just below the surface for a while. Our question was —are there practices or attitudes in my current faith community that I need to abandon in order to follow Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone? Our individual faith journeys as adults had led us each to the Episcopal Church—the Episcopal Church was Alyson’s lifeline during medical training and when her dad died and was where we literally met each other and later married. From there as a couple we worshipped in Presbyterian and Baptist congregations in Denver and Dallas, where we were involved in finance, children’s, prayer and medical ministries. The pandemic brought into focus that we needed to be part of a faith community where each person is truly accepted and loved as themselves; we knew we needed to be back in the Episcopal Church which had sustained us in the past in the most challenging and the most joyful times of our lives.
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What ministries have you been involved with since joining The Fig? We have seen in the last year at Transfiguration that the Holy Spirit is here: you accept us, you love us, you are honest and ask thought-provoking questions about our faith, and you share what is essential about the Christian life in service to others. We have been able to build relationships with really wonderful people in Adult Formation on Zoom and in praying the Daily Office online and in the work of the Racial Justice Ministry.
What would you say to someone who might be hesitant to become involved during these strange times? We would say that our last year at Transf iguration has been life-giving and has allowed us individually and as a couple a deeper exploration of our faith with openhearted people among whom we can be ourselves, be at peace, and f inally be at home.
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RE FLEC TIO NS ON BAPTIS M I N PA N D E M I C by Rachel DeVey and Mother Rebecca
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began attending Transf iguration in February of 2019. I was raised Christian Scientist, so I wondered whether the Episcopal Church would be a good f it. Right away, I was drawn in by the reverent worship, which engaged all my senses and brought me into God’s presence week after week. Hopeful that I’d found a church home, I explored attending The Way in fall 2019 to prepare for baptism but was unable to participate on Tuesday evenings at that time. One of the upsides of quarantine last year was the opportunity to participate in The Way with Mtr. Rebecca during summer 2020. In our time together, I learned so much – why we worship as we do, how we observe the seasons of the Christian year, and how to pray at home through the collects and the Daily Off ice. After completing The Way, I hoped to be baptized on All Saints’ Day. When my schedule changed, I looked forward to an Epiphany baptism. Both days would have been wonderful occasions for the sacrament, but Mtr. Rebecca encouraged me to participate in Transf iguration’s tradition of being enrolled as a Candidate in Lent and participating in weekly prayers throughout the season, with the support of my baptismal sponsors, the clergy, and the church. Excited for this last bit of formation, I began to prepare for baptism at the Easter Vigil. It was a wonderful decision! Experiencing Lent and Holy Week (especially the Triduum) in person and having my journey culminate in a full immersion baptism was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, experiences in my life. Coming out of the water, I felt like a newborn baby – eyes squeezed tightly to keep the water from f looding in and gasping for breath.
And then, I felt like I was being fully embraced by God’s redemption after wandering in the wilderness for so many years. There was something awesome (as in full of awe) in experiencing the slow breaking of dawn that morning as we heard the story of God’s salvation of the world. Father Casey’s sermon comparing hope to the light of dawn slowly emerging (as opposed to light from a switch that snaps on with a f lick) is def initely how 2021 has felt so far.
Father Casey’s sermon comparing hope to the light of dawn slowly emerging (as opposed to light from a switch that snaps on with a f lick) is def initely how 2021 has felt so far.
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This time last year was characterized by despair and uncertainty for me, as I suspect it was for many of us. One year later, the world is still imperfect and certainly not back to normal. But light is shining into darkness, things are being made new, and hope is certainly breaking in. Many wonderful changes are taking place in my life right now and becoming part of the Body of Christ is number one. I remember the f irst time I visited the Fig and how kind and welcoming everyone was. I know now that Fr. Casey extends this welcome at the beginning of every service, but as someone who two years ago hadn’t been to church of my own desire in years, it was the sincere and hearty welcome that I really needed. I am excited now to be someone who has made the journey from visitor to catechumen to candidate to member – to be someone who can welcome others into this amazing parish.
