Abundant Life — August 20, 2026

Interfaith Dialogue:
Learning to Listen Together

One of the great gifts of life at St. Paul in the Desert is the opportunity to learn from people whose faith traditions and life experiences are different from our own. At its best, interfaith dialogue invites us to listen deeply, ask honest questions, encounter our differences without fear, and allow our understanding of our own faith to be enriched by the faith of another.

This Sunday, we welcome Rabbi David Lazar as our guest preacher. Rabbi Lazar is the rabbi of
Or Hamidbar, a progressive Jewish synagogue here in Palm Springs, and a valued partner in our parish’s growing commitment to interfaith engagement.

Born in Los Angeles, Rabbi Lazar has lived and practiced across a wide spectrum of Jewish observance. He moved to Israel as a young man, studied for the rabbinate while serving in the IDF Armor Corps, and was ordained by the Schechter Institute in 1993. He has led congregations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Stockholm, and Palm Springs. He and his wife, Sascha, have five grown daughters and three grandchildren.

Rabbi Lazar has also been a pioneer in LGBTQ+ advocacy, performing the first gay wedding in Israel in 2001, years before same-sex marriage became legal there. His nonprofit work has included the Israel AIDS Task Force, the Jerusalem Open House, and the Rabbinical Assembly. Throughout his ministry, he has championed inclusive Jewish practice and interfaith dialogue.

Many of you know Rabbi Lazar through the Interfaith Bible Study he regularly co-leads here at St. Paul. Together we have explored Jonah, Micah, Ruth, the Elijah and Elisha narratives, and The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently. Our next study will happen later in the Fall on the New Testament Letter of James—the first time our shared study has focused on a book from the Christian Bible. While our previous studies of the Hebrew Bible have included references to the Christian New Testament, this is the first time we are looking at a New Testament book in its entirety. Stay tuned for more details on dates and times for this exciting next chapter in our sacred text dialogue.

Our interfaith work extends beyond Bible study. A group of local clergy meets monthly to share the joys and challenges of pastoral ministry and congregational leadership while also planning worship, vigils, and community outreach. This week, we were pleased to welcome Imam Osama Ahmed of the Islamic Society of Palm Springs, based in Coachella, to the group for the first time. In a world that is incredibly divided, hope is found in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity sharing a meal around the table, talking about faith.

Another exciting example is Faith 250, a multifaith conversation about the foundational texts and ideas that have shaped American life. Since late May, the Palm Springs cluster has rotated among local congregations, bringing together Jewish, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Baptist, Episcopal, Buddhist, Presbyterian, Unitarian Universalist, and unaffiliated participants.

The conversations have been thoughtful, candid, and sometimes challenging. Participants have explored the Declaration of Independence alongside 1 Samuel, the Sermon on the Mount alongside The New Colossus, and the history of American immigration alongside the biblical command to welcome the stranger. They have reflected on their own family histories, considered who was—and was not—imagined in our nation’s founding documents, and explored what it means to practice democracy as both a civic and spiritual responsibility. St. Paul in the Desert has been hosting the final iteration of this series over four Sundays in August.

Participants have found the experience deeply meaningful. David Norgard described Faith 250 as an interfaith series that encouraged participants to think theologically about our country’s history. Jerry DiNoto said it inspired him “to continue speaking truth of who we are and who we are called to be.” Rob Picciotto shared that the class deepened his understanding of “the foundations of and intersections between the Jewish and Christian faiths.”

This Sunday is the final week of the current Faith 250 series, focusing on Indigenous rights. It is not too late to join us between the 8:00AM and 10:30AM services at 9AM in the Saguaro Room.
Our interfaith work also reminds us that faith communities have an important role to play when our wider community is hurting. On Wednesday, October 7, at 6:00 p.m., the Faith in Diversity Coalition of Palm Springs faith communities, in partnership with J Street, will host a screening of Holding Liat at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. The documentary follows the family of Liat Atzili, who was taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attack on her kibbutz, offering an intimate look at love, resilience, and the personal toll of conflict.

Interfaith dialogue does not require that we agree about everything. It asks us to remain in relationship—to listen before responding, to become curious rather than defensive, and to recognize the humanity of people whose experiences and conclusions may differ from our own.

That is the kind of community we hope to be at St. Paul in the Desert: a place where faith is not a reason to retreat from one another, but an invitation to encounter one another more deeply. We are grateful for Rabbi Lazar and for all our interfaith partners who help us practice that way of being together, the way of love.