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

Field Notes

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Sunday Worship

March 23, 2025

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

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

10:30 a.m. Choral Holy Eucharist

5:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

Rector's Note

Last Saturday, twenty of us gathered for a Lenten Quiet Day. We read and reflected on the Psalms and the book of Job. We listened to different musical settings of the Psalms. We reflected on our own prayer life and our struggles. We wrote in our journals. We had some break time in silence. We debated and discussed. And we laughed -- a lot! 

It was a good time of sharing, and break from regular work and errands. And this is a fantastic thing to do during Lent -- to set aside some time to be alone, or with other people, with God. Time that is intentionally dedicated to getting to know ourselves better, and getting to know God. Continue reading here.

Features

Eco Fair

Next Sunday, March 30th

8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Parish Hall

Co-hosted by the Climate Action Team, CYF Ministries, and the Buildings & Grounds Committee

St. Martin’s annual Eco Fair will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 30^th. Celebrate spring with the Climate Action Team (CAT), Children, Youth, and Families (CYF), and Building and Grounds (B&G). Join us for tasty treats, seed-planting and fun activities with CYF, a tour of our beautiful campus and information on future eco-friendly projects with B&G, earthwork art displays by St. Martin's parishioners, and updates from from Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light (PAIPL), a St. Martin’s partner doing wonderful work on climate resiliency. To learn more about the PAIPL annual Bike and Hike this spring, you can go to paipl.us for more details, or reach out to PAIPL Southeast Pennsylvania Organizer and Outreach Coordinator, Tyler Fowler at tyler@paipl.org. For more information about the Eco Fair, email Jason Martin at jason.martin.temple@gmail.com or The Rev. Luke Selles at lselles@stmartinec.org 

A Thank You to Our Volunteers

Volunteers have been hard at work freshening up our campus as we enter spring! Next time you come to church, you'll find freshly painted handrails and doors, as well as a multitude of budding flowers all over campus, all thanks to these hard working volunteers. Thank you Ike, Jim, David, Wendy, and all those who offer their time and talents to the parish!

Next Week's Adult Forum:

Faith-based Gun Violence Prevention Advocacy

Led by Bryan Miller, Heeding God's Call

Wednesday, March 26th

7:00 p.m. in the Houston Room and via Zoom here. (Passcode 074688)

Upcoming Lenten Events

Please click on each image to learn more.

Lenten Breakfasts & Spiritual Journeys

Every Friday in Lent

8:30 - 9:30 a.m. in the Houston Room

Stations of the Cross

Every Sunday in Lent

5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary



This Sunday's musical reflection: Aaron Scarberry, Tenor Section Leader

Lenten Sunday School for

All Ages

Every Sunday in Lent, plus Palm Sunday (April 13th)

9:30 a.m. - 10:25 a.m.

Children, Youth, & Families

An interest form for youth opportunities here at St. Martin’s.

St. Martin's Youth: The Gospel of Mark

Three Sundays: March 30th, April 6th, and April 13th

4-5 p.m. in the Library

Watch and discuss a stage adaptation of the most dramatic retelling of the Gospel, the story of Jesus’ life and death. For youth ages 10-18.

St. Martin's Youth: Game Night!

Sunday, April 6th, 6-7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Join us for pizza, snacks, games in the Parish Hall. Children and youth of all ages are welcome!

VBS 2025: Come & Grow with Us!

Monday, June 24th-Friday, June 27th

This year's Vacation Bible School, a collaboration between two churches: St. Tim's, Roxborough and St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Chestnut Hill, invites children aged 4-12 to come grow with us. Focusing on Jesus' Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13), we'll plant seeds (both literally and figuratively) for a life of faith while learning to be stewards of God's Creation in each other and the world around us. Join us for a week of growth and discovery through storytelling, service-learning, gardening, and song! Learn more or register here.

Donations for Holy Week & Easter Music

Music plays a vital role in our Holy Week and Easter celebrations, deepening our worship and enhancing our celebration of the Resurrection. This year, alongside our Stainer Crucifixion and Pergolesi Stabat Mater concerts we welcome back the Fairmount String Quartet to play for the Good Friday Seven Last Words service and Easter Day, when they will be joined by the excellent young trumpeter, Aidan Peterson. We will also welcome back the Positive Movement Drumline on Palm Sunday. 

Your generous support makes it possible to sustain and enhance our music and arts ministries during this most sacred season and ensure that our musicians are fairly compensated. To contribute, please click here or write “Music Fund” in the memo line of your donation. 

I am very grateful for your continued and generous support of our music & arts ministries at St. Martin's.



— Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts

Bruce Butler Memorial Bell Ringing Weekend Reception

This Saturday, March 22nd, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Houston Room 

All are invited to join St. Martin's change ringers for a light reception to celebrate the Bruce Butler Memorial Bell Ringing Weekend. The reception will take place this Saturday, March 22nd, beginning at 5:30 p.m. RSVPs are not needed.

Call for Art: Stations of the Cross

St. Martin's is looking for Artists and Creators to help create a series of artworks to form a Stations of the Cross Exhibition for Lent. Artists should create works which respond to the title and/or text of the fourteen Stations of the Cross Titles & Texts which can be accessed here. Any form of art is accepted, from photography, to small sculpture, folk art to fine art, and all in between! Artwork is welcome from amateurs and professionals, children and adults!

