For Sunday July 2, 2023
“Summer Second Saturdays at Seven”
Concert Series
Although we will miss our talented and dedicated Mixed Ensemble this summer, we have planned other musical offerings for June, July, and August as part of our concert series. The second Saturday of each month, we will showcase a different musical presentation at 7:00 PM in the church, followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. Mark your calendars!
- Saturday, July 8, The Boy’s Chorus of Tucson – Dr. Julian Ackerley, Director
- Saturday, August 12, Robert York Organ Recital
The Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus is dedicated to providing boys in the community an enriched educational experience through the study and performance of choral music. The Chorus endeavors to impart musical, social and leadership skills that build self-esteem and have a sustaining impact on its members. Representing and serving the community as an artistic and cultural resource are fundamental to the Chorus mission.
Safe Church Challenge
We currently have about 80 people in process or who have completed the Safe Church training. Let’s reach 100 people and be THE safest church in the diocese! If you need help accessing and understanding the modules, please reach out to brojohncharles@gmail.com or call the church office.
Rectors’ Discretionary Fund
The first Sunday of the month loose-plate offerings (i.e., general giving, not pledged giving) will be designated for the Rectors’ Discretionary Fund (sometimes referred to as “Benevolence.”) This fund is to be disbursed at the rectors’ discretion to help those in immediate need, and payments usually go directly toward the most crucial bills (rent, food, medical costs, et cetera).
Parish Life Camping Ministry
Escape the summer heat, July 18-20, up in Idyllwild at the Riverside County Campground. There will be plenty of trails for walking or hiking, evening campfire fellowship, time to explore Idyllwild village, and, of course, lots of group games to play.
A shared dinner on Wednesday will be followed by a compline service. Cost – $20 per person. Dogs on leashes are allowed (for an extra fee). To sign-up, contact Bonnie Stroock at 760-324-7949 (home).
Hiking Club News
The Parish Life Hiking Club has planned an off-season summer hike for August 5, in the Oak Glen Preserve, only about 40 miles west of Palm Springs in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. The Oak Glen Preserve sits in a tranquil canyon filled with apple orchards, shady green forests, babbling brooks and steep mountain slopes. It’s a great nearby getaway from the hot desert summer. We will be hiking the scenic Preserve Loop through the Preserve’s many diverse ecosystems. The trail meanders through curated gardens, beneath towering conifers, past a pretty little lake and then in and out of a shady oak forest as it descends through the chaparral to a pleasant hollow, before climbing again to a beautiful shady meadow. Deer and other wildlife can sometimes be spotted along the trail.
The trail is about 2.5 miles long in total and links several smaller trails within the Oak Glen Preserve. It is officially ranked as “Easy,” and should be safely within the skill set of our group. The trail is well-marked and in good condition, with an easy grade most of the way. There are one or two segments with sharper descents and climbs, including one or two portions with stairs. The total elevation change across the entire trail is about 500 feet. There are two areas of sharper descent or ascent, but they should be doable by any who’ve hiked with us previously. This is a dog-friendly trail. Dogs on-leash are welcome. Please review the trail description and make sure it is right for your furry friend (it may be an ambitious trek for smaller dogs). You’ll want to carry a dish of some sort so your dog can pause to drink.
What to Bring – Proper footgear is important. You should wear solid, comfortable walking shoes with a grippy rubber sole that has tread and good traction. Also don’t forget the usual hiking standards: ample water, sunscreen, and a hat – bug spray is also a good idea. While this area will feel like paradise compared to August heat in Palm Springs, it will still be objectivelywarm, so dress lightly and prepare for occasional areas of full sun. Anyone needing additional balance or stability should consider bringing a walking stick or trekking pole.
There should be ample time after the hike to share a quick repast, linger among wildflowers, and visit the nearby apple stand for some tasty fresh cider. We would like to host a late-morning picnic for this hike similar to what we did in Idyllwild last summer. We welcome volunteers willing to help organize this aspect of the trip and/or bring some sort of potluck item. For more information or to sign up for the hike, please contact Nancy Antonius nancyjantonius@gmail.com
Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the summer hike date.
Chris Kelly
Altar flower sponsorships
Fresh flowers at the altar honor God and add to the beauty of our worship.
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers for a future Sunday honoring a special person or event, you’ll find the sign-up book in the Narthex, or you can call the Parish Office at 760.320.7488 to reserve your sponsorship date(s). A donation of $95 for each altar flower sponsorship is suggested.
