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ILLUMINE enlightening and celebrating where God is at work in our midst WI NTE R 2021 / 2022

VOL . 8 NO. 2

F RO M T HE RE C TO R PHO E N I X C O PE

T HE E N DOWN ME N T F U N D AT WO RK

BE AU T Y & BE LO N GI N G

ME E T T HE BA RROWS

2N D HA L F STAYS CONNECTED

WHE N DI D YO U F I RST KN OW?

N OW GO FO RT H A N D 18 S HA RE YO U R BL E S S I N GS PHOTO I N DE X

SU MME R 2020

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F R OM THE RECTOR The Rev. R. Casey Shobe, D.Min.

uring the seasons of Advent and Lent, the doors of the triptych are closed. In Lent, the closed triptych is covered by a shroud, but during Advent, we leave the triptych uncovered so we can gaze upon the two figures who adorn the doors. They are angels, of course, but not just any angels. They are Gabriel and Michael, and these particular angels have much to do with Advent. On the left is Gabriel, who bears a lily, the traditional symbol of the annunciation. It was Gabriel who appeared to Mary in Nazareth and shared with her God’s desire that she bear God’s Son. Before that, Gabriel had also appeared to Zechariah in the Temple, sharing the news that his wife Elizabeth would soon become pregnant with the one who would prepare the way for the Lord. Gabriel, then, is the angel of the f irst Advent, and when we look up at this beautiful f igure, we are reminded of when God came among us in great humility and inaugurated the story of our salvation. On the right side of the triptych is another angelic f igure, Michael. Michael is vested, by tradition, as a Byzantine bodyguard, for Michael is a warrior and leader of the heavenly host. In his hands, Michael holds a sheath of stars, symbolizing the archangel’s presence at the end of time, which is dramatically and metaphorically described in Revelation. Michael, then, is the angel of the f inal Advent. When we gaze up at him, we are reminded that Christ will come again on the Last Day to judge the living and the dead. So the triptych is not closed in Advent to hide the Transf igured Christ, but to allow us to ref lect upon two central beliefs of our faith: Christ has come and Christ will come again. It’s no secret that we prefer the f irst coming to the last. We love to look backward to the long ago and far away of the Nativity, and the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. It’s harder to be sentimental about the apocalypse, although plenty of Christians are completely consumed by thinking about the end of time.

But the truth is that we aren’t in either of those places. We don’t live in the “back then,” nor do we live in the “not yet.” We live in-between. We live now. We live in the meantime. What God has done has already been done, and what God will do is not under our control. Yet, now is every bit as sacred as the past and the future, for God has not left or abandoned us. In the meantime of this sacred now, God still comes to us all the time, hallowing our world with the same Spirit that hovered over the world in the beginning. In the meantime, God still makes a home among us and works through us to make it more on earth as it is in heaven. In the meantime, God trusts us enough to be the Body of the One whose birth was heralded by the angels long ago, and who will one day come again with that same heavenly host at the end of time.

As we embark on another year in the meantime – one that will inevitably bring joys and sorrows, things to celebrate and things to lament, beauty and tragedy, and everything in between – I pray we will all remember that there are not two Advents, but three. We live under the watchful eye of a loving God, who is still very much with us. For God still makes a home among mortals, and joyfully abides in all those who open their hearts to allow God to enter in. So, while you may have long since removed the wreath from your front door, consider the wisdom of the 4th century poet and musician Ephrem of Syria:

“Let each person wreathe the door of her heart So that the Holy Spirit may delight in that door Enter in and take up residence there; Then by the Spirit we will be made holy.”

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“It would have been a wonderful day no matter what happened,” Fr. Casey said. “But we felt that God was smiling on us.”

