The Abundant Life – September 5, 2024

Special Class on Sundays in September
Make Me an Instrument of Peace: A Guide to Civil Discourse

No matter how far apart two sides are, there are effective strategies to bring people together. Starting Sunday September 8th and running through the remaining Sundays in September, join us in the Parish Hall Parlor from 9AM-10AM for “Make Me an Instrument of Peace: A Guide to Civil Discourse.” Designed by The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations and its Department of Faith Formation, the class was created to help Episcopalians understand how to use civil discourse to bridge partisan divides that keep us from moving forward. It provides tools for us to learn from one another ahead of the Nov. 5 general election and beyond.

Click Here To Learn More About This Course

Click Here To Register For This Course

Covid Care at St. Paul’s

The latest strain of the COVID-19 virus is spreading in Southern California. St. Paul’s is a particularly vulnerable population, and we all want to make sure we are doing our part in keeping each other safe.

First and foremost, if you are feeling even slightly sick (even if you think it’s just allergies), please stay home. We have an incredible livestream for our 10:30AM service, so if you miss 1 week in-person you can still participate online. It’s a small price to pay to keep your fellow parishioners safe.

Second, we will continue holding our coffee hour outside for better air ventilation.

Third, consider masking when in smaller groups in classes or other meetings on campus where rooms can get crowded and air ventilation is not ideal. We know that we are all tired of masking, but it’s an easy way to protect yourself and others.

Finally, in consultation with your physician, check to see if you are a good candidate for the latest vaccine. Let’s stop the spread together!

Section 14 Prayer Vigil on September 11th

On, September 12^th, the City Council will be voting on a counterproposal from the Survivors of Section 14 as a way to move forward with racial healing in our community. The night before, there will be a special Interfaith Prayer Vigil and Voter Drive on the steps of Palm Springs City Hall. Please join us for our short, half-hour midweek Eucharist at 6PM and then drive over to City Hall afterwards to pray for peace and justice next Wednesday, September 11th.

If you can’t make it to church to carpool, meet us at the steps. We’ll see you there!

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” — Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Safe Church and Reporting Misconduct

When Rev. Jessie and Rev. Dan were at The Episcopal Church’s General Convention in Louisville, KY this past summer, they stopped by one of the booths in the convention center: SAFE CHURCH. Your rectors spoke with the people at the Safe Church booth, discussing how important it is for churches to be the safest places ever, and how much St. Paul in the Desert values that safety. The Revs told the Safe Church employees that we have almost 100 PEOPLE who are Safe Church trained at St. Paul, and they were floored! It was unheard of to have such a critical mass of parishioners in a single parish all commit to being the safest church around. (It was pretty fun to brag about you to the entire Episcopal Church!)

“The community has certain expectations of the Church and those who work for it. They believe that the church is, and ought to be, a place where they and their families can be completely safe in moments of deepest faith and in times of vulnerability and stress. They also believe that people who have chosen to work for the church do so out of a particular commitment to God and to the Christian way of life, and they trust those persons to act in accordance with Christian principles.” To learn more about Safe Church Safe Communities, click here:https://edsd.org/safe-church-safe-communities/

If you are someone who volunteers in any capacity here at the church, or if you are a newer parishioner who is interested in joining the almost 100 people who are committed to the safety and well-being of all who enter here, please reach out to frontdesk@stpaulsps.org and indicate you’d like the login instructions to take the online Safe Church Safe Communities courses. Join us in one of our Core Values of Safety & Care by being Safe Church Trained.

One more thing. The Diocese is committed to your safety and care as well. “The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego considers the reporting and investigation of misconduct to be of critical importance. It is our hope that the potentially painful reporting process will realize healing and peace for all involved, particularly for the victims. Reporting enables the diocese to protect the complainant, the respondent and the larger community. It also allows the diocese to assist with the spiritual, psychological and emotional needs of all concerned during and after the report of misconduct.”

To make sure that you have access to Reporting Misconduct, you can click here to read more about this: http://edsd.org/safe-church-safe-communities/reporting-misconduct/

Diocesan Eucharistic Visitor Training at St. Paul on Saturday, October 19!

On Saturday, October 19th from 9AM – 1PM, St. Paul’s will be hosting the first in-person Eucharistic Visitor Training in many years! We are excited about this offering and thrilled that the Diocese is coming to us. This is a special ministry of bringing Eucharist to homebound or hospital-bound parishioners. If you are looking for a great way to serve, you might be called to this ministry. If you are already trained as a LEV, you are invited to this training to sharpen your skills and help support others.

