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From the Rector
Who is Calling Us?
Last week, we read about Peter’s short journey to the home of a non-Jewish family to share the message and welcome of Jesus. He took a giant step out of his prejudice and comfort zone. This week’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles is a description of Paul’s missionary journey as he moved from Asia to Europe. In each case, Peter and Paul changed plans in order to respond to a call, an invitation that was ultimately God’s.
Paul had a new destination, the region of Macedonia, but he approached this new community in his usual way. He familiarized himself with the new city of Philippi and on the Sabbath, he looked for a place of worship. He had sometimes joined Jewish gatherings, but here were some non-Jewish people who worshiped a single God, and he began to talk to them. Among them was Lydia.
She listened and responded over time; then she and her family were baptized. She was a business woman, and with no mention of a husband, I assume she was the head of her family. She became a leader in this new congregation, which had answered God’s invitation through Paul.
Both Peter and Paul were raised in a particular tradition and had a cultural/religious comfort zone. The Acts of the Apostles is the story of people who are called out of their comfort zones to be the hands and heart of Jesus to new and different people. Like these saints, we are sometimes uncomfortable extending the Good News of Jesus to new places and to different peoples.
But who is calling us? Is it the Bishop, a priest, or the CEO of a Not-For-Profit? Is it a calling to make the world a marginally better place by opening the gate of our compassion just enough to notice?
No. God is calling us to completely change the way that we see the world. God is calling us to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. And this is a tall order! It will be a challenge to get started, and it will require us to take risks and move out of our comfort zone. It will require two specific behaviors on our part. We will need to take a step – say yes to God’s call. And we will need to withhold judgement – live with the discomfort of the new – while we grow.
Amazingly, God has called us together each week to practice these steps in worship. It is a laboratory where we can safely take risks as our compassion grows, and can try withholding judgement on one another. Join us.
Fr. Andrew
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Featured Scripture
Acts 16:9-15 (CEB)
A vision of a man from Macedonia came to Paul during the night. He stood urging Paul, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” Immediately after he saw the vision, we prepared to leave for the province of Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
We sailed from Troas straight for Samothrace and came to Neapolis the following day. From there we went to Philippi, a city of Macedonia’s first district and a Roman colony. We stayed in that city several days. On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the riverbank, where we thought there might be a place for prayer. We sat down and began to talk with the women who had gathered. One of those women was Lydia, a Gentile God-worshipper from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple cloth. As she listened, the Lord enabled her to embrace Paul’s message. Once she and her household were baptized, she urged, “Now that you have decided that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded us.
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Funeral Services for
Betty Cross
Services will be held at St. Paul’s Saturday May 14th at 2:00 pm. She died January 22, 2016. Betty was a long time parishioner, a member of the Altar Guild, a vestry member, church treasurer, a regular greeter at the 8:00 am service and a frequent lector.
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Guest Preacher on
Sunday, May 1st
 Rabbi David Lazar will be our guest preacher at the 8:00 am and 10:30 am services on May 1st.
Before coming to Temple Isaiah in June, 2015, Rabbi David Lazar served for more than two decades as a congregational rabbi and educator in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Stockholm. He has lived in Israel for most of his adult life, from 1975 until moving to Sweden in 2010, where he served as Rabbi of the Stockholm Jewish Community. He traversed the world of Orthodoxy and returned to his liberal Jewish roots, becoming a Conservative Rabbi in 1993. His wife, Sascha, is a nurse. They are the parents of five daughters, four living in Israel and the fifth in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their first grandchild was born in February, 2015.
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St. Paul’s Rodeo Invocation
 Fr. Andrew Green and Canon Victoria Hatch have been invited to offer an invocation during the Grand Entrance of the Palm Springs Hot Rodeo on May 7 and 8 in Banning. The competitive events will be from 9-5 and the Grand Entrance will be about noon each day. The Rodeo will be held an the A. C. Dysart Equestrian Center, 2101 W. Victory Ave., Banning, CA
Click here to see pictures from last year’s Rodeo.
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Altar and Narthex Flower Sponsorships
 Sponsoring flowers for the Altar or Narthex is a distinctive way to remember loved ones or commemorate special occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries. RESERVE YOUR SPECIAL DATE NOW by completing the sponsor sign-up form in the Flower Sponsorship Binder. You’ll find the binder on the table to your right as you enter the Parish Hall. Currently, the following dates are available for flower sponsorships: May 15 and May 22.
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Sunday Mornings at 9:15 AM
Episcopal Café in The Chapel
Check it out
May
5/1 We Break This Bread.