P H OENIX COPE by David Flick

r. Casey was immediately struck by the beauty of the vestment he saw online last spring: made of hand-embroidered gold damask, the clerical garment — properly known as a cope —was emblazoned with the f igure of a phoenix, a traditional symbol of resurrection or rebirth. A f itting symbol, Fr. Casey thought, for what at the time seemed the end of the pandemic. Fr. Casey shared a photo of the cope with Frances Martin, a friend and longtime parishioner. “Casey thought it was beautiful, and I thought it would be wonderful for the church to have a new cope, so I said, ‘Let’s do it’,” Mrs. Martin said. Furthermore, there was a perfect moment to display it for the f irst time: the upcoming ordination of the Rev. Ted Clarkson, the f irst such ceremony at Transf iguration in a generation. Through her generosity, the cope was commissioned from Watts & Co., a London firm whose creations since the 19th Century have included not only clerical vestments, but coronation robes for the British monarchy. “We thought, what a perfect debut for the cope, to be worn for this celebration of something brand new in the church,” Fr. Casey said. “It all came together perfectly.” At f irst. The robe was commissioned June 10, with assurances that it would be ready well before Fr. Ted’s ordination on July 8. A week before the ceremony, the company notif ied Transf iguration off icials that the robe had been shipped and would arrive July 2.

But July 2 came and went. Sophie Lowrance, the church administrator, was assigned to track it down. The next three days were the Fourth of July weekend, and no one at the delivery service was available. Two days before the ordination, she received a note from Watts & Co. that the vestment had been held up in customs. On July 7, the day before the ordination, she was assured that the vestment was still scheduled for delivery — in three to f ive days.

Concluding that the cope was not going to arrive in time for the ordination ceremony, Fr. Casey called Mrs. Martin with the disappointing news. “She was sad. She was so looking forward to seeing it,” he said. “But she understood.” On the morning of the ceremony, Fr. Casey received a text saying the vestment was still sitting in the Miami airport and the import duty had not been paid. Church off icials went online and made the payment. To their relief, they immediately received a text acknowledging receipt, and that the vestment had been cleared to be sent to Dallas. Meanwhile, the subject of that ordination, Ted Clarkson, had another distraction. A few days before the ceremony — which would require lots of standing — he had sprained his ankle. “I knew all the concern about the cope was going on. But for me, it was kind of in the background,” he said. And the drama of the cope continued.

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Ordinarily, the item would be f lown to a North Texas warehouse and delivered to the church in a few days. But the ordination was scheduled to begin in fewer than 12 hours. “The morning of the service, I’m on the phone to DHL, frantically trying to f ind out what was going on,” Sophie said. “Luckily, I got a sympathetic staffer. He said I could drive to the distribution hub to pick it up.”

At 3 p.m., she secured the vestment and drove to Transf iguration, where Fr. Casey opened the package in the sacristy with only hours to spare — just time enough to let the creases hang out. “It would have been a wonderful day no matter what happened,” Fr. Casey said. “But we felt that God was smiling on us.” In the rush of events, he hadn’t had time to let Mrs. Martin know the cope had made it to the church on time. Only as she arrived at Transf iguration did someone inform her that the cope was safely in hand. “I was so happy, I burst into tears,” she said. “I had prayed, ‘Please, God, let it get here on time,’ and it did.” “Her f irst sight of it was when I was wearing it as I was walking down the aisle in the procession,” Fr. Casey said. “I looked over and gave her a little wink.” She bowed in return. And Fr. Ted’s ankle did not slow him down. “With the help of ibuprofen, I made it through the service,” he said. “In the end, it all worked out.”

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THE ENDOWMENT FUND AT TRANSFIGURATION by Alan Dunlop

e have all seen the acknowledgements like, “Thanks to a grant from the Transf iguration Endowment Fund, we will be ordering a magnetized name tag for everyone who would like one…” But what is this mysterious endowment fund behind acknowledgements like these?

