From the Rector
Healing and Coloring

Today the Coloring Cover is an image from St. Luke's Chapel. If you just come into church and go right into the sanctuary you may have missed this space. 

It is a beautiful space where we say morning prayer. It is also used for parents & children needing a moment's peace outside of the service on Sunday mornings. There is a speaker in there that picks up and relays what is going on in the sanctuary. 

This morning at the 10:30 service, during Communion, we are also using it for our healing prayers. We are trying this again after about two years of using the space behind the organ. We would love feedback on how you find it. After you receive your communion please head to the chapel to receive prayers for healing and wholeness.

You will be prayed for under the light cast by the stained glass window in St. Luke's Chapel. It is a lovely window and provided the detail for our Coloring Cover today. 

The window was donated by a parish family many years ago after their two young adult children were killed in a road accident. One was an artist and the other was training to be a doctor. The family chose the theme of St. Luke, the Physician, and incorporated figures for both of their children into the window.
As you receive prayers be mindful of the healing light bathing you through this window, and color in the cover in church or at home as an extension of your prayers.

Love,
Matthew+

News & Announcements

Home & Hope hosting This Week
Beginning this afternoon we are hosting homeless families in our Parish Hall for one week (June 12-19). Thank you to all who have signed up to set-up, prepare meals, cover shifts, and help with "tear down" afterward. Questions or want to volunteer?  Please speak to Dace Samta or Inga Wiggers.  

Summer Sunday Surprises
Summer Sunday Surprises starts next Sunday, June 19! The activities take place during the 10:30am service, with children returning for the Eucharist. Come along and join in the fun! Thank you to all who volunteered to lead these activities throughout the Summer months. Questions? speak to George or Jeanette.

July 4th Weekend Grill On the Hill
If you are in San Mateo over the July 4th Weekend, come and join us at Transfiguration on July 3rd for a Grill on the Hill after the 10:30 service. Bring something to grill for yourself/family, and a side or beverage to share.

Transfiguration Sunday - August 7
Plan to join us for Sunday, August 7 - Transfiguration Sunday - Parish-Wide Festival Eucharist at
10am.  A parish-wide service, including the baptism of Joseph Patrick Longnecker and more!  A 'Grill on the Hill' lunch - a barbecue lunch - will follow the service.  
Plan our Transfiguration service
We are gathering a few people who will help to plan the special liturgy for this feast day celebration. Please contact Matthew or Kristen Kearns if you are interested in participating.

Reading Together Through the Generations
It's more fun to read books together. Let's do a monthly book club this summer and discuss it together over tea and snacks on the last weekend of June, July and August.  We hope that kids of all ages would join us.  Everyone is welcomed.
For June, we will be reading Ramona the Brave by Beverly Clearly.  In July, A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: No Such Thing as a Witch (A Stepping Stone Book) by Ruth Chew.  Finally, in August we will be reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
If you have any questions, please speak to Michele Charles.  Happy Reading!

From the Episcopal Diocese of CA 2016 Nominating Committee:
Nominations are now open for 20 positions within our Diocese to be elected at the 2016 Diocesean convention in October.
To ensure all Deaneries are fairly represented within the elected leadership positions of our diocese, representatives from each congregation have been encouraged to solicit nominations. As Episcopalians we each have the unique opportunity to lead in our diocese and shape our common life. The Nominating Committee of 2016 seeks to provide balanced representation from all parts of the Beloved Community.
This is a significant opportunity - please speak to Matthew if you are interested in exploring this participation in Diocesan leadership. 

Coffee Hour
We have many open Sundays for coffee hour hosting, for the 9:30, & 10:30 services over the Summer.  Please take a look at the link below and sign-up or contact Bethany Lukach.  Thank you! 
http://www.transfig-sm.org/members.html 

Feeding 45,000 - August 13th, 10-noon
Please consider signing up to record interest in volunteering for this meal packaging event. We will soon have details of how to sign up online with specific volunteer time slots. We will need folks for set up and take down plus a lot of meal packers during the main event from 10 am to noon. Save the date - August 13th!   Questions? speak to Jennifer Robinson.

Office Hours for Summer
The Parish Office will be closed on Fridays throughout the summer. If you need to come by, please do so Monday - Thursday. As always, clergy are available via cell phone in case of pastoral emergency. Thanks!

Happy Birthday:  
Bishop Ryan on Monday, Nancy Cerreta, Shannon Yonker and Dawn Bailey on Thursday.

From the Rector

Sabbath and Creation
The idea of Sabbath occurs in the creation myth of Genesis. At the end of creating the world God rests, and we are subsequently invited to imitate God in this pattern. As God rests on the seventh day, we are also meant to rest on the seventh day-or are we?

I like the fact that Sabbath is linked to creation. It makes me think of my own creative process, that I need periods of work interspersed with periods of rest in order to function as a creative person. God creates, and then rests, but does God then begin to create again? Theologians have argued about this and the answer I like the best is that, while God is not creating out of nothing after the six days and the rest, creation does continue. Moreover, we are invited to join in the process of creation. We do not create out of nothing, but we create out of the resources God gives us, and we need a cycle of work and rest to make sure we are creating at our best.

In my recent trip to Israel we discussed Sabbath quite a bit. It was fascinating to hear the different ideas about Sabbath from a Jewish perspective. Two things that caught my attention: Should the rest day be at the start or the end of the week? And; is Sabbath about tiredness or control?

In an ancient debate amongst Rabbis there was disagreement about when Sabbath should fall if one were to find oneself stranded on a desert island with no calendar. One Rabbi said you should work six days and then keep Sabbath, imitating God in the creation story, and then keep Sabbath every seventh day after that. Another Rabbi said that humans are not God, and we must begin with Sabbath before working, so you keep Sabbath on day one and then work six days before keeping Sabbath again. This argument makes me ask whether Sabbath rest is a response to being tired because of work, or a method of generating creative energy before beginning work. What do you think? 

The Christian church decided not to keep our day of rest on Saturday, the last day of the week. We keep it on a Sunday, which is the first day of the week. Our version of Sabbath suggests that we rest in order to be creative, not because we are exhausted.

Then there is the question of whether Sabbath is about rest at all, or about something else! Was God really tired after six days of work? Was God so exhausted that the divine needed a day off? I don't think so, God has limitless energy. Perhaps Sabbath isn't about rest at all. One Rabbi on my trip to the Holy Land said that the book of Exodus focused on the idea of Sabbath as rest - but that the book of Deuteronomy took another path. In Deuteronomy Sabbath is about letting go, not about resting. Think of the circus act where a woman starts spinning plates on the top of long thin poles. As she gets the plates spinning they move through the energy of her initial attention, but then sustain their movement through momentum. She moves on to other plates, and leaves the first spinning on their own. Every so often she has to return to the plates, but she can leave them for some time before this is necessary. So with creation it is as though God spins the universe into being during the six days of creation, and then on the seventh day he lets go. 
Are we resting on the Sabbath because we are exhausted, or are we letting go and stepping back to see how things carry on without us? Is Sabbath a time to reflect on our need for recuperation, or a time to wrestle with our desire to control the world around us?

My answer is to be very Episcopalian about this: it is both. I am writing to you about Sabbath for three reasons. 

Summer Sabbath
During the summer we all get opportunities to rest. We take vacation, we slow our activities down, we may spend more time with family, and we get a chance to reflect. Think about whether you are resting because you are tired, or gathering strength for a new creative endeavor, or asking yourself whether you try to stay in control too much and don't trust things to carry on without you. Summer is my first reason for thinking about Sabbath.

