Borrego Springs, California February 2015 Volume 18 Issue 2 The Seasons It is the height of The Season in Borrego Springs when our calendars are so full of delightful activities that we can hardly catch a breath. Yet, in the middle of all of this delightful activity, we begin the Liturgical Season of Lent, which is a time of self-reflection and to acknowledge our need for God s forgiveness and mercy. That juxtaposition of seasons is like zooming down a bobsled run while trying to do contemplative prayer! This is the time of year when so many of our friends return to the desert to enjoy our wonderful weather to play and enjoy each other and participate in the numerous athletic activities, art classes, concerts, social events, performing arts, fund raisers, etc. that are all packed into these few months. It is wonderful, we look forward to it, and we fill up our dance cards. We love it, but we can overextend ourselves, and it can be exhausting! This is also the time in the church year, leading up to Easter, in which we are invited to a Holy Lent to make and take the time to reflect on our attitudes, our choices, and our behaviors that strain and fracture our relationships with God and with each other. How do we engage in both? Can we? The journey through Lent is also a return to the desert. It is a journey of laying ourselves open to Christ and intentionally inviting him to reveal our lives to us in honest introspection. It is solemn but it does not have to be mournful. It offers the joy of opening our minds and our hearts to His loving gaze; it offers the joy of walking with Him in our thoughts and in our actions, and letting Him heal what is hurting and mend what is broken. (Continued page 2)
(Continued from page 1) Can we do that in the midst of our active lives? I believe that we can. We can be active but we do not have to expend ourselves to exhaustion. We can begin our days with a few minutes of quiet time with Jesus have your morning coffee with Him and invite Him into the rest of your day. Ask Him to be your constant companion through out your day to share your thoughts and help you with the choices you make about what to do and how to do it. He will show you yourself through His eyes, He will open the petals of your heart with His compassion. He will comfort you in your sorrows and salve your hurts. He will help you to mend relationships that you have stressed and torn. Jesus is the companion that seeks nothing but your good and wholeness. Can we make time for Him and take time with Him? I think we can. And He will delight in sharing both the Borrego Season and the Lenten Season with you. Blessed Seasons, Laura+ O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly ask you for all sorts and conditions of men; that you would be pleased to make your ways known to them, your saving health to all nations. More especially we pray for your holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by your good spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of PARISHIONERS HONORED If you haven t received the latest newsletter of the Anza-Borrego Foundation, Desert Update, be sure to stop in to the Visitors Center or the State Park Store in the Mall and pick one up. In it you ll find a very nice article about two of our fellow St Barnabas people, Ruth and David Otis. As we all know, this busy couple have been volunteers at the Park for many years. Their dedication and service are finally recognized in this interesting interview. Makes us all proud to call them friends, although we ve known for years what wonderful people they are. Congratulations, Ruth and David! Shirley Vialpando OPEN SKY DEVOTIONS Want an earlier start to your Sunday so you can get out and hike? We are now offering Morning Prayer service at Palm Canyon Trail Head - Pupfish Pond Service Begins at 7:30 AM St Barnabas Prayer List peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; especially those for whom our prayers are desired; that it may please you to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we ask for Jesus Christ s sake. Amen BCP pg. #815 We pray especially for Our Men and Women in uniform, Tootie Hatch, Richard & Nancy Bye, Kurt Levins, Paul Carroll, Jim Carroll, Jacob Thompson, Kay Sharkey, Ann Easley, Laureana Easley, Leila Easley, Austin Woodruff, Jean Smith, David Born, Rhoda Riddell, Verna Robinson, Wendy Christy, AnnMarie Tidwell, Michael, Barbara Scott, Judy Dehler, Kay Sharkey, Gary Westover, Bea Miller, Willy Johnson, Bob Keller, Marge Kerr, Ralph Dunlop, Ann White, Barbara Matson & Carol Sargent.
