For Sunday August 13, 2023
Preparing for
Earlier this week, I finished my last project for the Master of Science in Church Management (MSCM) degree. While I was able to attend commencement in May with the rest of my cohort, I still had one summer class to finish. None of us had ever met in person since we started on Zoom during the pandemic, so Villanova University was gracious enough to let me walk with my cohort and to meet them for the first time. After two years of hard work, the degree is finished. Now the real work begins! In reality, much of what I have been learning in my classes has been applied simultaneously to our work on the ground at St. Paul’s. The most notable example of this is the development of our 5-year strategic plan. The MSCM degree is the only one like it in existence. While there are other non-profit management programs, there are no other programs that specialize in church management at the graduate level. If you would like to read more about what I’ve been learning, I encourage you to read this in-depth article that describes the program and how it is making an impact on leaders in the church, both lay and ordained, around the world.
All of this would not have been possible without your generous support. In every priest’s letter of agreement contract, in accordance with diocesan protocol, a portion of their benefits package includes a stipend for continuing education. While most of this degree was funded by outside scholarships, a small portion was paid for by the Church of St. Paul in the Desert as an investment in me and, therefore, and investment in the future of our parish. Thank you for big-heartedly supporting the operating budget of our parish, which helps to pay for opportunities such as this one that will benefit the parish in countless ways for many years to come.
We want to say a special thank you to Jan Wacker, our Vestry Clerk, and the Rev. Canon Tom Clarke, the Objective #5 Chair of the Strategic Planning Implementation Team. They have helped us to co-lead the newly-formed HR Committee through the hiring process for our new parish administrator. The HR Committee is another innovative idea come to life from this degree program. The future of our parish depends on taking good care of our staff and the HR Committee will be an additional support to them. While the HR Committee, as a consultative body to the Vestry, helps in our decision-making process, we as the Co-Rectors ultimately hire our staff. The parish administrator reports to the Co-Rectors only. The Vestry’s role is to help set a realistic budget that lets us know what kind of staffing model we can financially afford based on our current and anticipated revenue and expenses.
As we prepare to hire a new parish administrator, Rev. Jessie and myself want you to know that all of this training comes to bear on our final selection. We are down to our last few interviews before hiring a quality candidate for this critical role in our parish. Our parish administrator will have ample support from both our past experience supervising parish administrators and our innovative education that allows us to help reimagine this role for the church in the 21st Century. They will have every chance possible to succeed in helping us to accomplish our shared mission of sharing the abundant love of Jesus Christ in a caring and diverse community.
The parish administrator role is not an easy job and the expectations are high. They juggle many plates and navigate a complex system of supervisors, volunteers, board members, parishioners, and community partners. Please continue to pray for wisdom – that we select the right candidate with the right skills for the right job at the right time in our parish’s life together. Please remember that they are only human and that they will need time to adjust to their new role. This is an opportunity to practice the fruit of the Spirit known as patience (Galatians 5:22). As Co-Rectors, our call is to empower our staff to advance the church’s mission so that you as the laity can be empowered to serve and lead as we continue into our next chapter. We are thrilled to be on this journey together with you. We can’t wait to introduce to you all our newest member of our staff in the coming weeks.
- Dan Kline & Rev. Jessie Thompson
“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
Parish Life Circle Supper Ministry 2023-2024
If you’re interested in checking out this fun ministry for the upcoming Season, here’s a bit of information that you may want to consider:
“Circle Suppers” are gatherings of small groups of parishioners (usually no more than 10-12) who meet monthly to socialize – typically while sharing a meal – to get to know each other better. These “Suppers” often take place in members’ homes or local restaurants – but can happen anywhere that’s comfortable and conducive to relaxed conversation. Circle Supper gatherings have no assigned reading and no prescribed (or proscribed) topics of conversation. They are all about building friendships across a large parish where many people, new and old, see their fellow parishioners rarely, or not at all. The goal is to nurture friendships and have fun.
To join Circle Suppers for 2023-2024, please add your name to the sign-up sheet you’ll find in the Narthex, by August 31.
To help us plan for the coming year, we’re asking current members who do not plan to participate in the Circle Supper Ministry in 2022-23, to inform Gary Hiatt at .
Hiking Club News – New Date!
The Parish Life Hiking Club has planned an off-season summer hike for September 16, 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
Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the summer hike date.
Chris Kelly
St Paul’s Book Club
The next Book Club meeting will be held Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at 2:00 PM, via Zoom. (NOTE TIME CHANGE!) Our September Book Club selection is Hello Beautiful by Ann Napatilano.
William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him. So, when he meets the spirited Julia in his college, it’s as if the world has lit up around him. A profoundly moving portrait of what is possible when we choose to love someone not despite who they are, but because of it.
New members are always welcome at Book Club. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at
New Online Bible Course … for Smarties!
You’ve heard of The Bible for Dummies. Now, introducing The Bible … for Smarties! A chance to explore and learn about the Bible without dumbing it down. Going beyond your typical Bible Study, this seminar will be a university-level academic class focused on Nurturing Students towards a Nuanced, Critical Interpretation and Sophisticated Understanding of the Texts of the Bible.
Dr. David Moseley will be the Instructor for two upcoming online course-offerings which will be the beginning of a two-year cycles of classes covering the whole Bible in four semester classes: (1) A short Introduction to Hermeneutics (Principles of Biblical Interpretation – 3 weeks) in late summer; and (2) A 12-week class on Hebrew Scriptures 1 (background to the Hebrew Scriptures, and detailed study of the Torah and Deuteronomist History … from Genesis to Ezra-Nehemiah), starting in September.