Retreat Sabbath
My second reason is because our parish retreat this summer is going to focus on the theme of Sabbath and I wanted to get you thinking about the idea early. Our parish retreat takes place on August 19-21 at The Bishop's Ranch. The Gospel reading for the Sunday of retreat often inspires our retreat theme, and this year it talks about Sabbath. So we are going to explore this theme together at the Ranch. It should be a wonderful time! Pencil it in and let us know if you intend to join us for this highlight of our parish year.  So, our retreat is my second reason for thinking about Sabbath.

Sabbatical Sabbath
Finally, I am going on sabbatical this Fall. I will be away from my responsibilities in the parish during September, October and November this year. Monica will be stepping into the role of overseeing the parish for this period of time and I will be stepping back. I am giving a lot of thought to exactly what that means. Is it a rest after five years service in the parish? Is it a time to gather energy for the years to come? Is it a time to let go of control and reflect on how I manage parish life? It is all of these things, and I am hoping that by thinking hard about what Sabbath means I will make the most of my sabbatical. So, my sabbatical is my third reason for thinking about Sabbath.

I invite you to do the same over the next six months. This should be a rich time in our parish life together as we understand how rest and creativity fit together in our Bible, in our community and in our lives.

Love, 
Matthew+
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Music Program 
We have had a rich and creative musical period since the start of Lent when Cyril Deaconoff joined us as Interim Director of Music. Now it is time for us to think more deeply about our ongoing music program. I have launched a search for a new ongoing Director of Music, to give us an opportunity to reflect about the kind of program we hope for going forward. 
The posting for our DM is on our website, under the Home/Staff tab. Please read and circulate it to anyone you think might be interested in this post. The process of appointment is being worked on now with members of the choir and Vestry. We hope to be able to announce an ongoing Director of Music during the month of July. Thank you to Cyril for your continuing work as our Interim. 

Congratulations to Newly Confirmed Youth and Thanks their Mentors!
Today is a special day of celebration in which we honor three young people for making a mature commitment to lifelong Christian faith formation. Please join me in congratulating Desmond Hart, Eve Kearns, and Camila Wiese for their active participation in Confirming Our Faith in the World during the past four months, and for prayerfully choosing to participate in the Rite of Confirmation at Grace Cathedral yesterday.

Over six sessions, from Lent through early Pentecost, clergy and young adult mentors led reflections on Holy Scripture, the Baptismal Covenant, the Five Marks of Mission, and our Anglican/Episcopal identities. We used Psalm 107 as a framework for exploring scriptural themes and sacramental rites. Youth shared in liturgical leadership during Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost as acolytes and lectors, and through drama and artwork. We gathered for discussion in coffee shops and park settings to acknowledge the many places we may celebrate and be the Eucharist among creation. We also used the book Marked for Mission: Youth in Action to support discussion and reflection on how, with God's help, we will continue to live out our faith in the world.

Many thanks to the young adult mentors who shared their stories of faith and doubt and supported the youth in this important phase of their spiritual journey: Dawn Bailey, Matt Longnecker, Bethany Lukach, Dace Samta, Aidan Jobe Sea and Jessica Jobe Sea. Thanks also to friends and family members for gently encouraging youth to explore their faith more deeply in this wonderful and loving community at Transfiguration.

Coloring Covers 
We spoke about our coloring covers last week, and want to say a little more now. The covers are a response to the coloring trend that many people have taken to in the last few years. It is a meditative practice, and can help people to relax, become centered and pray. We invite you to do two things:

1. Color the cover in and show us your work. You can do this in the service by finding some of our crayons, or at home with your own color pencils.

2. Suggest subjects for coloring covers. The liturgical theme may inspire you, or something in our parish life, or a feature of our site. This week we have been inspired by our pipe organ, as it is the last Sunday that our Choir is singing before their summer break. What would you like to see on a coloring cover? Please suggest your theme to Noreen in the office, or Matthew.

Our very talented administrator Noreen is creating covers, but would welcome anyone with the drawing skill to create their own also. The Rector is also likely to provide some covers in the next few months. 
We hope to be able to gather these together at the end of the summer and create a book of coloring pages that you could share with family and friends. 

Notes on Sunday Services
First Sunday Plan - experimental - what does this mean?
Today is the first -First Sunday- with three services in approximately three years. We have been discussing our pattern of worship over the last few months and decided to simplify and have worship at the same times every week, aside from five major festival Sundays during the year. 

While we are not having a combined service of the first Sunday of the month, the Vestry has asked the staff to maintain our sense of creative experimentation, so that our worship always remains fresh. We are therefore going to try new things on the first Sundays at 10:30am. This Sunday we have invited our Confirmation Candidates to share reflections for the sermon (see following from Monica). We invite you to make suggestions to Matthew or Monica about things to include on the First Sundays going forward. We will try new music, dramatic presentations of Bible stories, and other kinds of prayers, and invite different parishioners to participate in the planning process.

A Note about Today's Sermon
Over the past four months of our Youth Confirmation program, Desmond Hart, Eve Kearns, and Camila Krause have gathered with young adult mentors and clergy to reflect on how Scripture and other liturgical and devotional resources influence how we choose to live as faithful Christians in the world. This morning in place of a sermon, our three newly Confirmed young people will be sharing how one of their favorite Scripture passages, prayers, or hymns inspires them to grow in relationship with God, self, and others.

Thank you to the choir!
Today we acknowledge and bless the choir as they take a break over the summer.  We are thankful to all who sang in the choir this year:
Jane Booth, Melody Christian, Jan Jensen, Peter Jensen, Keith Jobe, David King, Brian Leckey, Mary Ann McKay, Gari Patton, Ellen Peters, John Phillips, Erin Renfroe, Mike Robinson, Rebecca Robinson, Dace Samta, and Tom Yonker.


News & Announcements

Liturgy
The Lord's Prayer 
As each season begins we put together a new framework for liturgy. Once we got to the season of Pentecost this year I took some time to reflect on how we should pray during the next period of parish life. Sometimes I have picked from the range of prayers available to us from traditional and contemporary resources. Sometimes I have used liturgy elements from other parts of the Anglican Communion. On this occasion I decided to use all of the most contemporary versions of prayers from within our Episcopal set of resources. This meant turning to the 'Enriching our Worship' series of booklets. 
Recently we have also been working with the 8am congregation to include more diversity in their liturgy, and so in the New Year we agreed that whatever liturgy I was preparing for the later service should be used at the earlier service. 
So all of this so far fitted in neatly to our ongoing conversations about liturgy in parish life, but then there was one anomaly. Whichever liturgical resources I have used in the past there was one prayer I never touched: the Lord's Prayer. As I was composing our liturgies for this season, using the most contemporary prayers available in the Episcopal tradition the Lord's Prayer stuck out as different stylistically. However, we have had a more contemporary version of it available within the Prayer Book since at least 1979. So I decided to use that. Some of you noticed, many of you have not mentioned it. Having included it I wondered what you thought of it? I would love to talk to anyone who has any thoughts, questions or comments.

Mark Your Calendars: Transfiguration Sunday - August 7
Plan to join us for Sunday, August 7 - Transfiguration Sunday - Parish-Wide Festival Eucharist at
10am.  A parish-wide service, including the baptism of Joseph Patrick Longnecker and more!  A 'Grill on the Hill' lunch - a barbecue lunch - will follow the service.  
Help to plan our Transfiguration Sunday service
We are gathering a few people who will help to plan the special liturgy for this feast day celebration. Please contact Matthew or Kristen Kearns if you are interested in participating.