PAINTING ST BARNABAS What a wonderful surprise to drive by St. Barnabas and see painters with their easels all around the church building and grounds. I was so excited that I pulled into the drive, jumped out of my car, and started exclaiming how happy I was that people were painting St. Barnabas (especially because most painters choose St. Richards as their subjects). I was so happy, I was practically dancing with delight, and I welcomed them most effusively. ty s husband Howard, a renowned oil painter, gave his painting to St. Barnabas! It just shimmers in the sunlight; come and see it. Also Beth Hart is framing her watercolor of St. Barnabas for us. I asked the painters if they would let me purchase the right to take photos of their paintings and use them to make cards. They very graciously let me do it for our use at no charge. They expressed what a lovely experience it was for them to spend the day painting at St. Barnabas; I hope they will do it again. It was a joy for me. And those of you who have heard me complain that no one paints St. Barnabas will never hear me do it again! It turns out that it was a class offered by Betty Carr, a nationally famous watercolor painter. They specifically chose to paint St. Barnabas because our church has so many beautiful and interesting viewing perspectives. They spent most of the day here, and as the day went on, I stopped back to see their progress. Bet- Laura+ Carillon Page 3
Women of St Barnabas We were back at our former meeting place, the Parish Hall, for the January WOSB potluck luncheon. Apparently no one was ready to host the event so soon after the holidays, including yours truly! Anyway, we had a decent turnout, good food, and creative ideas from new and returning members. Joya Hoyt was happily welcomed back from her summer in the east, and presented an inspiring briefing on her plans for Outside the Box events in the coming months. Projects will include completion of the pants assignment by the sewing class and expansion of music offerings. Sherry Harapat suggested a musical theater, and those present were enthusiastic about the idea. The group went on to discuss plans for a baby shower for Leila Easley, which we tentatively agreed to schedule it for March 1 (later moved to February 22) after church in the Parish Hall. We agreed to talk to the Men of St. Barnabas about participating with gifts for Austin, and to ask the proud parents-to-be about any particular wants or needs. Our next meeting will be February 10, noon, at Tina Davis s home, 3068 Broken Arrow Rd. The cross street is Riata. They are three doors from Tilting T, towards town. Please come, with your good food, favorite beverage, and creative ideas! Wendy Quinn TWELFTH NIGHT As usual, this year s Twelfth Night party was a big success. At last count the attendance was approaching 40, and folks were still arriving. Laura+ and Lyle hosted the event in their lovely home; Dick Helvig, Dave Otis and Haddon Salt provided beautiful music; and delicious food was available thanks to all who contributed. It was a great opportunity to become better acquainted with February Holy Happy Hour Hosts fellow parishioners and to meet some new friends neighbors of the Brechts and guests of church members. If you were there, you know what fun it was. If not, mark your calendar now for next year. It s an event not to be missed! Wendy Quinn Lectors Schedule for February February 1 - Lynnis Wilderson & Jan Naragon February 1 - Martha Mitchell & Fred Jee February 8 - Cal & Trent Hoskins-Kleinkopf February 8 - Jan Naragon & Joe Dawson February 15 - Maggie Beckwith & Kathleen K February 15 - Chuck Bennett & Cal H-K February 22 - Sherry Harapat & Ruth Otis February 18 - Ann Nourse & Lyle Brecht February 22 - Joanne McLean & Haddon Salt
DECEMBER 2014 FINANCIAL UPDATE Parishioners have asked to be kept better informed as to the finances of the church. In an attempt to do that The Finance Committee will be including each month in the Carillon the latest numbers that will give you an idea of how the church finances are doing over the course of the year. Budget for FY 2014 Expected Pledges $81,670.00 Expected Open Plate $9,500.00 Total Expected Income $91,170.00 Total Budgeted Expenditures $116,433.00 Expected Shortfall for FY14 -$25,263.00 Actuals through December Pledges Received $85,780.00 Open Plate Received $18,428.30 Interest from Growth Fund 5,942.14 Current Total Income $110,150.44 Current Position for FY14 Total Expenditures $110,150.44 Current Total Income $110,150.44 Current Position for FY14 Balanced! St. Barnabas Monthly Income FY 14 vs. FY 13
