January 27, 2011

The Abundant Lite Thursday, January 27, 2011                               For Sunday, January  30th From The Rector   Be Attitude   All across the world this weekend, preachers who use the Revised Common Lectionary will be trying to shed new light on one of the most familiar of Gospel readings, the Beatitudes according to Matthew.   I have not yet had a revelation about this passage, and that has led me to fall back on trying to listen in a new way. In a sense, I am taking the advice of Pastor Brian Stoffregen who reminds his readers that this passage is the opening act of a significant teaching, the Sermon on the Mount. Context is everything and the Beatitudes are part of this teaching.   How do we as present disciples imagine this rather intimate instruction at Jesus’ feet. I imagine Jesus taking us aside, looking at us carefully, and beginning. He has sized us up and pegs what is on our minds. He speaks to our varied places on the spiritual journey, and encourages us.   As someone offered in Wednesday’s Bible Study: “Any one of us could be any one of these (poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry for the life with God, peacemakers, persecuted) or all of them – or none of them – at any given time. ”   My personal reflection is about where I am on that journey and what encouragement I long for.   This week, at each service, we celebrate a mile marker on the journey for some who have decided to join St. Paul’s. We will pray that we may be woven together joyfully in the fabric of faith, in the same way that we see Jesus disciples being woven together with him. The Beatitudes is the first act.   Join us.   Fr. Andrew   Featured Scripture Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:   "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.   "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.   "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.   "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.   "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.   "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.   Pacific Lutheran University Wind Ensemble to Perform St. Paul in the Desert will present this group of approximately 50 students TOMORROW, January, 28th at 7:00 p.m. There will be a reception after the concert to greet the artists.     The Pacific Lutheran University Wind Ensemble is comprised of the some of the best performers of wind and percussion instruments at the University.   ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE   The 72nd Annual Meeting of the Church of St. Paul in the Desert is this Sunday, January 30th at 9:15 a.m. The there will be brief presentations on the State of the Parish, our ministries, and our finances in service of God's mission at St. Paul's. Members of the Vestry (Board of Directors) will be elected. The current Vestry will provide refreshments for the meeting and the 10:30 a.m. Coffee Hour. Join the other members of St. Paul's for this important meeting. ECW Welcomes 2011   The ECW will be focusing on plans for their annual All Parish Spaghetti Dinner when they gather for their monthly business meeting and luncheon on Wednesday, February 2nd.  The annual event will take place on Saturday, March 5th, and tickets will be available after services beginning in February. The program, that day, is pending according to the group’s new coordinator, Bette Knutson. The meeting begins at 11 a.m., and will be followed by luncheon at noon.   Also planned for the afternoon is a program featuring a talk by Steven Bright-Jordan, PhD. He is currently a staff officer with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Those attending the luncheon should bring a salad to share, which serves four, rolls/bread, or a dessert. Beverages will be provided. No reservations are necessary, but anyone needing additional information about the event, can contact Bette Knutson, (760) 416-5739. Women new to the parish are especially welcome.   Hostesses for the February luncheon will be Ruth Kraus and Beverly Zwach.   ECW "On A Safari" ON A “SAFARI”….FOR WHITE ELEPHANTS!   The traditional ECW Spaghetti Dinner is now on the calendar for Saturday, March 5th, 5:00-7:30 p.m. at Hogarth Hall,  and always a big part of the evening’s festivities is the White Elephant Sale. So, it’s not too early to go on a “safari” for a white elephant near you. Donations, valued at $5.00 or more, will be gratefully accepted; items, marked for the sale, can be left at the church. Tickets for the Spaghetti Dinner will go on sale Saturday, February 12th. Any questions regarding donations, please contact Bette Knutson, 760.416.5739.   Safeguarding God's People: Save The Date!   