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ALTAR GUILD CAR R IES ON by Peter Soper
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he Altar Guild meticulously prepares the sanctuary for Holy Communion, cares for the linens, orders the appropriate supplies, prepares communion vessels, and assists the priests before and after the services. Members also set-up for special holidays, baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Now, the words “f lexible” and “understanding” might not be the f irst words you would think of to describe the Altar Guild, but I can tell you at the Fig they are a perfect description. A year ago we were just gearing up for Easter 2020 when everything came to a halt. You’d think the Altar Guild would just enjoy a well deserved holiday, but the life of the church carries on. Within weeks the clergy had come up with plans to provide pre-recorded services and the Altar Guild was right there. It was strange looking out at the empty pews. Even stranger was the ability to yell “cut!” and stop the service to redo a mistake. How I would love that power on a normal Sunday! The clergy and the Altar Guild had to come up with a way to reverently distribute the Blessed Sacrament to hundreds of people each month. They decided to commingle the bread and wine for distribution. Picture members of the Altar Guild bent over trays of communion wafers, using an eye dropper to patiently drop wine onto hundreds of little wafers to then be blessed. Later in Roper Hall AG members would carefully put those prepared wafers into little plastic bags and then into envelopes to be later delivered to homes.
When the f irst outdoor services started, the Altar Guild had to move everything needed for the service outside. We had a whole new set of challenges to overcome with the wind, rain, temperature, birds, and don’t forget the planes f lying overhead and the cars racing down the street. Each Sunday morning we had to bring out tables, chairs, and setup the outdoor altar for the service. The wind blew out our candles; the wind blew the altar book pages; the wind blew the linens; the wind blew everything! In a desperate attempt to keep things from blowing away our members collected rocks and crafted paper weights to keep everything secure.
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The safety of the AG members was always kept paramount. The whole year we only had a skeleton crew since many folks did not feel comfortable, or it was not advisable for them to work around groups. New cleaning procedures had to be created, masking and social distancing guidelines had to be kept. With every challenge, the members of the Altar Guild came up with a solution and did it with a smile. As we progress back to regular indoor services at the Fig, I encourage you to think about whether you might be able to serve in the Altar Guild. We’re a dedicated group of folks and we have a lot of fun in the process. We are excited about life returning to normal life at the Fig, but some of us are still waiting for a much-needed holiday!
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LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA by Alan Justice
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hen COVID-19 hit, people started getting sick, institutions closed, and businesses laid off their lower-paid employees. Everyone grew fearful, and the country’s leadership at all levels seemed at a loss. We couldn’t even go to church for comfort. The Fig’s food pantry was still an “essential ministry,” in Father Casey’s words, even while we were all struggling to f igure out how to do church in the time of corona. The staff—clergy, off ice, and janitors— have been steadfast in support. 16
Crossroads Community Services, where we get the groceries, has changed their procedures to protect the workers. We used to be able to go inside and chat with the staff there. Now, we interact with them through an intercom and a screen. Their entire effort is still to make sure needy people eat. To that end, during the past year they have not charged us, or their other community partners, for the food we distribute. We had been paying fourteen cents a pound for the groceries, which came to about $200-$250 per month. That will resume sometime in the future. The pantry volunteers keep our operation going. We moved from the crowded back room of the Clothes Horse to Roper Hall, which gave us space to work while keeping our social distance. Everyone works in a mask. Clients remain in their cars while the volunteers load their groceries. The Clothes Horse brings clothing up to the car port for the families, who are delighted to “shop” off the racks.
Our volunteers have maintained this ministry throughout the pandemic because of the desperate needs of our clients. The pantry supplements missed school meals and helps families who found themselves out of work because of COVID, and often outside of the social safety net. The pandemic has had a much more signif icant impact on those who live on the margins than it has on most of us at the Fig. Many of the volunteers, because of age, health, or just general caution, have shied away from the services that have been available at the Fig. Many have stayed away from virtually everything that used to be “normal.” But those volunteers who are able f ind themselves drawn back, again and again, on the third Monday of the month, to unload, sort, and pack groceries. Since we haven’t been able to see each other in church, we socialize at a distance while stuff ing paper bags. We share a meal while seated at separate tables, and it’s a joyful thing to eat and work together. The food pantry serves God in the name of Transf iguration by serving God’s people in the hard times—and for God’s poor, it is always hard times. When the pandemic is a memory, the poor will still be with us, still providing Christians with the opportunity to serve God by serving them. But for now, this is what love in the time of corona looks like.
