The Abundant Life – March 6, 2025

“Spring Forward” Time Change!

We return to Daylight Saving Time in the wee hours of Sunday, March 9, 2025. Don’t forget to set your clocks forward by one hour.

Welcome Mike Mullins, Diaconal Intern

Michael Mullins is currently in formation for the Sacred Order of Deacons, anticipating ordination to the vocational diaconate in early 2026. In addition to attending seminary, he has his career as Senior Financial Advisor with Oakwood Capital Advisors, a Minneapolis-based firm, and he is a 37-year veteran of this profession. Mike resides in Bermuda Dunes, CA with his toy poodle. Mike will be interning at St. Paul’s to the end of 2025, spending about 10-12 hours/week with us. He is responsible for bringing the Laundry Love ministry to St. Paul’s. Welcome, Mike!

St. Paul’s Ray Tackett is officially a Postulant to the Sacred Order of Deacons!

Ray Tackett is a parishioner at the Church of St. Paul in the Desert, and he lives in Desert Hot Springs with his significant other, Larry Wilson. Since a young child, Ray has been drawn to ministry. Since his confirmation in 2018, he has felt and experienced the Holy Spirit moving in his life. He enrolled in Education for Ministry thinking he would find the answers, but instead he had more questions. While being snowbirds at St. Paul’s since 2012, they became members of our parish in 2019. Ray has served on Vestry as Jr. Warden and Clerk. He serves as an Altar Minister and is an Altar Guild member. He also currently serves on the Peace, Justice, and Mercy Ministries leadership team, overseeing Laundry Love. But most importantly Ray has had the privilege of serving and knowing the people of this parish. Ray notes, “God moves in mysterious ways and why he would pick a disabled elderly gentlemen to send into the world and bring their needs back to the church is truly mysterious. Thank you for your support and love as I continue to discern my calling into God’s service as a vocational (permanent) deacon.” As a postulant, Ray has begun his seminary work and will continue formation.

Click here to find out more about the Episcopal Diocese’s Vision for a Deacon in every parish!

Rev. Dan & Rev. Jessie Guests on Faith-to-Go Podcast!

Did you know we have a Diocesan Podcast? Charlette and David are on the go at St. Paul in the Desert, Palm Springs, where they join The Revs. Jessie Thompson and Dan Kline who share a powerful GodSighting and then discuss Luke 4:1-13, how The Spirit gently leads us through the wildernesses of our lives.

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/94924/episodes/16687917

Parish Hall Refresh Weekly Update

MARCH 6, 2025

Lighting/Electrical/Data Wiring: Completion of this work is taking a bit longer than expected but should be done by tomorrow.  LED strips to replace the old florescent lights have arrived and will be installed in a couple of weeks.

New Kitchen and Parlor doors: Installation in underway and should be completed by today.

HVAC: New Kitchen and Restrooms HVAC installation is underway and will be completed by early next week.

Walls, Ceilings and Doors: Drywalling will now start next week, including numerous repairs, taping, mudding, and sanding all walls, ceilings and doors to a near-smooth finish in preparation for priming. Given the condition of these areas, especially the walls, this work will take a minimum of two and more likely three weeks.

Acoustic Panels: More than 2000 sq. ft. of acoustic panels for the upper portion of the main hall – above 8 feet – are onsite and will be installed after priming.

Library: The Library is also getting a refresh, with new furniture – the new chairs have already been delivered — hard wiring for video conferencing and installation of a glass pocket door. This work will occur over the next two Fridays & Saturdays so as not to interrupt use of the space on Sunday through Thursday.