If you are interested in learning more, please click on the link here: https://edsd.org/event/lay-eucharistic-visitor-training-2/ and talk with one of the Revs prior to registering.

Online Workshop: Vote Faithfully: Episcopalians Engaging the U.S. Election

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 at 1:00pm EDT (10:00AM PST)

Join Presiding Bishop Michael Curry with guests from across the church exploring the meaning behind voting from a theological perspective that centers this civic action as one expression of caring for one another and God’s creation. Our panelists will offer framing for healthy, faith-based civic engagement from the theoretical to the tangible, including addressing why it is important for Episcopal churches to leverage our resources to help our broader communities vote.

In an election full of increasing pressures—disinformation, the risk of political violence, disenfranchisement, environmental concerns, and more—come learn how to navigate challenges while remaining focused in our preparations to cast our votes in this fall’s election. Our panelists will provide an engaging discussion and direct attendees to resources that can help you encourage your parishioners and community to vote faithfully.

Panelists Include:

• Michael Curry – Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church; New York, New York
• Willie Bennett – Senior Congregational Engagement Officer, Episcopal Health Foundation; Houston, Texas
• Joyce Statz – Health and Justice Advocacy Network (HJAN), St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church; Austin, Texas
• Amy Coultas – Canon to the Ordinary, Diocese of Kentucky; Louisville, Kentucky
• Alan Yarborough – Church Relations Officer, Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations; Washington, District of Columbia (moderator)

Security (Grant) Sunday! September 22nd!

Did you know that St. Paul received a $200,000 grant from the State of California to strengthen and secure the campus to make it a safer place? We have been thrilled with the Security Grant Team, who have overseen the completion of this grant over the past two years. They have put in hours and hours to ensure the best use of the funds has been utilized. And they are ready to unveil it to the parish!

Join us this Sunday, where you’ll hear firsthand about the details of the grant and its impact on the campus. After BOTH 8AM and 10:30AM services, you are invited to stick around and hear from the team and take a tour of the campus. This is a Sunday you won’t want to miss!

St. Paul’s Mercy Ministries

Mercy Ministries needs donations of sustainable wearable walking shoes sizes 9-11 both for men and women. At this time no more clothes are needed. We will begin our monthly distribution of sundries for our visitors at the Well on Wednesday, September 25^th.

If you’d like to help set up, serve, or tear down for this distribution, please call Lena at 760-656-0575 or Ray at 503-689-7361

Save the date!

Bishop Susan will be Consecrating the Newly Constructed West Wing Colonnade Columbarium in a simple outdoor service on Tuesday, October 8^th at 10:00 AM. AFTER this date, members may contact the front office to purchase a niche (no contracts will be signed until after October 8). You are invited to this special service.

New Online Bible Course … for Smarties!

You’ve heard of The Bible for Dummies. Now, introducing The Bible … for Smarties! A chance to explore and learn about the Bible without dumbing it down. Going beyond your typical Bible Study, this seminar will be a university-level academic class focused on Nurturing Students towards a Nuanced, Critical Interpretation and Sophisticated Understanding of the Texts of the Bible.

Dr. David Moseley will be the Instructor for this upcoming online course-offering which will be the first in a two-year cycle of classes covering the whole Bible in four semester classes. This fall, there will be a 12-week class on Christian Scriptures 1 (focused on the Historical Jesus and his World as portrayed in the Four Gospels ), starting on Monday 9th September.

For more information (including scholarships available), email Dr. Moseley (drdavidmoseley@gmail.com). Video Recordings of all the classes from Hebrew Scriptures 1 and 2, Christian Scriptures 2, and a preliminary short course on Hermeneutics (Biblical Interpretation), are also available.

Dr. Moseley has had over 50 parishioners from the Diocese of San Diego and beyond participate in his different course offerings over the last two years since launching this online teaching endeavor. He’d love to open this opportunity to learn to parishioners at St. Paul’s!

Add a Name to the Prayer List at St. Paul

Want to add someone’s name to the prayer list? Please call the Church Office or email our Registrar, Orin Ellingson, at registrar@stpaulsps.org with names. Prayers remain on the list for one month unless otherwise noted.

New? Moved? Updated your info? Birthday/Anniversary?

We are finalizing the Church Directory Updated Addendum and want to make sure your info is in there! If you want to make sure we have your email or phone or home updated, please call the Church Office or email our Registrar, Orin Ellingson, at registrar@stpaulsps.org with that information. ALSO, if you want your birthday and/or anniversary added to our weekly prayer list, please let us know! Thanks for helping us stay connected.