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UP DATE O N TH E TRANS FIG U R I N G O U R FO U N DAT I O N S CA PITAL C A MPA IGN by Jeremy and Jordan Teeple
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fter much discernment earlier this year, Fr. Casey, the vestry, staff, and the leadership of the Transf iguring Our Foundations Capital Campaign decided to reengage our outside consultants and restart campaign activities. As a reminder, we originally commenced the campaign in February 2020 with the goal of raising $6 million to address a host of capital projects around the campus for essential repairs and improvements and to establish a Capital Sustainability Fund to ensure our ability to fund future maintenance. The capital projects will not only improve the aesthetics of the interior and exterior of the church but will also fund much needed updates to the HVAC, electrical and various technology systems that will enhance the experience for all parishioners and staff. One of the more exciting projects is an expansive renovation of Roper Hall kitchen, which will enrich social gatherings in our church for decades to come. One of the reasons we were so eager to resume the campaign was the incredible momentum we had established early in 2020, as we had built up a legion of volunteers to help with the campaign and secured pledges from 36 families totalling more than $2.1 million in less than two months’ time. However, as the severity of the pandemic became clear, we decided to suspend the campaign, as the energy of our congregation needed to be focused on the health and safety of our members during those especially trying times. As the pandemic has abated, we have started to meet weekly with volunteers and are reaching out to members of the church asking for their support. The initial response has been overwhelmingly positive, with a recent large gift helping push us near the $5 million mark.
As co-Chairs of the campaign along with Jim and Tammy Kirkman, we would be remiss if we didn’t ask that you prayerfully consider what you can contribute to the effort, while understanding that the f inancial commitment is something that we are asking to be fulf illed over f ive years. We are also looking for a few more volunteers to help out with the campaign in various capacities. If you would like to hear more about the various ways you can help, or any aspect of the campaign itself, feel free to contact us. We also want to leave you with a personal note on why we are so passionate about the campaign. When we were asked to be a part of the leadership for the capital campaign by Father Casey, we were honestly a little surprised, but we knew it was an opportunity to give back that we couldn’t pass up. We were also going to have the honor of working alongside Jim and Tammy Kirkman, whom we have admired ever since we started coming to the Fig in 2010. We will never forget that feeling we had after our f irst visit to the Fig. We had found the most amazing church! It was literally as if we had been a part of the church our entire lives. And what was so special is that it was not just the other families with young children who were so welcoming. Just as much it was the older generations that wanted to know all about us and our children. They took immense pleasure in seeing the church that they helped get off the ground so long ago, and that they had put so much of their time, talent and treasure into, continue to f lourish. We and our children have gotten so much out of this church, and we want to be a part of ensuring that for the Fig, the best is yet to come. We owe it to the past and current parishioners that have gotten the church to this point to make the facilities as safe and welcoming as possible and that we have the f inancial resources to ensure they remain that way.
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W E LC OME B ACK, TED! Interview with Ted Clarkson
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ransf iguration is blessed to welcome back the Rev. Ted Clarkson and his husband Mikey Whitman – longtime members of Transf iguration who met here at the Fig. Ted has joined the staff as Curate for Pastoral Care and Outreach.
What has Sewanee been like this past year? It has been a remarkable time to be a student at Sewanee, for many reasons. In the last year, we have sacrif iced much of our community life to keep the pandemic at bay. We have wrestled with the university’s history as an institution founded by former Southern slaveholders. We have confronted issues of systemic and outright racism that continue to tear at the fabric of our community. While Sewanee is going through some long-overdue growing pains, it also remains the beautiful place it has always been. The view from the Memorial Cross is as breathtaking as ever, and All Saints’ Chapel is still an inspiring testament to what people of prayer can do. And, if you have to live anywhere during a global pandemic, Sewanee is not a bad choice. By limiting the amount of travel on and off campus, changing the way courses are taught, and testing the entire student body weekly, we were able to have a reasonably full student experience while other schools went mostly online. While there is a temptation to feel like my seminary experience was less than promised, the pandemic actually provided a unique context in which we could explore key theological ideas. What does a Eucharistic community look like when it cannot share the sacraments together? How does the Church empower the laity when everyone is forced to stay at home? The conversations about how to be the Church when our ability to assemble is diminished will stay with me throughout my ministry.