Do you want to help? If you would like to contribute to defray the costs of the Parish Hall or Library Refresh in addition to your stewardship pledge, please contact one of the wardens: alex.c.christensen@gmail.com or john.raposa1@gmail.com

Women Composers’ Sunday on the First Sunday of Lent

For some years as part of Women’s History Month (March), the American Guild of Organists, Royal School of Church Music (UK), Royal College of Organists (UK), Canadian College of Organists, and many individual denominations and guilds around the world have aligned to promote Women Composers’ Sunday on the First Sunday of Lent. We will participate at St. Paul’s on March 9 at the 10:30AM service. The anthem, hymns, and organ music are by women, either as text authors or composers, or both. In this way we celebrate the contributions of women in the world of sacred music. You can read more about the music and its creators by using the QR code in the bulletin that Sunday.

Outreach Discernment Survey—Takes ONLY 3 Minutes! 

As we prepare for the Lenten Outreach Discernment Retreat, we need your help! As mentioned in yesterday’s sermon on Ash Wednesday, we could use your input on what sorts of community outreach ministry you would like to see at St. Paul’s. This is part of community discernment. Whether you are planning to attend or not, would you please take a moment to fill out this less than 3-minute survey? It’s a very easy Lenten practice! Your feedback will go a long way in helping prepare us for some good spiritual listening as we seek a path forward with our new parish hall and the types of outreach ministries we hope to build at St. Paul in the Desert.

Outreach Discernment Retreat
Saturday, March 22 – 9am-3pm

As we enter a new phase of ministry with a refreshed parish hall, the big question has been, “What’s next?” Because this is such a critical moment in our parish’s future, we are bringing in a nationally recognized expert to lead us in discerning what our outreach strategy will be going forward. Want to help us figure out how we partner with other community organizations outside of the four walls of the church? Curious about how we use our own campus facilities for greater community impact? Please join us for brainstorming, prayer, and good conversation as we participate with the Spirit. MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE, AS SPACE IS LIMITED. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS RETREAT!

Improving the Performance of our Instruments in the Sanctuary—Part 2

Over the last two years, four organists who have played here have commented on dysfunction in the organ pedal board. The white key pedals depress to the point where they are even with the black keys. This makes the black keys sound when one does not intend them to in shifting one’s position on the bench or tilting one’s foot slightly as the pedal is held. So, we have had the pedal board disassembled and some dipswitch sensitivity settings changed, and the springs tightened to make it slightly harder to press the pedals. The result has been noticeable but not perfect. The only other option is to ship the pedal board off to an organ builder and have the black keys planed off by a quarter inch, leaving us with an organ without pedal for at time. We may eventually get there but for now this was a good result.

Much thanks to our Director of Music, Charles Peery, who continues to make improvements and seek the best steps forward to ensure everything is ready for our gathered worship.

Eucharist Mini-Retreat Recap

Thank you to all who attended the mini-retreat to learn more about the Eucharist this past Sunday! If you missed it, there are plenty of other classes/retreats to take part in during Lent. There is something for everyone!

Spirituality for the Second Half of Life

Building on the premise that spiritual formation is a lifelong endeavor, what we needed and pursued in our earlier chapters are different as our spiritual formation develops later in life. Using the book by Richard Rohr, with an introduction by Brené Brown, Falling Upward, A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life, we will explore in readings and discussion our own journey and aspirations as we reflect together. We will also use contemplative practices to strengthen our inner lives and to gain personal insights for our on-going journey. Books will be supplied. Private journals kept during the class are encouraged. We will learn from each other as we study Rohr’s book. The purpose of the class is to support and encourage us to seek joy and meaning and insight wherever we are in our spiritual journey. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS!

Pocahontas Table Read

Have you ever wondered about the real Pocahontas and John Smith Story? Learn how they met, developed their friendship and how and why she saved his life. But, the story doesn’t end there. She develops a great relationship with the Church of England priests and is baptized and brought into the church. She meets and marries John Rolfe, has a baby and travels to England. She eventually meets the King and develops a friendship with him. But the tragic end comes, and all her hopes for a peaceful friendship between the races comes to an end, unfortunately for the future of our country. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS!

