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The Depth of Forgiveness
Lent is a season when it seems that all attention is focused on sin. Brokenness, failure, and other wounds of sin are real in my life and, I observe, are real for most of us. However, if we focus only on troubles and their hold over us, we miss the point. On this Fifth Sunday in Lent, the focus is not on our losses and brokenness, but on God’s reconciling love.
Psalm 130 is a cry to God “from the depths” of some loss, hurt, or separation that is not specifically named. The cry is the starting place, the place where the sufferer is fully aware of their own powerlessness and uncertain of their connection to God. They plead for God’s attention.
But it does not end there. Waiting comes next. Sitting with loss. Sitting with feeling broken. Solutions are not quickly available.
Then the focus shifts from a sense of loss to anticipation: “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning.” The soul’s waiting on God is really the heart of Lent – shifting from being centered on self to being centered on relationship with God.
The cry from the depths changes when I realize that I am not alone and that I can count on God. The Psalmist is clear that God is trustworthy. It is not only that God will be present, but that God seeks to renew and strengthen our connection and relationship. In the midst of our depths comes the healing blessing that “…with the Lord there is steadfast love…and great power to redeem.”
The hope of redemption – relationship with God building forgiveness – is easy to miss when we are in the depths of hurt. But God also gives us community so we can practice upholding one another, so we can wait and watch with one another for the morning to dawn.
Lent is a time to wait together, caring for each other as signs of God’s deep love and forgiveness. Join in worship as we celebrate God’s “great power to redeem.”
Fr. Andrew
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Psalm 130
Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O LORD, who could stand?
For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
My soul waits for the LORD,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;
With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
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Albert Francis Warman
April 27, 1938 – March 30, 2014
Friends,
I am very sad to inform you that Al Warman died on March 30th at his home.
He worked at St. Paul’s for 20 years and lived on the property. Being a part of this community was one of the joys of his life.
May he rest in peace, and may light perpetual shine upon him.
Funeral information will be provided soon.
Blessings,
Andrew
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Lenten Well Water Project
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 ‘WATER IS LIFE’S MATTER AND MATRIX, MOTHER AND MEDIUM, THERE IS NO LIFE WITHOUT WATER’ -Albert Szent-Gyorqyi 1937 Nobel Prize Winner
“WHOSOEVER DRINKETH OF THE WATER I SHALL GIVE HIM SHALL NEVER THIRST” -John 4:14.
Bishop Mathis invites us to join the Lenten Well Water Project. Around the globe, 800 million people live without access to potable water. Meeting basic human needs for water is a huge challenge. $5000 builds a well, providing potable water and increases sanitation. Can you conceive of not being able to wash your hands? Please consider donating to our diocesan water well project which will provide potable water to a community in Central America. Donations will be accepted starting March 30th. Thank you. For questions please contact Audrey Spencer 760.835.5506 or Michael Howard 760.323.1050.
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Desert Convocation: Building a Community of Conversation
Bp. Sue Moxley
April 10-30, 2014
 Our next visitor in the Desert Convocation will be the Rt. Rev. Sue Moxley. At the end of March, Bp. Sue will retire after 10 years as bishop in the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Bp. Sue has been married to her husband, Bruce, for 47 years. The Moxleys will be with us for about three weeks, including during Holy Week and Easter
There are already connections with St. Paul in the Desert. Mel and Beryl Parsons, in St. Paul’s Choir, are friends from Nova Scotia. I am told that they love to share a good Curry. Bp. Chilton Knutson, our first Desert Convocation guest, was the Bishop of Maine and preached at Bp. Sue’s consecration. I met Bp. Sue in Salt Lake City last July at the Stewardship Conference of the Episcopal Stewardship Network.
Bruce Moxley is a golfer and would love to be invited to play.
All invitation should be routed through the Rector rector@stpaulsps.org so that our guests are not overburdened and their personal time is respected.