What have you loved most about seminary? What are a few of the most important or interesting things you’ve learned? In the year before I left for seminary, I was the youth minister at All Saints’ Fort Worth. As part of the Journey 2 Adulthood curriculum, the youth and their families participate in a “Litany of Dedication.” In the litany, the youth are asked questions about their transition from childhood to adulthood. Acknowledging the fear that can accompany any sort of transition, one of the questions is, “And what if you change?” The response is, “By God’s grace, we will all be changed.”
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I have loved seminary because by the grace of God, seminary changed me. By living, working, studying, reading, writing, praying, and singing together, I am not the person I was three years ago. Because of my time worshipping in the seminary chapel, my life is more f irmly grounded in prayer. Because of my time in the classroom, I am more devoted to Christian formation and education. Because of my time as a hospital chaplain, I am a more effective pastor. I did not know what to expect of seminary; I did not know how much I would be changed, but I am grateful for the experience and the way it has opened me up to being changed more and more as I grow into the minister that God has called me to be.
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What’s the latest from your diocese and your sponsoring church, All Saints’?
What will your roles be at Transfiguration?
My diocese, The Episcopal Church in North Texas, (formerly the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth) could use your prayers these days. As many of you know, twelve years ago, Fort Worth’s diocesan bishop, Jack Iker, and the diocesan convention chose to sever ties with the Episcopal Church over issues including the interpretation of scripture, the ordination of women, and full inclusion of LGBTQ+ Christians in the life of the Church. However, many clergy and laypeople chose to remain loyal to the Episcopal Church. This set up a long legal battle over who was the real “Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth” and who controlled the parish property. Sadly, the Texas Supreme Court sided with the breakaway group, and recently several congregations of Episcopalians have had to hand over the keys to their church buildings. This is the case for All Saints’ Episcopal Church, the parish that sponsored me for ordination. At the moment, they are worshipping at the chapel of All Saints’ Episcopal School on the west side of town.
I am excited that my job description includes almost every possible area of parish ministry. My title is “curate” which implies that my work will have an intentionally formative quality. If I do it right, it means that you are going to be teaching me how to be a priest.
However, All Saints’ rector has reminded them that the parish has been through hard times before and has always come out stronger. They continue to support their mission partners in Fort Worth and abroad; they sing God’s praises and celebrate the Eucharist every week; they continue to spread the gospel and grow in the knowledge and love of God. They are a model of Christian faithfulness for me and the rest of the Church, and I look forward to seeing all the new things God will do through them in the years to come.
Fr. Casey has given me a few areas of ministry where I will focus my time. One of them will be providing support to the Outreach Committee. Your witness and service to the community has gown immensely since I left, and I can’t wait to learn about all that you do. Additionally, I will be coordinating the parish’s Pastoral Care ministries. Deacon Liz O’Donnell trained me as a Eucharistic Visitor in 2009 and I’m very excited to be involved in training the next group of EVs. (If you think you might be interested in this ministry, please let me know. I’d be glad to talk you into it!) I’ll also be working with TJ on bulletins and worship materials, and I’ll have the chance to participate in the chapel program at Parish Episcopal School.
How will you include music in your life when you return? I am not the f irst person who wandered into Transf iguration because of its reputation for good music and ended up being drawn deeper and deeper into the life of the parish. When I taught The Way, I learned that music was a draw for maybe half of the Wayfarers. Since being away, I have missed the choirs, the organ, and Joel’s compositions which have woven themselves into the life of the parish. But the thing I have missed the most is the singing from the congregation. I have never been part of a congregation that sings the way the Fig sings. You sing joyfully and courageously. While I am with you, I hope to sing and make music as much as possible: from the altar, from the choir gallery, and in the classroom. As part of my own wellness regimen, I’d like to f ind an ensemble in Dallas to sing with.