Altar Flowers

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom . . .” Isaiah 35:1-2

Fresh flowers at the altar honor God and add to the beauty of our worship. We are in need of altar flowers for several special celebratory Sundays coming up, including the Bishop’s visit! If you would like to sponsor altar flowers for a future Sunday to commemorate 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 dates(s) A donation of $95 for each altar flower sponsorship is suggested.

October Book Club

The next Book Club meeting will be held Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at 2:00 PM, in St. Paul’s Parish Hall Conference Room. For October, Book Club has selected Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Setting: Warwickshire, England in the 1580s. A woman and her husband settle in Henley Street, Stratford, and have three children. The boy, Hamnet, dies in 1596, aged eleven. This novel is a brilliant reimagining of a marriage, family, and a boy.

New members are always welcome. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at alanzimmerman@icloud.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 Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma), The Most Reverend Stephen Than Myint Oo, Archbishop.

For the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, The Right Reverend Carlye J. Hughes, Bishop.

For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop of San Diego; for the clergy and people of St. Mark’s, San Diego.

For those commended to our prayers: Kathryn Briski, Kevin Phua, Harry, Paula Davis, Jim Franklin, Patricia, Dixi Tegard, Cheryl Balkin, Ann Nauman, Fanny Levy, Harry Nussbaum, Ruth Coleman, Eva Wilson, R. Gene Wilson, Jimmy Faye Johnson, The Kovitz Family, Crystal Caballero, Julie Galperon, Jessica Rodriguez, Dora Caballero, Maddie Johnston, Janet Elder, Ken Smithler, Dawn Alvarado, Jim Weigert, Robert Ravnikar, Paula Herrera, Bob Blum, Steven Pilgrim, Tony McEwing, Eliott & Tish Kahn, Clayton Goehring, Megan W., Hap Blaisdell, David Valenzuela, Amelia Grinstead, Chloe Grace Wilson Barton, Marilyn De Silva Currie, Tom Lutgen; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.

For those who have died: Karl Jacobson, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Penny Lyons, Jenny Mobley, Cecilia Jackson, Greg Gowdy, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. 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 rest in peace. Amen.

For those with birthdays: September 8: Glen Noteboom; September 9: Bonnie Stroock; September 11: Michael Stein-Steele; September 12: Jim Franklin, Tammy Franklin, Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija; September 13: Kitty Kieley Hayes, Marie Ratnam, Steven Michael Chacon, Stan Bisho, Joyce Oneko, Carl Blea.

For those celebrating anniversaries: September 10: Jacqueline & Jerry Gerard; September 13: Stan Bisho & Craig Coleman.

For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Kitty Kieley Hayes and Marie Ratnam, “in celebration of our birthdays,” AND BY Peter Di Carlo, in thanksgiving for the 97^th birthday of his mother, Louise Di Carlo.

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom . . .” Isaiah 35:1-2

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).

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 September 15, The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost.

Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s

• Sunday, September 8 – Sunday School Season Kickoff
• Tuesday, September 10 – Daughters of the King – 1:30 PM, Closed Meeting for members; 2:00 PM – Open Meeting, (non-members invited) – Planning session for Rededication Service – Parish Hall Conference Room
• Tuesday, September 10 – 1:00 PM – Peace, Justice, & Mercy Steering Committee – Library
• Sunday, September 15 – Mexican Independence Day – Coffee Hour following both services sponsored by Latino Ministry (shared with Daughters of the King)
• Thursday, September 19 – 6:00 PM – Circle Supper season kickoff event – Parish Hall
• Sunday, September 22 – Security Grant Sunday
• Tuesday, October 8 – Bishop’s Consecration of new West Wing Colonnade Columbarium

Save The Dates!

The Feast of St. Francis – Sunday, October 6 – Bring your pet to the outdoor 8:00 AM service or have them blessed at a special service for the animals later in the afternoon. You are invited to bring pictures of deceased pets for our “pet altar” at both services.

Welcome Back Sunday – Sunday, October 13 – We’ll have ONE service together at 9:30 AM, followed by a potluck brunch and Ministry Fair.

Stay Connected

Sunday Service LiveStreaming

We are livestreaming our 10:30 AM Sunday Eucharist every week. 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

Join our E-Mail List

You’ll find this invitation on the front page and many pages throughout our website. It’s intended for anyone who wants to receive communications from St. Paul’s via email. This includes The Abundant Life weekly, online newsletter. If you haven’t already, sign up today!

Get “Social” with St. Paul’s!

Want to see daily pics about what’s happening at St. Paul’s? Be sure to like/follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And, subscribe to our YouTube channel to view our livestream and past services.