An honorarium of the most engaging work will be made in three categories: professional ($300), amateur ($200), children/youth ($100). Contact Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts, at twhiting@stmartinec.org for questions and submissions. Please submit artwork by April 13th.

Stainer's The Crucifixion

Sunday, April 13th at 5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Pay-What-You-Wish Admission – all are welcome

Join us April 13th at 5:00 p.m. for a profound musical meditation on the Passion of Christ. The choirs of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and Christ Church, Philadelphia come together to present Stainer’s deeply moving and reflective oratorio, The Crucifixion. Conducted by Tyrone Whiting, this performance will feature tenor Aaron Scarberry and bass-baritone Michael Miller as soloists, bringing to life the poignant storytelling and expressive beauty of this beloved work. Written in 1887, The Crucifixion blends lyrical solos, rich choral textures, and congregational hymns into a powerful retelling of Christ’s Passion. We invite you to join us for this stirring and contemplative musical offering as we journey together through Holy Week to Easter.

Pergolesi's Stabat Mater

Tuesday, April 15th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Reserve your tickets here!

Join us for an unforgettable evening of music as we present Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater on Tuesday, April 15, at 7:00 p.m. This exquisite and deeply moving work, a masterpiece of Baroque sacred music, will be performed by the renowned Fairmount String Quartet, featuring acclaimed soloists Marisa Miller and Lauren Cook under the direction of Tyrone Whiting. Experience the beauty and emotional depth of Pergolesi’s final composition in the stunning acoustics of St. Martin’s. Don’t miss this special performance!

Take Action

Germantown Pet Pantry Supply Drive

Please bring donations to the Parish House or the white dresser in the Church by this Saturday, March 22nd.

Familiar Hearts Animal Society is putting together a pet pantry event in Germantown for the community and surrounding areas. You can help support our furry friends by bringing a donation to the bin in the Parish House foyer or the white dresser in the back of the church. Donations of food and treats, litter, carriers, collars, leashes, and flea/tick preventatives are particularly in need!

Face to Face Spring Celebration

Saturday, April 5th, at 6:00 p.m.

Chestnut Hill College

St Martin’s Ministry Partner, Face to Face, is hosting their annual spring celebration, featuring a silent auction, a raffle, “exquisite food and beverages, and the opportunity to mingle with friends,” at Chestnut Hill College on Saturday, April 5th. If you are interested in a raffle ticket, sponsorship, ticket to the event, or more information, contact Jason Martin at jason.martin.temple@gmail.com or Mark Birdsall mdbirdsall@gmail.com, or click here and use the left sidebar to purchase tickets, see raffle items, and more.

POWER Town Hall on Education Justice

Sunday, April 6th, 2:30-4:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Hosted by St. Martin's Local Organizing Committee

Attention: all who care about public schools and our children’s education. St. Martin’s is excited to be hosting POWER’s Northwest Philly Education Town Hall on April 6th. Please join with our members and our neighbors from other Faith Communities, Neighborhood organizations, Public Schools, Home/School Associations and The Philadelphia Teacher's Union. Representatives Andre Carroll, Tarik Khan and Chris Rabb will be there to hear our concerns and answer questions. They want to hear from their constituents on why this is so very important. Your presence and voice matter! Please RSVP here. Click here to view the event poster.

Sermon Transcript

The Rev. Luke Selles

March 16, 2025

“I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

The verse before our Gospel lesson begins, Jesus is teaching the crowds about the Kingdom of God. And he says, “Indeed, some are last who will be first. And some are first, who will be last.” It’s unclear the motivation for the Pharisees’ warning of Jesus, whether it's because of their fear that the Romans will violently crush an uprising as a result of Jesus’ dangerous teaching (a real possibility at that time), or if they are genuinely concerned about his safety. Continue reading here.

Coming Up

The Last Supper by Rod Borghese (Contemporary Indigenous Ojibwe Canadian Artist)



Image:https://curiouschristian.blog/2014/03/04/jewish-jesus-art/

Connections: Passover and Holy Week Illustrated in Art

Sponsored by Interfaith Philadelphia and Wellspring

Sunday, April 6th, from 2 - 3:30 p.m. (Virtual)

Register here.

In 2025, Passover and Holy Week will be observed simultaneously. Paraphrasing Krister Stendahl: “If Christians from different denominations are brothers and sisters in Christ, then we might say that Christians and Jews are cousins in faith.” This program focuses on the themes and rituals of Passover and Holy Week: significant days in closely related traditions. The presentation and discussion will feature art illustrating fascinating similarities and notable differences in the themes and rituals being observed.

Facilitator: Rev. John B. Hougen, PhD,  Co-chair of Wellspring at St. Martin’s and Coordinator of Interfaith Philadelphia’s series, the Art of Interfaith Understanding.

Fiber Craft Nights: Now Continuing Through Lent

4:00 - 5:30 p.m. in the Houston Room

All are invited to join us Wednesdays for Fiber Craft Nights! Bring a project you're working on, or your own equipment (needles, yarn, etc.) to start a new project: we'll have three options, all to support our neighbors in need. Never knit before? We can teach you! We'll have extra yarn and needles for that purpose. Bring yourself and a friend for crafting and warm beverages by the fireplace.

Wednesday Noon Eucharist

Mary Chapel

Wellspring Worship Reflections

After the 10:30 a.m. service

Houston Room