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Help Us Make Palm Crosses
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 Palm Crosses will be made the Saturday before Palm Sunday. On Saturday, April 12, we would love you to join in helping to make palm crosses for Palm Sunday. We will be meeting in the parish hall starting at 9:00 AM and work until we get all the crosses made that we need. This usually takes us a couple of hours. A light breakfast will be provided. Experience is not at all necessary, and even if you are not “crafty” at all we have a variety of jobs that need to be done from very simple to a tiny bit more difficult in folding the crosses themselves. It is a wonderful time of fellowship as we enter into Holy Week remembering’ Jesus triumphant but humble ride into Jerusalem.
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“Sundays at 9:15”
In The Library
Thinking Globally, Acting Locally:
Dramatic Changes in Global Christianity.
We are pleased that the Rev. F. Dean Lueking will lead our Sunday morning program March 30. Pastor Lueking and his wife, Beverly, have engaged Christians from many countries around the world to learn about the state of Global Christianity. The result is his twelfth book, Through Their Eyes, A People’s View of the Global Church, which will be the basis of the class.
4/6 No Class, Bishop’s Visit
4/13 No Class, Palm Sunday
4/20 No Class, Easter Sunday
4/29 Rise to Healing from your hurt by the Church,
Hosted by Jerry DiNoto
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“Tuesdays at 7”
In The Library
Jesus and the Gospels – a continuation of the DVD series by Luke Timothy Johnson.
4/08 The Context – Jesus in the Memory of the Church
Hosted by Jerry DiNoto
4/15 No Class – Holy Week
A Call to Stewardship
4/22 Part I
4/29 Part II
Led by George Holiday & Bishop Sue Moxley.
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Roy’s Desert Resource Center
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Volunteers needed for Roy’s Desert Resource Center! St. Paul’s is expanding its outreach to the men, women and children of Roy’s, one of the Coachella Valley’s largest transitional living facilities for the homeless. New volunteers are needed to assist in our continuing Monday night dessert service to Roy’s residents, as are baked goods, used clothing, and donations to our Roy’s “SOS” fund. We are also looking for new volunteers willing to assist residents as they visit the on-site “God’s Closet” clothing repository. We are hoping to a have “team” together for this new program by early April. We expect to have additional volunteer needs as we expand our ministry over the next few months, and encourage everyone with a little time to spare to join us in this opportunity for service and fellowship. For more information, contact Chris Kelly at 760.406.2978. We would love to hear from you!
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As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidents are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact the John Seitman, at jseitman@pacbell.net or 858-793-4426.
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Bullying Behavior Not Welcome Here
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At St. Paul in the Desert we 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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“A Welcoming, Empowering, Supportive”
Ministry!
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Our mission statement calls us to be “a welcoming, empowering and supportive community.” We are currently forming a new ministry at St Paul’s to support that mission. Volunteers are needed from all three services to donate approximately 90 minutes of their time per month. That time is split into 3-30 minute segments: 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the service you attend, once per month, to support the Welcoming Table located in the Narthex and another 30 minutes a month assisting with name badge organization. If you are able to lend a hand, please contact Mike Funke at 760.-409.0986 or mike.funke@yahoo.com!
Help us live our mission statement!
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At the
Church of St. Paul
in the Desert
. . . we welcome all worshipers to a place free of violence, bullying, and abuse. Physical, verbal or emotional violence against others or against oneself is not acceptable because of our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Please let Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself be your guide.
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CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Please observe that the office is not open for walk-ins on Mondays. If you call, please leave a message. In case of emergencies, a priest will return your call.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE WISDOM
“The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without
humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles.” Mahatma Ghandi
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PLEDGE UPDATE
As of March 17th, there are 172 pledges, for a projected income of $332,564, that have been received for the ministry of St Paul in the Desert in 2014. Offering envelopes can be picked up in the parish office.
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ALTAR GUILD MEETING
. . . on Sunday April 6th. The Altar Guild will be gathering for our regularly scheduled monthly meeting on April 6th at 9:15, in the Parish Hall. If you are interested in helping to serve in this ministry, please know that you are welcome to join us.