Faith Formation
Gratitude for Faith Formation in Community
At Transfiguration, we are blessed by so many of you who enjoy learning and growing together as an intergenerational faith community. This year we introduced new curricula and a new pattern of faith formation leadership for Kids' Club and Chapel Time that involved the many hearts, minds, and hands of committed parents, grandparents, and young adults. We also expanded our group of Godly Play storytellers for the Joyful Noise and Community services. We give thanks to our dedicated children's ministry volunteers for their time and talent on Sunday mornings: Bob Adams, Dawn Bailey, Hayes Bakken, Barbara Carlisle, Mary Castiglia, Michele Charles, Amber Stancliffe Evans+, Virginia & Tim Fox, Jeanette & Bryan Garbo, Jessica Jobe Sea, Eric Johnson, Kristen Kearns, Julia Longnecker, Bethany Lukach, Michelle McLean & Eric Manning, Michelle Maia, George & Tania Philipp, Jenn & Mike Robinson, Dace Samta, Joseph Villa and Ann-Marie Weise.

Rector's Forum - Palestine and Israel - June 28th 6:30pm
My trip to Israel and Palestine in April was life changing, but I have been saying to anyone that asked: I am not quite sure how it changed my life.
Come along to this potluck dinner and discussion about Israel and Palestine. I will show you some of my pictures, and talk to you about what I did in Israel and Palestine, and my reflections on my experiences there. Everyone in the parish is invited. Expect an interactive evening with a presentation, question time and discussion. The evening will be a potluck, so be prepared to bring along some food or a beverage also.

Transfig Fireflies
Transfig Fireflies is an opportunity to introduce preschoolers (ages 0 to 5) and their families to church life. We meet every Thursday at 10am for free play,  story time up in the Sanctuary, singing with musical instruments, followed by snack time and ending with a craft or game activity. Weather permitting, we also play outside on our church's lawn. 
There is one more session this Thursday, June 9th before Fireflies takes a break over the summer.  Look for announcements about the program for the Fall beginning in September. 

Gospel Preview
Continuing through the summer:  Every Wednesday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon about a dozen people gather in the Parish Hall to study the Gospel reading for the next Sunday.  The discussions of the Gospel are open, inquiring, and inspiring.  They are usually led by one of the clergy, but in their absence we meet and follow the same procedures. We look at the historical setting of the passage, the author, the original intended audience, the changes made in the meanings of words through translations, and the references to Old Testament passages.  We also spend time with the possible meaning of metaphor found in the readings.

We ponder the questions and appreciate the wisdom and points of view presented as we discuss the relevance of the ancient Gospel writings to our lives today. All are welcome to join us.

Sunday Summer Surprises - June 19th thru August 28th! 
Many thanks to everyone who has signed up to host a Summer Sunday Surprise (SSS). We have all Sundays covered! Our kids are sure to love all of the great activities that folks have signed up to share and teach. SSS will run from June 19th through August 28th between 10:30 and 11:00.
Thanks again from Jeanette and George.

Reading Together Through the Generations
It's more fun to read books together. Let's do a monthly book club this summer and discuss it together over tea and snacks on the last weekend of June, July and August. The idea is to select 3 heart warming books that young readers to young adults to young grandparents would enjoy reading. Some suggestions include: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery, and A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: No Such Thing as a Witch (A Stepping Stone Book by Ruth Chew), and Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick. And there is SO much more to choose from. If you are interested in participating, please email Michele Charles at [email protected] to nominate your favorite book and your preference for meeting time on a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon on the last weekend of each month.

Inreach/Outreach
Healing Team
Healing is something we all need, whether it is because of our emotions, our physical health or a spiritual issue. For us at Transfiguration the ministry of healing is not just about absence of symptoms, but it is about being whole in whichever circumstances we find ourselves. 
A team offers prayers for healing usually on the second Sunday each month at the Musical Eucharist. We are inviting people to prayerfully consider whether they would like to join this team. Training will be provided. Please speak to Matthew if you are interested in this important ministry.

Good Grief
"Good Grief" serves as a safe place to share our experiences surrounding death and loss.  Over time, we have realized that there is a common strand in the grief process, whatever the loss. We support one another as it takes its often erratic course. Good Grief is open to anyone wishing to explore issues or to offer and receive support. Gatherings are held approximately quarterly, or as needs arise.   The next gathering of Good Grief is Wednesday, June 29th, 3pm - afternoon tea. 

Feeding 45,000 - August 13, 2016 by Jennifer Robinson
In the last issue of Journey, Jenn Robinson introduced the Friends and Family Community Connection project she is sponsoring through her business 'Dream Dinners.' Please see last months Journey for that article. here we are asking people to now step up and make a commitment to this project.

What Can You Do?  We have a matching grant of $6,000 from the Living the Dream Foundation and are a long way towards meeting the matching goal!

The real need right now is to get volunteers signed up for the day of the event. 

There will be a sign up sheet at the back of church over the next few weeks to simply record interest. Then in mid June we will be publishing details of how to sign up online with specific volunteer time slots. Pelase let Jenn know you are interested in helping by singing up on the sheet at the back of church.  We will need folks for set up and take down plus a lot of meal packers during the main event from from 10 am to noon. Save the date - August 13th!   Questions? speak to Jennifer Robinson

Home & Hope Hosting at Transfiguration 
Sunday, June 12 through Sunday, June 19 
Coming up on June 12-19, we will again host Home & Hope guests in our parish hall.  Home & Hope supports families with children who are in need of shelter, warm meals, fellowship and help with job searches, affordable housing searches, sometimes medical/mental health assistance and various other aspects of their lives.  The program is coordinated at Transfiguration by Dace Samta and Inga Lapsins. 
To sign up as a volunteer for the June hosting week, please visit our website member page:
http://www.transfig-sm.org/members.html

Happy Birthday:  
Kent Ikeda on Tuesday, Ed Jadallah on Friday and Haley Popa on Saturday.

This Week
Sunday, June 5
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
 8:00am   Traditional Eucharist
9:30am    Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am  Musical Eucharist
1-4pm       Snake Dragon Club-Japanese storytime group event (Parish Hall)

Monday, June 6
3:15pm     Snake Dragon Club storytime (classrooms)
6:30pm    Good Grief gathering (Keith Jobe's)
7pm           FA Meeting (Parish Hall)

Tuesday, June 7
9am          Morning Prayer (Good Shepherd, Belmont)
6:30pm    New Millennium Chamber Orchestra rehearsal (Church)
7pm           AA Meeting  (classrooms)

Wednesday, June 8
9am           Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10:30am   Gospel Preview (Parish Hall)
10:30am   Staff Meeting (Matthew's office)
7pm           Zen Meditation Group (Chapel)
7pm           FA Meeting (Parish Hall)

Thursday, June 9
9am           Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10am          Transfig Fireflies (Parish Hall)
7:15pm      Peninsula Young People's AA (Parish Hall)

Friday, June 10

Saturday, June 11
10:30-noon     Special Diocesan Convention (Grace Cathedral)
9:30am-1pm   Masterworks Chorale (Church & Parish Hall)

Sunday, June 12
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
8:00am      Traditional Eucharist
9:30am       Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am     Musical Eucharist
2pm             Home & Hope set-up 

Also Upcoming:

This Wednesday, June 8th, 7:30pm - Albert Tomasso, an occasional guest organist over the past several years, invites all to his Senior Organ Recital at Stanford Memorial Church

Sunday, June 12 - Sunday, June 19 -Home & Hope hosting week at Transfiguration

Sunday, July 3rd - Grill on the Hill - potluck BBQ lunch following the 10:30am service

Sunday, August 7 - Transfiguration Sunday 
Grill on the Hill - potluck BBQ lunch following the 10:30am service

Saturday, August 13 - "Feeding 45,000" Meal Packaging Event - led by Jennifer Robinson and Dream Dinners, Belmont.