The Church of the Transfiguration Endowment Fund was created more than 40 years ago, and operates in a similar way to university and college endowment funds by investing a significant amount of capital and making grants from earnings to support the church in its various ministries. The capital has grown slowly over the years from a mixture of lifetime gifts, memorial gifts and (especially) legacies left by parishioners either directly to the Endowment Fund or to the Church. Careful stewardship and market appreciation have also helped, and the current capital value of the Endowment Fund is approximately $2.3 million – not enormous by the standards of Harvard University, perhaps, but significant enough to allow helpful grants of around $90,000 to the Church every year. Grants are made to assist with special projects beyond the scope of the annual operating budget. For instance, last year the Endowment Fund assisted with the improvements to the courtyard area outside the Parlor, installation of the handrails in the Chancel, and sponsored the Stations of the Nativity project. Recently, grants have been made to assist with seminary fees for the two seminarians currently sponsored by Transf iguration. Over the years, donors have created with their generous gifts a number of specialized funds within the Endowment, which support particular ministries:

• The Joanna Elizabeth Pierce and Justin Ford Pierce Youth Fund • The Outreach Fund • The Rodgers Seminarian Fund and there are also two ministry funds, created with the support of the Vestry: • The Music Fund • The Infrastructure Capital Fund, created in 2021 to manage the part of the Capital Campaign receipts dedicated to the long-term care of the Transfiguration campus. The sixth, and largest, fund is the Legacy Fund, which holds all capital and gifts not specifically dedicated to one of the other funds. Who looks after the Endowment Fund? The Endowment Fund is obviously connected to the church, but it is a separate legal entity managed by a board of trustees appointed by the Vestry. The Board of Trustees has fiduciary duties to the church and to donors for the good stewardship and management of the funds under its control. The Board of Trustees has appointed the Episcopal Church Foundation to act as its investment advisor, and State Street Global Advisors, a group specializing in the investment of charitable funds, as its investment manager. Funds are invested in a mixture of stocks and fixed income holdings. How Can I Help? The continued growth of the capital of the Endowment Fund will help secure Transfiguration’s financial future. It would be great if one day the Endowment was in a position not only to help with occasional items outside the scope of the annual operating budget, but also to help with grants towards that budget, thereby relieving the congregation of some of that strain.

The most significant way you can help is to keep the Endowment Fund in mind as part of your estate planning process. Also referred to as “planned giving,” bequests of a fixed amount or of a percentage of an estate make a huge difference to the Endowment. Making an estate bequest is not difficult, and even if you already have a will and estate plan and don’t intend to revise them any time soon, most wills allow for additional gifts to be made by a simple separate signed instruction. Gifts can be made to any of the funds mentioned in this article. Many Transfiguration members have already included the church or the Endowment Fund in their estate planning, and those who tell us that they have done so become members of the Legacy Society. The Legacy Society is a way in which we can thank members for their generosity, and acknowledge their contribution to the long-term future of Transfiguration.

Of course, lifetime gifts are also very much appreciated, and can be made to any of the funds managed by the Endowment, as can memorial gifts (e.g., “In lieu of flowers, please make a gift to the [Name of Fund] within the Church of the Transfiguration Endowment Fund”), or gifts in honor of an individual. If you have any questions about the Endowment Fund or about planned giving, please contact any of the trustees or write to them at endowment@transfiguration.net. Board of Trustees 2021: Alan Dunlop, Chair Sergio Garcia, Vice Chair Michael Widmer, Secretary John Mottram, Treasurer Linda Ayers George Banitch Dana Bartholomew John Caldwell Bill Keslar Carolyn Lewis Renee Thomas

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BEAU TY & BELONGIN G by Joel Martinson

hen asked by musical colleagues and others outside the Dallas area how I would describe the Church of the Transf iguration, I tell them “Transf iguration is the largest normal Episcopal church in the Diocese of Dallas, like a large Episcopal parish or cathedral in any other area of the country.” We uphold the canons and constitution of the Episcopal Church, abide by the decisions of the General Convention, do our best to live by our baptismal covenant to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself,” and “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” We also have a long-established tradition of rich liturgy and f ine music carefully-orchestrated and as beautifully-executed as we can make it at the time. We are grounded in the tradition of classical church music which has been handed down to us, but also celebrate the work of liturgists, poets, and musicians of the Episcopal Church active in the last half of the 20th century through our present day. As the Transf iguration Choir has grown and developed over the last 17 years, we have been privileged to acquire some very f ine amateur and professional singers from all over the country, whose former choir directors have sent them our way. One of the attractions of a good-sounding choir which sings quality music is that trained musicians want to join it, adding their voice to the chorus, and, in doing so, f inding a community (choir) within a community (parish). Several of our singers came to the Episcopal Church from different faith traditions when they were hired as staff singers for Episcopal parishes during their college years. A number of these musicians have chosen Transf iguration because of its music and other ministries and have volunteered to share their voice each week. Currently we have over a dozen volunteers who have served as paid section leaders at one time in their life in addition to our six paid staff singers. Over twenty persons hold at least one degree in music.

