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

Field Notes

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Sunday Worship

September 29th, 2024

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

In Person

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

In Person

10:30 a.m. Choral Holy Eucharist

In Person and via Livestream

A Note From Rev. Laura

Wednesday night is a night of miracle making at St Martin’s. The church is alive as it is on Sunday but in a different way. 

Children’s laughter abounds. Our chorister program is robust; open to any child from second grade on up who wants to sing from 4:30-6:00 pm. It’s the one program at the moment that is drawing new families to St. Martin’s which is something to celebrate. It’s led by the very talented Brooke Witherite in collaboration with Tyrone Whiting. 

There was a glorious moment this week when the choristers—all 9 of them – sat in the choir stall and learned about the organ as well as having the opportunity to sing along with it. Their faces beamed, their delight was palpable.  It was as if they were sitting in the cockpit with the pilot. They chose “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, as the song they want Ty to play to demonstrate the prowess of the organ. They even practiced walking single file from the choir stall through the center aisle of the sanctuary. 

The meal that follows the choristers’ program is its own quiet miracle. It’s a mix of families, parishioners, and staff engaging with each other around a simple meal, free to all. This week we had 38 at dinner.



How often have we heard that “Jesus was at table with his friends” or been reminded that little children are the way to heaven? Continue reading here.

Features

All Are Invited: The Rev. Luke Selles' Ordination to Priesthood

Next Saturday, October 5th, at 11:00 a.m.

St. John's Episcopal Church

321 W. Chestnut Street, Lancaster, PA, 17603

Or via livestream here.

All are invited to celebrate the Ordination to Priesthood of the Rev. Luke Selles, our new Priest Associate for Children, Youth, and Families. Rev. Luke is currently ordained as a transitional deacon. Attending this momentous occasion is a wonderful way to show them our support! To RVSP, please email Rev. Luke by Sept. 28th at sellesluke@gmail.com.

Thank You To All Who Helped Make Our New Directory!

As part of this Sunday's 10:30 a.m. service, we will be honoring the many volunteers who contributed their time and talents to the creation of our new parish directory. With much gratitude, we extend our thanks to:

Sandy Abrams

Mike Barsanti

John Basinski

Bill Bixby

Melissa Buckingham

Anthony Campisi

David Collins

Charlie Day

David Dieck

The Rev. Carol Duncan

Barbara Dundon

Dick Dupuis

James Fairburn

Connie Haggard

Dick Haggard

Susan MacBride

Jason Martin

Michel Martin Mills

Kate Maus

Anne Swoyer

Voter Registration Drives

Wed. Oct. 2nd from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sat. Oct. 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Parish House

St. Martin's will be hosting voter registration drives on Wednesday, October 2nd, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday, October 5th, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you or a friend, neighbor, or family member would like help registering to vote, please stop by! These events are strictly non-partisan.

Next Week's Adult Forum:

"How to Survive This Election - Like a Christian" - Part 2

Wednesday, Oct. 2 (and Part 3 on Wed., Oct. 16) at 7:00 p.m.

Parish House or via Zoom here

Passcode: 074688

A series of Adult Forums with Chris Satullo, an award-winning former journalist who was also an editorial page editor and a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Are you dreading the next weeks until the election? Are you perhaps dreading even more Thanksgiving dinner with Uncle George or Cousin Jennifer after the election? If so, these sessions with Chris, a vestry member who is co-founder of the PA Project for Civic Engagement and the Can We Talk? dialogue forums, might be just the thing for you. Each session stands alone, so don't worry if you can't make one. Click here to learn more.

There's Still Time to Register for Our Holy Cross Retreat!

Tuesday, October 29th - Friday, November 1st

Facilitated by the Rev. Gwyneth MacKenzie Murphy

Click here to register by October 15th

Listening for Utterances of God’s Love in Ourselves and in ALL that Has Life: A retreat grounded in Celtic Spirituality

During the retreat we’ll spend time together in prayer, reflection and conversation;  there will also be free time. We’ll create our own altar: you are invited to bring a poem, stone, photo …any symbol of journey. Celtic Spirituality will guide us on the journey.

