The Abundant Life – May 29, 2025

Mark your Calendar for Pentecost and the Ribbon-Cutting of the Refreshed Parish Hall—June 8^th at 9:30AM!

Can you speak a non-English language? (Or can you fake a few sentences in it?) Pentecost this year is in a week and a half (June 8 ). Would you be interested and willing to be one of the non-English language-speakers for our Pentecost service on June 8 at 9:30AM? You’ll receive two sentences (and you can use Google translate if you sort of know the language but need a little help). The good news is you’ll stay where you’re seated (you won’t be coming up front), you won’t use a mic (so no tech issues), and you’ll be saying your sentence while others are saying yours (so the whole church won’t be staring at you). It’s a win-win for us all!

If you’re able and willing, please email revjessie@stpaulsps.org a CONFIRMATION email with the LANGUAGE you’ll be speaking. You’ll receive a follow up email with the two sentences and more info. (Just know we’ll practice before service and hope you wear ALL the red you can—and if you’re in the choir, you can easily do this while robed!) Thank you for making our Pentecost service so meaningful!

Join us this Sunday for Ascension (Transferred) at 8AM or 10:30AM

A note about this Sunday’s loose plate offerings…

On the first Sunday of the month, the loose plate offerings (and those designated as such) are put in the Co-Rectors’ Discretionary Fund. This Fund is used to help individuals (both in the church and in the wider community) in need of assistance (e.g. help with car bills, rent, hospital bills, etc.). This month’s loose plate offering (collected this Sunday) will be designated toward the Rebuild Palm Springs Initiative. Local businesses are facing over half a million dollars in uninsured damages from the attack on the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic. Most small businesses don’t carry terrorism insurance coverage. Our flower vendor, My Little Flower Shop, led by Gregory Goodman, is one of the local business owners leading the charge in this community-driven initiative. The Desert Business Association and Greater Palm Springs Pride are handling fund distribution. Thank you for giving generously to support our neighbors in this time of need.

Mercy Ministries Update

We had a great meeting with the Mercy Ministry Team last Tuesday. Items discussed included Laundry Love logistics, including writing a grant to the City of Palm Springs for 2026 to consider holding a second event each month. The hope is that parishioners who have expressed interest in participating, but have trouble making an evening shift, would be able to participate during a day-time shift. The shape of the sundries ministry in light of changes in leadership and the absence of the Well in the Desert were also discussed. Developing stronger partnerships with the Navigation Center, as well as the Mizell Center were big topics as well. Connecting Laundry Love with the mobile showers for the homeless at Our Lady of Guadalupe were another exciting idea to come out of the Mercy Ministry meeting.

If you are interested in participating in any of the Mercy Ministry outreach opportunities, please reach out to Ray Tackett at ertack6560@gmail.com

New Online Bible Course on the Parables of Jesus … 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 online Course about The Parables of Jesus in the Gospels. These strange beguiling stories are frequently misunderstood and mischaracterized, because we are liable to misunderstand the specific genre of literature and rhetoric that they belong to (they are not like Aesop’s Fables, easily reducible to a simple moral or lesson); and because too often the subversive and challenging messages of the parables have been domesticated and sanitized; and because we live in the 21st century in a democratic, affluent, relatively peaceful world, surrounded by complex technology … which is about as different a cultural context as can be imagined compared to the ancient Jewish world that Jesus and his followers belonged to as part of the Roman imperial occupation.

For more information, click on this LINK and email Dr. Moseley (drdavidmoseley@gmail.com). Dr. Moseley is happy to offer scholarships to anyone who would like to take the class but for whom the $150 cost is prohibitive. Please reach out to him directly.

Parish Hall Refresh Weekly Update

May 29, 2025

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

Laundry Love update!

Last Wednesday was Laundry Love’s biggest night ever!! 50 guests and most of them with 9 loads of laundry. We almost ran out of money but thanks to two donations we were able to complete the night. Thanks be to God! And thanks to our fabulous volunteers! And thanks to all of you who pledge to the church!!—Did you know that a percentage of your pledge goes towards funding this amazing outreach ministry? So, thanks for continuing to give all summer, so that we can keep serving our neighbors in this tangible and beautiful way.

Want to make a difference and serve the community? Laundry Love is the third Wednesday of the month (next one is on Wednesday, June 18). If you would like to volunteer at the next Laundry Love event, please reach out via email to Ray Tackett (ertack6560@gmail.com) or Megan Goehring (megantics22@gmail.com).