Transf iguration has the largest adult choir in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, with 53 active singers. We also are unique among the largest churches of the diocese in that we have a predominantly volunteer choir, with 47 auditioned volunteers joining the paid singers. During the pandemic we rehearsed using safety protocols when COVID-19 cases subsided in Dallas County, and in Lent began singing in chamber choirs centered on our section leaders. Since June we have employed the full choir roster divided into either four smaller groups or our normal two (one choir singing at each Sunday service). During this time, only one pre-pandemic choir member has not participated in any activities, and a couple more have come in and come out as circumstances changed. I have learned recently what a rarity this is for us to have over 95 percent of their prepandemic choir still involved, as many of my colleagues’ choirs here and elsewhere have been severely reduced or outright decimated since March 2020. This speaks so highly of our choir’s commitment and the strong community that has been built here. The day after Epiphany, when I had engineered another “course-correction” for our choir routine, given the Omicron surge in DFW, and received many positive responses of understanding from the singers, I remarked to David that I was fortunate to have the choir I have during these often-trying times. I still remember a poignant comment from a verger at Bristol Cathedral when we f irst sang there for an Evensong in 2013: “we get two kinds of choirs through here – one that is nice and very easy to deal with but isn’t all that good musically, and another that makes very f ine music but is really diff icult to host. Yours is the best of both worlds: nice people who make beautiful music together.” I am thankful for the opportunity to lead this choir and the music at this very special Church of the Transf iguration!

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MEET TH E BA R R OWS by Jameson and Courtney Barrow

ameson and Courtney are first generation Texans who have lived in and around the Metroplex their whole lives. They met in Dallas in 2006 and were married on the beach in Pawley’s Island, South Carolina, in April 2010.

Courtney is the former Graphic Designer and Director of Communications for Church of the Incarnation and the new Director of Communications for Wonderland Montessori, a collection of several Montessori schools around the country. She also holds prominent board positions on both a local chapter of her sorority (Gamma Phi Beta) and the local branch of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). Jameson is a former chef, but spends these days as a REALTOR working with Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate. He enjoys helping people through the home-buying process and especially likes working with first-time home-buyers. Jameson is an avid fan of slow cooked meats and spends entirely too much time using his smoker and sous vide circulator to create meals that his children don’t really care about and his wife won’t eat anyway (she’s a vegetarian). He is also a die-hard Dallas Stars fan, self-proclaimed beer aficionado, and an audiophile. Courtney is a HUGE animal lover and also enjoys spending much of her time urban homesteading – working in their pollinator and vegetable garden, vermicomposting, and spending time with her flock of chickens. They share their home with their two children, Dechlan (10), and Adelaide (5), as well as a cat, three dogs, three lizards, and twenty chickens. Dechlan enjoys Legos, coding, and playing the piano. Adelaide enjoys crafting, singing, and all things pink. Both children also enjoy helping in the garden and chicken coop, and assisting their parents with creating homesteading themed videos for the Barrow Family Homestead Instagram page. They are both students at Alcuin School.

