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Looking For Jesus
In the scriptures we read this week – on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Great Vigil of Easter, and Easter Day – Jesus is sought by many for different reasons. His disciples, the religious leaders, people who have heard or seen him, all are looking for him. The disciples want direction and affirmation, the religious leaders want him stopped, and those who have witnessed his ministry want more.
Like these, I sometimes find myself looking for a Jesus to fit my assumptions of the moment even though I know better.
Holy Week and Easter are a time when we read and hear about the high and the low of Jesus. We are invited to walk with him from his entry into Jerusalem, his last supper with his closest friends, the betrayal and crucifixion, and the time of mourning that followed. The wilderness journey we have shared with Jesus throughout Lent moves through the most desolate of emotional landscapes. In the midst of their sadness, at a time when the disciples had no expectations, when everyone has ceased looking for Jesus – then, Jesus is raised from death. Then the angels give the women the gospel message: “Go where Jesus told you to go and he will be there.”
Our connection with Jesus is not passive, it becomes dynamic when we do what he asked us to do. The Risen Lord is not found were we left him, but goes on ahead to meet us in the people he called us to love and serve.
Join us in the Easter Celebration as we practice following Jesus.
Fr. Andrew
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Mark 16:1-8
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
**An alternate scripture reading for this date may be found by clicking here.**
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Well In The Desert Honors St. Paul’s
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St. Paul’s received the 2012 Visionary Award on April 1st at a Gala Luncheon Celebration. Hap Blaisdell and Fr. Andrew Green received the award on behalf of St. Paul’s.
The award recognizes the support that our Parish offers the neediest residents of Palm Springs by providing facilities for cooking and serving lunch. Members of St. Paul’s volunteer in the Well’s services and regular contribute to their financial support.
St. Paul’s receives this generous recognition and beautiful award with all our thanks. We hope it inspires more service and care for those in need.
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So far 166 members or families have committed $332,391.00 for the support of God’s Mission at St. Paul’s. In addition to 23 new pledges there are about 25 pledges still outstanding from people who pledged last year and are still part of St. Paul’s.
Our pledge target for 2012 is $416,000.00, so we are considerably short of that goal. We anticipate missing our target by as much as $40,000-50,000.
The support of every member is needed to support our mission and ministries. If you have not made a pledge, please do so if you are able.
The Rector and Vestry will be considering a variety of options to respond to this situation and will keep the parish informed.
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“Sundays at 9:15”
In The Library
April 15, 22, & 29
04/15 Faith and Doubting, led by Victoria Hatch
04/22 The Apocalypse: Daniel, led by David Abernethy-Deppe
04/29 The Apocalypse: Revelation, led by David Abernethy-Deppe
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“Thursdays At 7”
April 12, 19, & 26
04/12 The Protestant Reformation: Luther, led by Rick Tinsley
04/19 The Protestant Reformation: Calvin, led by Jerry DiNoto
04/26 The Protestant Reformation: The Anabaptists, led by David Abernethy-Deppe
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 Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (Tuesday, April 17th | 9-11am | Parish Hall). This is a discussion group on Richard Rohr’s new book of the same title. Purchase the book on line. Rohr writes: “As we move beyond the first half of life understandings where rules come first, we discover in the second half of life that God is less concerned about laws and more about the relationship. Thus, the ability to move forward is to embrace God’s unconditional forgiveness.” Facilitated by Bob Poehling. Sign up in the Parish Hall or call the church office at 760.320.7488 ext. 0.
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Mosaic for Home and Garden – Seminar
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 Do-It-Yourself Mosaic for Home & Garden on May 19, June 2 from 10am-2pm. Cost is $25. Location is Camp Stevens. The art of assembling pieces of glass or stone into images, mosaics are a beautiful addition to a home or garden–and it’s simpler to do than you may think! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the steps to creating your own mosaic, including supplies and design considerations, and practice on an installation at Camp Stevens.
For more information and to register, go to www.campstevens.org/garden.
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Rebuild Our Church in Haiti
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The Episcopal Diocese of Haiti—the largest Diocese in the Episcopal Church is in ruins. While the people of Haiti struggle to rebuild their nation, Episcopalians are uniting to rebuild our Church in Haiti.
Click the image above to learn more.
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Canterbury Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys
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The Canterbury Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys is giving a concert on Monday, April 16th at 7:00 pm at St. Margaret’s. Ticket ($35 & $20) reservations are available by contacting John Wright, 760.346.2697, ext. 19. The Choir is from the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The program features music from the 13th century to newly-composed works.