Rev. Gwyneth is an Episcopal priest and retreat leader. She was introduced to Celtic Spirituality over 25 years ago and it has become integral to her life and ministry.  This past June, she and Rev. Laura Palmer met on the Isle of Iona, Scotland, the birthplace of Celtic Spirituality. Gwyneth writes: 

The roots of Celtic spirituality are ancient, but it is especially relevant today. It is about one’s personal journey AND about how we live in the world. Continue reading here.

Sermon Transcript

The Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper-White

September 22, 2024

Who here remembers the old 1940 Episcopal hymnal?  Those of us who were around the Episcopal Church then, might recall this punchy hymn:

Once to every [soul] and nation/ Comes the moment to decide/ In the strife of truth with falsehood/ For the good or evil side/ Some great cause, God's new Messiah/ Offering each the bloom or blight/And the choice goes by forever/ Twixt that darkness and that light.

That hymn text was written in 1845 by James Russell Lowell, a New England abolitionist poet who believed that poetry had a role to play in movements for social justice.  It was originally intended as a protest against the Mexican-American war, which would have expanded slave territories in the U.S.  It was later set to a tune that conveyed serious purpose and a call to action.

I don’t know if there is really just one moment, THE decisive moment for either an individual person or a nation, but I certainly believe that we are in one of those moments today – not only because we are fast approaching a consequential election on November 5, but because the super-heated rhetoric in our nation has created a toxic divide that pits good people against one another.  The reading from the Book of James we just heard testifies that such conflicts are not new – they certainly troubled early Christian communities, as both James and also Paul in his epistles wrestled to resolve. Continue reading here.

Local Painter Depicts St. Martin's

One never knows what one might find when taking a walk around our wonderful campus. Last week, I happened upon a human with an easel, some paints, and a canvas… Working slowly but methodically, he crafted this depiction of our Parish Hall building.

Local artist, Trevor Wade (www.oilandearthstudio.com), creator of the beautiful artwork pictured above, stopped to talk some before returning to his slow, methodical approach to his artistry. An artist who captures the charm of our neighborhood and beyond - please do go and explore his work. 

I so often find metaphors for life through music and art, and here, I was reminded to take time to build things in slow, considered, and deliberate actions, which through synergy can become significant expressions of faith, commitment, passion, and creation. Each brush stroke, like a single note, can be quite meaningless on its own but when combined together with conviction and meaning can form a masterpiece. Each choir member’s voice is incredibly valuable in its own right but when combined with others’ into an ensemble, it creates something both intangible and yet very present and real. 

Let this painting of the Parish Hall remind us that even the smallest steps can lead to creation, innovation, change, and progress. 

Cantate (et pingite) Domino!

Tyrone Whiting

Director of Music & Arts

You can learn more about Trevor and his artwork at:

www.trevorwadethomas.com

www.Oilandearthstudio.com

www.YouTube.com/Oilandearthstudio 

www.instagram.com/TWTFineArt 

Upcoming Music & Arts Events:

The Poetry Path

Saturday, Oct. 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Hilary House (Smith Room)

Facilitated by Sharon Thomson

Sponsored by Wellspring

What is the spiritual dimension of the poetic process? Come explore at a workshop for beginning and experienced writers who will practice using image-making, sensual description and the music of language to express the soul. The workshop will be led by St. Martin's parishioner Sharon Thomson, M.F.A., a published poet who has taught poetry writing for 50 years in a wide variety of settings.

To reserve a seat, sign up by contacting Sharon at 845-282-5500 or email: sharonthomson2001@yahoo.com. If you have questions before signing up, feel free to contact her. The workshop is limited to 12 participants.

Sharon has led many poetry-writing workshops in her longtime work with The Grail, an international women's organization founded in 1921 as a Catholic lay movement committed to spiritual search and social transformation. You can find out more about Sharon here.

Choristers Rehearsals

Every Wednesday from 4:30-6:00 p.m.