Friday, August 19-Sunday, August 21
- Transfiguration Parish Retreat - at The Bishop's Ranch

Regularly Scheduled Programs:
Morning Prayer  (with Good Shepherd, Belmont)
Tuesday mornings at 9am @ Good Shepherd
Wednesday mornings at 9am @ Transfiguration 
Thursday mornings at 9am @ Transfiguration
Gospel Preview
Wednesday mornings, 10:30 - noon
(Bible study and conversation) in the Parish Hall
Transfig Fireflies 
Thursday mornings, 10am - noon
(playgroup for 0-5 yr olds & their caregivers) in the Parish Hall
(taking a break for the Summer after June 9, resumes in September)

From the Rector

Coloring Covers
It was fascinating to notice the trend for adult coloring. There have been adult coloring books since the 1960s, but a new trend really took off in 2015. These books give their users the chance to unwind at the end of the day. Some commentators have suggested that they are inviting us to get in touch with our inner child. Some have even suggested that coloring is an attempt to escape reality by retreating into a childish activity. I don't agree.

We pray together as a team each week during our staff meeting. We rotate bringing a meditation activity. Over the last year, coloring has been used for this activity a few times and we realized just how meditative coloring can be. 

Far from being an escape from reality, I think that coloring can be a 'mindfulness' activity, it asks us to slow down and pay attention, to become really focused. 

Our Coloring Covers in the last month have been attempts to create a new way for you to do this. We are always looking for new ways to engage members of our community in prayerful activities. We want to provide you with tools to deepen your spiritual life. So we thought it would be great to use the space on the front of our bulletins to create a new way of engaging in meditation (you can also do this at home if you take the bulletin with you). 

So color away in church, or take the cover home and color there. We have crayons available if you need them!

We have offered four coloring covers now. We are going to keep going for a little while. We may even collect them together in a book at some point. Today's cover is an image from our church landscape.  If you have an idea for a cover theme, let Noreen in the office know and we may use your idea on a future cover. 

Love,
Matthew+

News & Announcements

Graduates
Today we recognize our graduates (though not all are here today, so we will recognize others on another Sunday). We have three High School graduates this year: Congratulations to Rebecca Robinson, Louis Villa and Maggie Phillips! Congratulations also to Eve Kearns and Camilla Krause graduating from Middle School.

Service Schedule
As outlined in a previous Announcement sheet we are moving to a simplified pattern of services with three services every week at 8am, 9:30am and 10:30am. On five special Sundays a year we will have one parish-wide service at 10am. Watch out in the announcement sheet for these occasions. We hope that our first Sunday services at 10:30am will remain a time for experimentation in new liturgical ideas and new music. This will develop over time. Your feedback is ALWAYS welcome on any changes we make. 

Confirmation Welcome - June 5th
Next week we welcome and celebrate the youth who are newly confirmed: Eve Kearns, Camila Krause and Desmond Hart. Thank you to the mentors who have helped them prepare: Matt Longnecker, Bethany Lukach, Dace Samta, Dawn Bailey, Aidan Jobe Sea and Jessica Jobe Sea. We will also recognize those members of our community who officially have joined The Episcopal Church: Ann-Marie Wiese and Matt Longnecker.

Upcoming Home & Hope hosting
We are hosting homeless families in our Parish Hall, June 12-19. The sign-up sheet for volunteers is online:
http://www.transfig-sm.org/members.html
More news on Home & Hope next week. 

Sunday Summer Surprises
We take a break from children's program for the next two weeks, but coloring and creative activities will be available in church. Then Summer Sunday Surprises starts! The activities take place during the 10:30am service over the Summer months, beginning June 19. Come along and join in the fun! A sign up sheet for volunteer is available at the back of church and online on our parish website.

Reading Together Through the Generations
It's more fun to read books together. Let's do a monthly book club this summer and discuss it together over tea and snacks on the last weekend of June, July and August. The idea is to select 3 heart warming books that young readers to young adults to young grandparents would enjoy reading. Some suggestions include: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery, and A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: No Such Thing as a Witch (A Stepping Stone Book by Ruth Chew), and Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick. And there is SO much more to choose from. If you are interested in participating, please speak to Michele Charles  to nominate your favorite book and your preference for meeting time on a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon on the last weekend of each month.

St. Margaret's Guild - May Ingathering
Today is the last Sunday for donations to St. Margaret's Guild ingathering for the Teen Van and Teen Homeless Shelter: a program run by Packard Hospital for Children at Stanford, providing for needs of homeless youth in the Peninsula and South Bay. Thank you to all who donated items.  For more information, please speak to Nancy Burnett.


This Week
Sunday, May 29
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
 8:00am      Traditional Eucharist
9:30am       Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am     Musical Eucharist
Monday, May 30
Memorial Day Holiday
Parish Offices Closed
7pm             FA Meeting (Parish Hall)
Tuesday, May 31
8:45am       Ministry Team - Liturgy subcommittee Meeting
9am             Morning Prayer(Good Shepherd, Belmont)
6:30pm      New Millennium Chamber Orchestra rehearsal (Church)
7pm            AA Meeting  (Parish Hall)
Wednesday, June 1
9am             Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10:30am     Gospel Preview (Parish Hall)
7pm             Zen Meditation Group (Chapel)
7pm             FA Meeting (Parish Hall)
Thursday, June 2
9am             Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10am            Transfig Fireflies (Parish Hall)
3:30-8pm    Myriad Music Dance Rehearsals (church)
4pm              Staff Meeting (Parish Hall)
7:15pm         Penin. Young People's AA (Parish Hall)
Friday, June 3
3:30-5pm     Girl Scout Brownie Troop(Parish Hall)
4-9:30pm     Myriad Music Dance Recital(church)
Saturday, June 4
10am            General Confirmation at Grace Cathedral
3-5pm          Jennifer Ho Student Recital(church)
Sunday, June 5
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
 8:00am       Traditional Eucharist
9:30am        Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am       Musical Eucharist
1-4pm           Snake Dragon Club-Japanese storytime group event (Parish Hall)

From the Rector

Ora Labora
What about your work is prayerful? If you answer 'absolutely nothing' you would be in good company. 
The Latin phrase 'Ora Labora' comes to us from Benedictine tradition. It is a wonderful piece of circular Latin grammar that means 'to work is to pray and to pray is to work.'

In the Benedictine monastic tradition those dedicating their lives to a religious community would go to the chapel to pray 7 times a day, and between their prayers they would engage in work. Their work may be academic study, writing, chores around the monastery, cooking for the community or spiritual direction for members of the local community or visiting pilgrims. 

When I used to visit the community in Elmore in England, a Benedictine community in the countryside, I was impressed by the architecture of their chapel. It was designed to look like a barn. This was the place of prayer for the community: designed to look like a place of work in most farms.

This community, and all Benedictines, believed that prayer should be approached in a workmanlike manner. It is their main task after all. But the flip side of that is that their work should be approached in a prayerful manner.

The underlying idea is that our work is really just an extension of prayer. When we are working, if we are being the people that God truly created us to be, our work should be a manifestation of who we are, and therefore - when we do it with our whole hearts we are praying.

So people who are good with numbers can become accountants, lawyerly people become lawyers, those who are delighted to explain things become teachers and so on.

It does not always feel like that!