Facilitated by Craig Ewing
5/8 Be Ardent in the Spirit.
Facilitated by Rev. Canon Victoria Hatch
5/15 The Mockingbird is the Pentecost Bird.
Facilitated by Jerry Lynch
5/22 Trinity Sunday -A Reflection.
Facilitated by Br. John Charles
5/29 Education for Ministry Program: Overview and Introduction
Presented by Alan Zimmerman
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Tuesday Evenings at 7:00 PM
Faith Building – In the Library
May
5/3 Education for Ministry Program: Overview and Introduction.
Presented by Alan Zimmerman
Education for Ministry (EfM) is a unique four-year distance learning certificate program in theological education based upon small-group study and practice. This international program has assisted more than 80,000 participants in discovering and nurturing their call to Christian service and bring them into conversation with their experiences of the world as they study, worship and engage in theological reflection together. On Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 7 pm, Ms. Karla Lewis, an EfM mentor from St. Margaret’s will join us for Tuesdays @7 to discuss the EfM program in general and EfM opportunities at St. Margaret’s. For more information or questions, please call Alan Zimmerman at 313-407-4843.
5/10 Beads & Prayer I– Use of beads in prayer traditions.
Presented by Audrey Spencer
5/17 Beads & Prayer II– Use of beads in prayer traditions.
Presented by Audrey Spencer.
Please Note: In the Gospel of Luke, Led by Br. John Charles, Br. John respectfully requests that you [read] the scripture in advance of each session.
5/24 Luke 10: 25-37 – The Good Samaritan: A Way of Life
Led by Br. John Charles.
5/31 Luke 12:13-34 – The Dangers of Money
Led by Br. John Charles.
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Roy’s Still Needs YOU!
Just a reminder that St. Paul’s outreach to the homeless men, women and children at Roy’s Desert Resource Center continues through the summer months and needs your ongoing support. If you are a year-round resident of the desert, please continue to donate baked goods, fresh fruit and used clothing to this worthy cause. If you’re leaving us for the summer, take a moment to consider financial support for this important outreach before you go. Contact Chris Kelly(760) 406-2978 for more information.
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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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Announcements
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CHURCH
OFFICE HOURS
The church office is open Tuesday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm with a lunch break from 11:30 am until 1:00 pm.
Should you call on Monday when we are closed to the public, please leave a message. In case of an emergency, a priest will return your call.
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SERVING CHRIST IN OTHERS
Looking for new ways to put your faith into action? The St. Paul Social Justice Committee continues its important work on various fronts…including our continuing gun violence and safety initiative and our new “shower and service center” homeless outreach for the summer months. We’re working on a host of new social justice programs for the fall. We have ambitious goals and can use your ideas, your energy and your gifts. If you feel called to share Christ’s compassion and love please join us. Contact Chris Kelly (760) 406-2978 for further information.
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Our next Taizé service
. . . will be Thursday, May 5th at 7:00 p.m.
In a setting of icons, religious art and candles, this quiet service of chant and meditation has been a welcome respite for many during our busy work week.
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Save the Date!
St. Paul’s Campers
are planning a weekend trip to Idyllwild Co. Campground on July 15 to 17. Plan to come and escape the desert in the tall pines and mountain air of Mt. San Jacinto. Call Bonnie Stroock if you are interested in joining us. 760-324-7949
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Giving Made Easier
St. Paul’s has a new system for online giving and we encourage you to use it (see the right hand column on this web page.)
If you have any questions, please contact the office. Our online system makes it easy to direct your donation to a specific fund.
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HOLY COMMUNION
SERVICE FOR
LOCAL CARE FACILITIES
The next COMMUNION SERVICE at Windsor Court is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11th at 10:15 am. The priest and residents always welcome parishioners to join in the worship.
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Hospitality
Ministry
Please join us in the Parish Hall after each Sunday service for coffee and refreshments. Coffee Hours are an important ministry of hospitality for both our members and guests.
This Sunday’s coffee hours are hosted by the St. Paul’s Daughters of the King chapter.
Please consider hosting an upcoming Coffee Hour. The sign-up book is on the table to your right as you enter the Parish Hall.
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PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Ministry invites you to join our circle on
Wednesday’s from 10 am-1 pm 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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REPORT MISCONDUCT
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 John Seitman, at jseitman@pacbell.net or 858-793-4426.
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A Welcoming, Empowering, Supportive
Community
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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Bullying Behavior
Not Welcome Here
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 because of our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Please let Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself be your guide.
“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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