I am probably most visible to you on Sunday mornings marching into the nave with the choir at the 11:15 service, and sometimes also at 9:00. I am also currently in year two of three as one of the co-coordinators of Open Door, Transfiguration’s LGBT+ Fellowship (formerly GLF) and just finished my term as Treasurer of the Transfigured Nights Executive Committee and manager of electronic communications.
I began attending Transfiguration in 2008 after visiting other Episcopal Churches in Dallas and then officially transferred my membership from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in my hometown of Beaumont, Texas. This fall will mark the tenth anniversary of my confirmation in The Episcopal Church.
Simply put, I have never felt more connected to God than since I’ve joined Transfiguration. My primary worship activity is through music and, as you know, music is a huge part of The Fig. There have been so many moments of feeling that direct connection to God over the years– singing “Silent Night” in a darkened church on Christmas Eve, or on Good Friday, “Bend thy boughs, O tree of glory! Thy relaxing sinews bend;” as tears stream down my face. A chord reverberating – and reverberating – throughout the ancient stone nave of a British church on our choir tours. A cherished, simple melody “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy” sung by hundreds of voices united in worship.
It’s not just the music, though, for music exists both within and apart from The Fig. It’s the people who wave at you every Sunday, even if they don’t remember your name. It’s when you’ve missed a Sunday unexpectedly and you get messages checking on you. It’s the Eucharistic Visitors, taking our worship to absent friends. It’s the Altar Guild, working tirelessly behind the scenes. It’s the Stephen Ministers, providing a caring shoulder. It’s the Food Pantry and it’s Austin Street and it’s Gateway of Grace. It’s everything we do both for our community and our world.
While I had always been a faithful giver to the church, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I began to officially pledge financial support to the church during stewardship season. Coming from an evangelical background, it was completely new to me (I didn’t pledge to PBS, either) and, to be honest, made me more than a little uncomfortable. How could I possibly know what might happen to my finances over the course of the year? Surely the large pledges are far more important than what I could commit to give each month. It was both a reluctance to rely on God’s provision for me and a belief that my contribution didn’t really matter that kept me from pledging.
As a business-minded person, I can in retrospect see how pledging makes complete sense both for the church and the parishioner. The church must have a good idea of what funding will look like for the year to come in order to plan staffing, programs, outreach, and maintenance. The parishioner adds it to the household budget along with other fixed monthly costs. It may feel transactional but, in reality, it’s very spiritual.
If you are here at Transfiguration, I’ll bet it’s because you’ve felt that same connection to God in some way at some point. I implore you to support God’s work at and through The Fig by being a pledging household. Just as there are no insignificant members of Christ’s body, there are no insignificant pledges. If it’s your first time to pledge, I agree that it feels weird, but really it’s a beautiful gesture of love for God and for Transfiguration.