What would life be like if it did? This week, as you work, think about how being fully engaged can feel prayerful. This week, when you don't feel like praying just book it into your calendar like a work appointment and then get on with it. Tell me how the experiment goes.
​
Love,
Matthew+

News & Announcements

Youth Confirmation Sessions continue
Today, May 22, 9-12 is the last session of the Youth Confirmation program.  Youth will be invited to participate in the General Confirmation at Grace Cathedral on June 4th and we will be celebrating with participants, mentors and leaders the next morning at Transfiguration. 

A Farewell Message from Coleen Travers

My sisters and brothers in faith,
I'm writing with a full and grateful heart to say goodbye, as I've recently moved from San Mateo to a place of my own in Sunnyvale.
Having been a member of this warm, welcoming community for eight years, I wanted to bid you a fond farewell rather than have you wonder, "Whatever happened to Coleen?," as can easily happen in a vibrant region such as ours. 
I continue to work for Stanford Health Care, in its clinic for employees with chronic illness, where I just celebrated my fourth work anniversary (and, I might add, a job I was "prayed into" by my loving friends within Transfig). I live about the same distance by train as I used to, it's just south of Palo Alto. 
You are a precious community, and I shall cherish the time I was with you. 
Warmly,  
Coleen

Evensong Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Bishop Marc
All are invited to join in the celebration of Bishop Marc's 10th Anniversary as Bishop of California.  This Thursday, May 26th at Grace Cathedral including 5:15pm Evensong and a reception following.

Reading Together Through the Generations
It's more fun to read books together. Let's do a monthly book club this summer and discuss it together over tea and snacks on the last weekend of June, July and August. The idea is to select 3 heart warming books that young readers to young adults to young grandparents would enjoy reading. Some suggestions include: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery, and A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: No Such Thing as a Witch (A Stepping Stone Book by Ruth Chew), and Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick. And there is SO much more to choose from. If you are interested in participating, please speak to Michele Charles to nominate your favorite book and your preference for meeting time on a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon on the last weekend of each month.

St. Margaret's Guild - May Ingathering
St. Margaret's Guild ingathering continues for the Teen Van and Teen Homeless Shelter: a program run by Packard Hospital for Children at Stanford, providing for needs of homeless youth in the Peninsula and South Bay. We can support the efforts of this program with donations of the following:
*$20 Target gift cards            *movie passes  
(PLEASE NOTE: THESE SHOULD BE HANDED TO A GUILD MEMBER OR LEFT AT THE OFFICE.)
*New Underwear     *Brushes and combs       
*New Socks       *Toothbrushes and toothpaste
*Sample sized shampoos, deodorants, soaps & other toiletries (hotel packs are great!)
*Small toiletries bags (important for keeping their "gear" together in their backpacks) 
Place items in the basket in the Narthex, except as noted above.  For more information on this program, please contact Nancy Burnett.

Happy Birthday:  
Kaitlyn O'Keefe today, Jane Booth on Monday, Sophia Philipp on Thursday, Elin Fransen on Saturday.
Happy Anniversary:
John and Wendy Garrish on Friday.

This Week
Sunday, May 22
The First Sunday after Pentecost:
Trinity Sunday
8:00am         Traditional Eucharist
9am-noon    Youth Confirmation Session
9:30am         Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am        Musical Eucharist
Monday, May 23
3:15pm          Snake Dragon Club storytime (classrooms)
7pm               FA Meeting (Parish Hall)
Tuesday, May 24
9am               Morning Prayer(Good Shepherd, Belmont)
6:30pm         New Millennium Chamber Orchestra rehearsal (Church)
7pm               AA Meeting  (Parish Hall)
Wednesday, May 25
9am               Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10:30am       Gospel Preview (Parish Hall)
4-5:30pm     Looking Glass -Dance class (Parish Hall)
7pm               Zen Meditation Group (Chapel)
7pm               FA Meeting (Parish Hall)
Thursday, May 26
9am              Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10am            Transfig Fireflies (Parish Hall)
2pm              Staff Meeting (Parish Hall)
5pm              Evensong in Celebration of Bishop Marc Andrus' 10th Anniversary 
                       as Bishop of CA, at Grace Cathedral
7pm              Transfig Choir Rehearsal (Church)
7:15pm         Penin. Young People's AA (Parish Hall)
Friday, May 27

Saturday, May 28

Sunday, May 29
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
 8:00am       Traditional Eucharist
9:30am        Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am      Musical Eucharist

Monday, May 30
Memorial Day Holiday
Parish Offices Closed

From the Rector
​
Good Grief and the Lessons of Pentecost

Getting back into the swing of things after my trip was a bit of a challenge. Firstly, many of the things that I would normally do in April were moved to early May. Then there was the normal catching up with email and administration when you have been away. Finally, something happened that was out of the ordinary.
In the rush of getting back I noticed I had a 'Good Grief' session planned in my calendar. I thought nothing of it at first. Good Grief is our group for those grieving a significant loss. I have taken many Good Grief sessions, so when in Admin mode I noticed it, and acknowledged that I would be taking it. We had some email discussion about it, and I agreed with Monica that she didn't need to double up with me and come to the session.

That was all with my Admin brain working, not some of the other parts of my brain: like the pastor, or the Grandson, or the person with experience of loss.

It wasn't until I was getting ready for the session on Monday afternoon that I remembered I was grieving myself. My Grandfather had just passed away the week before. So I was going to lead a session on loss, attempting to support others, while I was feeling in the middle of it myself.  By this point on a Monday afternoon it was too late to ask Monica to swap out with me, so I just went along, but I said something as we began that led to a session unlike most in this program.

"I wanted to say that I realize I am experiencing loss myself," I said to the group. "That means I may not be able to do quite what I normally do, remembering what you all say and relating your comments back to each other, whilst looking for a theme." I paused for a moment and looked around at our small group. There were five there that night, and each had varying degrees of experience with loss. 
"We may just have to talk and have each of us look out for each other tonight." 
People smiled, and nodded, I think someone took my hand. We talked.

As we discussed our loss, including my own, I was aware of the conversation ebbing and flowing around the room. Different people shared their story, and offered comfort. I didn't guide the conversation, although a few times I tried, but didn't quite manage with my usual 'group process' head on.
In the middle a member of the group reminded me of something I had told her about emotions and Jung some years ago. "You will feel your feelings until they are felt," she told me. 

It is an interesting experience to have words you have used to support and encourage others in grief reflected back to you. It was gentle, it was kind, it was encouraging. I said, "but I don't want to." Which brought some laughter to the group.

This moment reminded me to attend to my own grief as much as I hope you all do to yours.

Why do I tell you this on Pentecost? Because it tells us something about the church we are building. Each of us has the Spirit. Each of us has experience and an ability to offer one another comfort. We are a place where everyone leads and everyone serves. 

Good Grief this week reminded me that I am a part of a community that is growing together in love, and that each of us have something to offer one another as we are open to the Spirit of God guiding us.
Amen. 
Love,
Matthew+

News & Announcements

TODAY, May 15 - Day of Pentecost 
The Day of Pentecost - Festival Eucharist at 10am.  Our parish-wide service today includes the baptism of Colton Ronald Ashley and our community art piece for Pentecost.   
A 'Grill on the Hill' lunch - a barbecue lunch -will follow the service.  Please plan to bring whatever entree (no raw chicken, please) you want to grill for yourself/your family, a side dish, and a beverage to share... and a picnic blanket.  We'll have the grill fired up and provide condiments, plates, cups and utensils.

Pentecost Art
Today during the worship service, we will ask families/households to bring up their decorated flames which have been worked on at church the past two Sundays or at home.  Participants will hang them on our artpiece at the appointed time, as part of a reflection time.  Children are also invited to color the cover of the announcement sheet during the service. Crayons and colored pencils will be available on the table at the back of the church.       