It s come upon us a bit early this year, so don t be surprised when you begin to hear talk of Lenten studies, repentance, Good Friday and Easter. Yes, Wednesday, February 18 th, is Ash Wednesday. Seems like only a few weeks ago we were making those crosses from palm fronds for Palm Sunday. Tracey Alexander will probably be calling on us anew to come help him with that project. Be sure to answer his call if you possibly can. It s always fun to learn a new craft, especially with a group of friends. LENT IS UPON US Lenten studies through a weekly series of classes. We remove or cover all religious artifacts in black cloth during Holy Week. In the olden days, and in some countries up to present time, this was done for the entire 40 days and the cloth was always a royal purple. We still honor Holy Thursday with ritual foot -washing and the stripping of the Altar. Good Friday is observed as the somber, penitential rite that it must be in order to even try to understand the sacrifice the Father made for each of us. I took the time to look up some of the history of Lent in Wikipedia and discovered some interesting information. For instance, did you know that in the early Church, the entire 40 days was strictly set aside for the intense training of people who wanted to become communicants in this new Christian religion? They were expected to devote themselves solely to prayer, penance and repentance. This required the three disciplines of alms-giving, atonement and self-denial. In those days, it wasn t easy to become a Christian. Nowadays the process isn t quite so onerous, but we do still observe the basic rituals for making a Holy Lent. We try to devote ourselves to special In a brief aside, I discovered that the Thursday before the beginning of Lent is the one day of the year that our Christian brothers and sisters in Syria and Lebanon allow themselves to celebrate with alcoholic beverages. Guess that s their version of Mardi Gras! So, now you know. Lent and Easter are a bit early this year. Doesn t really matter, though. We all know that here at St Barnabas it will be a holy and glorious time, just as it is every year. Please plan to join us for a Holy Triduum! Shirley Vialpando Sunday, January 11, was a bright, sunny day as befits the day when we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Here at St Barnabas, we were honored to also celebrate the baptism of one of our own, an event relatively rare in our mostly graying congregation, thus an occasion to be joyously celebrated. Miss Regina Elvlee Zuniga received the Rite of Baptism and Consecration into the Episcopal Church with our own Reverend HOLY BAPTISM Laura doing the honors. The beautiful Regina, at the advanced age of 2 months, was most proper and well-behaved, protesting only slightly at the sensation of cold water on her well-coifed head. She brought with her not only her loving parents and doting Grandmother, but a fairly large coterie of her extended Borrego family, which filled the church to near capacity. Shirley Vialpando
2015 ANNUAL MEETING In what will probably go down in history as the briefest Annual Meeting ever, Laura+ led the parish through a review of the past year on Sunday, January 18 th. The Minutes of the 2014 meeting were approved with the requisite motion and second. Reports of the several parish organizations and service groups were distributed. Laura then introduced the newest members of the Vestry: Sherry Harapat, Diane Hydoski & Tracey Alexander. Those going off Vestry were recognized and presented with copies of Scripture Between the Lines, which is the book being studied by the group which meets with Laura+ Wednesday mornings at 10 AM. They were Kathleen Killman, Sue Salt, and Mac MacDonald. Bonnie Walker, Parish Treasurer, then gave a short review of the financial report and the Budget for 2015. The biggest and best news of her report was that we ended 2014 with a balanced Budget! Delegates to Diocesan Convention in 2016 are Jan Naragon and Wendy Quinn. The alternate delegates are Jan Jones and Sue Salt. All that and we were only 15 minutes late to coffee hour! You may obtain copies of year end financials and committee reports from Trent in the office. Shirley Vialpando HAPPY HOUR HYMNS! The music team would like to start a new get together with fun and music for everyone! Beginning February 18th, that s Ash Wednesday, we will meet at The Palms At Indian Head. We will gather in the open room at the Palms where the piano is located to sing all of our favorite hymns while we have a beer or glass of wine and perhaps some snacks. This will take place beginning at 5:30pm. That should give you all a chance to attend the Ash Wednesday service at 4:00pm and then join us for a sing-along. Dick Helvig will play the piano for us. There will be hymnals. You can request any of your favorite hymns and we will all sing along. Plan to join us for this new and exciting event! Trent C. Hoskins-Kleinkopf Pledges in dollars for 2015 $63,275.00 Budget for 2015 $109.049.00 Number of People Pledging for 2015 38 Deficit for 2015 as of 1-5-15 42% You may make a pledge at anytime during the year.
FEBRUARY OPEN SKY DEVOTIONS @ 7:30AM Palm Canyon Trail Head SUNDAY HOLY EUCHARIST @ 9:30AM FOOD BANK February 13th @ NOON Volunteers are always needed so come early to help with food distribution! THIS MONTH THE FOOD BANK IS ON A FRIDAY DUE TO A HOLIDAY! THANKS, YOU ARE AWESOME! St. Barnabas Carillon Editing and Design: Trent Hoskins-Kleinkopf stbarnabasborrego@gmail.com (760) 767-4038 Production: Carol Sargent & Trent Hoskins-Kleinkopf Newsletter Committee: Trent Hoskins-Kleinkopf, Wendy Quinn & Shirley Vialpando Editor Emeritus: Lynnis Wilderson St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 2680 Country Club Road P.O. Box 691 Borrego Springs, CA 92004-0691 Church office: 760-767-4038 Website: http://www.stbarnabasborrego.org