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Roy’s Desert Resource Center & Desert SOS
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Special thanks to the crew that shows up every Monday at Roy’s Resource Center. Currently there are 95 registered homeless at Roy’s. St. Paul volunteers help serve dinner and dessert each Monday. Please sign-up to help the most in need. Sign-up in the binder on the entrance table to the Parish Hall. Contact Hap for more information at 760.323.6726.
Hap Blaisdell strongly encourages volunteers to use the sign-up in the binder on the entrance table in the Parish Hall to help him manage the number of volunteers needed each week for Desert SOS. A minimum of six volunteers at Roy’s each Monday evening is ideal. If fewer than six show up, the workload is burdensome. Contact Hap for more information at 760.323.5726.
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Cold Toes at Desert SOS – Roy’s Resource Center has made a plea for covered shoes, boots and tennis shoes for their clients. Many clients have no shoes. If you have unworn or nearly new shoes that could be donated bring them to the church office or place them next to the Desert SOS basket in the narthex.
If you would prefer to make a financial donation for shoes, make your check payable to: St. Paul’s, and in the memo area, write: SOS SHOE Fund. Contact Hap for more information at 760.323.5726.
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Easter Flowers
A list of Easter Flower Donations is available for you to view by clicking here.
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 Parish Photographer Needed
St. Paul’s needs a photographer to capture pictures of our people in action. We want pictures of our people in worship, in ministry and in fellowship.
Although most cell phones take decent pictures, the parish photographer would need a good digital camera and be willing to learn how to take pictures without distracting from the activities being photographed. The photo-grapher would also need to be able to upload the pictures quickly so that they might be used for parish purposes.
This is an important volunteer position and has the potential to assist the parish in attracting and welcoming new people.
Please contact Jonathan Abernethy-Deppe at Jonathan@stpaulsps.org or call him at 760-320-7488 ext. 224.
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Prayer Shawl Ministry
. . . meets every Wednesday from 10 am – 1 pm in the Parish Hall. This peace-filled stitching circle gives members fulfillment and spiritual sustenance in creating prayer shawls to comfort those in need of prayer. For more details contact Valerie Ferguson at 760.799.5927, Barbara Hawkins Villani at 760.322.3987, or Audrey Spencermorris at 760.835.5506.
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Well in the Desert
. . .is looking for a couple of additional servers for the hot lunch they serve on Wednesdays at our church. They serve from 11 am – 1 pm. If you are interested please contact Jonathan Abernethy-Deppe at 760.320.7488 ext 224 or jonathan@stpaulsps.org
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Coffee Hour
Hosts for 9:00 are Daughters of the King and for 11:00 are John and Norma Westaway.
To sign up to host a Coffee Hour, please use the binder on the entrance table in the Parish Hall. If you have questions, please contact Ray or Cheryl Kelley at 760.778.1725.
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Sign Up for Flowers,
Coffee Hour and
Desert SOS
To make is easier for parishioners to sign-up for Flowers, Coffee Hours, and the Desert SOS Dessert Ministry, the sign-up sheets are in binders that are on the entrance table in the Parish Hall. The 2012 binders are filling fast, so if you have a special date that you want to commemorate, be sure to sign up early.
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Report Sexual Misconduct
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, please be reminded that our diocese values the tenet of our baptismal covenant to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Part of the way we live into that is to train people in the prevention of sexual misconduct. Another part that goes hand-in-hand with training is reporting incidences of sexual misconduct. Our bishop, the Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes, takes reports seriously and investigates them thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced sexual misconduct of any kind, please contact Bishop Mathes immediately: bishopmathes@edsd.org, 619-481-5450.
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Bullies Not Welcome Here
At St. Paul in the Desert we want to welcome all worshipers to a place that is free of violence and bullying.
Physical, verbal or emotional violence against others or against oneself is not acceptable.
“It Gets Better” is a series of video messages to encourage Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender youth and let them know that they are loved as they are.
“A Blessing for Those Who Are Bullied” was written by the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, a Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
It is not enough to say “NO” to bullies. It is important to stand up for people and to provide resources for those who have been the targets.
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The Bishop’s Appeal
The Bishop’s Appeal supports the mission of the diocese through gifts that are used for support of our ongoing programs and ministries: congregational support and development, leadership development, pastoral care, ministry development, and Christian formation. 100% of your gift goes to supporting our ministries. To make a gift, to the secure website at http://www.edsd.org or mail to: Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, 2728 Sixth Ave., San Diego, CA 92103.
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The St. Paul Columbarium Niches are over 60% sold out. If you are interested in a specific niche, please do not wait to purchase it or reserve it. Deposits are required for all niche reservations. Please contact Jonathan Abernethy-Deppe, at 760.320.7488, ext. 224 for further information.
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