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.

This email is best viewed as a webpage. Click here to make sure you don't miss anything!

Sunday Worship

September 7th, 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. Instructed Holy Eucharist with Music

In Person & via livestream here

Rector's Note

I’m back from a week away on silent retreat, in Gloucester, Massachusetts, by the ocean. It was a beautiful setting in which to reflect on all that has happened in the past year, for me, this St Martin’s community, and the world.

There has been lots of bad news, of course. News of another school shooting broke through even the deep silence of the retreat center, and there was funeral planning for John Wineland and the news of Mary Anderson’s death. At the same time, in my reflections, I was over and over struck with gratitude for where God has placed me here and now, for all we have done together as a church community in such a short time, and for the feeling of positive energy and mutual care I see every week as I meet with people and groups. Continue reading here.

Features

Upcoming Memorial Services:

Mary Anderson

Next Friday, September 12th

10:30 a.m. at Summit Presbyterian Church

6757 Greene St, Philadelphia, PA 19119

John Wineland

Saturday, October 4th

11:00 a.m. at St. Martin's and via Livestream

Click here to read John's obituary.

Purse Gift for the Rev. Laura Palmer

As you know, Rev. Laura Palmer has been called to the role of Interim Rector at St. Christopher’s, Gladwyne. Her last Sunday with us is Sept. 21. This is a bittersweet moment as we celebrate her new call and bid her farewell.

Rev. Laura has been an integral part of St. Martin’s since joining us in 2012. Ordained at St. Martin’s in 2019, Laura has served as a priest in the diocese in addition to being an oncology chaplain at CHOP. Laura agreed to be our Priest at a pivotal interim time. We are forever grateful.

With her leadership, the staff were empowered to do their fine work together, and the congregation continued to thrive, drawing in new members as well as caring for each other and the wider community. Children, youth and family ministries grew, and morale and teamwork on the Vestry increased. Rev. Laura is especially appreciated for her wise and empathetic pastoral care, her outstanding homilies at funerals, and her candid, thought-provoking sermons.

Please be generous in contributing to the purse we have established to honor Rev. Laura’s years of service to St. Martin's. We have been greatly blessed by Rev. Laura’s presence among us, and we wish her Godspeed on her new journey.

-Martha Crowell, Acting Rector’s Warden

To contribute towards Rev. Laura's purse:

Go to the Giving page of St. Martin's website: https://www.stmartinec.org/give. Click the "Give Now" button. Under the "Select Fund" drop down menu, select "Purse Gifts". Please write “Rev. Laura’s Purse” in the memo line.
Write a check to St. Martin's with "Rev. Laura’s Purse" in the memo line. Please put it in the offering plate or leave it in Lorie Hershey’s mailbox in the Parish House.

Goodbye Nametags, Hello Lanyards!

As part of our commitment to making St. Martin’s a truly welcoming community, we will be saying goodbye to the sticky name tags and transitioning to lanyards next Sunday, September 14th!

How it works:

When you come to church, enter via the back doors (Narthex). You will find your lanyard sorted alphabetically by last name. When it’s time to put your lanyard away, don’t worry about putting Aardvark before Azul - as long as you put your lanyard with those of the same letter, our office volunteers will take care of the rest! You are also welcome to take your lanyard home.

All members who voted or were eligible to vote at this year’s Annual Meeting will automatically receive a lanyard. If you would like a lanyard but aren’t a voting member (or aren’t sure if you are), please click here to let me know! Or, put your name on the clipboards in the Narthex. We want everyone who wants a lanyard to have one, including those of you who generously contribute time and talent in place of a traditional pledge/financial gift. Blank “write-on” nametags will still be available for guests.

This project has been a labor of love. It is amazing how many months of work go into making something look simple! Special thanks go to our Office Volunteers: Mary, Connie, Cary, Kate, Anne, Carol, Dick, Martha, Karen, Jim, Mindy, Joan, Susan, and Bill, as well as the co-chairs of our new Welcome Initiative: Lydia and Cathy. Lastly, thank you in advance to each of you who take up the call to be a welcoming presence and wear a lanyard.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at ndiskan@stmartinec.org.

-Noor Diskan

Director of Communications & Events

Food & Fellowship, Choristers, and Adult Forum Resume Next Wednesday, September 10th!

Join us Wednesday, September 10th as we kick off the new program year with the return of our Wednesday night programming!

Choristers Rehearsal: 4:30 p.m.
Food & Fellowship: 6:00 p.m.
Adult Forum: 7:00 p.m.

If you know a child who would like to join our Choristers children's choir, please email Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts, at twhiting@stmartinec.org

If you are interested in volunteering with Food and Fellowship, please email Lorie Hershey, Director of Administration, at lhershey@stmartinec.org.

Fall Retreat: Old Testament Stories

Trinity Retreat Center, West Cornwall, CT

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

Led by the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

There are two weeks left to register 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.

Children, Youth, and Families

Check out our Fall CYF newsletter here to learn about upcoming events, fill out our

9:00 a.m. worship service survey, and more!

Upcoming Events

Nigel Law Piano Recital

September 14th at 5:00 p.m.

Choral Evensong at

Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral

October 5th at 4:00 p.m.

With music by Parker Kitterman, Erik Meyer, C. V. Stanford, and Ireland.

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

Germantown Pet Pantry: Please Donate by THIS UPCOMING TUESDAY, Sept. 9th!

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

Teacher Supply Drive

Support Philly Public School Teachers & Their Classrooms

Each year, public school teachers across Philadelphia dig into their own pockets to provide essential supplies for their students. This year St. Martin's is partnering with Need in Deed to support 25 dedicated teachers in supplying their classrooms.

Here are the most-requested items:

Post-it Notes (all colors)
Sticky Chart Paper (large easel pads)
Printer Paper (white and colored)
Markers (regular and dry erase)

Please deliver any donations to the Welcome Desk or to the Polly Randall Room in the Parish House by Sunday, September 28th.

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!

Please click here to view a video of the Guatemala committee's interview with Pedro Pablo, a 17 year old student in Technical School in Totonicapán in a course to train industrial bakers.

Pedro Pablo, Peter Paul in English, is pursuing advanced education after high school, so that he can work as a baker in Totonicapan. His goal is to open his own bake shop. He is completing the industrial baking class this summer and will continue a module in Holiday baking thanks to our scholarship funds.

Please take the time to watch the video. His love of being a baker comes out. He even baked us a special cake (pictured), which we shared with the parishioners of San Martin Obispo de Tours.

Sermon

The Rev. Luke Selles

August 31st, 2025

In our Gospel lesson, Jesus is at table as the guest of an unnamed leader of the Pharisees, likely an important person in the religious community, perhaps a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, for a Sabbath meal. And here he wryly observes and takes the opportunity to teach all the guests how to be a guest, commenting on how they each have chosen for themselves the seats of greatest honor. And then he turns to his host and tells him in future not to “invite your friends or your brothers, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors,” but “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind,” implying that the host has chosen guests that suit his own agenda.

Two aspects of this text may trouble us: why Jesus here, and elsewhere, goes after the Pharisees; and the ableist language that Jesus uses. Continue reading here.

Coming Up

Spirituality of Aging

Next Wednesday, September 10th

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.