The Abundant Life – August 5, 2022

Calling All Current Circle Supper Members! 

This is to remind all current Circle Supper members our “Big Dinner” at Billy Reed’s will be held Tuesday, August 9, starting at 5:30 PM. Also, 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 Nancy Antonius at .

Calling All Prospective Circle Supper Members!  If you’re interested in checking out this fun ministry for the upcoming Season, there’s still time to sign up. You’ll find the sign-up sheet in the Narthex. We ask that you register by August 14.  Send your questions to Nancy Antonius at her email address listed above.

Social Justice Ministry Summer Clothing Drive

The Social Justice Ministry has reached out with a renewed appeal for donated clothing for the homeless. They’re particularly in need of summer apparel items, shoes, and hats. The preferred drop-off location for your donations is the home of John and Lena Granet in Palm Springs.  Please call Lena at 760.322.2179 to arrange for delivery.

Forward Movement’s Day by Day devotional booklets

Forward Movement’s Day by Day devotional booklets for August-September-October 2022 are available for pick-up.  You’ll find them in the Parish Hall, the Narthex and the Parish Office.

Parish Directory Project

Some parishioners have already received phone calls from volunteers who are working to update our member database for a new Parish Directory we hope to make available later this year.  The volunteers are calling to confirm the contact information we have on file for each household and to inquire about any special needs you may have.  In addition, we are evaluating options to publish parishioner photos for the new directory and will provide updates on that part of the project as more information becomes available.  St. Paul’s hasn’t published a parishioner photo directory in over ten years.  When you get a call from one of these volunteers, know that they will only need a few minutes of your time.  Watch this space for additional project information over the next several weeks.

Prayers of the Church

For the Anglican Communion, and for the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby; for The Church in the Province of the West Indies, The Right Reverend Dr. Howard K. A. Gregory, Archbishop and Primate.

For the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, The Rt. Rev. Stephen Taylor Lane, Bishop Provisional of Rochester.

For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of All Souls’, San Diego; for Young Adult Ministry in the Docese.

A prayer for Ukraine – God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war or peace, for wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions. Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.

The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
The Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York

For those affected by the devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky – for those who have died, for those in harm’s way, for those working tirelessly to help.

For those commended to our prayers: Bonnie Ong, Rosalie Markley, AJ Miller, Annie Shepherd, Eva Wilson, Eric Lance, Marie Ratnam, Joe Christopher, Tom Lutgen, Brian Nealy; pray for all those affected by COVID-19: heal those who are suffering, comfort those who grieve, and strengthen those who are caring for others; pray for all those for whom no prayers have been said.

For those who have died: Michael D. Robinson, Jeff Adair, Sandra Mobley, Tony Fulco, Randall Gene, Bonnie Robinson, Mary Frances Simmons, George Valeur, Marlene Haro, Linda Hodgkin, Mary Kipe, Joe Migocki, Robert Botley, Sr.

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 8: Howard Wren; August 9: Linda Krengel; August 10: Ron Steigerwalt; August 11: Daniel Ratnam; August 12: Robert Hammack.

For those celebrating anniversaries: August 9: Eric & Tim Stein-Steele.

For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Joseph Casazza and The Rev. Frank Dunn, in thanksgiving for, and in celebration of their 11^th wedding anniversary (May 20).  Today’s Narthex flowers are sponsored by Brian Bishop, in memory of our Co-Rectors’ beloved pet, Pork Chop.

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

For next Sunday’s Lectionary readings, go to www.stpaulsps.org, and click on “This Week’s Scriptures” in the Worship Services box. From the calendar, select August 14, The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost.

Summer Singers

For our summer Sundays, June 19 through September 25, I invite volunteer singers to join me in the choir “loft” to encourage and support congregational singing during the 10:30 AM liturgy. We will rehearse together Sunday mornings at 9:45, by reviewing the day’s music and singing through the full service. No vestments are required; just dress appropriately for the morning service. Come often or a few times; I would love to have you sing with me! See you at 9:45 in the “loft”!

Canon Phil, Interim Director of Music & Organist

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

Book Club

The Book Club will not meet in August.

The next Book Club meeting will be held Tuesday, September 6, 2022, at 1:00 PM, via Zoom.  Meeting information will follow later. For September, Book Club has selected Middlemarch by George Eliot.  George Eliot’s timeless masterpiece, considered to be the greatest novel in the English language, examines provincial life in Victorian England.

New members are always welcome at Book Club. For more information, please contact Alan Zimmerman at

Coffee/Social Hour Hospitality

For those wishing to sponsor refreshments for a specific Sunday Coffee Hour, please call or stop by the Parish Office to sign up. All our hospitality procedures and protocols are subject to any CDC guidelines and mandates that Bishop Susan may put into place, depending on prevailing COVID conditions.

The Abundant Life E-List

If you are not a current subscriber to our weekly electronic newsletter, it’s easy to sign up.  Just go to www.stpaulsps.org, scroll down to find “Join Our E-Mail List,” enter your email address – and you’re all set.  You will receive the newsletter each week, usually on Fridays.

If the newsletter ends up in your spam/junk folder, simply add to your email address book.

Episcopal Relief & Development

Episcopal Relief & Development is mobilizing with Anglican agencies and other partners to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine. Working through the Action by Churches Together Alliance (ACT Alliance), Episcopal Relief & Development will provide cash, blankets, hygiene supplies and other needed assistance. Please pray for all those affected. To donate directly to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund, visit  (https://support.episcopalrelief.org/).  If you prefer, you can donate through St. Paul’s Parish.  Be sure to designate “ERD Ukraine” on your check or cash envelope.  To date, donations processed through our church have totaled $1,918.

COVID-19 and Masking at St. Paul’s Update

Please click here to read the latest update regarding masking at St. Paul’s.

The following changes will take effect in our public worship on Sunday May 1, 2022:

+ 8:00AM – vaccine and mask required

+ 10:30AM (& Wednesday nights) – vaccine and mask strongly recommended

In addition to the changes mentioned above, the following will continue:

+ Funerals, which often have many guests from out of state, will be mask required services (we will not check for vaccinations)

+ Ushers, altar ministers, lectors, and clergy will continue to remain masked unless reading, preaching, or celebrating the Eucharist. Staff singers/choir/ensembles will continue to remain masked during the services

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