For Sunday July 16, 2023
The Feast of The Transfiguration
To prepare for The Feast of the Transfiguration, the Social Justice Ministry is collecting the following items for Blessing Bags:
- Travel-size Toothpaste/toothbrushes
- Travel-size Tissues
- Combs
- Travel-size bars of soap
- Neosporin
- Travel-size Hand lotion
- Travel-size Hand sanitizer
- Small cans of fruit
- Small cans of Vienna Sausage
- Compostable forks/napkins
- 8 oz. water bottles
Please feel free to drop these items off on the remaining Sundays in July in the narthex. If you have any questions, please reach out to Lena Granet at lorainehome@gmail.com or call the Parish Office at 760-320-7488.
A Return to the Common Cup
Please click here to read Rev. Jessie’s sermon from July 9th about returning to the common cup.
Social Justice Ministry Update
As we continue to expand our outreach to the less fortunate in our communities, we’ve identified a critical need for even the most basic life-sustaining supplies, and we believe St. Paul’s can help fill that gap. The Social Justice Ministry is seeking donations of personal hygiene products and other items to distribute through an organized giveaway system managed by Social Justice volunteers. Our goal is to create “blessing bags” that will contain items such as these:
Toothpaste/Toothbrushes Hand sanitizer
Tissues Small cans of fruit
Combs Small cans of Vienna sausage
Travel-size bars soap Compostable forks/napkins
Neosporin Bottled water
Hand lotion
Hygiene items should be “travel size.” If you’re a traveler, and have been collecting these items during your wanderings, this is the perfect opportunity to donate them to a worthy cause. St. Paul’s already has an ample supply of socks, donated by the Bombas Company, all waiting for distribution. Of course, there are many other items we could include in our blessing bags, but we’ll be using gallon size storage bags as containers, so space is limited.
In addition to items to fill the bags, we’re looking for volunteers to assemble and distribute them. This distribution will be a fitting addition to our long-standing clothing giveaway program – a major success because of the generosity of our donors and dedication of our volunteers. We have a new name for this expanding program – we’re calling it “St. Paul the Hermit’s Closet of Love.” (Our patron, St. Paul the Hermit, was renowned for his wisdom. He forfeited his personal wealth in favor of a simple life of near solitude, preferring to associate only with “common folk.”) The “Closet of Love” has a new home in the former Choir Room in the Parish Hall. Going forward, that’s where all types of donated items will be processed for distribution.
To learn more, to donate, or to volunteer for this important community outreach work, please contact Lena Granet at lorainehome@gmail.com or 760.656.0575; or Richard Patenaude at patnod@mac.com or 510.209.6089; or call the Parish Office at 760.320.7488.
Best of the Desert Community Choice Awards – 2023
These awards celebrate and recognize the best our community has to offer. St. Paul in the Desert competed in this community challenge last year and was recognized as a Finalist in the Best Place To Worship category. This year’s Nomination Round for The Best of the Desert Program has begun and runs through July 24. You may vote once per day, every day.
Of course, we want to repeat last year’s impressive showing, so we encourage you to nominate St. Paul’s as your choice for Best Place to Worship. And then, once nominated, we hope you cast your vote for St. Paul’s in the final voting stage.
To nominate St. Paul’s for Best Place of Worship,
- go to Best of the Desert Community Choice Awards.
- Scroll down to Place of Worship.
- Enter Nomination Name (St. Paul in the Desert) and click on the green Nominate button.
That’s it. The nominations will be tallied and the Top 5 will be determined by the number of nominations an organization has received. The Top 5 nominees move on to the voting round. Then we will vote for the Top 3 nominees in the final voting stage, September 8 – 22. The Top 3 will be revealed September 29 and the winners will be revealed in The Desert Sun Best of the Desert Special Edition in November.
Palm Springs Mosquito Control
The Coachella Valley Mosquito Control District will be providing mosquito control treatments in response to the spread of an invasive mosquito in Palm Springs. Treatments will be applied via low flying helicopters.
When: Saturdays, July 22 – September 23, 1am-7am, weather permitting.