As for many others, the pandemic of 2020 marked a major upheaval in the lives of the Barrows. Having multiple family members who were high risk, they opted to take their children out of school, a change that would continue for nearly two semesters. Courtney spent much of her time working to teach their children; Jameson put most of his work on hold as well. During this time they also redirected their spiritual life to one based online. Months later and armed with vaccinations, they began discussing a return to “church normalcy” and found that they were feeling somewhat unfulfilled with their spiritual lives. Having heard about the Sturdy family moving to a new church and being quite enamored with it, they decided to look into some digital worship services at Transfiguration. In-person services followed closely behind. Soon after, they made the change official, and have been happily attending since. What initially attracted the Barrows to their new home of worship was the unprecedented inclusivity. Having attended Episcopal churches for many years, they were interested in keeping with a church that felt “universal”. They had no idea that a church could feel so inclusive and universally accepting as Transfiguration, though. In a time when it felt that the world was divide, and that many of those claiming to follow the example of Christ’s love were quite unaccepting of any people who were remotely different, it was refreshing to find a community who truly strives to live up to the example and message of Jesus. The Barrows are settling in to their new spiritual home; everyone is excited to find new ways to volunteer and give back to their church community. They hope to make fast friends with you all in the coming years.

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You are invited to join High Tea, Wednesday afternoons at 3:30! Reach out to Pastor Nancy NDeStefano@transfig uration.net

2ND HALF STAYS CONNECTED by E.T. and Sally Manning

hank goodness for Zoom!

When we went virtual at the Fig, we were able to attend even Sunday Services in our pajamas and with our coffee cups! Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers recruited by Mother Rebecca, we were able to virtually attend Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline services every day. And our Formation Offerings have f lourished. There have been separate and distinct offerings, so we didn’t have the conf lict of deciding which we would attend. We had classes offered at different times, on different days and on different topics so we were able to attend them all. It worked out great! Perhaps one of the best results of meeting virtually is that we’ve changed the day and time for our “Second Half” group meetings. For those who don’t know, Second Half was the result of conversations between our Pastoral Assistant, Nancy DeStefano and a small group of parishioners led by Stephen and Karen Kahl who felt that we needed a class geared toward those more mature members of the Fig who were entering their “Second Half” of life. The group began to meet in the parlor, with up to twenty members meeting during the Formation hour. We met for over a year. Then COVID hit. Pastor Nancy immediately moved Second Half meetings to a virtual format that now meets each Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 which Nancy dubbed “Tea Time.” Our meetings have drawn together more than 50 people who have registered for the group, and attendance f luctuates between 10-20 and up to 30 members each week. Everyone has an opportunity to share.

Our meeting topics have included a little of everything:

• Legal and death issues we’ll all face

• Books on aging and related medical issues • Prayer requests for ourselves, our families and our friends

• Sharing where to get vaccinations when they first became available last year when everyone was scrambling to get a shot and where to get boosters

• Speakers, including our priests, both active and retired, and many of our staff sharing their lives and what led them to their vocations • A speaker from Suicide Prevention

• Talking about favorites books, movies, and restaurants • Exploring our individual experiences and life-histories

One of the blessings of meeting virtually has been that we have found a way to become better acquainted with each other, particularly with new members who found us virtually before ever stepping foot into the Fig. And during the diff iculties of COVID, campaigns and elections, and the turmoil of events beyond our control, we have found a place where we experience calm and laughter. We have made true friendships through the weekly virtual “face-to-face” meetings as we continue to share deeply with each other. The Second Half group epitomizes that YOU BELONG HERE! W I N T E R 2 1/ 22

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“My Altar Guild ministry because I feel a ‘part-of’ | ILLUMINE the worship and connection to Christ, in a way that combines service, Eucharist (thanksgiving, preparing the bread and wine), and practicing the presence of God through all my senses. It f ills my soul and causes me to truly cherish the Fig!” – Sally Manning

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Welcoming

WHEN DID YOU FIRST K N OW YO U BELO NGED AT TRAN SF I G U RAT I O N ? Excerpts from a December Parish survey

“It is a place where you feel love and joy from a wonderful community.” – Paul DesRochers

“Our church demonstrates, by behavior, the love of Christ, which is more powerful than any type of proselytizing.” – Sara Ivey