Interfaith Clergy Host “No Other Land”

Thank you to all who showed up on Saturday to the Interfaith screening of “No Other Land.” This Oscar-winning documentary on resilience amidst destruction offers a profound exploration of the ongoing destruction of villages in the West Bank. Palestinian Basel and Israeli Yuval have a poignant moment near the end of the film in which they speak the questions we hold as we watch: “What can be done? What can we do?”

Let us continue in our peace-making, justice-seeking prayers and actions together.

Circle Suppers Wrap Up for the Season!

As we end the season for our Parish Life Circle Suppers, we hope you’ll schedule one last meal together before we break for the summer!

These groups have been around for a few years as a way to meet a few people, enjoy a meal together, and create community in a growing parish. Sometimes the groups hit it off, and other times they sort of fizzle out. And that’s OK. We all find ourselves in different seasons of our lives, needing different things. Next year, Circle Suppers will start later in the season to accommodate for our snowbirds so that they can jump in from the beginning and gain momentum! (And if you weren’t involved in a Circle Supper this year, grab a few pew mates this Sunday and share a meal.)

Prayer Shawl Ministry

A prayer shawl is a shawl, often knitted or crocheted, created with the intention of providing comfort, solace, and a tangible expression of faith. It can be used as a physical reminder of prayer and as a source of peace and comfort for individuals in need. St. Paul’s had a thriving Prayer Shawl Ministry several years ago, but many of the members have passed away or disbanded during COVID. Barbara has had a vision to revitalize this important ministry.

Clergy bring prayer shawls with them to hospitals and homes for Eucharistic visits or unexpected emergencies or surgeries. These shawls continue to comfort and bring peace to individuals and families, reminding them that they are connected to the larger church, that they are not forgotten, and that they are being prayed for. When cleaning out the closet in the parish hall to prepare for the refreshing project, we found lots of yarn for future shawls. These four fabulous humans are picking up this ministry and working on new prayer shawls. Some will meet together and some will make them at their own homes.

If you have the skill of crocheting or knitting, and would like to make a prayer shawl for someone in the church, please reach out to the front office. We’ll connect you with Barbara and the mound of yarn. Pray for these wonderful servants, even as they are praying for you.

Thank you, Sunday School Teachers!

Last Sunday we thanked and blessed both our fabulous Sunday School teachers AND our fantastic Sunday School kiddos! Because this community is predominantly a retirement community, folks can sometimes feel discouraged because we don’t have a church bursting with children. But what we do have is the commitment to a safe church and a loving experience, so that any and all children (and adult) will grow up and know a good and loving God and a safe community that nurtures and protects them. May all God’s children, whether they are 1 or 101 know that they are welcomed and wanted here at St. Paul’s. And may those adults who have committed to that through service, be blessed. Thank a Sunday school teacher today!

Retired Clergy Meet

This past Monday, our retired Episcopal clergy met to talk about the state of the world and what the church might have to say in this present political moment. We give thanks for the Rev. Canon David Caffrey for hosting us at Desert Journeys in Joshua Tree and the Rev. Dr. Frank Dunn for organizing. We are so blessed to have so many wise and thoughtful clergy who call this parish home. Look out for some tangible outcomes in the coming weeks and months!

Fr. Lorenzo and Troy Blessing Gratitude!

Last Wednesday was a wonderful celebration and blessing of Fr. Lorenzo and Troy as they begin this new chapter in their lives across the country. We heard from them how much St. Paul’s has meant to them, and they were assured this is still home. Special thanks to Nancy and Steve for organizing the post-service celebration!

Palm Springs Bombing

• Click Here to Read A Letter from Our Co-Rectors about last week’s incident.
• We also wanted to share information on mental health resources for any and all who are in need in light of Saturday’s event:

1. The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert will host multiple drop-in group therapy sessions titled “Grounding After Crisis: Healing in Community” beginning Wednesday at their Scott Hines Behavioral Health Clinic, with six sessions scheduled between May 21-29. Please reach out to the Center for more details.
2. Resources include the Crisis Text Line available 24/7 by texting 741741, with additional information about mental health services accessible at www.EngagePalmSprings.com

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: 

Red Cards

Click to enlarge the images.

Episcopal Evangelism Society Pilgrimages to India and the Holy Land