Where: The application area is within the boundaries of Racquet Club Rd, Sunrise Way, Alejo Rd, and the San Jacinto Mountains. This area includes St. Paul’s campus.
For the most current information on the status of this project, check the website of the Mosquito Control District https://www.cvmosquito.org/palmsprings2023. The website will be updated after each application is completed.
Safe Church Challenge
We currently have about 80 people in process or who have completed the Safe Church training. Let’s reach 100 people and be THE safest church in the diocese! If you need help accessing and understanding the modules, please reach out to brojohncharles@gmail.com or call the church office.
“Summer Second Saturdays at Seven”
Concert Series
Although we will miss our talented and dedicated Mixed Ensemble this summer, we have planned other musical offerings for June, July, and August as part of our concert series. The second Saturday of each month, we will showcase a different musical presentation at 7:00 PM in the church, followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. Mark your calendars!
- Saturday, August 12, Robert York Organ Recital
Hiking Club News
The Parish Life Hiking Club has planned an off-season summer hike for August 5, in the Oak Glen Preserve, only about 40 miles west of Palm Springs in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. (Hikers, meet at Oak Glen at 9:00 AM.)The Oak Glen Preserve sits in a tranquil canyon filled with apple orchards, shady green forests, babbling brooks and steep mountain slopes. It’s a great nearby getaway from the hot desert summer. We will be hiking the scenic Preserve Loop through the Preserve’s many diverse ecosystems. The trail meanders through curated gardens, beneath towering conifers, past a pretty little lake and then in and out of a shady oak forest as it descends through the chaparral to a pleasant hollow, before climbing again to a beautiful shady meadow. Deer and other wildlife can sometimes be spotted along the trail.
The trail is about 2.5 miles long in total and links several smaller trails within the Oak Glen Preserve. It is officially ranked as “Easy,” and should be safely within the skill set of our group. The trail is well-marked and in good condition, with an easy grade most of the way. There are one or two segments with sharper descents and climbs, including one or two portions with stairs. The total elevation change across the entire trail is about 500 feet. There are two areas of sharper descent or ascent, but they should be doable by any who’ve hiked with us previously. This is a dog-friendly trail. Dogs on-leash are welcome. Please review the trail description and make sure it is right for your furry friend (it may be an ambitious trek for smaller dogs). You’ll want to carry a dish of some sort so your dog can pause to drink.
What to Bring – Proper footgear is important. You should wear solid, comfortable walking shoes with a grippy rubber sole that has tread and good traction. Also don’t forget the usual hiking standards: ample water, sunscreen, and a hat – bug spray is also a good idea. While this area will feel like paradise compared to August heat in Palm Springs, it will still be objectivelywarm, so dress lightly and prepare for occasional areas of full sun. Anyone needing additional balance or stability should consider bringing a walking stick or trekking pole.
There should be ample time after the hike to share a quick repast, linger among wildflowers, and visit the nearby apple stand for some tasty fresh cider. We would like to host a late-morning picnic for this hike similar to what we did in Idyllwild last summer. We welcome volunteers willing to help organize this aspect of the trip and/or bring some sort of potluck item. For more information or to sign up for the hike, please contact Nancy Antonius nancyjantonius@gmail.com
Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the summer hike date.
Chris Kelly
Altar flower sponsorships
Fresh flowers at the altar honor God and add to the beauty of our worship.
If you would like to sponsor altar flowers for a future Sunday honoring a special person or event, you’ll find the sign-up book in the Narthex, or you can call the Parish Office at 760.320.7488 to reserve your sponsorship date(s). A donation of $95 for each altar flower sponsorship is suggested.
Music Ministry News – A Message from our Interim Director of Music and Organist
During the next few months, I will be calling parishioners to talk about our Music Ministry at St. Paul’s. This will be a way of getting to know each other better, and to discern the needs and concerns of you, the people of St. Paul in the Desert. I look forward to having our conversations. In the meantime, I invite you to enjoy the upcoming musical presentations in our summer concert series.
