Tell No One
Tell No One
One of the amazing features of the transfiguration account in this week’s Gospel reading is that Peter, James, and John were told to “tell no one the vision.”
Really?! How does one hold that in?
Or maybe it was a relief. How does one put such an experience into words? Later on, in Peter's second letter, he tells about it. But here in the context of the Gospels, we are in the middle of the plot and Peter doesn’t know what’s coming. There will be plenty more events that will overwhelm him.
Jesus is a careful steward of his ministry. At times he is discrete and at other times forthright, depending on the audience. But he is never careless. He says and does just what is right for the moment.
As we explore this amazing story together on Sunday, we’ll see how Jesus discloses himself to his friends and how that can inform our encounter with him and each other.
I look forward to being with you on Sunday morning.
Stay warm!
Steve E+
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
2026 Budget Update—In order to fall more in line with actual commitments and projected giving, the Vestry met Monday evening, February 2, to revisit and tighten our 2026 budget. The revisions were then finalized and approved at last Sunday’s regular monthly Vestry meeting.
At our Annual Congregational Meeting in December, a 2026 operating budget (in round numbers) of ~$275,000 was proposed. That figure has been tightened to ~$250,000, though the original budget was, as always, conservative.
We are incredibly grateful for your support of our shared vision: “To proclaim and promote the Gospel; giving ever more time, talent, and treasure to seeking the flourishing of our neighbors.”
Saint Valentine’s Day—Want to know how Valentine’s day came to be? (hint for guys: it wasn’t Hallmark). Here’s a simple primer.
Shrove Tuesday Dinners—February 17. Invite a family to share a simple feast of pancakes and bacon or sausage, the traditional Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) meal to celebrate the goodness of God at the ending of Epiphanytide, and “clearing the larder” of fatty foods in preparation for the leaner season of Lent beginning Ash Wednesday. Learn more about Shrove Tuesday here.
Ash Wednesday Service @ 1309—February 18, 7:00pm.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days of Lent. Since biblical times, ash has symbolized repentance and mourning. Since the early centuries of the Church, Christians have been preparing for Easter by walking through a “Holy Lent,” patterned after Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness. By the sixth century, ashes were used in public acts of penance, and by the tenth century, the custom of placing ashes on the foreheads of all believers on the first day of Lent became common and widespread. Read more about Ash Wednesday here.
Women’s Watercolor Mini-Retreat—Saturday, February 28, 9:00am–12:00pm at Ginger Wiley’s home (407 Yantz Dr., Severna Park). Join us for a time of fellowship and breakfast as we work through a watercolor exercise and connect it to God’s Word. $5.00 for supplies. RSVP: Ginger Wiley.
“Around the Table”—A prayer time for women, Thursdays, 9:00am at the Wisharts (1854 St. Margarets Rd, Annapolis). Email Lauren with questions or for more information.
Youth Formation (ages 10–13)—Sundays at 9:00am in the Rectory apartment (the end of the Rectory nearest the Sanctuary).
Men’s Bible Study—Thursdays, 7:00am @ 1309.
Photo: Kristina Flour on Unsplash
