Church of the Transfiguration - Mountain Grove

06/07/2026

Abram simply got up and went, leaving everything familiar behind on the strength of God’s promise alone. That leap of faith echoes through Paul’s letter as the very model of how grace works: not through law, but through trust in a God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist. Jesus embodies that same life-giving grace as he calls a despised tax collector, dines with sinners, heals a woman deemed untouchable, and raises a little girl from death; he came not for the righteous but for those who know their need of a physician. All good proceeds from this God who inspires, guides, and makes good on every promise.

06/02/2026

Blandina and Her Companions, the Martyrs of Lyons
Blandina was a Christian martyr who died during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 177.

According to the world, she was nothing important: a young woman, a slave. But her brothers and sisters in Christ, awaiting the same fate, drew strength from watching her honor Christ in her death. Their “outward eyes saw through their sister Him who was crucified for them.”

Prayer
Almighty God, who gave such courage and endurance to Blandina and her companions that by their deaths many hearts were turned to you; Grant that we, in accordance with their example, may also gladly endure all that is required of us as we witness to you in our own day; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

As we enter the season the Church calls “Ordinary Time,” it helps to know that “ordinary” doesn’t mean unimportant or dull. In the Anglican tradition, this season after Pentecost is a time for growth , a season focused on learning how to live faithfully in everyday life.

After celebrating the great events of Christ’s life, death, resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Ordinary Time invites us to put those truths into practice. The Church calendar is more than remembering past events; it forms us week by week into people who follow Jesus more deeply.

This is the season of discipleship: praying, serving, loving our neighbors, and becoming more like Christ in the ordinary rhythms of daily life. And that is anything but ordinary!

05/31/2026

Celebrated exactly one week after Pentecost, this major Christian feast honors the doctrine of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” - 2 Corinthians 13:14

05/25/2026

God the King of Glory, in whose hands are the living and the dead: We give you our thanks for all those who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant them your mercy and the light of your presence; give us a sense of your will and purpose, that we may understand that the work you have begun in them will be perfected through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, in whom all strife is resolved. Amen.

05/24/2026

Today we celebrate Pentecost, marking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, fulfilling Jesus’ promise and empowering them to proclaim the Gospel. It is considered the birth of the Church, as people from many nations heard the good news in their own languages.

Prayer
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

05/21/2026

Lydia of Philippi is honored as the first Christian convert in Europe. She was a seller of purple cloth from Thyatira who lived in Philippi (Greece). Her story is found in the Book of Acts 16:11-15.

When Paul arrived in Philippi, there was no synagogue so he went to the river near the city, as Jewish custom required that they worship near water.

When Paul approached the river, he discovered a gathering of women already there, worshipping in the Jewish tradition, even though they were Gentiles. The group leader was Lydia, known to us as the 'seller of purple cloth', an influential businesswoman.

She heard Paul speak, believed what he had to say, and became his first European convert, along with her household. Lydia’s baptism was just the first of millions of conversions throughout Europe. In some traditions she is given the title 'Equal to the Apostles' because her biblical legacy mirrors the Great Commission, serving as an essential partner who opened her heart and home to establish the very first Christian community on European soil.

Prayer
Eternal God, who gives good gifts to all people, and who grants the spirit of generosity: Give us, we pray you, hearts always open to hear your word, that, following the example of your servant Lydia, we may show hospitality to those who are in any need or trouble; through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

05/19/2026

You may notice that many people wear red on Pentecost and wonder, why do we wear red on Pentecost? The use of the color red in the church during Pentecost is commonly attributed to its association with the flames of the Holy Spirit, which descended upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ as tongues of fire. According to the Bible, in the book of Acts, chapter 2, verses 1-4, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Prayer:
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

05/15/2026

Ascension Day commemorates the lifting up of Jesus Christ into heaven after his resurrection.

Jesus spent 40 days appearing to his disciples after his resurrection, teaching them and preparing them for their mission. On the 40th day, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit on them and was then “lifted up … out of their sight”.
Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on the 40th day after Easter Day, which falls on a Thursday, and many churches will be holding Ascension Day services today.

You can read more on this in Acts 1:1-11

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.