Phil Smith
St. Paul’s Social Justice Ministry Needs Warm Weather Clothing Donations
The Social Justice Ministry is seeking donations of new or gently used warm weather clothing and accessories to distribute to our needy neighbors. Please place your donated items in the collection containers located in the Narthex. Our volunteers distribute these items in the Columbarium colonnade the last Wednesday of each month.
If you would like to learn more about this important ministry, please contact Lena Granet at lorainehome@gmail.com.
Mid-week Services
You are invited to the church on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM each week for contemplative Eucharist/Evening Prayer. The church will be open the hour prior (5:00-6:00 PM) for silent, personal prayer. Come and rest.
Prayers of the Church
For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby; for The Anglican Church of Canada, The Most Reverend Linda Nicholls, Archbishop and Primate.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan, The Right Reverend Prince Grenville Singh, Ph.D., Bishop Provisional.
For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of St. Mary’s in-the-Valley, Ramona; for the growth of multi-cultural ministries in our Diocese.
For those commended to our prayers: Sujey Mota, David Moore, Lisa Moore, Corrine Baldasano, Marna, Darcy, Pat E., Sandy F., Terry Garrity, Frank Kipe, Rus Butler, Joe Christopher, William Eaton, Jr., Roger Allen, Wayne Watson & Larry Stralow, Jodene Catterlin, Kenneth Catterlin, Duane “Dirk” Beach-Barrow, Heather S. Gordon, Curt Ringness, Barry Ralph, Dorothy Walton, Irene Savannah, Amelia Grinstead, Marilyn De Silva Currie, Donald Chase, Greg Gowdy, A.J. Miller, Tom Lutgen, Brian Nealy; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.
For those who have died: Richard Hales, Spencer Cobleigh, Jerry Beach, Roy Cody, Joseph Robert Richter, Paul Ideker, James Hart, Candace Gervin, Mike Gorman, Michael Holliday, John Layson, Jr., Walter Stinson, Jr., Ricky Wilson.
Rest eternal grant to these, your servants, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
For those with birthdays: July 16: Diane Hines, Ciara Brown; July 17: Wayne Berkner; July 18: Tom Lutgen; July 19: Barry Hagenbuch.
For those celebrating anniversaries: July 17: Bill LaMarche & David Valenzuela; July 20: Douglas Burton & George Tamer; July 21: Janice & Griff Linsenmayer.
For those for whom flowers have been donated: Sunday’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Robert Woods, in celebration of, and thanksgiving for the birthday of his husband, Barry Hagenbuch (July 19).
Send us your Prayer Requests via email — You may request prayers, “For those commended to our prayers” or “For those who have died,” by sending requests to registrar@stpaulsps.org Weekly print deadline is Wednesday noon.
For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.lectionarypage.net and click on July 23, 2023, The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost.
Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s
- Tuesday – Thursday, July 18 – 20 – Summer Camping Trip – Riverside County Campground, Idyllwild.
- Wednesday, July 19 – 1:00-3:00 PM – Sacred Circle – Library.
- Saturday, August 5 – Hiking Club trek – Oak Glen Preserve.
- Saturday, August 12 – 7:00 PM – Summer Concert Series – Robert York organ recital and reception.
St Paul’s Book Club
The Book Club will not meet in July. The next Book Club meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at 1 PM via Zoom. Meeting information will follow later.
For August Book Club has selected Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Set in southern Appalachia, this is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a ferocity for survival. Spoken in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in popular culture.
New members are always welcome at Book Club. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at alanzimmerman@icloud.com
Sunday Service LiveStreaming
We are livestreaming our 10:30 AM Sunday Eucharist every week. The livestream project was made possible through a generous gift from a “snowbird” member from Philadelphia who wintered in Palm Springs for many years and worshiped at St. Paul’s every Sunday. You can view the livestream on our Home Page, YouTube Channel, and Facebook Page.
Missed a service? Or want to rewatch a liturgy? All our past services are available to watch either on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/StPaulintheDesert or on our Facebook timeline: https://www.facebook.com/stpaulinthedesert
