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The Wisdom of Mystery: Trinity Sunday
We celebrate the Trinity on a regular basis; at every service, references to the Trinity occur throughout our worship and prayers. But this Sunday is the day selected to focus on the doctrine of the Trinity. It is the only time we have a festival that honors a doctrine, one that is a complex teaching fundamental to the Christian Faith, one that has its own mystery.
The comedian, George Carlin, remembered any time he asked a complicated or uncomfortable question, the priest would respond that it was a “heavy mystery.” In this humor, and for many people, mystery covers “everything I don’t understand.” This is a misuse of mystery.
I think that mystery is an outgrowth of wisdom. Mystery does NOT cover everything I don’t understand. Things may seem mysterious because I don’t have the language or experience to think or talk about them. With the learning of some skills or gaining of experience, the mystery resolves.
I think that mystery has a place in our faith that is initially beyond our understanding and is deeper than our understanding. Wisdom leads us to understand that truth may have several levels of meaning and that these levels multiply as we attend to them. We are touching a mystery of such levels on Trinity Sunday.
There is the Trinity that we can glean from reading Scripture and from thinking about how individuals can have multiple roles, yet be the same person. I am Husband, Pastor, and Friend, yet still Andrew. No real mystery there. Then there is the Trinity as a description of the inner divine life and communication of God. It is a mystery that does not submit to simplistic answers, but is engaged by wisdom and reflection.
Join in our worship this weekend as acknowledge the Trinity and celebrate the mystery of God’s unity.
Fr. Andrew
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Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?
On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.
The LORD created me at the beginning of his work,
the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth–
when he had not yet made earth and fields,
or the world’s first bits of soil.
When he established the heavens, I was there,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his
command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
then I was beside him, like a master worker;
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the human race.”
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Celebrate Older Adults Month
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Special prayers will be offered at our services this weekend to honor our Elders.
Read the Presidential Proclamation here.
(The federal government has older adulthood beginning at 60.)
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Take Action to Protect the Dignity of Immigrants
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Dear Parish Family and Friends,
In our baptism vows we promise to respect the dignity of every human being.
As our Congress prepares to debate and enact legislation that will reform our Immigration laws, we have the opportunity to stand up for the dignity of those who are immigrants.
Please read the article by Bp.  Mathes and call our elected officials. Ask them to pass the appropriate legislation.
Blessings,
Fr. Andrew
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Help Those Affected By Tornadoes and
Severe Storms
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Episcopal Relief and Development has been in contact with local partners in the Episcopal dioceses of Oklahoma and Fort Worth following tornadoes on May 16 and May 20 that caused severe damage and loss of life. These devastating events were caused by a large storm system that set off tornado watches from Texas to Minnesota.
You can help make a difference to those so deeply affected.
Read More . . .
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“Sundays at 9:15”
In The Library
From Convent to Miter
The Legacy of Women in the Episcopal Church,
hosted by Victoria Hatch
5/26 NO CLASS – Memorial Day Weekend
The Lives of Great Christians
DVD with Dr. William R. Cook,
hosted by Rick Tinsley and David Caffrey
6/02 Introduction: What Make a Great Christian?
6/09 Paul and the First Christian Missionaries
6/16 The Early Martyrs
6/23 St. Anthony – The First Mjonk
6/30 The Desert Fathers and Mothers
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“Tuesdays at 7”
In the Library
The Old Testament
A study of Hebrew Scriptures, DVD with Amy-Jill Levine,
hosted by David Abernethy-Deppe and Bob Hettinger
5/28 The Conquest – Deuteronomy 20-31 and Joshua
Great Figures of the New Testament,
DVD with Amy-Jill Levine,
hosted by Jerry Lynch and Jerry DiNoto
6/04 John and James, the Sons of Zebedee
6/11 The Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son
6/18 The Samaritan Woman
6/25 Stephen, the First Martyr
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Roy’s Desert Resource Center is an outreach of St. Paul’s that serves the homeless by providing clothing and desserts on Monday evening served by our volunteers. You can help by contributing desserts, donating to our SOS Fund, adding to our donation baskets in the Narthex or joining our volunteers on Monday evening. For more information, call Hap Blaisdell at 760.323.5726.
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Report Sexual Misconduct.
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, please remember 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 and to encourage all to report any misconduct. All reported incidents are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced sexual misconduct of any kind, please contact the Rev. Canon Suzann V. Holding immediately: sholding@edsd.org
or 619-481-5452.
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“A Welcoming, Empowering, Supportive”
Ministry!
Our mission statement calls us to be “a welcoming, empowering and supportive community.” We are currently forming a new ministry at St Pau’s to support that mission. Volunteers are needed from all three services to donate approximately 90 minutes of their time per month. That time is split into 3-30 minute segments: 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the service you attend, once per month, to support the Welcoming Table located in the Narthex and another 30 minutes a month assisting with name badge organization. If you are able to lend a hand, please contact Mike Funke at 760.-409.0986 or mike.funke@yahoo.com!
Help us live our mission statement!
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We Need Volunteers
. . . to assist with Name Badge organization. Please contact Mike Funke at 760-409-0986 or: mike.funke@yahoo.com if you can help.
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LGBT Health Needs Survey.
The LGBT Community Center of the Desert, in partnership with Health Assessment Resource Center (HARC), is proud to announce the first ever comprehensive LGBT Health Needs Survey of Coachella Valley! The information obtained from this survey will help the Center design programs and services to meet your specific needs and obtain additional funding to provide new programs and services. Please take 20 minutes to complete the survey! It’s all online, completely anonymous, click here.
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Sunday School
children and teachers
. . .are invited to attend church on Sunday, June 9th at 10:30am when awards and certificates will be given out for the Godly Play Program. You did a great job!
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Movie Night!
Coming on Tuesday Nights in July and August
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Holy Communion Service for
Local Care Facilities
Holy Communion will be hosted by the Nursing Home Ministry on the second Wednesday of each month at Windsor Court. The next service will be June 12th at 10:15 am. Father Dick Merrill will preside and welcomes assistance from parishioners.
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Daughters of the King will meet on Tuesday, May 28th, at 1:15pm in the Condo for our monthly prayer time. Dues will be collected. Newcomers are welcome to come and hear about the spring assembly in San Diego where a report on African Ministry was presented. The fastest growing chapters of DOK are in Malawi, Africa, where women are learning that the beauty of Christian fellowship empowers them. Call Bonnie Stroock for information at 760.324.7949.
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Coffee Hour Celebration
Coffee Hour Hosts after the 8:00 service are Jessica & Marcus Scott in memory of their daughter, Kyara Scott, and after the 10:30 are Daughters of the King.
Hosts are needed for many Sundays throughout the rest of 2013. To sign up to host a Coffee Hour, please use the binder on the entrance table in the Parish Hall. If you have questions, call Ray or Cheryl Kelley at 760.778.1725.
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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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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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Episcopalians Against
Gun Violence
. . . is an ad-hoc group of bishops, clergy and lay people disseminating information about Episcopalians who are working, collectively and individually, to curb gun violence. For further information, click here.
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