By Father Casey

This summer we've been listening to the prophets in our weekend worship. The Biblical prophets lived long ago and far away, and yet, as you've hopefully figured out by now, they speak to us still. Their manner of speech may be different from ours, but their messages are every bit as much for us as for the people among whom they lived. They are not dusty relics we can shove to the back of the shelf of faith, for their words still pulse with life and energy, and their visions still throb with judgment and hope.

Just think about the influence of the prophets on the great social movements of history, including the racial justice movement of the 20th century. Dr. King was fond of saying, "we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream." But those weren't his words; he was quoting the prophet Amos. He knew that Amos wasn't floating a fantasy; he was summoning us to a different way of living now. We shouldn't merely admire justice, but practice it. We shouldn't simply hope for peace, but do everything in our power to foster it.

That is our calling, too: to not merely admire the beautiful visions of the prophets, but to join in doing the things that bring those visions to life. As Christians, we are summoned to follow Jesus in bringing the kingdom of God that the prophets announced into reality. So, for example, when both Isaiah (2:4) and Micah (4:3) describe the future God intends, when nations "shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" and "not learn war anymore," we have to decide if we are willing to do our part in making that real. Do we think God is only interested in such a world one day, someday, in heaven? Or do we think God wants us to do all we can to bring about such a world now?

I believe Transfiguration is the sort of church that wants to bring the goodness of God to life today. We see our faith as more than a ticket into heaven, but as a call to make it more like heaven on earth. Justice, peace, freedom…these are not just ideas we talk about, but values we live out.

It is in this spirit that I'm proud to announce an event we will host at Transfiguration on Sunday, September 7. Taking inspiration from the prophetic vision of "swords into plowshares," that day we will partner with nearly a dozen congregations and organizations, including RAW Tools South, to host "Guns to Gardens." At this event, we will provide an opportunity for owners of unwanted firearms to safely dispose of them, and those weapons will be dismantled so they can later be transformed into garden tools. It is a way to bring the prophetic vision to life, while offering a significant public good.

There are nearly half a billion guns in the United States, and many are no longer wanted. They may have been inherited but now sit in the back of a closet, or used for sporting but now gather dust. Some families are tragically left with a gun used in the suicide of a loved one. There are many unwanted guns but few safe places to dispose of them that will ensure they are never used in an act of violence. This event creates a way for those unwanted guns to be transformed into tools of peace and life.

That day, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, gunowners will be able to bring their unwanted, unloaded firearms to our campus. A trained safety team, under the direction of a certified Firearm Safety Officer from RAW Tools, will remove each weapon from the trunk or back end of the car, evaluate it carefully to ensure it is completely unloaded, and oversee its immediate and complete dismantling using chop saws. No questions will be asked and the privacy of every donor will be strictly honored. I want to stress the extraordinary level of detail paid to safety, and the fact that only volunteers with dozens of hours of specialized firearm safety trainings will actually handle the guns.

It's also important to know that this event, while new to Dallas, has been conducted hundreds of times in dozens of cities around the country. RAW Tools has been transforming firearms into garden tools for many years, and their commitment to realizing the prophetic vision is matched by their commitment to safety.

Our partners for this event include Abundant Life AME Church, Cathedral of Hope, NorthPark Presbyterian Church, Grace Presbyterian Church, Moms Demand Action, Royal Lane Baptist Church, St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, St. Philip's School and Community Center, St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church, Temple Shalom, and Wilshire Baptist Church. And our Dallas event is the twin of another that will happen in Fort Worth on Saturday, where dozens of congregations are partnering in a similar way.

In coming weeks I'll share more event details, and seek to address the questions that you may have. No doubt some will feel concerned, which is absolutely reasonable. This is an unusual event that pushes that boundaries of comfort, and the Vestry and I weighed the decision carefully. Ultimately, we have embraced this opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the prophets. We are trying to channel their hope and boldness to do our small part to bring the vision of a peaceful and weaponless world that much closer.