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Baptize This Bowl?
Folks are picking at Jesus and his disciples again in the reading we have for this weekend. Typically, this passage is used to bash the “excessive” cleanliness of Jesus’ religious contemporaries. Without some context it can become a cover for anti-Semitism, even in the Coachella Valley today.
First, the Pharisees represent one group of the Jewish people at the time of Jesus. There were others. Imagine years in the future that people had the impression that there was only one political expression in the USA in 2012. It would not matter which expression it was, it would only tell a part of the story.
Second, many people’s only understanding of Pharisees is that they were hypocrites. The words have become synonyms. There is more to the story.
In Mark, Jesus is responding to SOME religious people who have criticized SOME of the disciples for not being disciplined in their spiritual practice. They are criticizing Jesus as an ineffective leader. Jesus turns it back on them and questions their own commitment to the very same spiritual enterprise. This becomes more of a debate than an attack. He called them hypocrites because they missed the point – a point that Jesus shared with them.
An important point that Jesus and the Pharisees shared was this: God has given the Torah (law, teaching, commandments) so that the people of God might make every part of life holy. (Don Juel: Mark found on Brian Stoffregan) This group of Pharisees had been focused on external issues. Jesus taught that it was more important to focus on the internal, the heart.
Making “things” holy; washing or “baptizing” hands or pots or bowls started out as a way to be reminded that eating and table fellowship are holy in God’s sight. Jesus was simply reminding them of their common goal.
In our worship, we praise God and thank God for the gift of all of life. The singing and liturgy are tools to help us make worship, ministry to the world, and our life together holy in God’s sight. Jesus reminds us that God already does that – we only need to remember.
Join us this weekend in thanking and praising God when we worship together.
Fr. Andrew
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Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.’
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
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Feasibility Study: Your Opinion Matters
Our diocese is conducting a survey to discern future steps toward a diocesan-wide capital campaign to support the mission plan. This is a great opportunity to give important feedback about plans for the future. The study will be emailed to all members of the diocese and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. One survey per household, please. Thanks in advance for your participation. If you have any questions about the survey, or the proposed initiatives, visit:
or call Canon Howard Smith at 619-481-5451
or email him: canonsmith@edsd.org.
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New Program at St. Paul’s by the
Older Adult Forum…
“Building Community & Socialization”
3rd Friday Breakfast 9am-10am
Come join us the 3rd Friday of each month to enjoy a great program and have a bite to eat. Our first event will be Friday, September 21st at 9am in the Parish Hall.
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“Sundays at 9:15”
In The Library
9/02 – No meeting (Labor Day Weekend)
9/09 – Judaism: What is Judaism? DVD led by Rick Tinsley
9/16 – Judaism: Stages of History, DVD led by Rick Tinsley
9/23 – Judaism: Jewish Library, DVD led by Rick Tinsley
9/30 – Judaism: Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism, DVD led by Rick Tinsley
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“Thursdays At 7” (Returns)
The Story of Anglicanism
9/06 – Ancient & Medieval Foundations, led by Craig Ewing
9/13 – Reformation & Its Consequences, led by Craig Ewing
9/20 – Creating a Global Family, led by Craig Ewing
9/27 – The Anglican Way of Life, led by Jerry DiNoto
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Keeping the Doors Open at Ahli Hospital in Gaza
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Ahli Hospital has operated since 1882 and continues caring for desperately poor Gazans, even though the United Nations Relief and Works Agency has halted funding. Ahli is operated by the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, an independent, non-political 501c3 which helps sustain the diocese’s many humanitarian programs. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Visit http://www.afedj.org to learn about or contribute to their important work which sustains the Christian community.
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Sign Up for Flowers,
Coffee Hour and
Desert SOS
To make is easier for parishioners to sign-up for Flowers, Coffee Hours, and the Desert SOS Dessert Ministry, the sign-up sheets are in binders that are on the entrance table in the Parish Hall. The 2012 binders are filling fast, so if you have a special date that you want to commemorate, be sure to sign up early.
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Bullies Not Welcome Here
At St. Paul in the Desert we want to welcome all worshipers to a place that is free of violence and bullying.
Physical, verbal or emotional violence against others or against oneself is not acceptable.
“It Gets Better” is a series of video messages to encourage Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender youth and let them know that they are loved as they are.
“A Blessing for Those Who Are Bullied” was written by the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, a Bishop of the Episcopal Church.
It is not enough to say “NO” to bullies. It is important to stand up for people and to provide resources for those who have been the targets.
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Holy Communion Service for
Local Care Facilities
Holy Communion will be hosted by the Nursing Home Ministry on the second Wednesday of each month at Windsor Court. For September, this will occur on September 12th at 10:15 am. Father Dick Merrill will preside and welcomes assistance from parishioners.
Holy Communion will be hosted by the Nursing Home Ministry on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Premier Health Care. For August, this will occur on
September 25th at 11:00 am. Father Dick Merrill will preside and welcomes assistance from parishioners.
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Picture Directories
If you had your picture taken for the directory, there is one reserved for you and it is available in the Narthex.
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Camp Stevens is celebrating their 60th anniversary September 2nd from 1:00-5:00 pm. Communion and a BBQ dinner are part of this free event in Julian, about 2 hours from Palm Springs. Come and tour this wonderful camp and wish Peter and Vicki Bergstrom well in their retirement as camp directors.
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Daughters of the King will attend the fall assembly in Oceanside on September 8th. The speaker represents the National Cathedral in Washington. Lunch and Communion are part of the program. Please call Karen Nelson at 760.808.4215 if you want to join us.
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Coffee Hour
The host after the 8:00 service is Roberto Thais and after the 10:30 service is Hap Blaisdell.
Coffee Hour hosts are still needed for several services the rest of the year. To sign up to host a Coffee Hour, please use the binder on the entrance table in the Parish Hall. If you have questions, please contact Ray or Cheryl Kelley at 760.778.1725.
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Prayer Shawl Ministry
. . . meets every Wednesday from 10 am – 1 pm in the Parish Hall. This peace-filled stitching circle gives members fulfillment and spiritual sustenance in creating prayer shawls to comfort those in need of prayer. For more details contact Valerie Ferguson at 760.799.5927, Barbara Hawkins Villani at 760.322.3987, or Audrey Spencermorris at 760.835.5506.
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Volunteers from St. Paul’s continue to serve dessert to between 70 and 100 homeless men, women and children at Roy’s every Monday evening. The desserts consist of baked goods and other goodies (store-bought or homemade) from our parishioners. As well, we deliver each month sox and undies purchased from our SOS Fund or placed in the SOS basket on Sunday. which is funded by special donations from parishioners. All of these efforts are deeply appreciated by these people who are earnestly striving to get back into the main stream.
If you would like to participate in this program, you can:
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Sign up to Volunteer
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Write a check to St. Pauls (marked for SOS Fund)
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Bring new white socks and/or large underwear for the Basket
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Place baked goods in the center section of the Fridge (again, marked For SOS)
Please call Hap Blaisdell at 760-323-5726 for additional information and ideas.
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Report Sexual Misconduct.
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, please remember that our diocese values the tenet of our baptismal covenant to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Part of the way we live into that is to train people in the prevention of sexual misconduct and to encourage all to report any misconduct. All reported incidents are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced sexual misconduct of any kind, please contact the Rev. Canon Suzann V. Holding immediately: sholding@edsd.org
or 619-481-5452.
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