Opportunity
One of the Jesuit priests affiliated with the Catholic Community at UCSD, Lucas Sharma, is working on a PhD in sociology and wishes to interview gay men who used to identify as Roman Catholic but no longer do. If you are interested in participating in his research, please contact him directly at .
Project Title: Understanding LGBTQ+ and Catholic Identities Project
Researcher: Fr. Lucas Sharma, S.J., Graduate Student, UC San Diego Department of Sociology
The primary aim of this study is to understand the role of religious socialization in the Roman Catholic Church for LGBTQ persons. In this portion of the study, I am studying gay cisgender men who are formerly Catholic. “Formerly” includes a) men who grew up Catholic but no longer practice, b) men who once identified as Catholic but no longer do, c) men who actively left Catholicism, and d) men who marginally identify as Catholic but no longer practice. Interviews are expected to last between an hour and 90 minutes.
Sharing the Holy Mystery: Eucharistic Visitors
Click to learn more about
“Sharing the Holy Mystery: Eucharistic Visitors”
If you feel called to this special ministry, please reach out to to discuss.
Sunday’s Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God.
Sunday’s Altar Flowers are given to the Glory of God.“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom . . .” Isaiah 35:1-2
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).
Mid-week Services
Mid-week ServicesYou 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.
The Blessed Jonathan Daniels
Monday, August 14 is the Feast Day of Jonathan Myrick Daniels, Martyr, 1965.
In 1965, 26-year-old seminarian Jonathan Daniels, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., left the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to assist those engaged in the integration struggle in Alabama. He moved in with the Wests, a local family in Lowndes County.
The area was known as “Bloody Lowndes” for the violence of whites against blacks; out of 6,000 eligible black voters, not one was registered to vote. Jailed on August 14 for joining a picket line, Daniels and his companions resolved to remain together until bail could be posted for all of them, which happened six days later. Released and aware that they were in danger, four of them walked to a small store. As 16-year-old Ruby Sales reached the top step of the entrance, a man with a shotgun appeared, cursing her. Daniels pulled her to one side to shield her from the unexpected threat and was killed instantly by the 12-gauge blast.
The Episcopal Church added Jonathan Daniels to its calendar in 1991, with August 14 as his feast day. The photo above is of a sculpture of Daniels at Washington National Cathedral.
Excerpted from The Episcopal News diocesela.org/episcopal-news.
Prayers of the Church
For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby; for Iglesia Anglicana de Chile, The Anglican Church of Chile, The Most Reverend Héctor Zavala, Archbishop and Primate.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Montana, The Right Reverend Marty Stebbins, Bishop.
For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea, San Diego; for the children and teachers of St. Andrew’s Preschool.
For those commended to our prayers: Dan Drinan, Shawna Roberts, Ted Guice, Jerry Di Noto, Solveig Peck, Robert Patnode, Don Orsbern, Tish & Elliot Kahn, Terry Garrity, Rus Butler, Joe Christopher, Sylvia Toney, Moses Moffitt, Jimmie Faye Johnson, Lennie Ruth Miller, Hope Yarborough, Crystal, Jodene Catterlin, Kenneth Catterlin, Nancy Catterlin Hales, Raymond Stimson, Mark Malone, Robert Blackman, Jeffrey M., Gail Walker, Stan Spooner, Chloe Grace Wilson Barton, Rich Ballard, Mel Parsons, Peter Kent, Jo Ellen Doering, Joanne Humphrey, Ken Van Horn, Sujey Mota, David Moore, Lisa Moore, Corinne Baldasano, Marna, Darcy, Pat E., William Eaton, Jr., Amelia Grinstead, Marilyn De Silva Currie, Donald Chase, Greg Gowdy, A.J. Miller, Tom Lutgen, Brian Nealy, Christian Waltaian; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.
For those who have died: Jack Pellum, Grady Harrison, Duane “Dirk” Beach-Barrow, Dennis Fred McBride, Evelyn Bennett, Beryl Parsons, Tony Bennett, Santina Iacono, Angelo DeWitt, Gene Mobley, Amy Shulman.
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: August 14: Ava Mendivil, Amos Krahmer; August 15: Thomas Amestoy, Teri Whitmer, Dick Taylor, Ryan Hackney, George Piccardi; August 16: Chris Butler, Cecilia Melero; August 18: Forrest Irons; August 19: Robert Oakes.
For those celebrating their anniversary: August 16: Suzi & Richard Osuna.
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 Weekly print deadline is Wednesday noon.
For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.lectionarypage.net and click on August 20, 2023, The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost.
Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s
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Saturday, August 12 – 7:00 PM – Summer Concert Series – Robert York organ recital and reception.
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Saturday, August 19– 6:00PM – Latino Ministry Dinner – Chris Butler’s Residence
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Wednesday, August 23– 4:30PM – HR Committee Meeting – Library.
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Wednesday, August 23– 6:30PM – Executive Committee Meeting – Library.
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Sunday, August 27 – 1:00 PM – Vestry meeting – Library.
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Saturday, September 16 – 9:00 AM – Parish Life Hiking Club – Oak Glen Preserve.
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Sunday, September 24 – 9:00 AM – Newcomers’ Class – Library.
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Sunday, October 15 – SAVE THE DATE! – Welcome Back Sunday.
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