What will Mikey be up to? I’ve always thought that the best reason a parish would hire me as a priest is that they would get Mikey as well. When it comes to parish ministry, he’s basically a force of nature. When we get started in July, he’s going to spend some time discerning what ministries to get involved with, but it’s safe to assume that you’ll see him around on Sunday mornings: perhaps in the choir gallery, perhaps at the welcome desk, perhaps as an usher. 23
When he’s not at church, he will continue working in the marketing department at Pizza Hut. While we are both going to miss life in Sewanee, we are excited that we’ll be closer to our friends and family. When we started this journey many years ago, it never occurred to us that we would land back at Transf iguration. Dallas’s most famous theologian, Stanley Hauerwas, has an essay entitled, “Christianity: It’s Not a Religion; It’s an Adventure.” My journey has indeed been an adventure, full of twists and turns. I expect that it will remain and adventure for the rest of my life. Mikey and I are thrilled that the quest is bringing us back to Hillcrest and Spring Valley. We cannot wait to get started!
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CHURCH STAFF CLERGY The Rev. R. Casey Shobe, D.Min. Rector The Rev. Rebecca Tankersley Associate Rector The Rev. Nancy DeStefano Pastoral Assistant The Rev. Ted Clarkson Curate The Rev. Terence C. Roper Rector Emeritus PROGRAMS Cindy Hauser Retiring Director of Children’s Ministries Allison Blalock Incoming Director of Children’s Ministries 26
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Dana Jean Outgoing Director of Youth Ministries Michael Sturdy Interim Director of Youth Ministries Anne Schmidt Director of Evangelism and Welcoming Ministries
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 Kimberley Ahrens Director of Children’s Choirs David Stanley Table Music Director
PHOTO INDEX 1. Cover: Jim Kirkman and Adelaide Shobe on Palm Sunday Pageant. Photo by TJ McCoy. 2. Mary Brooke and Yoichi Matsumura with newly baptized Sophia Matsumura and family on the Day of Pentecost. Photo by John Makowski. 3. Bear Goldsmith in 2020 Christmas Pageant. Photo by Lorna Goldsmith. 4. Aftermath of burst pipe on Ash Wednesday. Photo by The Rev. Casey Shobe.
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5. Volunteers Cesar Hernandez and Bram Teeple helping move water out of the church. Photo by Jordan Teeple.
Sophie Lowrance Parish Administrator
6. Alyson and Kurt Thompson. Photographer unknown.
Lana Mederos Executive Assistant to the Rector
8. Mother Rebecca and Rachel DeVey. Photo by TJ McCoy.
7. Easter Vigil. Photo by TJ McCoy.
Mary Hall Controller
9. Altar Guild member Olga Ruff preparing for Sunday service. Photo by TJ McCoy.
Jill Carpenter Office Assistant
10. Food Pantry volunteers Janet Wilson, David Huff, Jodi Dalton, and Tish Maedche organizing groceries. Photo by TJ McCoy.
PROPERTY Bracken Reece Director of Operations Joseph Gerick Sexton Francisco Negrete Sexton
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Oliver Cone, Senior Warden Mark Ramsay, Junior Warden Robin Caldwell Kristin Cutts Jodi Dalton Scott Daniels Robbi Dietrich Lacey Garcia Linda Horton Peggy Kwoka Rosemary Luquire Jay Madrid, Parish Chancellor Mason McCamey Allison Murphy, Treasurer Libby Nicodemus, Clerk
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11. Jeremy, Mary, and Jordan Teeple behind the scenes for the Christmas pageant. Photo by TJ McCoy. 12. Ted Clarkson. Photo by TJ McCoy. 13. Michael and Catherine Sturdy at Palm Sunday service. Photo by John Makowski. 14. Father Casey with newly baptized Sophia Matsumura. Photo by Robert Hacker. 15. Confirmands on the Day of Pentecost. Photo by Robert Hacker. 16. Pentecost origami dove installation by Bradley Ferst. Photo by John Makowski. 17. Outreach volunteers Vicki Eastland and her daughter Julie at St. Philip’s School and Community Center for Mother’s Day. Photographer unknown. 18. Father Casey on Palm Sunday. Photo by TJ McCoy. 19. Altar guild ingenuity for outdoor service. Photo by TJ McCoy. Back Cover: Bradley Ferst preparing banner for Pentecost. Photo by TJ McCoy. The Illumine Editor-in-Chief is T.J. McCoy. S U M M E R 2 020
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