St. Margaret's Guild - May Ingathering
This month, St. Margaret's Guild sponsors an ingathering for the Teen Van and Teen Homeless Shelter: a program run by Packard Hospital for Children at Stanford, providing for needs of homeless youth in the Peninsula and South Bay. The Van moves from established locations, provides toiletries and other housekeeping items, limited medical services and referral assistance to teens living on the streets. We can support the efforts of this program with donations of the following:
*$20 Target gift cards            *movie passes  
(PLEASE NOTE: THESE SHOULD BE HANDED TO A GUILD MEMBER OR LEFT AT THE OFFICE.)
*New Underwear     *Brushes and combs       
*New Socks       *Toothbrushes and toothpaste
*Sample sized shampoos, deodorants, soaps & other toiletries (hotel packs are great!)
*Small toiletries bags (important for keeping their "gear" together in their backpacks) 
Place items in the basket in the Narthex, except as noted above.
For more information on this program, please contact Nancy Burnett.

In Memoriam
We announce the passing of Jim Wall, a former senior warden at Transfiguration, husband of The Rev. Anne Wall.  He died on April 11th, may he rest in peace.  For those who knew him and wish to attend, a funeral is planned for tomorrow, Monday, May 16 at St. Marks, Palo Alto at 3 pm.

Youth Confirmation Sessions continue Next Sunday, May 22
There will be one more session of the Youth Confirmation program on Sunday, May 22, 9-12, to be led by Matthew Woodward and Dace Samta.  Youth will be invited to participate in the General Confirmation at Grace Cathedral on June 4th and we will be celebrating with participants, mentors and leaders the next morning at Transfiguration. 

Service Times
Thank you so much for your responses to our request for feedback about Sunday service times, during the month of April.

We received a variety of comments and have shared them with the Vestry. The majority of the feedback on the Ministry Team proposal about service times was positive. Two areas of concern were raised:
1) Enjoying the combined services as an opportunity to see younger families gathering with the rest of the congregation and a desire that this should not go away.
2) A desire that our creative approach to liturgy on the first Sunday of the month should be retained even if we no longer have regular combined services.

The Vestry balanced this against the concern that frequently changing the pattern of worship was creating a barrier to participation. We realized, by reviewing attendance figures and by talking to young families, that many were not able to get to the combined services as much as we had hoped.

It is our desire to continue to build on our creative, diverse and engaging liturgical style, while responding to real concerns from members of the congregation about accessibility.

We will therefore be moving to a pattern of every Sunday of the month having three services at 8am, 9:30am and 10:30am. On the first Sunday of the month we will continue to try experimental approaches to liturgy, new music and intergenerational worship. We will also focus on five Sundays a year as combined (parish-wide) service Sundays. These are: The Day of Pentecost, Transfiguration Sunday, All Saints' Sunday, The Annual Meeting Sunday and Palm Sunday.  These services will continue to be developed to make sure that they reflect the whole life of our community and our approach to liturgy.


​This Week
Sunday, May 15
The Day of Pentecost
10:00am        Festival Eucharist for Day of  Pentecost 
                            with baptism of Colton Ronald Ashley  & Grill on the Hill potluck lunch to follow
6:15pm          Distil Dinner Club (Young Adults) (venue tbd)

Monday, May 16
10:30am        God Group (Parish Hall) 
noon              Preschool Chapel Time (church)
3:15pm           Snake Dragon Club storytime (classrooms)
7pm                FA Meeting (Parish Hall)

Tuesday, May 17
9am                Morning Prayer (Good Shepherd, Belmont)
6:30pm          New Millennium Chamber Orchestra rehearsal (Church)
7pm                AA Meeting  (Parish Hall)

Wednesday, May 18
9am                Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10:30am         Gospel Preview (Parish Hall)
3:15 -5:45pm Looking Glass Korean Learning Center (classrooms)
4-5:30pm       Looking Glass -Dance class (Parish Hall)
7pm                 Zen Meditation Group (chapel)
7pm                 FA Meeting (Parish Hall)

Thursday, May 19
9am                 Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10am                Transfig Fireflies (Parish Hall)
2pm                 Staff Meeting (Parish Hall)
6:30pm           Dinner & Conversation with Rector (Parish Hall) 
7:15pm             Peninsula Young People's AA (Church)

Friday, May 20
3:30-5pm        Girl Scout Brownie Troop (Parish Hall)

Saturday, May 21
8:45-11:15am   Looking Glass Learning Center (classrooms)

Sunday, May 22
The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday
8:00am          Traditional Eucharist
9am-noon     Youth Confirmation Session
9:30am           Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am         Musical Eucharist

From the Assistant Rector
A few weeks ago I was in Chandler, Arizona visiting my daughter and son-in-law for another special occasion. I was honored to be the presider at the baptism of my 4-month young grandson, Benjamin. The second Sunday in Easter can sometimes be kind of a let down after an Easter morning full of amazing stories, glorious music, and packed pews. Surprisingly, St. Matthew's was completely full on "low Sunday." Granted, two dozen of the worshippers were members of my extended family, but even the chancel had a full team of liturgical leaders. Only one chair was vacant, so I was invited to sit in the cathedra. Rest assured, this generous act of hospitality did not inflate my ego, for I have no aspirations to become a bishop. However, it did prompt me to reflect on the various ways in which I was warmly welcomed during my visit. The Assistant Rector and Verger were especially supportive as I presided in an unfamiliar space. And many of the parishioners were so friendly and welcoming that I truly felt I was entrusting my newly baptized grandson into the loving arms of the household of God.

As a parish priest, I don't often have the opportunity to worship with other congregations. So when I do, I take notice of how my family and I are welcomed, invited, and connected as guests or potential newcomers. I wonder how I might fit in if I were to stay longer. At Transfiguration, we regularly have opportunities to invite strangers and friends into this special place we call home. I wonder who first welcomed you to Transfiguration and what influenced you to return. Would you be here today if that person had not connected with you? I wonder what difference you will make as you greet a visitor or newcomer today. I pray that all who courageously pass through our big red doors will be welcomed into this household of God as graciously as you were!
Love,
Monica+


News & Announcements
Rector on sabbatical
Matthew is away in Israel and England through April 26.  In case of pastoral emergency please call Monica at (505) 235-7345 or Fran at (415) 999-6662. 

Distil Dinner Club Tonight Sun., April 17
Distil, our ministry for young adults is gathering for a potluck supper at Bethany's today, Sunday, 4/17, at 6:15pm. Questions? please speak to Dawn or Bethany.

Equipping the Beloved Community - The Sacrament of Time
Saturday, May 14, 2016 - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
St. Paul's, 415 El Camino Real, Burlingame
$10 - Cost to members of Transfiguration. 
Register online: www.diocal.org/etbc
See flyers for more information.

Woods to Waves, May 7th
This annual fundraising event for St. Dorothy's Rest hospital camps is coming up on May 7th, 9:30am. Perhaps a group from Transfiguration will participate? 
See poster in the Narthex for more information or visit their website:
www.stdorothysrest.org/events/woods-to-waves/

Youth Confirmation Sessions continue
The next session of "Confirming Our Faith in the World" will be April 24 (9am-noon ) led by Monica Whitaker & Dawn Bailey. 
Remaining Sessions:  Sunday, May 1, 9-12 and Sunday, May 22, 9-12.
The General Confirmation will be at Grace Cathedral on June 4th and we will be celebrating our new confirmands the next morning at Transfiguration. Join in and support them!