Sacred Ground Part II

Finally, what many have been waiting for – the second half of Sacred Ground! Sacred Ground is the Episcopal Church’s film & reading based dialogue series on race, racism, and faith. “Circles” (i.e. discussion groups) provide the opportunity for difficult, but respectful and transformative conversations as we move toward Beloved Community. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS!

The Divine Feminine Trinity: Resistance in Past, Present & Future Class

Join in exploring the divine feminine as a source of strength, wisdom, and courage. We will explore scriptural, historical and current examples of women claiming the power of the Magnificat to transform the world. Through readings, meditation and art, together we will seek creative, life-giving ways to respond to the world as it is while participating in God’s work of transformation. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS!

Radical Forgiveness in Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona Class

Perhaps Shakespeare’s earliest play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona has been criticized as an aesthetically inferior, immature work. But it hides gems of theology, including a brilliant exposition of substitutionary atonement (penal substitution to be precise) and a moving representation that asks us to consider the theology of Real Presence, not to mention the troubling (for audiences and critics alike) act of forgiveness with which the play ends. We will watch a performance and discuss all this and more. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS!

Depictions of Women as Catalysts for Moral Change in 19^th Century Opera Class

Some operas in the repertoire are dismissed by modern critics for the perception that female characters have little agency or are relegated to a fate beyond their control in a way in which men are not. But in the late 18^th and 19^th century repertoire we find that there are quite a few librettos which take quite a different approach: Women as catalysts for moral change. This class will examine operas from Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Massenet and Gounod to see how this depiction in certain operas serve as a critique of a more rigid and condemnatory vision of Christian morality (or cultural Christianity) in favor of a more robust and more fully human vision. We will thus find in opera a kind of precursor to some of the feminist and liberationist movements that would come in the 20th century. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS!

Baking in Community

We’re giving up the church oven and kitchen for Lent this year which means this baking day will be about baking without the usual kitchen. We’ll meet in an outdoor kitchen near Pete Smith’s home and make flatbreads, socca/farinata and a blueberry buckle on the gas grill and griddle. Bring your own cast iron item if you have one and we’ll use it. We’ll have a light lunch and take home dough and batters to make at home on your own grill or oven. Attendance is limited – please sign up via website banner, and access instructions and details will be emailed to you. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS ONE-DAY MINI-RETREAT!

Embraced by God’s Love: A Women’s Lenten Mini Retreat—Sponsored by Sisters in Spirit

This mini retreat is an opportunity for all women of the parish to be refreshed. Join us as we gather in faith and fellowship for reflection and renewal. Expect a time for quiet reflection and prayer, spiritual practices and play, and sharing fellowship in a loving community. Also expect art and snacks. Please register in advance to help us plan for you. CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS!

Preparing for the End of Life: Plan Your Own Funeral Mini-Retreat—Saturday, March 29 from 9AM -12NOON

Thoughtfully led by our Co-Rectors and retired clergy, explore planning your funeral, final things, legacy, and more. Come and bring your questions and learn how to prepare in ways that honor our living legacies, give our framework for funerals in the Episcopal tradition, and provide comfort to our loved ones that they will best know how to honor our wishes. Believe it or not, it will be a fun and interesting morning! CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS MINI-RETREAT!

The Reconciliation of a Penitent: Remembering Confession in Lent

The Book of Common Prayer contains two orders of service for private confession, known officially as the Reconciliation of a Penitent. Making a private confession is a traditional and powerful spiritual practice, and the choice to confess or not confess to a priest is governed by the adage: All may, some should, none must. This Lent, your clergy will be reserving times throughout the week for hearing confessions. If you would like to set up a time for this sacrament, please CLICK ON GRAPHIC ABOVE TO SIGN UP for a private appointment with a clergy member.