Loving

“Our many activities together (VBS, monthly meetings, service projects, Sunday school teaching) helped me get involved..” – Linda Ayres

“When I realized that I was free to ask questions about doctrines/liturgy/faith without condemnation and my curiosity was welcomed and fostered.” – Anonymous

Warm

“It is the people and the many ways we interact with each other that is unique. We belong together.” – Jeff Frauenheim

“Growing up at Transf iguration, I was fortunate to be in the choir program from Holy Family choir to St. Cecilia’s. We were always made to feel we were a valued part of the Fig family.” – Jan Waller

Inclusive

“Inclusiveness, warmth, and true generosity of spirit demonstrated by clergy and members as well.” – Anonymous

“No matter what your age or interest, there is a place for you. FIG continues to evolve, but there is always something to feed the soul.” – Anonymous

Family

“Whether I attend in person or remotely, I am welcomed and do not feel ‘invisible’. This is of major importance to me as a handicapped person and as a gay person. I feel accepted even with my doubts and questions. In many other churches I have visited, I felt very much like an outsider and often left with a sense of loneliness rather than feeling loved by God.” – Robert Newell

“The extraordinary music program drew me in.” – Anonymous

Vibrant

Home 17 “Volunteering at the Clothes Horse, and getting to know all the wonderful ladies who work so diligently to provide funds to support other ministries of the parish.” – Joyce Deegan

Caring “I always feel that I belong at the Fig when working with our wonderful food pantry volunteers, by providing racks of clothing from the Clothes Horse, giving food pantry families access to free clothing in addition to the food they receive. The entire food pantry project is f illed with warmth and love, and I feel blessed by playing a small part in it.” – Pat Kriska

Open

“Since we joined the church during the pandemic, the f irst time we ever met Father Casey and Mother Rebecca in person was when we picked up communion at the church. They remembered details about us that we had shared during virtual classes and were so welcoming when we met them. It’s been that way ever since... They’ve made us feel like we belong since day one.” – Keri Holt

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NOW GO FORTH AND SHA R E YO U R B L E SSI N G by the Dunnells Family

B 18

elonging isn’t just a verb, it’s a feeling, an expression of being. Our family moved to Dallas in February 2020. As you can imagine, COVID made f inding a new community where we belonged diff icult. We spent the quarantine with family. Our time was spent homeschooling and making memories with Vanessa’s Grandparents, long time members of Transf iguration. In June of this year Grandma Marion passed. Our family was welcomed, comforted, and assisted by so many at Transf iguration as we truly honored her life. The welcome was felt, not just in words of condolence, but action. Our three children, ages 7 to 13, wanted to participate in creating the f lowers for her funeral. One of their favorite things to do for my grandma was pick out and arrange f lowers for her every two weeks when we did the shopping. The Flower Guild gave each of them meaningful roles that fostered a sense of belonging. It helped to create a f inal beautiful, joyful memory. They were able to give her one last arrangement. When we started attending Sunday services regularly, our children had many questions about this new church. As parents we knew the answers to some of their questions about various traditions or symbols, but not all. For example, do you know what kind of bird is on the upper right panel of the icon doors

in the front and why? (Spoiler… Father Ted does!) Encouraging our kids to help us f ind the answers, our oldest decided she could just ask a priest. She chose Father Ted one Sunday morning and asked him something. I don’t remember what she asked that f irst time but it wasn’t, shall we say, deeply spiritual. Yet, he took her seriously. He thoughtfully answered her question and has always welcomed more. She seeks him out weekly now and is asking deeper questions. She has embraced that her ideas, observations, and questions belong. We felt a shift at the end of the summer when our middle, quieter, child read and heard Father Casey announce the Blessing of the Animals. She wanted to make sure we had it on our calendar. She asked for three weeks if this coming Saturday was the day. Could she get down the cat carrier yet? Then came our nature lover’s dilemma: which and how many of our menagerie of animals were we bringing? We arrived early – an act of divine intervention in itself. And not only carrying one of our family cats and my youngest daughter’s f ish; but from our garden: a worm, sowbugs, a grasshopper, pictures of our other pets not in attendance, and a blade grass. Our children ran to greet the priests and Youth Director Michael Sturdy with pure glee. Mother Rebecca then blessed each and every animal, picture,

and piece of creation presented with equal love and care. My daughter quietly beamed on our way home and later mentioned how much she liked Mother Rebecca. Upon returning home she released the wild animals proclaiming, “Now go forth and share your blessing!” Our daughter’s love of creation was accepted and her typically reserved face shined with belonging.