Saturday, February 19 at St. Margaret's, Palm Desert Session begins at 8:30am and lasts until 4:00pm.  (Note: Participants are required to attend the entire daylong session to receive certification of training.) To register on the Diocesan website; click here.   Contact Registrar Isabel Lynne for more information: 619-481-5455. The Diocese of San Diego is committed to providing a healthy, safe, and nurturing environment where, by God's grace, the full work of the Church can be carried out. Sexual misconduct on the part of any clergy person, employee, or volunteer of any congregation, institution, organization, school or agency within the diocese violates the mission of the Church, is prohibited, and will not be tolerated. Safeguarding God's People teaches how exploitation and harassment occur, the awareness we need to prevent such occurrences, and - should exploitation or harassment occur - how to respond. Who needs to attend?  All paid employees  Vestry members  Youth group volunteers  Sunday school teachers  Lay Eucharistic Visitors and anyone going into someone's home  Worship leaders  Some volunteers If it has been more than five (5) years since you last participated in a Safeguarding God's People training, you will be required to attend this workshop in Palm Desert (or a workshop on Saturday, March 5 at Sts. Peter & Paul, El Centro, or Saturday, March 12 at St. Michael's, Carlsbad).  For questions/clarification regarding when you last attended this training, call Br. Michael-Gregory at 760-320-7488, ext. 224.  Desert SOS Dessert Ministry   Several St. Paul volunteers provided and/or served dessert to residents of Roy’s Desert Resource Center Monday evening. They included: Fred Crawford, Ron Shepherd, Paul Thompson & Oscar , Barb Ingelbritzen, Chuck Marx and Hap Blaisdell. They also helped prepare client brown bag lunches for the following day. We continue to need more PROVIDERS of desserts. Please sign up to be a Provider. The dessert needs to be delivered to the church by 4 p.m. on Monday or donate to the weekly plate using the pew envelope and mark with “Dessert”. Anyone interested in volunteering for our Monday night dessert ministry should contact Hap Blaisdall at 760.323.5726. Camp Stevens Scholarship   Camp Stevens, our diocesan camp and retreat center near Julian, provides a enriching summer camp program for children, teens, and a choir camp. At Camp Stevens, attendees are provided the experience to appreciate and care of one-another while deepening their love of God and God's creation.   St. Paul in the Desert would like to enable a disadvantaged child the chance to experience the enrichment of Camp Stevens. We need to raise $500 to do this. Please place your donation in the green Camp Stevens box in the parish hall, or leave a check,in the box, or in the collection plate and mark it “Camp Stevens Child”.    Watch for updates this spring, about interesting retreats and workshops that you can be part of in the beautiful natural world of Camp Stevens. Reporting Sexual Misconduct   The Episcopal Diocese of San Diego considers the reporting and investigation of sexual misconduct to be of critical importance and is committed to a fair, careful and thorough process in dealing with allegations. The diocese deeply regrets sexual abuse and recognizes its moral and ethical obligation to seek out the truth, deal appropriately with misconduct and strive for justice, healing and peace. The diocese hopes that through the potentially painful reporting process, those results will be realized for all involved, particularly for the victims. If you or someone you know has suffered sexual abuse in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, please report to Bishop Mathes. Reporting Reporting enables the diocese to protect the complainant, the respondent and the larger community. It also allows the diocese to assist with the spiritual, psychological and emotional needs of all concerned during and after the report of sexual misconduct. Bishop Mathes asks that those who believe they are victims of sexual misconduct or know of sexual misconduct; abuse of power by clergy; or child sexual abuse to report incidents immediately and directly to him:             The Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes             Bishop             bishopmathes@edsd.org             619-481-5450 Confidentiality The confidentiality of the complainant, the accused and all other parties will be observed, provided it does not impede the diocese’s ability to investigate or take corrective action. All reports will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. Worship Schedule All Services include Holy Communion Wednesday Evening 6:00 p.m. The Rev. Andrew Green - - - Saturday 4:00 p.m. The Rev. Andrew Green - - - Sunday Morning 8:00 a.m. Sermon-The Rev. Andrew Green 10:30 a.m. Sermon-The Rev. Andrew Green - - - On Sundays Godly Play in the Parish Hall at 10:30 Children Welcome in Worship Childcare is available on Sunday Mornings Watch Sermons   View recent sermons and other video material on-line.   