Praying the Daily Office in Community

Jonathan Maedche & Mother Rebecca

The Catechism in The Book of Common Prayer teaches that “prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.” (BCP, p. 856). By defining prayer as a response to God, we acknowledge that God continually is communicating with us – is longing to be in relationship with us. 

Prayer is central to the spiritual life and health of all believers. In his First Letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul writes a community of new Christians encouraging them spiritually. At the end of this letter, Paul counsels the Christians in Thessalonica in hopes of strengthening their bonds of faith, love, and charity. “Pray continually,” he tells them. 

Continuous prayer is a challenge for all Christians, especially those of us who lead busy lives, full of distractions. Having a structured time to pray with others is one way to begin to follow Paul’s advice. This is where the Daily Office can help.

Early religious monastic communities developed a structured framework for prayer that came to be known as the Liturgy of the Hours, originally eight brief prayer services which marked the hours of the day by creating regular opportunities for Christians to enter into meditative prayer. In the Rule of St. Benedict, the offices included:

Read more here.

It is Formation time at The Fig and things kick off this coming week! There are more than 11 formation offerings for Adults, Youth and Children to choose from. The first Formation offering starts Wednesday, September 7 with more starting in following weeks:

Sept 07 - Crossover (6th Grade & up)

Sept 08 - Disciples III Bible Study*

Sept 11 - Adult Meet & Greet - Roper Hall

Sept 11 - Youth & Children's Formation*

Sept 11 - Youth & Children's Choirs

Sept 18 - Explore The Saint John's Bible with Brad Neary

Sept 20 - The Way

Sept 21 - Impact Kids*

Sept 25 - Adult Formation (3 offerings - one of which has a virtual option*)

Offerings with an * require registration. You can view details about each class and, if it's required, register by visiting the Formation Pages on our website.

Do You Know The Way?

Are you new to Christianity and interested in learning more? Are you new to the Episcopal Church and have questions? Maybe you have been Episcopalian for years and long to go deeper in your faith. If so, we have good news for you. The Way is returning as an in-person opportunity to grow and get your questions answered. If you are new to Transfiguration, The Way will prepare you for membership (whether through baptism, confirmation, or reaffirmation).

A Special Opportunity with Brad Neary

Racial Justice Ministry Hosting

Book Distribution

Big D Reads is a volunteer-led community initiative presented by Amazon in partnership with Communities Foundation of Texas and other partners. They are sponsoring a CITY-WIDE READ of The Accommodation: The Politics of Race in an American City by Jim Schutze. Big D Reads is giving complimentary paperback copies to community members to spark meaningful discussions about race and the future of our city and region.

Transfiguration is a distribution site for these books. Come by and pick up your copy from 10:00am to 2:00pm tomorrow (Saturday, September 3) and join in the conversation!

For more information on this initiative visit the Big D Reads website. 

Meet the Vestry

This weekend, before and after each service, two Vestry members will be at a table in the Tower Cloister. The Vestry provides leadership and oversight to the mission and ministry of our church and they are eager to meet you, answer your questions, and learn more about what’s on your mind.

Peace Post

Peace Post is a part of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and we invited you to join us in the Staff Conference Room either before or after Sunday's 11:15am Eucharist. Our group meets monthly to write to our elected officials on matters of justice. Come and write with us or simply pick up a copy of this month's suggestions. We'll be there from 10:00 until 1:30, and hope to see many of you!

St. Elizabeth's is Back

St. Elizabeth’s returns this Thursday, September 8 at 6:30pm! Join your fellow parishioners for food and fellowship and learn how you can deepen your roots at the Fig!

This is a monthly potluck dinner for church newcomers and veterans alike. Families welcomed. Join us every second Thursday of the month in Roper Hall.

Register for the dish you would like to provide with Sign-up Genius.

Episcopal Men's Fellowship Cookout

All Parish men are invited to join EMF Thursday, September 15 for the Men’s Fellowship Fall Cookout. They’ll be gathering outside the the Tower Cloister near the Bell Tower at 6:00pm, begin serving at about 6:30pm, followed by a brief EMF update.

Let them know you’re coming, 

Click Here to Email 

Ministry Fair Success

Last weekend we hosted our annual Ministry Fair featuring 45+ ministry opportunities for you to learn about and possibly join in. Hopefully, you made it to The Ministry Midway under the watchful eye of Big Tex in Roper Hall and the Gathering Space, enjoyed a corndog and some popcorn, and felt inspired. If you missed it, you can still experience it vicariously by visiting the photo album on Facebook and learning about all our ministries on the Church's website.

Youth Formation Next Weekend

For the fall semester of Youth Formation, we will be exploring the tough questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity using the book Can I Ask That?: 8 Hard Questions About God & Faith.

All Youth sixth grade and up are invited and registration is required!

Office Closed For Labor Day

The Church Office will be closed Monday, September 5 in observance of Labor Day. 

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