St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Celebrates 50 Years in Borrego Springs

The annual Easter Sunrise Service in Borrego Springs took place on Easter morning behind the United Methodist Church on Church Lane. Hosted by the Borrego Ministers Association, the outdoor service brought together local congregations, residents, and visitors for a shared Easter celebration at sunrise. Members of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church participated in the service as part of the Borrego Ministers Association. Annual Easter Sunrise Service in Borrego Springs The Easter Sunrise Service is a long-standing Borrego Springs tradition held each Easter morning behind the United Methodist Church and hosted by the Borrego Ministers Association. St. Barnabas Took Part in the Service Members of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church participated in the service alongside others from the Borrego Ministers Association and the community. A Community Gathering at Sunrise Residents and visitors gathered early, bringing chairs and dressing for the cool desert morning. The annual service continues to reflect community participation and cooperation among local churches in Borrego Springs. Easter Message from St. Barnabas  “Christ is risen. Indeed he is risen. Happy Easter from the priests and people of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. May you experience the new life and joy of the Risen Lord.” Fathers David Madsen and Michael Plekon

A low-cost spay and neuter clinic will take place on Monday, May 4, 2026, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.  Animal Action League will provide low-cost spay and neuter services for cats and dogs. Available services also include vaccinations and microchipping. These services help reduce unwanted litters while supporting the long-term health, safety, and identification of pets in the Borrego Springs area. To make an appointment, call the Animal Action League office at (760) 366-1100 for English or (760) 366-1105 for Spanish. Location: St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.

A community Fasola (shape-note) sing was held March 29 at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Borrego Springs. Singers gathered in the church, where the acoustics supported unaccompanied group singing. Shape-note singing, also known as Sacred Harp, is a participatory a cappella tradition. Singers sit or stand in a hollow square by vocal part, and songs are led one at a time by participants from the group. Music is sung first on the syllables fa, sol, la, mi, then with lyrics. The March 29 sing followed standard practice. Attendees brought tunebooks and called songs by page number. Leaders stood in the center to set tempo and conduct. No instruments were used. The group included both experienced singers and newcomers. The format allowed anyone present to join, regardless of musical background. Reach out if you are interested in attending the next event!

Most Christians, except for the Eastern Orthodox, will celebrate Easter on April 5 this year. For an increasing number, Easter has to do with chocolate or real rabbits, an Easter egg hunt, maybe even dyeing of eggs—but why? Easter is the feast of the Christian year, bigger than Christmas, because without the raising of Jesus from death what would be the point of Christmas? As I say that, I remember that Christmas is about gifts, trees. Lights, family and feasting. Oh yes and the baby Jesus. Again today, many would ask in all honesty, what’s so important about a baby’s birth over 2000 years ago. Easter is an old English name for the spring goddess. It is the result of those who brought Christianity to what is now England wanting to use the language and culture of that place. UK. In many languages, the word for Easter is one or another variation of Pascha , which in turn is the Greek for Pesach or Passover, the great Jewish festival of the passing over from slavery and death under the Egyptians to freedom and new life. God did all this, so the first Christians continued the name for Jesus’ passing over from death to life. But then as now, the Easter experience starts with Jesus and extends to all of us. The icon or image of the Resurrection, called the “harrowing of hell” in earlier times, shows Jesus leading Adam and Eve and all their children—you and me—out of the realm of death to new life forever with God. This we confess each Sunday, in the Creed, in the eucharistic prayer and in taking the bread and cup of the Eucharist—the bread of life and cup of salvation. Perhaps more than any other feature of Jesus’ good news it was this promise and gift of life always with God, new life, that attracted so many in the ancient world. What about now, today? Other religious traditions such as Judaism and Islam also revere one God and believe that God wants us to be with him, and with each other, past death. It is a deep, basic yearning in the human heart. Death is certain, like taxes, right? And aging, and illness. Yet we don’t throw the gift of life, of love and family and friends, of learning and celebrating away just because there is an end for each of us. Too bad if you doomscroll your days and nights away. Is it not better to at least wager a belief that God will stick to his promise. The new archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullaly, said this in her sermon as she was installed on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25. God always has something new to offer us, God is full of surprises. Just as the teenage girl Mary of Nazareth, despite fear and panic at God’s messenger Gabriel and the news that she would have a son who would save the world—that’s some news!—Mary held on to the faith, the trust that God would make good on his promises. Mary was there and asked her son to help out the host family when the wine ran out at a wedding in Cana. She followed him around Palestine as he healed and taught and gathered his friends to have a meal every night—where our Eucharist comes from. She was strong enough, though breaking apart inside, to see him suffer and die on the cross. But also be one of the women who came to the tomb only to find it empty. Tradition says Jesus first appeared to her when he was raised. He was in the end a good son!  Against what their eyes and ears told them, Jesus’ mother and friends saw that he kept his promise to be with them, to always live with them. This is the heart of Easter. Not a magic trick of a dead body being revived. Rather Easter is the hope that God has that we all live forever with him and with each other. No matter how bad the news around us, no matter how disappointing our political leaders may be. No matter the sad things we all have to face—sickness and loss—in family and friends, God said he would always be with us, as one of us. Christ is risen!