Do you know a child who loves to sing? Sign up for our Children's Choir Chorister program! Rehearsals run Wednesdays from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. If you know a child interested in joining Choristers, please email Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts, at twhiting@stmartinec.org.

Take Action

Beyond Borders Program Coordinator Visiting St. Martin's This Weekend

Freda Catheus, a member of the Beyond Borders leadership team and a longtime friend of St. Martin's, will be attending our 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services this Sunday. Freda serves as Program Coordinator for all the programs on Lagonav Island in Haiti and would love to meet as many of you as she can. Please look for her after each service, introduce yourself, and find out what's happening in Haiti now. You can also ask Frieda about the program she is leading at a Haitian church here in Philadelphia Sunday afternoon. Freda will be hosted by the Rev. Carol Duncan, so please reach out to Carol at carol.duncan8031@gmail.com with any questions.

St. Martin’s Successful Guatemala Scholarship Drive

68 pledges totaling $15,545 were received for the Guatemala Student Scholarship Drive from Pentecost Sunday through August 14th. Thank you all for your pledged support and donations for the scholarships that support the children of San Juan Apostol and their families. 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 $6,040 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 did not have the opportunity to pledge, during the scholarship drive. Thank you to everyone who supports this wonderful mission!

Voter Engagement at St. Martin's

Last week, a group of high school students from The Urban Academy Laboratory High School in New York City, led by family friends of parishioners Mark and Laura Birdsall, came to Philly to canvass ahead of Election Day. After long days out and about, the students returned to Hilary House each night to sleep, eat, and recharge for the next day. We loved getting to host these passionate young people who found a way to engage meaningfully with the election even without being old enough to vote!

We also want to express gratitude to the St. Martin's parishioners and Urban Academy staff who helped behind the scenes to provide meals and other support for the students. Thank you to:

Laura Birdsall

Mark Birsdall

Rachel Birdsall

Joanne Conway

Kelly Martin

Anson Dean

Caitlin Wood

Coming Up

Wednesday Nights at St. Martin's

Choristers Rehearsals 4:30 p.m.

Food & Fellowship 6:00 p.m.

Adult Forum 7:00 p.m.

Please mark your calendars for our Wednesday Night programming! Each Wednesday kicks off with our Choristers Rehearsals at 4:30 p.m., followed by our Food & Fellowship community dinner at 6:00 p.m., and culminating with Adult Forum at 7:00 p.m.

If you are interested in volunteering to help set up and/or clean up Food and Fellowship, please contact Lorie Hershey, Director of Administration, at lhershey@stmartinec.org. Volunteers are not expected to bring food for the meal. You can sign up to volunteer for specific date(s), or come every week!

Upcoming Adult Forums

Wednesday, Oct. 9, ay 7:00 p.m.

St. Martin's 135th Anniversary

Led by David Collins and Leslie Newbold

Parish House or via Zoom here.

Passcode: 074688

Please check back next week for more details.

Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7:00 p.m.

"How to Survive This Election - Like a Christian"

Parish House or via Zoom here.

Passcode: 074688

A series of Adult Forums with Chris Satullo, an award-winning former journalist who was also an editorial page editor and a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Click here to learn more.

Singing the African American Spirituals with Integrity

Sat. Oct. 5, 2024 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church

654 N Easton Rd, Glenside

Tickets: $20. Click here for tickets.

Scholarships are available. Email arc@diopa.org.

Sponsored by the Anti-Racism Commission

This workshop is offered for church musicians, clergy, and lay people who seek to learn more about how to introduce the repertoire of the African American Spirituals to their choirs and congregations. Special attention will be given to the historical context of the music, and the ways in which those who are not direct descendants of the enslaved people who originated the Spirituals can develop their own authentic connection to the music with respect and integrity. The afternoon will conclude with a short service of singing, prayer, and a homily.

Wednesday Noon Eucharist

Mary Chapel

Wellspring Worship Reflections

After the 10:30 a.m. service

Houston Room