The Abundant Life – March 27, 2025

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

Mark your calendars for THIS SUNDAY!

Blessing of the Snowbirds

Join on the day of the Bishop’s Annual Visit (Sunday, March 30) at either service, where we will have a Blessing of the Snowbirds. St. Paul’s has the privilege of having so many of you join us from so many places around the world, and for the weeks or months you are with us, you are home. We want to bless you as you are about to return to your “home away from your St. Paul’s home.” Just come to either service (8AM or 10:30AM) or watch online if you’ve already left the desert, and we look forward to this special time of blessing. Don’t forget to wear PINK!

Outreach Discernment Retreat Brief Recap

We had an incredible time at the Outreach Discernment Retreat this past weekend. On Friday night, we met with our Vestry, Strategic Plan Implementation Team (SPIT), and Peace, Justice, and Mercy Ministry leaders to get the ball rolling. Our main focus was on outreach outcomes – how will the world look different as result of our outreach ministries? We also spent time on the need for deep community listening – what do we think the community needs vs. what the community tells us they actually need. This requires humility!

On Saturday, we opened up the retreat to anyone interested in weighing on what our next steps might be. We reviewed the seven models of community outreach: donating items, sending volunteers to another agency, partnering with another agency, public policy advocacy, community organizing, creating a program, and starting a non-profit at our church. After listening to one another, we ended up landing on the first five models at this stage of our church’s history. We talked about the difference between giving a person a fish, teaching a person to fish, developing the pond, and ensuring everyone has fair access to the pond. We then did some community asset exercises: identifying our physical assets, individual assets, economic assets, connection assets, and our reputation as a church. By starting with our assets, we can discern how to use the gifts God has given to us and to our unique community and try to connect outreach opportunities to those assets. We also did some brainstorming about what community listening we need to still do and what connecting our assets to the needs of the world would like in four main areas: Mercy Ministries, Latino Ministries, Racial Justice Ministries, and LGBTQ+ Ministries. We sought to connect an advocacy component to each ministry, as well as explore outreach to seniors in each of these areas as that came up a lot in the listening sessions.

On Sunday, our retreat facilitator, Joy Skjegstad preached at both services. She spoke about what it means to assess our ministries, just as the gardener did in the parable of the fig tree. She also talked about God’s grace to us in seasons where we are not bearing fruit – God gives us a second chance. As we continue to look at our new building, identify our strengths, and listen to where God is already at work in the wider community, we are on the right track to discerning outreach ministries at St. Paul’s in the near future and beyond. Keep praying with us as we partner with what the Spirit is doing!

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

ASAP! SOS! 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 5th 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 Suzi and she would be happy to speak with you: osuziosuna@hotmail.com

Parish Hall Refresh Weekly Update

March 27, 2025

Parish Hall:  Sanding of all of the walls and ceilings was completed yesterday. Final texturing to a near-smooth finish (known as “orange peel”) is underway and will take a couple of days.  Once complete, everything will be ready for priming and painting and installation of the acoustic panels on the upper portion (above 8 feet) of the Main Hall.

Work on the Restrooms begins next week. The new plumbing fixtures have arrived onsite and are ready for installation. Work on the Restrooms will take about two weeks.

The new accessible/ADA-compliant Main Entry Doors were ordered yesterday. ETA is about 6 weeks.

Library: The Library Refresh was effectively completed yesterday with installation of the new carpet and furniture.  Video conferencing electronics (a “Meeting OWL”) is being installed today. The only thing remaining is the lockset for the new pocket door which will be installed presently, and some minor touch-ups.

Expansion of the bookshelves and possible replacement of the chandeliers is under consideration. More on this later.

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

Welcome Table Refreshed

Have you noticed our Welcome Table got a bit of a facelift? It was sanded, rails added so literature does not fall through the cracks, rails straightened, more sanding, then sprayed with Dunn Edwards “Slopes, DEC721” in Semigloss paint. Thank you to Alex Cherkas for making this project happen!

SIS Event for All Women

All women of St. Paul’s are invited to join Sisters in Spirit (SIS) for the 2:00PM matinee  of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Sunday, April 27th at the Palm Canyon Theater.  More information to follow.

Attention, St. Paul’s Hikers!

This year’s Spring Hike will be on SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2025, at 8:30 a.m., at the Coral Mountain Archaeological Park in La Quinta, California.

Location:  The trail cuts along the edge of Coral Mountain in La Quinta, once the shoreline of the giant inland sea known as Lake Cahuilla and a center of a thriving indigenous culture going back thousands of years. There are three principal sites along the mountain, which include petroglyphs incised into the ancient tufa, the remnants of ancient fish traps, morteros and even occasional pottery shards, together with a variety of historic graffiti from pioneers on the De Anza Trail in the 1700 and 1800s. Scenery includes rugged desert mountain, wash (and lush La Qunita golf course)– recent rains may even send us some wildflowers. I’ve attached some photos showing a bit of the scenery and the archaeological sites.

The Trail:  The tail is about 3.5 miles out and back –mostly easy and level on gravel, about 300 feet of elevation change throughout, one short but steeper incline – some manageable sandy and rocky patches. Occasional shade from rocks and overhangs, otherwise sunny. Parking and tailhead access off Ave 58, no restroom facilities at trailhead.

What to Bring:  As always, bring solid, comfortable shoes with a good, grippy sole. A good sun hat and plenty of sunscreen are also recommended.

I will come prepared with history and details on the geology, the artifacts and the long and mysterious history behind the various rock art sites.  Lots more to come (including driving directions) as the day approaches. Hope to see everyone on the trail! To register, reach out to Nancy (nancyjantonius@gmail.com).

Calling all Campers! Spring Camping Trip to Blackrock, Joshua Tree National Park

Mark your calendars for Monday, May 5 to Wednesday, May 7, and join St. Paul’s Campers for a fun and relaxing time. Campsites are #8 and #5–They back into each other on a lower-level campground near the lower restroom. We will have a shared dinner on Tuesday, May 6. We have space for 10 campers and 4 cars. Please contact Bonnie Stroock ( bcstroock@aol.com) if you’d like to reserve and spot and join! It will be a great event! (Our summer trip is June 30 to July 2 up in Idyllwild at Riverside County Campground.)

No Movie Night in March or April—but mark your calendars for May 15 for The Way!!

Synopsis:  A father heads overseas to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling the “El camino de Santiago,” and decides to take the pilgrimage himself.

Directed by Emilio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Deborah Kara Unger, Yorick van Waginengen and James Nesbitt (2 hrs, 3 min; released 2010).

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!

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

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.