We post the sermons from Sunday's services on YouTube.  Our YouTube Channel is named stpaulinthedesert.     Click below to watch video from last Week:   Sunday's Sermon - 1/23/11   Announcements 2011 Giving Envelopes   Envelopes are now available. They will need to be picked up in the parish offices during the work week, Tuesday - Friday. If you would like to use giving envelopes, and none have been assigned to you, please contact Valerie at vjwinters@dc.rr.com or call 760.320.7488 ext. 227. Coffee Hour   With the Annual Meeting scheduled for this weekend, the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Coffee Hours are hosted by the Vestry. The 2011 coffee hour sign-up sheets are available on the north wall at Hogarth Hall. Please sign up to host. For more information, call Ray Kelley at 760.778.1725.   Inquirer's/ Confirmation Class "I Will, With God's Help"   This class will be offered in February and run through March. This 6-week series, facilitated by Br. Michael-Gregory Norrie, is based upon the Baptismal Covenant from The Book of Common Prayer and encourages newcomers to the Episcopal Church, as well as longtime Episcopalians, to examine and share their own faith journeys. The course may lead to Confirmation for those who desire it during Bishop Chilton Knudson’s visit to St. Paul's on Sunday, March 20th.   The class meets from 7:00-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays, beginning February 10th. Please call the church office at 320-7488 x 0 to sign up.     Mid-Week Worship Break Wednesdays at 6 p.m.   Wednesday evening worship offers a break during the week. The Holy Communion service meets in the Library, reflects on a saint from our Church Calendar, all who wish can participate in the sermon, and it lasts 45 minutes.   As you can see in this picture, the only thing missing is you. Join in this informal worship opportunity.   Newcomers   Are you sure we have your contact information? If you haven’t received any of the latest mailings then we probably don’t have your mailing address. In January we will sending invites for you to join us in a series of Newcomer events that we believe you will find to be informative and enjoyable. We may not have your current address. If you feel this is the case, then please fill out the form in the pew pocket and place it in the plate, give to an usher or you may send your contact information by email to vjwinters@dc.rr.com.     Altar and Narthex Flowers   The New 2011 Altar and Narthex Flower Sign-up Sheets NOW AVAILABLE   Thank you - to all our parishioners who have signed up to provide the gracious gift of flowers for the altar and narthex. Many have bestowed these arrangements of love in memoriam to beloved family member(s) or friend(s) or in thanksgiving for the gifts we have received. The floral arrangements are a endearing visible sign of your love to them and to your fellow parishioners. We need altar flowers for the weekend of February 6th and 27th to keep our altar blooming with the beauty that Woody Miller masterfully creates for us each week. There is still room available for flowers for the narthex for those dates also.       Earn Money While Dining Out   for The Church of St. Paul. Whenever any St. Paul's parishioners have breakfast, lunch or dinner at "The Old Creek House" in Palm Springs the restaurant will donate 10% of the total to The Church of St. Paul in the Desert.  Simply sign your name and write in the name, "The Church of St. Paul in the Desert", on your receipt.  A check for the amount will be sent to St. Paul's.  The 10% does not include promotions or other discounts.    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.   The Episcopal Cafe article on Cyber-bullying is available here. "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.   Contact Us The Church of St. Paul in the Desert -- -- -- 125 W El Alameda Palm Springs, CA 92262 -- -- -- Ph. 760.320.7488 Fax: 760.416.2441 E-Mail clergy@stpaulsps.org   Emergency Contacts Call the main switchboard, (760) 320-7488, during business hours: (Tues-Fri, 9:00-4:30 except during lunch, 11:30-1:00) After hours call, (760) 323-4028, to reach the Priest on Call when the church office is closed.   The Church of St. Paul in the Desert 125 West Alameda Palm Springs, CA 92262 (760) 320-7488 www.stpaulsps.org