Perspective. It’s what the photo-
grapher sees through his viewfind-er and it’s what the artist senses to portray when they paint a picture.
It’s your view on your world -- the angle from which you are looking. Our education, culture, age, religion, and geography can affect it.
I’ve been thinking about perspective since we celebrated Easter and the resurrection of our savior Jesus Christ.
Sometimes this question of perspective is oversimplified to be - Are you a glass half-full or glass half-empty person? These oversimplifications tend to be inaccurate.
What is your perspective on your faith? What is your perspective on Desert Chapel?
The weather is getting hotter and the days are getting longer. Our friends and family who live up north have started the journey back home. We pray for their safe travels and we will miss them while they are gone then rejoice when they return. Are we feeling sad with their absence?
When I first got here last July - - a well-intentioned parishioner said “We are a loving but dying church.” I hope that perspective has changed. My perspective is that
we are a loving and growing church that has emerged from the shadows of the pandemic.

Apache Junction is adding new homes and subdivisions as we speak, with at least 25,000 new homes planned in the next two years. How do we welcome them with “open doors, open hearts and open minds?
Our faith community is serving food and providing clothing to the needy every Saturday. Our attendance numbers have been steady and increasing, and we see fresh faces in the pews as you’ve invited your neighbors and your friends and people down the street.
Peggy will graciously offer a laity-led Bible study on
Philippians during the week (thanks, Peggy!). Thanks to faithful donations and giving, we have new air-conditioning on the way and a new soundboard. My view is -- the sun is rising over Desert Chapel with exciting opportunities on the horizon. It’s our turn to pray fully decide what we do with those opportunities. We, all of us— everyone at Desert Chapel.
Soon we will have not only an air-conditioned and beautifully cleaned Narthex, but also Room 2 will be cleaned and ready for use. Would you consider leading a bible study for a few weeks? We extend the love of Christ with many hands and perspectives.
We’ve also begun conversations about taking communion to those who are homebound or hospital bound -- and look to build a small congregational care team. We are deeply grateful to Iris, Terry, Dave and Nancy for reinvigorating our office and making it alive and buzzing during the work-day as we organize, clean and present a friendly open door to the public during the week.
We are traveling from Easter to Pentecost; we are moving from the resurrection to a time when the Holy Spirit descended upon all of us to send us out to the world. It is that time where we consider the resurrection of our own and inner spirit and what we are called to do. Let us open our hearts to a new perspective -- a view of hope and opportunity and light.