Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Recently we read this passage in church from Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians:
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (II Thessalonians 1:11-12)
As we enter a new church year, introduced by the season of Advent followed rapidly by Christmas and Epiphany, I am so aware that our parish family is also experiencing several rapid transitions in our shared life. The reality of occupying such a beautiful worship space as the new Edwards Chapel and Community Center affords us is impacting our Sunday worship experience very dramatically. The rapid completion of the new Edwards nursery and toddler rooms, classrooms for primary and secondary grades, the youth room and adult library and study will bring yet another evolutionary stage of growth in our ministries to these age groupings. The addition of Steve Baird’s ministry as a newly-minted ordained deacon, and perhaps other enhancements to our parish staff over the next few months, will aid this evolutionary transition.
Like any living being, Transfiguration as a part of the Body of Christ is growing dynamically, organically and vigorously. We are assuming a leadership mantle of service and partnership to our community and fellow congregations. Our ministries continue to reach out to serve many others in the Name of Jesus. The love of God, the forgiveness of our heavenly Father, and the presence of the Holy Spirit are not vague theological concepts being intellectually debated but rather living realities being received and experienced every single day throughout our parish family. Transfiguration is on the move!
All this is made possible only through God’s providential purpose being made manifest. Transfiguration’s story is just a dim reflection of the saving action of God through our Lord, a salvation so potent it reverberates through human history the moment the Word was made flesh and came to us. God is still acting. Salvation is still present here and now for each of us. As we journey together as a church family beloved of the Lord, I take Paul’s words so long ago as my own words for all of us: May God make us worthy of his calling in these days. May God’s mighty power bring to fruition our every desire for goodness and every deed prompted by faith. And I do pray all of this so that the Name of Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him!
Your Brother in Chris,
