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The Abundant Lite
Easter VI
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May 14, 2009
For Sunday May 17th
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From The Rector
What is Jesus' Command?
Last
week, we reflected on abiding. In my sermon I reflected on Abiding,
Ablating, and Abounding. All this from the 8 verses of John's Gospel
that precede this Sunday's Gospel. I was constrained in my reflections
because there was 1 word missing. The word was missing from our Gospel
selection, but not from the reading from 1st John.
That word is love.
We
were told that we would abide with Jesus if we obeyed his command. This
week we receive that command. We are to love one another as Jesus has
loved us.
Jesus makes love simple - and costly. We are more
comfortable with complexity and the freedom from cost that comes from
ambiguity. Jesus asks us to act in ways that honor the essential
dignity of others, even if it means putting aside our preferences and
our prejudices. For Jesus it meant putting aside his divine perks in
favor of enabling reconciliation between God and all that was created -
humanity included.
This work of loving one another can be
challenging, at least from my perspective. A friend, the Very Rev.
Nicholas Knisley reflected recently (on facebook) that differences appear larger as we get closer to one another. The apparent differences make abiding in love even more important.
Join us in worship this weekend as we encourage one another to abide with Christ through loving.
Fr. Andrew
See people tell their story.
I am Episcopalian
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Featured Scripture
John 15:9-17 (NRSV)
Jesus
said to his disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved
you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in
my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his
love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and
that your joy may be complete. "This is my commandment, that you love
one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to
lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do
what I command you.
I do not call you servants any longer,
because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have
called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I
have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I
appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the
Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you
these commands so that you may love one another."
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Abundant Living: Ministry Breaks Out!
Spotlight on Lay Leadership For
the next 2 Sundays we will be blessed to hear from members who give
generously of their time and talent to support and grow our worship,
our fellowship, and our common life. This Weekend's Lay Leader Spotlight falls on John
Hampson. John has been a member of the Church of St. Paul in the Desert
for 27 years. John is involved in many ministries around the church,
including: name tags, sound technician, worship coordinator, acolyte and
vestry, just to name a few! Thank you John Hampson.
Next week the Spotlight will be on Joan Dillingham. These 3 are only a small representation of the abundant ministries offered by members of our Parish. Save the Date! May 31st. Lay Ministry Appreciation Celebration. Food, Fellowship and recognitions after the 10:30 service. |
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Worship Schedule
All Services include
Holy Communion
Ministry Witness - John Hampson
Saturday Evening 4:00 p.m.
Sunday Morning 8 a.m.
Sunday Morning 10:30 a.m.
Children Welcome in Worship
Godly Play 10:30 a.m.
Childcare also available
on Sunday Morning
Wednesday Evening 6:00 p.m.
An informal Holy Communion in the Library, with shared reflections. |
ST. PAUL MOVIE
NIGHTS
FREE in the
Parish Hall
SATURDAY, MAY 30TH, 7 PM -- Henry Poole is Here
ROGER EBERT:
"..achieves something that is uncommonly difficult. It
is a spiritual movie with the power to emotionally touch believers, agnostics
and atheists -- in that descending order, I suspect. It doesn't say that
religious beliefs are real. It simply says that belief is real. And it's a
warm-hearted love story."
Saturday, June 13, 7 PM
--West Side Story
N.Y.Times:
"cinema masterpiece"
West Side Story (1961) starring Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno and many more. Winner of 10 Academy Awards.
Chips
or sodas available for 50 cents
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Upcoming Funerals
F. Thomas Kieley, Jr
Sat. May 23 at 10 am
Led by the Rev. Ken McCullen,
Palm Springs Presbyterian Church
Edmund Lormar, Jr.
Sat. May 30 at 10:30 am
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St. Paul's a
Polling Place
All Day Tuesday May 19
The
entryway to the church will serve as a polling place for next week's
election. Using the church frees some public schools from service and
conflict as polling places.
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Important News!
Parish Quarterly Finance Report
A Quarterly Report of Parish Income and Expenses was mailed last week
to all members. You can read the letter and the summary report here.
General Convention is Coming
The
76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church will convene in Anaheim
for 10 days in July. Fr. Andrew is one of four clergy who, along with 4
Lay Persons, are deputies for the convention. You can learn about the convention here. (Check p.13 to find the difference between a delegate and a deputy.)
Fr. Andrew will serve on the Prayerbook, Liturgy, and Music Committee. You can read more about the work on tap for Committee 13 here.
Finally,
we will be engaging in our work together with a view towards building
community around our personal stories and experience. You can learn
more about the Public Narrative Project here.
In the weeks ahead there will be opportunities to learn about the work of the General Convention.
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Summer Sundays @ 9:15
Teach Us To Pray: A Six-Week Study on the
Lord's Prayer
Taking the Lord's Prayer clause by clause,
Br. Michael-Gregory Norrie examines how this prayer - given by Jesus in
response to a request from his disciples for guidance on how to pray - contains the very essence of Christian
teaching.
The series begins Sunday, June 7 at 9:15 a.m. in
the Chapel in the Parish Hall. Bring
your Bibles!
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Fr. Fred Myers New Vicar of St. Anthony's
Desert Hot Springs
Beginning June 7
Fr. Fred Myers has been a staple part of our parish for the last 6 years.
He has led worship, preached, and taught occasionally. He has also
provided the leadership of our Nursing Home Eucharists and been the
receptionist and made our worship booklets.
You may wonder why you have not seen him every week. He has often been
the Supply Priest at churches in the Diocese.
This week Fr. Fred was invited to be the Vicar of St. Anthony's in
Desert Hot Springs and he accepted. His first Sunday will be June 7th.
This allows Fred to resume an important part of his vocation, leading a
congregation. It will also lead to his departure from his weekday
responsibilities at St. Paul in the Desert.
This transition may take a little longer and Fred may supply for us on
Saturday's from time to time.
We wish Fred and his partner Ed all of God's blessings as they embark on
this new adventure.
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Mission Statement
God has invited us to share the Abundant Life of Jesus Christ,
through the Church of St. Paul in the Desert,
by serving Christ in others and by gathering
to praise and thank God in worship.
We are a Welcoming, Empowering, Supportive Community. | | |
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