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From Jesus’ Perspective
After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples fearfully gather in private. They are afraid of the authorities, who may be looking for them, and, although it is unspoken, I think they are afraid of Jesus. They have heard of his empty tomb and his appearance to the women; what does Jesus’ return portend for them?
From the disciples’s perspective, they have let Jesus down or even betrayed him. It makes sense that they might be afraid. The scriptures reflect that the disciples have consistently misunderstood Jesus as they followed him, and this week’s gospel is pivotal for their maturing faith. From their perspective of fear, they encounter the risen Jesus whose perspective is peace. From their perspective of their past failure, Jesus meets them in the present and breathes on them his Spirit, leading them to move forward as his body.
Jesus “passes the peace” with his closest followers and sets a standard for them and for us. His peace is not a reward for long friendship or faithful service, but is an assurance of forgiveness and renewed vocation.
Thomas, the disciple who arrives late, is used to deepen and expand the lesson. When Jesus appears a week later and literally offers to put himself in Thomas’ hands, Thomas can finally let go and accept the peace that Jesus breathes. Thomas is “all in.” His is not the untested enthusiasm of the new follower, but the commitment that comes from reconciliation – from having been confronted with his failure and being accepted anyway.
When change or challenge is before us, it is easy to respond in fear, just like the disciples. What we learn from Thomas and the others is that Jesus offers a different perspective. His perspective on the world begins with peace that makes possible reconciliation, and then which trusts the Spirit to lead. When Jesus reconciles, there is no lingering doubt, only a call to serve.
As we hear this amazing story in our worship, may we practice Jesus’ perspective and respond to our failures, hurts, and successes as he would – passing peace, forgiveness, and the call of God’s Spirit. Join us.
Fr. Andrew
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John 20:19-31
When it was evening on the day of Resurrection, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
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Sophie Marie Olson was born to
Sarah and Shaun Olson on April 23rd.
Sarah is Worship Coordinator at 8 AM.
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Albert Frank Warman
April 27, 1938 – March 30, 2014
A celebration of life for Al Warman, retired sexton and friend of St. Paul’s will be held on Saturday, April 26th at 11:00 AM.
Al worked at as Sexton at St. Paul’s for 20 years and lived on the property. Being a part of this community was one of the joys of his life.
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A celebration of life for Neal Boden, who died Sunday, April 6th, will be held at St. Paul’s on Saturday, May 3rd at 11:00 AM. Neal and his retired service dog was always a festive presence at our 10:30 Sunday Service.
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Juanita Bosworth
May 15, 1916 – April 15, 2014
A celebration of life for Juanita Bosworth, who died April 15, 2014, will be held May 17th at 11:00 AM.
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Desert Convocation: Building a Community of Conversation
Bp. Sue Moxley
April 10-30, 2014
 Our next visitor in the Desert Convocation will be the Rt. Rev. Sue Moxley. At the end of March, Bp. Sue will retire after 10 years as bishop in the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Bp. Sue has been married to her husband, Bruce, for 47 years. The Moxleys will be with us for about three weeks, including during Holy Week and Easter
There are already connections with St. Paul in the Desert. Mel and Beryl Parsons, in St. Paul’s Choir, are friends from Nova Scotia. I am told that they love to share a good Curry. Bp. Chilton Knutson, our first Desert Convocation guest, was the Bishop of Maine and preached at Bp. Sue’s consecration. I met Bp. Sue in Salt Lake City last July at the Stewardship Conference of the Episcopal Stewardship Network.
Bruce Moxley is a golfer and would love to be invited to play.
All invitation should be routed through the Rector rector@stpaulsps.org so that our guests are not overburdened and their personal time is respected.
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“Sundays at 9:15”
In The Library
4/27 Rise to Healing from your hurt by the Church,
Hosted by Jerry DiNoto
How Do You Live As An Easter Person:
Personal Shared Reflections of the 1st Peter Epistle
5/4 1st Peter 1:17-23 – “Love one another from the Heart?”
Led by Jerry Di Noto
5/13 1st Peter 2:19-25- “Endure when you are beaten?”
Led by Audrey Spencer-Morris
5/18 1st Peter 2:2-10 – “Are you a Living Stone?”
Led by Rev. Victoria Hatch
5/25 Memorial Day Weekend. No Session
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“Tuesdays at 7”
In The Library
A Call to Stewardship
4/29 Part II
Led by George Holiday & Bishop Sue Moxley.
Tuesdays @ 7:00 – Responding To Our Baptismal Promises. An interactive approach incorporating Social Justice issues.
Facilitators:
Jerry Di Noto, Audrey Spenser-Morris, Br. John Charles Westaway.
5/6 Who is My Neighbor?
5/13 Seeking and Serving?
5/20 Striving for Peace and Justice?
5/27 Respecting the Dignity of ALL people?
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Roy’s Desert Resource Center
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Volunteers needed for Roy’s Desert Resource Center! St. Paul’s is expanding its outreach to the men, women and children of Roy’s, one of the Coachella Valley’s largest transitional living facilities for the homeless. New volunteers are needed to assist in our continuing Monday night dessert service to Roy’s residents, as are baked goods, used clothing, and donations to our Roy’s “SOS” fund. We are also looking for new volunteers willing to assist residents as they visit the on-site “God’s Closet” clothing repository. We are hoping to a have “team” together for this new program by early April. We expect to have additional volunteer needs as we expand our ministry over the next few months, and encourage everyone with a little time to spare to join us in this opportunity for service and fellowship. For more information, contact Chris Kelly at 760.406.2978. We would love to hear from you!