Mark Your Calendars:
May 15 - Day of Pentecost - Festival Eucharist at 10am -parish wide service & 'Grill on the Hill'

Nightwatch in Grace Cathedral
Join youth in 6th-12th grades from around the Diocese and Northern California for fellowship and fun, sleeping overnight in Grace Cathedral.  There will be facilitated community building, activity and contemplative activities, art, music and prayer. Nightwatch can also be a time for youth ministers from thorough the diocese of spend casual time together. We hope to see you and your youth there! Cost for Nightwatch is $15, and there is ample scholarship available.  All youth must be accompanied by a designated Adult Leader. 
When: 6:30pm April 29- 10am April 30
Where: Grace Cathedral
Cost: $15, scholarship available
Youth registration here:https://diocal.wufoo.com/forms/nightwatch-2016/
Adult Leader registration here:https://diocal.wufoo.com/forms/z1w5830u1p69zby/
Registration Deadline: April 25
Contact Andrea Foote: [email protected] 

Hosts requested for visiting singers
On May 19th, Good Shepherd, Belmont, is hosting the St. Petersburg Men's Ensemble from Russia. They have requested a "home stay" for the night of the concert for four singers. If you would like to host one or more international, musical guests on 5/19, please contact Michael Arase-Barham: (650) 593-4844, or by email at [email protected]

Happy Birthday:  
Mary Ann McKay, today; Eric Johnson on Monday, Liam Bakken on Tuesday, Wendy Garrish on Wednesday, Pat Schneider and Courtney Cogswell on Thursday, Zoe Casamassina on Friday, Charlie Fox and Sophia Redkey on Saturday.

Happy Anniversary: 
Jan and Peter Jensen on Friday.

From the Rector
Thank you!

I just wanted to write and say thank you to you all for your participation in and presence in our Easter Festival celebrations. So many people make festivals like this possible. I am grateful for the work of my colleagues in the parish office, Monica, Noreen and Cyril, for music, administration and leadership of worship. I also want to thank the volunteer extraordinaire, Fran Tornquist who gave so much of her time over Holy Week.

Thank you to Holly and the Altar Guild who do so much to clean, prepare and make our space beautiful. Thanks also to members of the choir and musicians who came and joined us for the festival eucharist on Sunday. Thank you to Dace for playing on Maundy Thursday, and on Sunday morning. Thank you to Ty for playing for our dawn Eucharist. 

Matt and Julia led an amazing group of volunteers on a work day on Easter Saturday who cleaned the church, prepared our grounds and planted flowers. Noreen also volunteered as our flower team leader for this event. Michele, Kristen and Tania supervised coffee hour and so many of you brought wonderful treats for our time together. Julia and George stuffed and hid eggs for our Easter egg hunt (please don't tell children, we are maintaining that the bunny did all that!)

For Maundy Thursday thanks to the team that brought food, helped us tidy up, and those who kept vigil. 
Finally, I want to thank Gari and Skip for sharing incredibly moving testimonies on Good Friday, Ruth and Barbara who led us in a meditation on the seven last words of Christ at 2:30pm on Good Friday, and Betty and Patt who told stories from the history of salvation at the Easter Dawn service.

Thank you to everyone who made the weekend great!

Love,
Matthew+

Executive Council News
Our diocesan Executive Council meets monthly to discuss matters that effect the whole diocese.  Our Rector, Matthew is a member of this body. At their recent meeting the following items were discussed and recommended for circulation. 
1. The diocesan capital campaign is already a success. During the Bishop's phase of the campaign we received a commitment for the largest single donation ever made to an Episcopal Diocesan Capital Campaign - $10 million. The next phase of our work will be to assist congregations to be successful in their individual efforts.
2. Bishop Marc will be leading a Youth Pilgrimage to Haiti April 2-10. Please keep Bishop Marc and our Youth in your prayers that week.
3. The next Equipping the Beloved Community event will be held on May 14th at St. Paul's in Burlingame. More information is available at diocal.org/equipping-beloved-community.

Ministry Team Feedback: Sunday Service Times
Following our Wondering Together process the Ministry Team and clergy had a great conversation about our service times. This conversation was prompted by two things:
1.  Comments by Joyful Noise participants that we were cutting this service too often.
2.  Concerns that the regular change in service times was making it difficult for new congregants to feel part of our community.

We reflected on the fact that our combined services were created in 2012 to help achieve two goals:
1.  To help families transition from the Joyful Noise Eucharist to the Musical Eucharist.
2.  To help us rethink some elements of the Musical Eucharist so that it is better suited to families graduating from the Joyful Noise Eucharist.

In the intervening years we added a factor that impacted the frequency of combined services. This was the fact that we did not have sufficient ordained clergy on staff to sustain three services year round. 
Recently I did an audit on how many Sundays had only 1 or 2 services on them and discovered that we had done this for 50% of the year last year. In its discussion the Ministry Team realized that rather than helping us to make people feel welcome at Transfig, this number of changes in service time was becoming a barrier to attending. We also recognized that our initial two goals for the combined services had been achieved over the last four years. They have recommended the following therefore:

1.  That we return to a 3 service schedule on most Sundays of the year at 8am 9:30am and 10:30am.
2.  That we retain combined services on major festivals, but add two combined services to our schedule.
We are still discussing exactly which services should be combined, but on these Sundays there will only be a single service at 10am. The suggested days for this are:
*  Epiphany or Annual Meeting Sunday (January)
*  Palm Sunday (March/April)
*  Pentecost Sunday (May/June)
*  Transfiguration Sunday (August)
*  All Saints', All Souls' Sunday (October/November)
3. On the first Sunday of the month at the 10:30am service we keep the idea of experimental liturgy alive and are willing to try different things each month.

I would appreciate your input on these recommendations, as the Vestry will be discussing them on May 5th with a view to implementing them from the start of June. If you have any thoughts or comments please email me directly at [email protected].           

Love, 
Matthew+

​News & Announcements
 
Equipping the Beloved Community (ETBC): The Sacrament of Time
Mark your calendars for May 14th from 10am to 5pm.
The deanery is sponsoring another of our annual training days with some of the best content ever provided at a diocesan training event. Come along and find out about:
*  Recruiting, managing and supporting volunteers.
*  Leading small groups.
*  Environmentally friendly wheat.
*  How to create prayeful experiences with your children at home.
There will be many more training opportunities also. Please see the flyer that will be available in church over the next few Sundays.

Youth Confirmation Sessions continue
The next session of "Confirming Our Faith in the World" will be April 24 (9am-noon ) led by Monica Whitaker & Dawn Bailey. 
May 21-22 (TBD) Monica Whitaker, Matthew Woodward, Dawn Bailey, Bethany Lukach, Aidan Jobe Sea
The General Confirmation will be at Grace Cathedral on June 4th and we will be celebrating our new confirmands the next morning at Transfiguration. Join in and support them!

Rector and Assistant Rector schedules this week
Matthew will be here until April 6th when he flies to Israel in the late evening. Monica is away to preside at her grandson Benjamin's Baptism and returns to the office on the morning of April 6th. 
Through April 6th - For pastoral emergencies, call Matthew.
April 6th and onwards -For pastoral emergencies, call Monica.

Happy Birthday:  
Matthew Woodward on Saturday.

