For Sunday July 23, 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 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.
Blessing Bag Packing Party
Blessing Bag Packing PartySunday, July 30th after 8AM and 10:30AM services
All parishioners are invited to head to the Parish Hall after services next Sunday to put together just ONE Blessing Bag. It only requires putting a few items in a gallon ziplock baggie, and will be an easy and fun way to prepare for Transfiguration Sunday. The rumor is that after you put together ONE bag, there will be celebratory ice cream (to celebrate the birthdays of Lena Granet and Barbara Villani!).
Parish Library News
The Church of St. Paul in the Desert Library supports the mission of the Church as well as the growth of our individual members’ faith. It is a living testament to the love and support of the many donations we have received. Our latest gift came from an anonymous donor – a beautiful display case that houses the historic collection of Bibles we are blessed with. Also, now on display, is a curio cabinet that holds a collection of American Indian artifacts from several North American tribes. Thank you all so very much for your donations and support.
Please stop by July 30 for Last Call Sunday. This is a time, after the 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM services, to come and celebrate our library, offer suggestions, talk, check out a book, have a cup of espresso. Remember, “a great library has something in it to offend everyone.”
– Ben and Tom
Parish Administrator Update
Please pray for the HR Committee and Co-Rectors as they do their first round of zoom interviews with candidates this week.
Interested in Volunteering in the Front Office?
We are looking for a few good detail-oriented volunteers who would be willing to serve in a 3 ½ hour shift in the front office working on projects and being a welcoming presence to guests. If you’re interested, please reach out to for more information.
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.
A note from David Bruns, Member of St. Paul’s Choir
Here is an upcoming concert you might enjoy. It’s at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert on Sunday, July 30th at 3:00 p.m. It is technically free, but there is a suggested donation of $20.00. There will be a reception following. This concert features operatic and theater music by American composers. I’ll be singing an aria, and a duet, from Douglas Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe. Joining me in the duet is the lovely local soprano, Melanie Pedro. Matthew Bishop Burn will also be featured. More details are in the flyer!
Join us!
David
“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
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 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
Altar flower sponsorships
Altar flower sponsorshipsFresh 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.
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.
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.
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 of the Province of Central Africa, The Most Reverend Albert Chama, Archbishop and Primate.
For the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado, The Right Reverend Kimberly Lucas, Bishop.
For the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, The Right Reverend Dr. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop; for the clergy and people of All Saints’, San Diego; for the children and teachers of All Saints’ Preschool.
For those commended to our prayers: 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., 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, 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: Beryl Parsons, Santina Iacono, Angelo DeWitt, Gene Mobley, Amy Shulman, Richard Hales, Spencer Cobleigh, Jerry Beach, Roy Cody, Joseph Robert Richter, Paul Ideker, James Hart, Candace Gervin.
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 24: Amelia Grinstead; July 25: Linda Futterer; July 26: Roy Seger, Ned Smith, Dale Winters, Jeffrey Coates, Charlene Langfur; July 27: Kristenza Hatch, David Smitherman; July 28: Lena Granet, Darrell Thomas; July 29: Furman Moseley, Tim Stein-Steel, Tony Ellerd.
For those celebrating anniversaries: July 24: Karen & Ron Shepherd; July 26: Diane & Charles Hines, Tom Lutgen & Johnny Miller; July 27: James Nindel & Brian Brodowsky; July 29: Shannon Ealy & Rosa Zingg.
For those for whom flowers have been donated: Today’s Altar Flowers are sponsored by Patty & Richard Kiker, in loving memory of Patty’s mother, Vallie McDougald, on the 100th anniversary of her birth.
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 July 30, 2023, The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost.
Upcoming Meetings & Events at St Paul’s
- Wednesday, August 2 – 4:30 – 5:30 PM – Social Justice Meeting – Library – (Note new meeting time.)
- Saturday, August 5 – Hiking Club trek – Oak Glen Preserve
- Sunday, August 6 – 9:30 AM – Transfiguration Sunday single service worship.
- Saturday, August 12 – 7:00 PM – Summer Concert Series – Robert York organ recital and reception.
- Sunday, August 27 – 1:00 PM – Vestry meeting – Library
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
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.