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As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidents are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact the John Seitman, at jseitman@pacbell.net or 858-793-4426.
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Bullying Behavior Not Welcome Here
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At St. Paul in the Desert we 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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“A Welcoming, Empowering, Supportive”
Ministry!
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Our mission statement calls us to be “a welcoming, empowering and supportive community.” We are currently forming a new ministry at St Paul’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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CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Please observe that the office is not open for walk-ins on Mondays. If you call, please leave a message. In case of emergencies, a priest will return your call.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE
Our next Social Justice meeting will be held Thursday, May 10th, @ 7p.m. in St. Paul’s Library. Please join us as we explore our attitudes concerning the dignity of work. As Christ’s hands and feet, how do we confer equal dignity to our fellow travelers who work to uplift humanity? “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” -The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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Thank you for your support of
Bishops Mathes’ Lenten Water Well Project!
 Our water pails overflowed with thirst quenching goodness to the tune of $1,171.00. Our donation will be combined with our sister churches and will be forwarded to Episcopal Relief and Development. The Bishop’s goal is $5000 for the diocese.
Your generosity helped St. Paul’s provide more than 20% of the Bishops goal!!!
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ECW MAY LUNCHEON !
The last gathering of the season for the Episcopal Church Women will be a luncheon on Thursday, May1, at noon in the Parish Hall, and will feature a White Elephant gift exchange. Please bring a wrapped item for the exchange. Those attending should also bring a salad to serve six, rolls, or a dessert. Beverages will be provided. For additional information, contact Kathy Briski, (760) 864-7145.
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A Taizé Service
. . . is held on the first Thursday of the month. Currently the service schedule is May 1st at 7:00 pm.
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CONCERT TO BENEFIT DESERT BLIND AND HANDICAPPED ASSN.
An Evening with John Granet and Friends to benefit the Desert Blind and Handicapped Association will be presented at Temple Isaiah, 332 West Alejo Road in Palm Springs on Wednesday, April 30, 2014, beginning with a Reception at 6 PM followed by a Concert at 6:30 PM. The concert features John Granet, pianist, composer and parishioner here at St. Paul’s with vocalists Keisha D’Allesandro and Rob Thomas. Tickets are $40 per person, and can be purchased on line at desertblind.org/unforgettable-concert or by calling 760-778-8552.
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COME BOWLING
 . . . on Sunday, May 4th at the Palm Springs Lanes at 68051 Ramon, just East of the wash. Family and Children’s Ministry invites adults and kids to come bowling at 12:30. Cost is just $10 for shoes, food and bowling. Call Bonnie Stroock to RSVP – 760-324-7949.
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Camp Stevens applications have arrived and are in the parish hall! Imagine your kids or grandkids enjoying the beautiful hills of Julian at the church camp for the Diocese of San Diego. Camping trips to the Sierra Nevada are available for teens and adults, as well. Write to: info@campstevens.org to get the schedules.
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THE DAUGHTERS
OF THE
KING
. . . will be training prospective members during the next two months. We are meeting in Palm Springs on Monday afternoons. Join us to see how the DOK Rule of Prayer and Service can work in your life. Call Bonnie Stroock at 760.324.7949 for more information.
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HOLY COMMUNION
SERVICE
FOR
LOCAL CARE FACILITIES
Holy Communion at Windsor Court, 201 South Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, is hosted by the Nursing Home Ministry on the second Wednesday of the month, next, on May 14th, at 10:15am. The Presiding Priest always welcomes assistance from parishioners.
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COFFEE HOUR CELEBRATION
Please join us for coffee in the Parish Hall.
Consider signing up to host a Coffee Hour in 2014. A binder at the entrance to the Parish Hall indicates available Sundays throughout the year. If you have questions, call Ray or Cheryl Kelley at 760.778.1725.
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PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Ministry invites you to join our circle on Wednesday’s from 10am -1pm in Hogarth Hall. Whether you wish to learn to knit or crochet or are an expert needleworker, we welcome you. Needles, hooks and yarn are provided. Please drop in to create and enjoy our prayerfully made creations.
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THE CHILDREN’S CHOIR
. . .every Wednesday at 6pm in the Choir Room. All children age 4 and above are invited to participate in this activity learning musical skills while having fun and assisting in the congregation’s worship. For more information please contact Nathan Ensign at 760.320.7488 ext 225.
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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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Our Partnership
with
Katherine Finchy
Elementary School
. . . continues through our donations of classroom supplies. Please take a blue classroom supply wish list, available from the ushers, (or view and print), to use when you go shopping. Please place your donations in the basket marked “Katherine Finchy Elementary” located in the Narthex. You may also bring your purchased supplies to the Church Office during business hours. If you are unable to shop, but would like to help financially, please make your check out to “St. Paul in the Desert” and write “Katherine Finchy” on the memo line.
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At the Church
of St. Paul
in the Desert
. . . we welcome all worshipers to a place free of violence, bullying, and abuse. Physical, verbal or emotional violence against others or against oneself is not acceptable because of our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Please let Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself be your guide.
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