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He Had a Gut Feeling
My heart has been broken. My heart has gone out to any number of people as a response to any number of crises, and some think I wear my heart on my sleeve. My statements attach my feelings to my heart, but that is a metaphor.
The people of Jesus’ time used a different metaphor. Their feelings were located, not in their “hearts,” but in their “viscera” – in their gut. Jesus and his followers wandered into the village of Nain, ran smack into the funeral procession for the widow’s only son, and Jesus felt compassion for HER. The original language describes a “gut-wrenching” reaction to her plight; the English has been domesticated to be simply “compassion.”
Everything that followed happened because of that compassion. There was no request, invitation, or expectation from the woman or the crowd. This was not a miraculous response to faith. Jesus had compassion and acted. He restored the life of the son and, in doing so, restored the future of the widow.
This did not restore all the widows in the land, nor did it become a model program for the disciples. Jesus was viscerally affected by a woman’s loss and intervened to help. I think it tells us, on a very small scale, how Jesus perceived his mission from God. He was showing God’s gracious reign, one broken heart, one healing, one death at a time.
Can we develop a “gut feeling” like Jesus? I believe that Jesus calls us to be attentive to the people around us who are in need of compassion – to listen with our hearts and feel in our gut. This is not about building a new “program” to meet the needs of the world. It is a calling to respond to the world with authentic compassion to the hurt, loss, and heartbreak we encounter.
Join in worship this weekend as we practice being attentive to the call of compassion.
Fr. Andrew
(Thanks to Brian Stoffregen and Alyce M. McKenzie of Edgy Exegesis for the information and reflections they share.)
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Luke 7:11-17
Soon after healing the centurion’s slave, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!” This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
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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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Awards Day — Sunday, June 9th
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 Certificates of Appreciation will be presented on behalf of the Family and Children’s Ministry at the 10:30 service Sunday, June 9th to the students who have participated in Godly Play this year: Mario Baca, Jake Baker-Aidukas, Noah Baker-Aidukas, Ramon Barajas, Ciara Brown, Tyson Brown, Lydia Ealy, Gavin Gerber, Reese Gerber, Everett Greider, Maria Greider, Duncan McVeigh, and Grace Milloway. Certificates of Appreciation will also be presented to the adults who provide leadership: Shannon Ealy, Jan Heller, Michael Howard, Charlie Mader, Claudia McVeigh, Beth Owsley, Susan Reed, Bonnie Stroock, and Rosa Zing.
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. . . on the Older Adult Committee trip to Balboa Park in San Diego on Monday, August 12th, departing St Paul’s parking lot at 7:15am and returning to Palm Springs before 6:00pm. $45 per person (cash or check only). Cardiff Luxury Bus with restroom, coffee with light breakfast before we board. Wine, soft drinks and snack on the way home. Lunch and museums on your own. Balboa Park info at www.balboapark.org. Click for wheel chair/scooter rentals. Tickets available at Parish Office now and after services on July 14 & 21. Limited seating – buy your seat now.
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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
The Lives of Great Christians
DVD with Dr. William R. Cook,
hosted by Rick Tinsley and David Caffrey
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
Great Figures of the New Testament,
DVD with Amy-Jill Levine,
hosted by Jerry Lynch and Jerry DiNoto
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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“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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Come camping in August
. . . with the St. Paul’s Campers 9th annual trip. Families, singles, kids of all ages are invited to the cool woods near Idyllwild from August 23- 25. It’s a lot of fun for little money. Bring your dog! Call Ron Shepherd at 760.832.4709 to reserve space.
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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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A civil discourse on gun control, Wednesday, June 12th, at 7:00pm, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 890 Balour Drive, Encinitas, will include points of view relating to personal freedom, national security and public safety, as affected by the Constitution and existing and proposed legislation. It will be moderated by Jim Stiven a retired judge and a recently retired professor of Law at California Western School of Law. For more info: http://www.standrewsepiscopal.org or 760.753.3017.
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Coffee Hour Celebration
Coffee Hour Hosts after the 10:30 service are Judi Cribbs, Terri Miller, and John Westaway.
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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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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