Music Ministry News – A Message from our Interim Director of Music and Organist
During the next few months, I will be calling parishioners to talk about our Music Ministry at St. Paul’s. This will be a way of getting to know each other better, and to discern the needs and concerns of you, the people of St. Paul in the Desert. I look forward to having our conversations. In the meantime, I invite you to enjoy the upcoming musical presentations in our summer concert series.
Phil Smith
St. Paul’s Social Justice Ministry Needs Warm Weather Clothing Donations
The Social Justice Ministry is seeking donations of new or gently used warm weather clothing and accessories to distribute to our needy neighbors. Please place your donated items in the collection containers located in the Narthex. Our volunteers distribute these items in the Columbarium colonnade the last Wednesday of each month.
If you would like to learn more about this important ministry, please contact Lena Granet at lorainehome@gmail.com.
Mid-week Services
You are invited to the church on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM each week for contemplative Eucharist/Evening Prayer. The church will be open the hour prior (5:00-6:00 PM) for silent, personal prayer. Come and rest.
Prayers of the Church
For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby; for The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, The Most Reverend Marinez Rosa dos Santos Bassotto, Primate of Brazil, and Bishop of Amazonia.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, The Right Reverend George Wayne Smith, Bishop Provisional.
For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of St. Francis, Pauma Valley.
For those commended to our prayers: Roger Allen, Wayne Watson & Larry Stralow, Duane “Dirk” Beach-Barrow, Heather S. Gordon, Curt Ringness, Barry Ralph, Dorothy Walton, Irene Savannah, Kris and Kai Christensen, Gloria Swanson Stansbury, Don Johnson, Ken Van Horn, Wendy V., Adele, Paula Davis, Rev. Jessie & Rev. Dan, Jim, Donna & Bruce, Donald Gravelle, Amelia Grinstead, Marilyn De Silva Currie, Donald Chase, Greg Gowdy, A.J. Miller, Tom Lutgen, Brian Nealy; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.
For those who have died: Roy Cody, Joseph Robert Richter, Paul Ideker, James Hart, Candace Gervin, Mike Gorman, Michael Holliday, John Layson, Jr., Walter Stinson, Jr., Ricky Wilson, John Ketchum, Irene Kutach, James Robert Valletti, Farris Smith.
Rest eternal grant to these, your servants, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
For those with birthdays: July 2: John Murren, Erik Palmer; July 3: Alex Finlay-Christensen, Shelia Brubaker, Richard Wordeman; July 4: Carolyn Etheridge, Joel Cutler; July 5: Camillo Nava, Anne Pichette, Curtis Goehring; July 7: Jeffrey Ratnam, Alexis Clark; July 8: Arthur Rivera, Terry Garrity, Craig Coleman.
For those celebrating anniversaries: July 2: Natasha & Navin Hemrajani; July 3: Mark Berry & Daniel Schmidt; July 5: Alexis & Benton Clark; July 7: Irene & Gary Gillespie; July 8: Bonnie & Fred Stroock.
For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Jerry DiNoto, in loving memory of Ron Thomas, AND by Shannon Ealy & Rosa Zingg, in honor of Lydia Ealy-Zingg’s birthday. The flowers adorning the Narthex today are sponsored by Cheryl & Ray Kelley, in thanksgiving and gratitude for 26 years of worship at St. Paul in the Desert.
Send us your Prayer Requests via email — You may request prayers, “For those commended to our prayers” or “For those who have died,” by sending requests to registrar@stpaulsps.org Weekly print deadline is Wednesday noon.
For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.lectionarypage.net and click on July 9, 2023, The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost.
Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s
- Wednesday, July 5 – 1:00-3:00 PM – Sacred Circle – Library.
- Saturday, July 8 – 7:00 PM – Concert – The Boys Chorus of Tucson – Reception follows in the Parish Hall.
- Wednesday, July 19 – 1:00-3:00 PM – Sacred Circle – Library.
St Paul’s Book Club
The Book Club will not meet in July. The next Book Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at 1 PM via Zoom. Meeting information will follow later.
For August Book Club has selected Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Set in southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a ferocity for survival. Spoken in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in popular culture.
New members are always welcome at Book Club. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at alanzimmerman@icloud.com
Sunday Service LiveStreaming
We are livestreaming our 10:30 AM Sunday Eucharist every week. The livestream project was made possible through a generous gift from a “snowbird” member from Philadelphia who wintered in Palm Springs for many years and worshiped at St. Paul’s every Sunday. You can view the livestream on our Home Page, YouTube Channel, and Facebook Page.
Missed a service? Or want to rewatch a liturgy? All our past services are available to watch either on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/StPaulintheDesert or on our Facebook timeline: https://www.facebook.com/stpaulinthedesert