Morning Prayer with the Co-Rectors on Facebook in Lent

Join us every weekday morning (except Fridays) to pray Morning Prayer. Participation in the Daily Office is at the heart of Anglican spirituality. The Book of Common Prayer provides a Daily Office Lectionary that identifies readings and psalm choices and a Table of Canticles with suggested canticles for use at Morning Prayer. If you’ve ever wanted to deepen your prayer life or learn how to use the Book of Common Prayer for yourself, please join us on the church’s Facebook page as we commit ourselves to this ancient prayer practice! You don’t need to “have a Facebook page” to view Morning Prayer. Just type in your search feature:https://www.facebook.com/stpaulinthedesert

Bishop Susan’s Annual Visit to St. Paul’s

Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 30 (both services)!

Help Person the St. Paul’s Table at the 1PS Community Event at Ruth Hardy Park on Saturday, March 22!

Click on banner to volunteer!

Help Person the St. Paul’s Table at the Trans Pride Community Event at Ruth Hardy Park on Saturday, March 29!

Click on banner to volunteer!

Welcome Team Looking for a Few Folks to Serve on a Monthly Basis

We are currently looking for volunteers that would like to serve on the Welcome Team and greet visitors in the warm and welcome manner that St. Paul’s is known for. We have one opening on the 5^th Sunday when this occurs a few times a year at the 8:00AM and 10:30AM services. We also are looking for a couple of alternates to fill in for those who need a Sunday off, and a few snowbird spots. Just know that if you serve in this ministry, you are only committing to once a month. If you’d like to try it for a Sunday to see, please contact me and I would be happy to speak with you: osuziosuna@hotmail.com

Red Cards

Click to enlarge the images.

Laundry Love Update and Stories

Last Wednesday, February 19th, we processed 261 loads of laundry for the less fortunate. We served 41 households and were able to help 66 individuals. For some time we have had a gentlemen who attends Laundry Love regularly. He is deaf and as we get busy it is a challenge to understand what he is saying or what he needs. Ann Grainger, one of our volunteers, signs and began conversing in the most beautiful language. All who were in the laundromat were amazed to see the smile on our guest’s face and Ann’s, too! The needs of our guests were met in a brand new way! It’s about more than laundry, it’s about human connection and relationship building.

Another guest at Laundry Love began asking how they may be of help. They did not have a job yet, but wanted to volunteer as soon as they did get a job. Within the month a job was offered and accepted, and we had a new volunteer! While they continue to live in a car, they went to work every day and as of this past Laundry Love had saved enough money to be able to rent an apartment! Everyone who knew the story shared the happy moments. We have watched, waited, and prayed, finally to the fruition of the struggle they endured. Thank you for supporting Laundry Love. Lives are being changed because of your talents, time, and treasure being shared with the wider community.

If you would like to volunteer at the next Laundry Love event on Wednesday March 19^th, please reach out via email to Ray Tackett at ertack6560@gmail.com or Megan Goehring at Megan Goehring megantics22@gmail.com

Episcopal Relief & Development Presents: A Common Place Lent

Episcopal Relief & Development has partnered with Jerusalem Jackson Greer to create daily Lenten meditations, available in English and Spanish, starting on Ash Wednesday and continuing through the 2025 Lenten season. Titled “A Commonplace Lent,” the meditations reflect on daily experiences-prayer, worship, grace, love, community, service, and our connection to nature. They draw on monastic wisdom to emphasize the gifts of community. Click here to subscribe to receive daily meditations.

Upcoming Justice Trainings: Four Ways Your Church Can Work for Deep Change in Your Local Community

Can’t make the Outreach Discernment Retreat? Or looking to prepare for it? What would it look like to work toward deep change in your local community—to get at the root causes of issues like food insecurity, homelessness, and lack of health care? Some congregations have concerns about getting “too political.” But there are other options! Learn about four models that can lead to deep change, and get guidance from Joy Skjegstad and Heidi Unruh about how to use these in your church and community context. 

