August 10, The 9th Sunday after Pentecost
Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 11:03AM August 6: The Feast of the Transfiguration
The Feast of the Transfiguration commemorates the event where Jesus led his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John, upon a high mountain. Suddenly he began to glow his clothes becoming dazzling white, with a brightness of the sun itself. Next there appeared with him Moses and Elijah. The disciples were overwhelmed and spell bound and didn’t know what to say. Peter suggested that they make three shelters for all of them, “not knowing what he said.” Next a cloud overshadows them and they hear a voice say, “This is my Son, listen to him.” Just as suddenly the vision ends. Coming down the mountain, Jesus tells them to say nothing until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.
The Transfiguration conveys a number of things. For a brief moment, disciples behold Jesus’ divine glory. The appearance of Moses and Elijah shows that Jesus fulfills and surpasses both the Law and the Prophets. The Transfiguration is an “Epiphany” a disclosure of God in Christ. As such it not only has it’s own feast day on August 6, but we always end the Epiphany season with the account of the Transfiguration. You might say that before we enter into the darkness of Lent, we get a glimpse of where we are going in a vision of the Risen Lord.
A similar thing happens at the end of the Season after Pentecost, before entering Advent with the anticipation of Christ’s coming both at Christmas and the Parousia, we celebrate Christ the King, again a glimpse of where we are going.
The Transfiguration is of particular importance in the Easter Orthodox Tradition where the Light of Tabor (The mountain where this happens) is to take root in the human heart.
One of our hymns, #137 captures the meaning of the Transfiguration as a sign of the destiny toward which we are all being drawn.
O Father, with the eternal Son,
and Holy Spirit, ever One,
Vouchsafe to bring us by thy grace
to see thy glory face to face
125 Anniversary Activity
Church of the Angels Wine Tasting and Architectural Tour
Saturday, August 23, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Our next activity to celebrate our 125th Anniversary will be a afternoon of tasting wine and exploring, admiring, and understanding the architecture of our church.
Dwight and April Bond have arranged for San Antonio Winery to bring a variety of wines for us to taste. The wines offered for tasting will be:
Maddelena Pinot Grigio, white Monterrey
Heritage White, dry white
Madellena Red Zinfindel, Rose, Paso Robles
Madellena Pinot Noir – Red, Monterrey
Moscato di Asti – Italy.
In addition, the San Antonio Winery is creating special label for Church of the Angel’s 125th Anniversary. The special label wine will be Maddelena Pinot Grigio – White. This is will be a fund raising activity and the Church of the Angels special label wine will sell for $25.00 per bottle.
We hope that all of you will attend. We would also like you to invite friends and family for a very fun activity.
We’ll have a sign up sheet outside Church on Sunday to sign up for the event and order wine.
April and Dwight sent out an paperless Evite to the parish email list awhile back. Don’t put it in your Spam file, but come and enjoy a great time.
Hands of the Angels August 9: 10 a.m.
The Hands of the Angels Knitting & Handicrafts group meets on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall Living Room. Everyone is welcome to join and if you’d like, learn how to knit. The next meeting will be Saturday August 9, 10:00 a.m. Parish Hall Living Room
Emmaus Road Monday August 11, 7:00 p.m.
Emmaus Road continues its summer activity of viewing movies with religious themes.
Food For Thought
On the Food for Thought Table this weekend, an article from the recent issue of Philosophy Now “ Philosophical Reviews of The Bible.” Michael Langford, Professor of Philosophy, emeritus of the Memorial University of Newfoundland, and part-time instructor in the Faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University, takes issue with what he considers to be inadequate understanding of what the Bible is and says, by those whose stance toward Christianity is skeptical or atheistic. It is a good read.