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A Taizé Service
. . . is held on the first Thursday of the month. Currently the service schedule is May 1st at 7:00 pm.
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BISHOP’S
DISCRETIONARY FUND
SPECIAL OFFERING
This weekend, April 5 & 6, we will be taking a special offering which will go to the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund. This fund was established for support of emergencies and non-budgeted ministries that arise in the course of the year in the Diocese of San Diego. Please be generous!
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“USE IT UP,
WEAR IT OUT,
MAKE IT DO
OR
DO WITHOUT” ,
New England proverb
“I only feel angry when I see waste” – Mother Teresa
Let’s “TALK TRASH” April 10th, at 7pm in St. Paul’s library.
In recognition of Earth Day, on April 22, please join us as we explore ways to participate in creating a waste free environment. Leslie Kelly Shockley will be our guest speaker. Her experience as a Peace Corp volunteer on a small pacific Island transformed her life. Leslie’s life goal is to share her knowledge and learning experiences to reduce the amount of everyday waste in our household.
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Camp Stevens applications have arrived and are in the parish hall! Imagine your kids or grandkids enjoying the beautiful hills of Julian at the church camp for the Diocese of San Diego. Camping trips to the Sierra Nevada are available for teens and adults, as well. Write to: info@campstevens.org to get the schedules.
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THE DAUGHTERS
OF THE
KING
. . . will be training prospective members during the next two months. We are meeting in Palm Springs on Monday afternoons. Join us to see how the DOK Rule of Prayer and Service can work in your life. Call Bonnie Stroock at 760.324.7949 for more information.
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HOLY COMMUNION
SERVICE
FOR
LOCAL CARE FACILITIES
Holy Communion at Windsor Court, 201 South Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, is hosted by the Nursing Home Ministry on the second Wednesday of the month, next, on April 9th, at 10:15am. The Presiding Priest always welcomes assistance from parishioners.
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SPIRITUAL REFLECTION RETREAT AT
CAMP STEVENS
The Gary Hall retreat will be April 11-13; a popular retreat leader, The Very Rev. Gary Hall is presently Dean of Washington National Cathedral. Register with info@campstevens.org.
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COFFEE HOUR CELEBRATION
The hostess after the 8:00 service on Sunday is Michelle Hathaway. There is no Coffee Hour after the 10:30 Service as “Lunch with the Bishop” is taking place immediately following the service.
You may sign up to host a Coffee Hour by using the binder at the entrance to the Parish Hall. There are lots of opportunities in 2014. If you have questions, call Ray or Cheryl Kelley at 760.778.1725.
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PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Ministry invites you to join our circle on Wednesday’s from 10am -1pm in Hogarth Hall. Whether you wish to learn to knit or crochet or are an expert needleworker, we welcome you. Needles, hooks and yarn are provided. Please drop in to create and enjoy our prayerfully made creations.
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Episcopalians Against Gun Violence
. . . is an ad-hoc group of bishops, clergy and lay people disseminating information about Episcopalians who are working, collectively and individually, to curb gun violence. For further information, click here.
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THE CHILDREN’S CHOIR
. . .every Wednesday at 6pm in the Choir Room. All children age 4 and above are invited to participate in this activity learning musical skills while having fun and assisting in the congregation’s worship. For more information please contact Nathan Ensign at 760.320.7488 ext 225.
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Our Partnership
with
Katherine Finchy
Elementary School
. . . continues through our donations of classroom supplies. Please take a blue classroom supply wish list, available from the ushers, (or view and print), to use when you go shopping. Please place your donations in the basket marked “Katherine Finchy Elementary” located in the Narthex. You may also bring your purchased supplies to the Church Office during business hours. If you are unable to shop, but would like to help financially, please make your check out to “St. Paul in the Desert” and write “Katherine Finchy” on the memo line.
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