The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Field Notes

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Sunday Worship

November 10, 2024

The Feast of St. Martin, Bishop of Tours

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (spoken)

In person

10:30 a.m. Choral Holy Eucharist

Featuring music from the Choir, Choristers, & Fairmount String Quartet,

as well as Godly Play for our children & youth.

In person and via livestream

(Godly Play in person only)

Please note: There will be no 9:00 a.m. service on Sunday.

A Note From Rev. Laura

It’s an understatement of great magnitude to say that this has been an extraordinary week.  

The celebration of Fauré’s Requiem last Friday evening was a stunning success and a soaring tribute to the transcendent power of music. The Requiem affirms that love is always more powerful than hate, more powerful than death. It is also where we meet God. 

The Polly Randall Award was presented to Gene and Charlie Dilks for their decades of service and faithfulness to our parish. The concert was the kick-off of celebrations for the 135th Anniversary of the church. 

On Sunday evening, we remembered those we love and see no more on All Souls’ Day. The service began in the Columbarium where votive candles flickered on every grave. Heaven and earth drew near.

A parishioner who has been at St. Martin’s for decades said the weekend services were one of the most deeply moving he had ever experienced in the church. I wholeheartedly agree.

Continue reading here.

Features

St. Martin's Day Celebration Brunch!

This Sunday following the 10:30 a.m. service

Hosted by the Stewardship Committee

Please join us this Sunday for brunch and fellowship in the Parish Hall to celebrate the feast of our patron saint on St. Martin’s Day! It’s become a wonderful tradition for the Stewardship Committee to host this annual parish celebration as a key part of the Annual Giving Campaign. This year, we’ll be welcoming our new Priest Associate of Children, Youth and Families, The Rev. Luke Selles, to share an update on exciting CYF plans in the works.  

If you’ve submitted your 2025 Annual Giving pledge, we thank you! If not, please consider submitting your pledge online here or bringing your pledge to church on Sunday and putting it in the plate. An announcement will be made on Sunday, tallying all 2025 Annual Giving pledges to date and sharing news of upcoming Annual Giving events.

Looking forward to having you join us on Sunday!

Guatemala Tapestry Raffle and St. Martin’s Day Craft Sale

This Sunday, Nov. 10th

The Guatemala Companion Parish Committee will be holding the annual Guatemala Craft Sale as a part of our St. Martin’s Day celebrations. Come and join us in the Houston Room to do some shopping for Christmas. Proceeds support projects in Guatemala and committee activities. To promote our sale and increase parish interest we will once again be holding a raffle for a chance to win a beautiful handmade tapestry. Raffle tickets will be sold this Sunday, Nov. 10th. Tickets will be 1 ticket for $1 and 6 tickets for $5 with the raffle drawing taking place on St. Martin’s Day at the end of the Guatemala Craft Sale. Please support these fundraising efforts that help us support our companion parishes in the western highlands of Guatemala.

Sign Up to Host Or Attend An Advent Dinner!

Sunday, December 8th at 6:00 p.m.

Please register by Friday, November 22nd.

St. Martin’s has a tradition early in Advent to attend a beautiful Advent Lessons and Carols service (Dec. 8th, 5:00 p.m.) with candle light and then disperse to one another’s homes for a simple supper to celebrate our church family. These small group meals help us better understand and appreciate who we are as a community as we journey through the reflective season of Advent. Click here to sign up to host or attend a dinner!

A Note for Families: If you would like to attend our second annual CYF Advent Dinner (6 p.m. in the Houston Room) please email Rev. Luke at lselles@stmartinec.org. If your family prefers to attend or host a parishioner-led dinner, sign up via the link above.

Next Week's Adult Forum

Wednesday, Nov. 13th

"Annual Giving – Why Pledge? Why Now?"   

Led by the Stewardship Committee

Parish House or via Zoom here

Passcode: 074688

This year’s campaign theme, “Let’s Light the Way Home!”, reflects the sense of promise, hope and urgency energizing our fundraising efforts. By sharing information about the plans being developed, we’re confident we can meet our goal of raising $650,000 in pledge giving. Come join the Stewardship Committee at this week's Adult Forum to learn more!

Please also mark your calendar for the next Coffee & Conversation session with the Stewardship Committee, which will take place next Sunday, Nov. 17th, at 10:00 a.m. in the Houston Room.

Sermon Transcript

The Rev. Luke Selles

Nov. 3, 2024: The 24th Sunday After Pentecost (morning services)

"'Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one; you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than this.”

In our Gospel passage today, Jesus is speaking with the Sadducees, the high priestly class, when a scribe approaches him with a question: which of the commandments is greatest? Jesus answers with the line from Deuteronomy Ch. 6 often referred to as the “Shema” – “Hear” or “Listen” in Ancient Hebrew. Continue reading here.

Sermon Transcript

The Rev. Laura Palmer

November 3, 2024: The Feast of All Souls (5:00 p.m. service)

Jesus Began To Weep

Is there a more tender, more human moment in scripture than the words, “Jesus began to weep?” Confronting the finality of death at the cold hard reality of the tomb, Jesus breaks down and cries.

His dear friend, Lazarus, has been dead and in the tomb for four days. Jesus waited for two days before coming to him after hearing he was sick. His heartbroken sisters, Mary and Martha, are angry, plagued by the “if onlys,” grief’s bitter sentries.

Mary kneels before Jesus in a reverence cloaked with pain: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Her tears and blame cut into him. Those who had come are also weeping and pointedly ask: Why did he wait for two days to come? Surely there had to be a way to prevent this and make it end differently.

“Take me to where you have laid him.” And there, it hits him. Jesus begins to weep. Continue reading here.

Children, Youth, & Families

No 9:00 a.m. Service This Sunday - But We'll Still Have Godly Play at 10:30 a.m.!

In place of the 9:00 a.m. service this week, Godly Play will be incorporated into our 10:30 a.m. Choral Eucharist for the Feast of St. Martin. The festive 10:30 a.m. service will also feature music from our very own Choristers children's choir, our adult choir, and our Resident-Ensemble, the Fairmount String Quartet. Plan to stay afterwards for a celebratory brunch beginning at noon, and don't forget to stop by the Guatemala Craft Fair in the Houston Room for some early Christmas shopping.

Save the Date: Greening Advent Wreath Making

Sun., Nov. 24th, 9:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Join St. Martin's Climate Action Team and CYF to craft your own Advent Wreaths on Sunday, November 24, from 9:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Drop in, reflect on Advent rituals, hear about sustainable Christmas practices, and make an Advent wreath over donuts and hot cider. Wreath-making materials will be provided, but, if you can, please BYOG (Bring Your Own Greens)* as well any leftover supplies (candle holders, wreath rings, etc.) from previous years’ wreath-making. Click here to learn more!

Fairmount String Quartet Presents: Legends

Saturday, Nov. 16th at 7:30 p.m.

Pay what you can admission

St. Martin's Ensemble-in-Residence, the Fairmount String Quartet, opens its 40th Anniversary season with "Legends", a program of music by Beethoven, Arvo Part, and Gabriella Lena Frank. Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 18, #6 is a familiar standard of the string quartet repertoire. Arvo Part's "Fratres" is an ethereal, meditative work invoking ideals of brotherhood - something we will all need post-election! Frank's "Leyendas: An Andean Journey" is a colorful work inspired by the idea of "mestizaje" where cultures can co-exist without the subjugation of one by the other. As such, she mixes western classical and Andean folk music traditions. A meet-the-artists reception follows the concert. The program will be repeated at the Wynnefield branch of Settlement Music School on Sunday, November 17th at 3:00 p.m.

Good News

Photos from All Souls' Day Columbarium Reception

Kate Knight, daughter of Columbarium namesake Mary Hare Taylor Knight

Take Action

Team Green Bean Canned Food Drive

St. James School is once again putting together Thanksgiving meal bags for those who might not otherwise be able to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner. The bags include a turkey and other fixings and will be given out shortly before Thanksgiving. Like last year, St. Martin's has been asked to be on Team Green Bean! Please consider purchasing a few cans of green beans to contribute to this effort - we are aiming for at least 250 cans of beans. In addition, St. James asks you to consider donating a $25 gift card to either ShopRite or Aldi. A card is placed in each meal bag for additional assistance. Please deliver your green beans by Nov. 15th to the bench in the Parish House foyer. For safekeeping, gift cards should be delivered to Noor Diskan, Director of Communications & Events.

Christian Climate Leadership Training

Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Joy in the City, 4455 N 6th St, Philadelphia, PA 19140 

Join members of St. Martin’s Climate Action Team in attending a Creation Care Leadership Training hosted by the Philadelphia Creation Care Fellowship. This training will be a deep dive into creation care and what it looks like across the Philadelphia area, the state of Pennsylvania, and the nation. You’ll also learn about what practical steps you can take to defend God’s creation. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Please register here by November 11th. For more information please email Allen Drew at AllenCWP12@gmail.com.

Coming Up

Spirituality of Aging

Next Wednesday, November 13th

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Houston Room and via Zoom

Spirituality of Aging is a conversation group bringing older adults together to share our stories, questions and insights about aging, in a supportive, congenial spirit. The group meets monthly, and is open to all who want to explore with others the experience of growing older (and, we hope, wiser). To RSVP, or for more information, please contact Elizabeth Morrison at elizabeth.donnell.morrison@gmail.com.

Wednesday Noon Eucharist

Mary Chapel

Wellspring Worship Reflections

After the 10:30 a.m. service

Houston Room