Our youngest exudes passion. Her sense of belonging at Transf iguration is no exception and felt by the whole family. Every month when she walks into Roper Hall to help with the food pantry she is welcomed and proudly signs in. You can see that she feels like a real member of the team as she picks the food or pushes the cart. She also loves and looks forward to participating in the procession at the beginning of the services, in children’s chapel, and her class every Sunday. Ms. Allison has gone above and beyond to make sure our little one is not only navigating her losses but feels part of the community. Her little wave or wink as she walks down the center aisle says it all. That emotion and conf idence of belonging is clear and as parents we couldn’t be happier. Our family, with all our quirks, questions, and passions have found places to not only f it in at Transf iguration, but ways to belong.

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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 Allison Blalock Director of Children’s Ministries Michael Sturdy Interim Director of Youth Ministries Anne Schmidt Director of Evangelism and Welcoming Ministries

TJ McCoy Director of Communications

WORSHIP SERVICES Wednesday | 6:00 p.m. Thursday | 12:00 p.m.

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 ADMINISTRATION Sophie Lowrance Parish Administrator Lana Mederos Executive Assistant to the Rector Mary Hall Controller Jill Carpenter Office Assistant OPERATIONS Bracken Reece Director of Operations Joseph Gerick Sexton Francisco Negrete Sexton

VESTRY

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

PHOTO INDEX 1. Cover: Catherine Sturdy, Bob Martin, and Father Casey at Advent Festival | Photo by TJ McCoy 2. The Dunnells entering Narnia | Photo by TJ McCoy 3. Closed Triptych Doors | Photo by TJ McCoy 4. Fr. Casey unpacking the Pheonix Cope Photo by Sophie Lowrance 5. Fr. Ted’s Ordination (pictured: Brian Mazur, Fr. David Boyd, Meghan Mazur, Mikey Whitman, Fr. Paul Klitzke, Fr. Ted Clarkson Jr., Fr. Ted Clarkson, Bishop Scott Mayer, Fr. Casey Shobe) Photo by John Makowski 6. Dedication inscribed in Pheonix Cope 7. Back Embroidery on Phoenix Cope Photo by John Makowski 8. Transfiguration Choir. Photo by Tom Honsho. 9. Courtney, Jameson, Adelaide, and Dechlan Barrow. Photographer unknown

10. High Tea with Second Half. 11. Fr. Ted Clarkson, Mother Rebecca Tankersley, and Fr. Casey Shobe. Photo by Anne Schmidt 12. Mother Rebecca, Autumn Dunnells, and Vanessa Dunnells at the Blessing of the Animals. Photo by Michael Sturdy 13. Mother Rebecca and Eloise Lowrance at Advent Festival. Photo by Robert Hacker 14. Mr. Beaver at Advent Festival. Photo by TJ McCoy 15. Advent in Narnia – adult formation class. Photo by TJ McCoy 16. Barbara Geiter, Maggie Sharer, Alyson Thompson, and Sally Manning at Epiphany reception. Photo by TJ McCoy 17. Ginny Ward, Fr. Casey, and Adelaide Shobe at Epiphany reception. | Photo by TJ McCoy 18. Transfiguration Choir on Christmas Eve. Photo by TJ McCoy. 19. Fr. Casey and Aslan at Advent Festival. Photo by TJ McCoy. Back Cover: Margaret and Bill Dwiggins making wreaths at Advent Festival. | Photo by TJ McCoy. W I N T E R 2 1/ 22

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