A historic moment for the Church of England as Sarah Mullally is installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, the first woman to serve in the role

In Loving Memory of Jan Jones Jan Jones was a longtime member of St. Barnabas and a dedicated presence in the Borrego community. As chief nurse practitioner at Borrego Clinic for many years, she cared for countless individuals, examining, diagnosing, and guiding them toward healing. She was truly a healer. Jan also shared her gifts within the church, singing in the choir and serving on the vestry. Even as her own health declined, she continued to care for others, including Wendy Quinn during her illness. We remember Jan for her warm smile, gentle humor, gracious spirit, and deep care for those around her. A memorial service will be scheduled and shared soon. May the Lord receive her into the communion of saints, and may her memory be eternal.

Palm Sunday Palm Sunday recalls the joyful parade of Jesus, seated on a donkey, into Jerusalem. This was a way of celebrating great warriors, heroes, leaders and when people shouted out Hosanna or hurray to the Son of David, Jesus, they were doing just that. It was also part of the celebration to wave branches of palm trees, flowers, perhaps even throw down clothing as a sign of regard for the one being welcomed. What a contrast this scene is to the Jesus who will do a servant’s work of washing feet at table, to the battered remnant of a man pushed along the road to be crucified. For a moment it seems Jesus is welcomed and loved by the people. So today we received palm branches that are blessed and hold them up as the gospel is read.

Margaret Liggett March 1939 – February 2026 Margaret Liggett died in February 2026. She was born on March 18, 1939, in Colorado and was recognized as gifted from an early age. After high school, Margaret entered the Community of St. Mary, the oldest Episcopal order of sisters. Following university, she taught at the women’s preparatory school run by the order and later served as School Head, as well as both a local and regional superior. After leaving religious life, Margaret’s administrative and technical talents led her to work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and later in information technology at Digital Wizards in San Diego. For many years, Margaret was a devoted member of the community at St. Barnabas. She served as senior warden and office administrator, and much of parish life passed through her hands. She edited the Carillon, managed stewardship campaigns, maintained membership and email lists, organized continuing education, and helped keep parish life running smoothly. Margaret was present at potlucks, parish meetings, celebrations, and the quiet, ongoing work that holds a church together. At her memorial, those who spoke made clear just how deeply her life was woven into St. Barnabas. It was said that she loved worship, loved Sunday services, and that it was fitting to remember her there, in the church that had become so much a part of her life. She was also honored for the many ways she served God and the church over the years. Among those present was the Reverend Canon Gwen Lynch, Canon to the Ordinary in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, who shared Bishop Susan’s prayers of thanksgiving for Margaret’s life and faithful service.  Clergy and parish leaders including the Rev. Dave Madsen (Rector), the Rev. Michael Plekon, Louise Jee, and Jan Naragon were part of the service, along with multiple friends and family members who joined by Zoom. Margaret lived for a number of years with her companion, Mary Pickering, in Mission Bay and was active in litigation with the City of San Diego over eminent domain actions affecting their mobile home park. Later she moved to Borrego Springs intending a quieter life of reading, contemplation, and prayer. Instead, she quickly became deeply involved in parish life and soon became closely identified with the St. Barnabas community. Those who knew Margaret remember not only her intellect and faith, but also her wit and humor. At her service, one speaker described her as “a giant figure in a frail body,” while another recalled her as a person with “an incredible sense of lightness about everything, including God.” She was remembered as stoic on the outside, but with a deeply humorous heart. Others shared memories that widened the picture of her life. One recalled Margaret’s childhood on a farm outside Rifle, Colorado, where she and her sister rode horses into the hills after finishing their chores. Another remembered hearing, before ever arriving in Borrego Springs, that Margaret was the finest tutor someone at St. Mark’s had ever known. Speakers also noted her scientific accomplishments, including published work and dedicated service with the Paleo Society, where she was praised for her vigor, intelligence, loyalty, and care for others. One story shared at the service captured Margaret especially well. In a local comedy performance, she made her way across the stage with perfect comic timing, declaring herself “as swift as a gazelle,” then adding, “an old one,” “with arthritis,” and “run over by a Land Rover/” "A week ago" It was a moment people still remembered, and it reflected the good sport and sharp humor that stayed with her through difficult years. In the last couple of years, her health declined, and she moved to a care facility in San Marcos. Even as her body grew weaker, those around her continued to speak of her strength, loyalty, intelligence, and faithful presence. Margaret’s life was marked by faithful service, friendship, intelligence, and humor. She was a true servant of Jesus and a steadfast friend to many. She is survived by many family members, friends, and parishioners whose lives she touched.

Mark 11:1-11 Jesus liked to tell parables It seemed to him a good way to get a message across. People relate to something that is recognizable in their context, relevant to the marketplace; relevant to the work places they are familiar with; the culture and time in which they live. Parables are a good way to share a message. Everybody loves a good story, and everybody loves to hear a good story from a good storyteller. So, after Jesus tells them a story, a parable to the crowd, he goes on ahead to Jerusalem, and we are told that when he comes near Bethpage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sends two of his disciples ahead of him saying, “Go into the village and you find tied there a donkey colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here, and if anyone asks you why and for what reason you are doing this, simply say this: “The Lord needs it!” So, as they follow the errand Jesus sent them on, they are questioned, and asked: “Why are you untying this colt”? They reply with these words: “The Lord needs it”! You know, don’t you wish that everything was that easy in ministry; when the Lord tells you to do something, and you go and do it and someone says: “Why are you doing this father Dave? Or why are you doing this Father Michael? Or why are you using this song in the worship service Music Naomi? Wouldn’t be wonderful if all we had to say was Jesus told me to, and besides that, the Lord needs it. “The Lord needs it”! That really should be enough for everybody right? You know it doesn’t always work out that way, does it? It seemed to work out really good for Jesus in this story, but then again you and I are not the Messiah that is going to ride into Jerusalem on a back of a colt that has never been ridden. One thing that we miss in this passage, unless you understand colts and mules, you just don’t hop on a colt that has never been ridden. I really don’t know anything about training donkey colts for riding. I was doing some reading about mule and donkey trainers and training one for riding can be complicated, different than a horse, and maybe easier than a horse because of temperament, but will take considerable time and talent to train properly. Was Jesus an experienced rider? Trainers say that you cannot attend a three or four-day clinic and then start riding your colt the very next day. So, this is just as impressive as the way the colt that had never been ridden is acquired for Jesus. They bring the colt to Jesus, and after putting Jesus on the colt, He rides into Jerusalem as people throw their cloaks or what we would refer to now probably as jackets, sweaters or hoodies on the ground in front of Him. The multitude begins to praise God joyfully with a loud voice, saying: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven, glory in the highest”! “Jesus is coming into the city!” Our Lord is making His way into the heart of the city; into the heart of the kingdom of God established here on earth; into the heart of the church that is yet to be into the hearts of the lives of all of us.” Jesus is coming into the city! It is a time to wave the palms. Our Lord, our King, our Messiah, who is coming into the city is a time to rejoice. Let us rejoice and be glad of the coming of our Lord and Savior. In the tragic days that followed Palm Sunday, the soul-searching days, the triumphant days and the exuberant days of praise for Easter that is coming…New life! Fr. Dave+