Deep Change is Possible
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Leader – Joy Skjegstad & Heidi Unruh

Discover four pathways to work toward deep change: inspire change, involve more change-makers, influence decision-makers, and innovate solutions. Learn how to identify the “upstream” causes of critical issues, and how community listening and partnerships can play a crucial role in your efforts.

Inspire Change and Involve More People as Agents of Change
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Leader – Joy Skjegstad & Heidi Unruh

This session will focus on how to build momentum for change. One strategy is to raise awareness and challenge assumptions through education and storytelling. Also learn ways to engage more people in the work of deep change, with a focus on including groups that are often excluded or ignored.

Influence Decision-Makers
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Leader – Joy Skjegstad & Heidi Unruh

How do decisions get made in your community? This session will help you to understand power dynamics in your community and how to influence what gets done. Learn to leverage personal networks, shape public opinion, and organize group action.

Innovate Solutions to Fill Gaps
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Leader – Joy Skjegstad & Heidi Unruh

Deep change may require creating something new! Consider how your church can help launch innovative approaches to tough issues. This might look like starting a new program, building a coalition, or connecting with businesses. Learn critical steps in moving forward on a new program or collaboration.

All sessions are free but registration is required.  You can register here.

Join Lent Madness

What is Lent Madness? Click here to find out:

Ed Walsh gives it a rave review, saying, “I’ve participated each Lent and found it fun, entertaining, spiritual, and educational. It gives you exposure to the vast diverse array of saints in the Episcopal Church.”

6 Ts Survey

Our survey tracking system shows that many parishioners started to fill out the survey but just didn’t have a chance to complete it (by typing in their name and email address and clicking the “Done” button at the end).  If you had to stop mid-way, please try again.  If you started the survey from an email link, you might find that you can pick up where you left off; others would just start anew, reminding yourself that it only takes 13-15 minutes to do at one sitting!  Thank you so much for your time — it will make a big difference!

As you heard about at the Annual Meeting we have a new tool to help connect parishioners to their passions and needs in the church and the wider community. Under the parish’s Strategic Plan Objectives One and Four, the 6 Ts Task force has developed a survey for all parishioners that we hope can bring us together to do more and for each other. The “Six Ts” refer to parishioners’ talents, testimony, time, temperament, treasure, and ties (relational networks).

It takes only 13-15 minutes (it’s been timed!) and you can do it easily on your computer, smartphone, or tablet (all connected to WiFi).

Here are the simple instructions to complete the survey:

1. Simply click on the banner at the top of this email and you will be able to fill out the survey.
2. Almost all the questions just ask you to check the boxes that apply to you, except for those at the end that ask you to fill in your contact information.
3. When you reach the end of the survey, be sure to click the “Done” button. If you do, you will receive a confirmation email that you have completed the survey.
4. Do NOT click any button asking you to complete another, different survey. It’s probably a marketing survey from Survey Monkey.
5. If you run into any issues, there will be a team of folks next to the Welcome Table on Sunday morning at both services to offer assistance.

The 6Ts survey is designed to benefit each parishioner and the church, too. By asking you about your interests, the survey can offer you more opportunities to connect with other like-minded parishioners in spiritual formation, ministry work, volunteer possibilities within the church and the community at large, and even recreational activities. By asking about your skills, the survey can help the Revs and our lay leaders identify ways that you might like to contribute to the church’s vitality and that are suited to your particular strengths and interests.

All of the information collected in the survey will be confidential; it will only be available to the clergy and laity authorized to review that information specific to their duties as employees or supervised volunteers. 

Thank you for helping us connect more regularly and more meaningfully with one another!

Annual Meeting Recap & Impact Report

The Episcopal Church’s Immigration Toolkit

Shifting federal policy on immigration is already impacting people in all four of our counties. With this in mind, the Episcopal Church’s church-wide office routinely collects up-to-date immigration resources for congregations. Visit the Immigration Action Toolkit to find ways your congregation can help migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers.

Click here for more information: