Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields: Weekly Field Notes

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

Field Notes

For Pastoral Care

Call 215-247-7466 and leave a message. If you are experiencing a pastoral emergency text or call the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber at 845-527-9545 or the Rev. Laura Palmer at 267-418-0123.

Have you had an address, email, or phone number update?

Send us your update here.

Field Notes submission requests must be emailed by Tuesday at noon to ndiskan@stmartinec.org.

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Sunday Worship

August 24th, 2025

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

In Person

9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist for Children, Youth, and Families

In Person Under the Tent

10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music

In Person & via livestream here

Rector's Note

In the seven months since I started as your rector, there have been a lot of Buildings and Grounds happenings. This winter we needed to replace two boilers and a water heater. There were big planning costs for the large capital project we hope to start soon. This summer we have replaced select window A/C units and upgraded the fans that keep our desk volunteers cool. We got new computers for staff and volunteers who count our collections, to replace aging machines in pretty dire straights. Continue reading here.

Features

Ableism and Our Mental Health Crisis: Envisioning a New Garden

By The Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

Click here to read an article by Rev. Mary which was recently published in the Anglican Theological Review.

"Our mental health crisis includes rising levels of anxiety, opioid overdose, suicide rates, and growing loneliness. The reasons for our high levels of distress are complex, and we are divided in our assessment of the root causes and potential solutions. Fear and bias against people with mental illness hinder our ability to respond, and affected individuals’ ability to get help. This bias is part of a larger system of bias against the disabled, called ableism. The Garden of Eden story is read as an origin story of ableism. We cannot go back to the garden, to a pre-ableism world. We instead need to recognize others in their fullness, and see ableism where it is present in order to address it and move to greater inclusion and justice for people with mental health diagnoses."

Fall Retreat: Old Testament Stories

Trinity Retreat Center, West Cornwall, CT

Tuesday, Oct. 28th-Friday, Oct. 31st

Led by the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

Registration is now open for this year's fall retreat at Trinity Retreat Center in West Cornwall, Connecticut! Join us for time away for learning and prayer as we look at some of the big characters and big stories of the Bible, see how their stories are similar and different, and see how they interact with each other. We will use these observations to reflect on how we tell and retell our own stories. There will also be plenty of time to rest, read, and walk the retreat center grounds. Scholarship assistance is available. Click here for more information and here to register. Registration closes Sept. 21st.

A Quick Update On Our Parish’s Project To Resettle An Afghan Family of Seven

With school starting soon, our attention now shifts to purchasing uniforms and supplies for the family’s daughter, 14, who will be entering eighth grade, their young son, 8, who will begin fourth grade, and an 18-year-old son, who will enter senior year of high school. This is a particularly noteworthy moment for the daughter, who was only able to complete sixth grade in Afghanistan before the Taliban returned to power, and girls were not allowed to attend school. Continue reading here.

A Faithful Journey: Preparing for Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation

This fall, Mother Mary and Rev. Luke will offer a refresher course on Episcopal theology and practice. All seekers, age 12 and over, are welcome to join us between the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. service, from 9:30-10:15a.m., for five Sundays: Sep 21; Oct 5, 19, 26; and Nov 2. Everyone can join for one or all of these parish-wide sessions, with or without a desire to be confirmed/received. If you are interested in making a public confirmation or reaffirmation of your baptismal vows or being received into the Episcopal Church at the end of this course, please fill out this form and plan to attend all five parish-wide sessions as well as a final session on November 16th. Learn more about the classes here.

Children, Youth, and Families

In case you missed it...check out our Fall CYF newsletter here to learn about upcoming events, fill out our 9:00 a.m. worship service survey, and more!

Do you want to join our handbell ensemble?

Along with our Choir and Chorister programs, the Handbell Ensemble of St. Martin's begins rehearsals on September 18th at 6 p.m.! Led by Wendy Leaver, the group rehearses for 45 minutes each Thursday and will perform through the year at some Feast Days and other services/events. Potential ringers should be familiar with music notation. Please contact me at twhiting@stmartinec.org and/or Wendy at braidedset@gmail.com.

Campanas Domino pulsate!

— Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts

Upcoming Events

As we approach the beginning of the program year, I am delighted to share two event highlights in the first month!

On September 14, the day the Choir and Choristers return to their weekly ministry, Nigel Law will perform a wonderful program of works for piano at 5 p.m. that afternoon. All are welcome. A freewill offering will support the Music & Arts ministries at St. Martin’s.

On October 5, the Choir of St. Martin’s will journey downtown to Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral to sing Choral Evensong with some wonderful music by Parker Kitterman, Erik Meyer, C. V. Stanford, and Ireland. Invite your friends and come and hear the choir in a different beautiful sacred space!

We have a host of exciting plans in our Music & Arts Ministries and details of the full year will be available soon including an exciting summer project!

-Tyrone Whiting,

Director of Music and Arts

Nigel Law Piano Recital

September 11th at 5:00 p.m.

Choral Evensong at

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral

October 5th at 4:00 p.m.

The Beauty of Holiness

October 19th

3:15 p.m. Exploring St. Martin's Stained Glass - hosted by Wellspring

5:00 p.m. Choral Evensong

Take Action

Volunteer Opportunity for ICE Watch

The New Sanctuary Movement (NSM) has scheduled a training for volunteers who would like to join a neighborhood ICE Watch team. There are teams for different neighborhoods of Philadelphia, including one for Northwest Philadelphia including Germantown, Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy. Volunteers are on call to respond to sightings of ICE agents in their area by driving to the scene, witnessing and recording any arrests, and relaying that information back to the NSM office.

The training, which is conducted by ministers and NSM staff, will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27. Although the training will be held in Northeast Philadelphia, participants can sign up for ICE Watch in Northwest Philadelphia after they complete the training.

For more information contact St. Martin’s parishioner Huntly Collins at huntlycollins@att.net, who does Ice Watch, or to clergy who coordinate the watch in our neighborhood: Rabbi Linda Holtzman at rabbilinda18@gmail.com, or Rev. Jay Bergen at jay@germantownmennonite.org. If you are interested, you must register in advance here.

Shut Down Moshannon Protest

Sunday August 24th

Should the largest immigrant detention center in the Northeast be shut down because of human rights abuses? If you say yes, St. Martin’s Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Ministry invites you to consider joining other Philadelphia-area residents in a bus caravan to Philipsburg, PA on Sunday, Aug. 24 to call for the closure of the nearby Moshannon Valley Processing Center where a Chinese immigrant awaiting deportation recently hanged himself. Buses will leave at 10 a.m. from 30th Street Station and return by 10 p.m. The non-violent statewide protest is sponsored by immigrant rights groups. To reserve a seat, click here. For more details click here.

Get on the Bus for Anou!

Sunday, August 24th

Reclaim Philadelphia, along with other PA groups - is traveling to the Moshannon Detention Center protest (see above for more information) to protest conditions and demand closure and the release of detainees. The bus will leave Germantown at 10 a.m. from Das Good Cafe. $40 contribution to reserve a seat. Please contact jayson.massey@gmail.com or 215.821.9585 to reserve a seat.

Germantown Pet Pantry: Please help keep a roaring success, roaring! (and barking and meowing)

The next Pet Pantry will be on September 13th and donations will be picked up from St. Martin's on

Sept. 9th.

Thanks in part of your generous participation, Familiar Hearts in Mt. Airy, the rescue organization that sponsors the Pet Pantries, has served 142 families with over 500 pets! Each donation of pet food, supplies and gently used toys helps keep a pet with their owners and out of the over-flowing shelter system.

Attached here is a poster to share with your vet or pet store!

Let's keep making a difference and collect even more than we did last time.

Thank you, St. Martin's!!

-Rev. Laura

St Martin’s Successful Guatemala Scholarship Drive

Muchas Gracias, Saint Martin’s parishioners for your support through the pledge drive for the 2026 San

Juan Apostol Scholarship Fund and the Totonicapán Scholarship Fund. Sixty-four pledges totaling

$19,110 were received for the Guatemala Student Scholarship Drive in the month of June. This year we

exceeded our goal of $15,000! Without your help, these students would not be able to go to school.

Your support opens the door to a better future for them and provides hope to their families and communities.

So far $10,260 in pledged funds has been received. Pledges may be paid via the St Martin’s website or via the plate. If pledges are paid via the online payment option, please use the “Guatemala Scholarship” choice in the drop-down box, when paying the pledge. If a check is provided via the collection plate, please write “Guatemala Scholarship” in the memo section of your check.

Pledges are kindly due by September 30th . Donations are accepted even if you have not had the opportunity to pledge, during the scholarship drive. Thanks to everyone, who supports this wonderful mission!

Sermon

Eugenie Dieck

August 17th, 2025

We can all recall a time when someone was very angry with us.

So angry we could not absorb the content of what they said.

Yet hours or days later, upon reflection, we found a kernel of insight in the anger. A statement or image that made us reflect and perhaps even change for the better.

In today’s Gospel we encounter Jesus’s anger. Full steaming anger. Continue reading here.

Coming Up

Iced Tea Under the Tent Continues Every Thursday!

4:00-6:00 p.m. Under the Tent on the Hilary House Lawn

This summer’s Iced Tea Under the Tent series continues each Thursday through the end of August! Iced Tea Under the Tent is a great way to get to know each other, enjoy some snacks, and beat the summer heat with some cool drinks. No RSVP needed, but if you are able, please consider bringing a treat to share. Contact Kate Maus with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

St. Martin’s Summer Chess Club Continues Every Thursday!

4:00-6:00 p.m. Under the Tent on the Hilary House Lawn

In conjunction with Iced Tea Under the Tent, St. Martin’s summer Chess Club will run each Thursday through the end of August! All ages and skill levels encouraged. No experience needed. Chess equipment provided, but don’t hesitate to bring your own if you so desire. Contact Al Pearson with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!