For Sunday April 7, 2024
Sunday’s Guest Celebrant & Preacher:
The Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija, DMin, MBA
Internationally noted as an expert in the innovation field, Fr. Lorenzo Lebrija is the chief innovation officer of Virginia Theological Seminary and the executive director of TryTank Research Institute (www.trytank.org), which focuses on advancing theological research to meet the evolving needs of the church in the modern world. He also happens to be a member of the Church of St. Paul in the Desert, but travels often for work, which is why you may not have met him!
Before launching TryTank, Fr. Lorenzo was the Chief Development Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. He also served as the Pastor on behalf of the Bishop at St. John’s Episcopal Church in San Bernardino, CA, and as priest associate at St. Athanasius Episcopal Church at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul in Los Angeles. He studied at the General Theological Seminary in New York City and earned his Master of Divinity degree. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia Theological Seminary. Beyond the DMin and MDiv degrees, he also has an MBA and a B.A. from Florida International University, has completed the full training at the Fundraising School at Indiana University, is a Certified Foresight Practitioner from the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, CA, has a certificate in Design Thinking from IDEO in Palo Alto, CA, and is a graduate of Rice University’s Executive Education Program.
What was your favorite part of Holy Week?
St. Paul’s Book Club – Date Change…
The Book Club will meet next on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 2:00 PM in the Church library. The selection for April is The World and All That It Holds by Aleksandar Hemon. This story showcases Aleksandar Hemon’s celebrated talent at its pinnacle. As the Archduke Franz Ferdinand arrives in Sarajevo on a sunny June day in 1914, Rafael Pinto is busy crushing herbs and grinding tablets behind the counter at the pharmacy he inherited from his estimable father. It’s not quite the life he had expected during his poetry-filled student days in sophisticated, libertine Vienna—but it’s nothing a dash of laudanum from the high shelf, a summer stroll, and idle fantasies about passersby can’t help. And then the world explodes. War devours all that they have known, and the only thing Pinto has to live for are the attentions and affection of Osman, a fellow soldier, a man of action to complement Pinto’s introspective, poetic soul; a dapper, charismatic storyteller; Pinto’s protector and his lover. Together, Pinto and Osman will escape the trenches, survive near-certain death and imprisonment, tangle with spies and Bolsheviks, over mountains and across deserts, from one world to another.
For more information contact Alan Zimmerman (alanzimmerman@icloud.com).
St. Paul’s Hiking Club – Big Morongo Canyon Preserve
The Hiking Club will be going to a location everyone in the desert should visit at least once, if not many, many times: the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve in Morongo Valley, an easy half-hour drive from Palm Springs. This surprising wetland in the Little San Bernardino Mountains is one of the ecological and scenic jewels on the Sand-to-Snow National Monument – a dense oasis of cottonwoods and desert willows filled with unique desert plants and wildlife. Beloved by local birdwatchers, there is also a good chance of seeing mule deer, bighorn sheep, coyote and even the occasional black bear on these trails.
The Preserve also has some small trail closures due to the recent storms, but we will avoid them and piece together a very enjoyable route of around 2-2.5 miles. The trail is easy and well-maintained overall, with a nice mixture of sun and shade and one or two moderate climbs with an elevation change of between 400-500 feet. As always, everyone should carry at least a liter of water and wear good walking shoes with hard rubber treads for traction. Trekking poles or walking sticks are not required but may be useful for any needing extra stability.
We will meet at the Preserve on April 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. sharp. – please be on time. We will send out an email with any updates and (simple) driving instructions, to all who have signed up as the date approaches. If you haven’t yet RSVP’d, please let Nancy (nancyjantonius@gmail.com) know you’re coming. And don’t hesitate to let either of us know if there are any questions.
If you have been there before or if this will be your first time, we look forward to having you join us on this unique and scenic hike. See you there!
Chris Kelly (cwkelly615@gmail.com)
Church Camping Trip in Indian Cove
April 17th-18th – reach out to Bonnie Stroock for more details: bcstroock@aol.com
Prayers of the Church
For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby; for The Episcopal / Anglican Province of Alexandria, The Most Reverend Samy Fawzy Shehata, Archbishop and Primate.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, The Right Reverend Phyllis A. Spiegel, Bishop.
For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of St. Andrew’s, La Mesa; for the children and teachers of St. Andrew’s Parish Day School.
For those commended to our prayers: Frank Stahl, Stan Kolodzi, Leah Drake, Ralph Bise, Carmen Vasquez, Robert Timberlake, Rosa Zingg, Lydia, Oliver, Mary Hildebrandt, Daniel Garcia, George Barros, Andy Johnson, Robby Robinson, Michael Chacon, Teri Whitmer, Marsha Myers, Scott Jones, Bobbby Brock, Stacy Solomon, Ken Spaetti, Kylie Smith, Suzi Osuna, Lucinda Hampson, David Crandall, Dana Gunning, Mark Austin, Jim Crumby, Layla Alexia, Richard, Patrick, Donald, Cindy Jiovani, Paul Mattaliano, Michael Marguet, Delores Swanson, JoEllen Doering, George Doering, Jeffrey Ratnam, Randy Hoepfner, Julian Assange, Edward Snowden, Chelse Manning, the family of Tracy Conair, Terry Garrity, Rus Butler, Joe Christopher, Hap Blaisdell, David Valenzuela, Amelia Grinstead, Chloe Grace Wilson Barton, Marilyn De Silva Currie, Greg Gowdy, Tom Lutgen; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.
For those who have died: Roger Senter, Donald Rimac, Nicole Rimac, Peter Rimac, Judy Hampton, Jeanne Holland, Gary Dahl, Marvin Williams, Frances Williams, The Reverend Tom Kennedy, Dr. William C. Swanson, Tracy Conair. 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: April 9: Bonnie Suter, Robert Porter; April 10: Tim Stephens, Joseph Oppold; April 11: Rev. Steve Huber; April 12: Aaron Riviers, Chad Metcalf, Kathy Moore, Rev. Dale Carr; April 13: Tim Overdurf.
For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Mauricio Correa, in thanksgiving for Kerry Deal. Mauricio has also sponsored the flowers adorning the Narthex today, in thanksgiving for Myriam Restrepo.
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. The weekly print deadline is Wednesday noon.
For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.lectionarypage.net and click on April 14, the Third Sunday of Easter.
Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s
- Monday, April 8 – 5-7:00 PM – Puccini’s Suor Angelica – Viewing & discussion of the opera – Library
- Tuesday, April 9 – 2:00 PM – Book Club – “The World and All That It Holds” – Library
- Saturday, April 13 – 8:30 AM – St. Paul’s Hiking Club Spring Hike – Big Morango Canyon Preserve
- Saturday, April 13 – 10:00 AM – Easter Retreat – Baking for Community – Parish Hall
- Sunday, April 14 – 9-10:15 AM – Confirmation Class – Parish Library
- Sunday, April 14 – 9-10:15 AM – The Omega Course – The Future of the Church – Parish Hall Parlor
- Monday, April 15 – 2-4:00 PM – Sacred Ground Racial Healing Curriculum – Parish Library
- Wednesday & Thursday, April 17-18 – St. Paul’s Campers – Spring Outing in Indian Cove
- Monday, April 22 – 6:30 PM – Earth Day screening of the movie “Common Ground” – Palm Desert High School Performing Arts Center, Palm Desert
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