This Week
Sunday, April 3 
The Second Sunday of Easter  
8:00am     The Traditional Eucharist 
10:00am   The Community Eucharist
6-9pm       Sine Nomine Rehearsal (church)
Monday, April 4
10:30-1      God Group (Parish Hall)
3:15pm     Snake Dragon Club storytime(classrooms)
7pm          FA Meeting (Parish Hall)
Tuesday, April 5
9am          Morning Prayer(Good Shepherd, Belmont)
6:30pm    New Millennium Chamber Orchestra rehearsal (Church)
7pm          AA Meeting  (Parish Hall)
Wednesday, April 6
9am          Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10:30am  Gospel Preview (Parish Hall)
3:15 -5:45pm  Looking Glass Korean Learning Center (classrooms)
4-5:30pm Looking Glass -Dance  class (Parish Hall)
7pm          FA Meeting (Parish Hall)

7pm          Zen Meditation Group (in Chapel)
Thursday, April 7
9am         Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10am       Transfig Fireflies (Parish Hall)
2pm         Staff Meeting (Parish Hall)
7:15pm    Penin. Young People's AA (classrooms)
Friday, April 8

Saturday, April 9
8:45-11:15am  Looking Glass Learning Ctr  (classrooms)
Sunday, April 10
The Third Sunday of Easter
8:00am   Traditional Eucharist
9:30am   Joyful Noise Eucharist
10:30am  Musical Eucharist

Mark Your Calendars:
May 14 - Equipping the Beloved Community

May 15 - Day of Pentecost - Festival Eucharist at 10am

June 4 - General Confirmation at Grace Cathedral

August 13 - Friends & Family Community Connection (FFCC) Food packaging Outreach project

August 19-21 - Parish Retreat

From the Rector
Easter Sunday - #guidemyfeet

The women got up early on the first day of the week, just before dawn, they probably did not know what to do next, their friend was dead, their community was shattered, their journey was at an end and I am sure they felt numb. 

A good friend, and recovering alcoholic recently told me that: "when uncertain or confused about the next step to take we pause and ask God for the next right thought, or next right action. We will inevitably then be guided in the right way."

The women who got up that morning did not know what to do I am sure, but perhaps they paused and asked God for the next right thought or action. Their decision, to go and embalm Jesus, to be kind and loving. I am not surprised, they had been following him for years and his ministry and example had impacted them. Their choice for the next right thing to do was to be loving, kind and generous. 

When we are facing difficulties and darkness, or our journey is ending in apparent hopelessness, do the same thing. Pause and ask God for the next right thought or right action. You will inevitably find that, when you open yourself up to the guidance of God in this way, the next right thought or action will be to be kind, generous or loving to yourself or another human being or to the world that God has made. You may then also encounter what these women encountered that morning... something completely unexpected.

Early most mornings I get up and go for a walk on Bair Island, a recently restored wetland on the edge of the bay very near to my house. In the early 20th Century this wetland area had levees constructed and was drained. I have watched as it was restored and I have loved seeing every moment of that restoration. 
I get there at about the same time each day, so I encounter the tide at different stages each time I go back. Sometimes high, covering over what is going on beneath, sometimes low so that I can see the birds feeding by the edge of the water as life teems in the fertile sand. It reminds me of the energy of God returning over and over again to us. It reminds me that we must be open to the life of God washing over us, bringing disruption, bringing chaos sometimes, but always bringing life. 

Dawn on Easter day is a very special time for me. It is the core of my own faith experience.  I am moved every time I consider the resurrection, the fact that the divine does not abandon us, even though we might cause God pain. God comes back, not just once on the first Easter morning, but over and over again, like the tide, washing over us. 

I went through a painful experience about 8 years ago now. It happened late in the winter, and the process of recovery took until spring the next year. I remember vividly standing up to preach the sermon I had prepared for the dawn service on Easter day. I found myself experience the energy of God's life restoring me as I preached to others. I began to cry during the sermon. I recognized in that moment that no terrible thing could ever prevent God from returning to me with life and grace.

There I was, standing in the tomb that morning, and I had to learn that I should not be looking for Jesus in the place of the dead, but I should turn around and look out of the tomb and see his life coursing through the world. Then I should catch up with it, because he was ahead of me, in Galilee, or Pimlico, or San Mateo bringing life to those who were dead.

Alcoholics who have entered recovery, grieving parishioners in need of comfort, broken family systems that are restored, infidelities confessed and repaired, seemingly irreconcilable differences that dissolve into harmony. I have seen all of these things take place in churches where I have had the privilege to minister, and I believe that every one of them is a manifestation of the energy of resurrection.

Love,
Matthew+

News & Announcements
Refreshments on Easter Sunday
Please note that we will be offering an Easter Brunch and Coffee Hour in the hospitality entrance, adjacent to the Memorial Quiet Garden on Easter Sunday at 10am. This is for everyone in the community and will start just before the Easter Egg Hunt. That wonderful event, beloved by so many of our children, will start at 10:15am. Please make sure you stay after the Joyful Noise Eucharist of Easter, or come early for the Musical Eucharist of Easter to take part in brunch and the Easter Egg Hunt.
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Good Friday Offering for the Diocese of Jerusalem
During Lent each year we make a symbolic journey to Jerusalem, remembering the events in our Lord's life and especially those which took place during Holy Week. Every Good Friday since 1922, all Episcopalians have been asked to make offerings to support the work of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East as a way of uniting ourselves with those who live there today.  The Diocese encompasses 37 parishes and 33 schools, medical facilities and vocational training schools throughout Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.  The doors of it's facilities are open to all regardless of faith tradition.  Several members of our congregation have visited many of these schools and parishes and Matthew will do so when he visits the Land of the Holy One next month.  Indeed, he will be carrying our gifts with him when he travels there.   Envelopes designated for this special offering have been available throughout Holy Week and are still available in the narthex TODAY.  Please make checks payable to Transfiguration, with Good Friday Offering noted in memo line. If you would like to know more about the work of the Diocese of Jerusalem, please see this website: www.afedj.org. 

Rector and Assistant Rector schedules in coming weeks
Matthew will be here throughout the next week until April 6th when he flies to Israel in the late evening. Monica will be away to preside at her grandson Benjamin's Baptism during the first week of Easter and returns on April 6th. 
March 28th - April 6th - For pastoral emergencies, call Matthew.
April 6th and onwards -For pastoral emergencies, call Monica.

This Week
Sunday, March 27
Easter Sunday
6:30am               Dawn Vigil, Lighting of the Easter Fire and First Eucharist of Easter
9:00am               Joyful Noise Easter Eucharist 
10:15am              Easter Egg Hunt and Coffee Hour
11:00am              Festival Musical Eucharist of Easter
Monday, March 28
3:15pm                Snake Dragon Club storytime(classrooms)
7pm                     FA Meeting (Parish Hall)
Tuesday, March 29
9am                    Morning Prayer(Good Shepherd, Belmont)
6:30pm              New Millennium Chamber Orchestra rehearsal (Church)
7pm                    AA Meeting  (Parish Hall)
Wednesday, March 30
9am                   Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10:30am           Gospel Preview (Parish Hall)
7pm                   Zen Meditation Group (in Chapel)
Thursday, March 31
9am                   Morning Prayer (Chapel)
10-noon            Transfig Fireflies (Parish Hall)
2pm                   Staff Meeting (Parish Hall)
7:15pm              Penin. Young People's AA (classrooms)
Friday, April 1
3:30pm             Girl Scout Brownie Troop (Parish Hall)
Saturday, April 2

Sunday, April 3 
The Second Sunday of Easter  (the first Sunday of the Month, two services only.)
8:00am            The Traditional Eucharist
10:00am          The Community Eucharist (
combined Joyful Noise and Musical Eucharist)
6-9pm              Sine Nomine Rehearsal (Parish Hall)
Sunday, April 10 
The Third Sunday of Easter  (back to the pattern of three services today.)
8:00am           The Traditional Eucharist
9:30am           The Joyful Noise Eucharist 
10:30am         The Musical Eucharist