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

June 29th, 2025

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

In Person

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

In Person

10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music

In Person & via livestream here

Rector's Note

Assassinations of public officials in Minnesota. US strikes against Iran. We are in deeply concerning and frightening times. Are we at war? Did the bombings achieve what they were supposed to? What exactly was that? Can we expect more?

It is hard to know what to think or how to respond to all the violence happening in our world right now. It can be triggering and upsetting to watch the news, and yet we may tune in for fear of missing the next disaster.

As a church community we are continuing with our work -- caring for each other, praying together, and serving our neighbors and the wider world. These are acts of hope in the face of despair, they are how we live out the Gospel in difficult times.

And this Sunday, we will speak in our common language of liturgy in response to all that is happening. In place of the usual Prayers of the People we will say a Litany for Peace. And in addition to the Collect of the Day, the presider will use the Collect for Pauli Murray’s feast day (July 1). Pauli was someone who experienced lifelong discrimination and barriers, yet persisted in the work of justice, using their typewriter, voice, passion, and immense intellect.

These are small gestures, yet when we do them together they can help us discern other steps. Walking in community is how we will survive these times, and how we will follow where the Spirit would have us go.

Mary+

Features

Refugee Resettlement Ministry Updates on Welcoming the Afghan Family

As you will recall, our parish is sponsoring an Afghan family of seven. They came here after escaping their home country. They fled relentless harassment by the family because the father worked for a U.S. contractor supplying our forces. They are seeking safety and the hope of a better life.

They now have the first – safety – but their hopes, like those of countless immigrants – continue to hinge on our being able to secure housing for them.

This is a difficult process, consuming countless hours by our volunteers. We continue to work toward that goal, with the understanding that it could be a drawn-out process.

We are very close to nailing down the rental of a home in the Northeast, close to their relatives and home to a large population of Afghan emigres. Please join us in prayer that we will meet our goal with this house.

We have set an ambitious goal of $22,000 to finance rent and living expenses. We have received many very generous donations to date. We ask for your continued support in this endeavor. Every dollar counts.

Please click here to give online. Select “Refugee Fund” from the drop down menu and write “Afghan Sponsorship Project” in the memo line. You can also mail a check to the church with “Afghan Sponsorship Project” in the memo line. Our mailing address is 8000 St. Martin’s Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118.

In response to many inquiries on how to provide much needed furnishings for their new house, you can now click here to access the family's wish list on Amazon.

We continue to need several items of furniture. In particular, a couch, a large dining room table and chairs, and four dressers for the bedrooms. A television is also needed. We have secured one full-length couch – they need two – but we are still in need of three to four dressers for the bedrooms. These must be gently used. Contact Jeff Meade at 215-806-8028 or email irishphilly@gmail.com.

Artwork: The Peaceable Kingdom, Edward Hicks, American, 1780 – 1849, Made in Bucks County, PA, 1826, Oil on canvas, 32 7/8 x 41 3/4 inches, Philadelphia Museum of Art Credit Line: Bequest of Charles C. Willis, 1956.

Visions and Values in Early American Art: A Mini Retreat

Sunday, July 13th, from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Cost: Sliding Scale from $10-$50 with a suggested price of $30. Admission and Parking are free. Click here to register.

Interfaith Philadelphia and Wellspring are co-sponsoring a mini-retreat on Sunday July 13 from 1:30 - 4:30 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Guided discussions of two paintings will be followed by a time for individuals or pairs to select and study works on their own and then share their experiences with the group. The retreat will be led by Rev. John Hougen, co-chair of Wellspring and a docent at the PMA, and Dr. Christine Modey from the University of Michigan. Limit: 15 Participants. Learn more here.

Questions? Contact John at jbh@interfaithphiladelphia.org

Guatemala Trip: Visiting Chichicastenango and Totonicapán

An Update from Sandy Abrams on behalf of the Guatemala Companion Parish Committee

"Scholarships for this year are going well. A garden is being planted, just a little delayed because of not enough rain. The chicken [coop] project at the church is going strong and the eggs look great. A recreation project has been well received by the children and was all set up when we got there. Today (Thursday) we will go to the market at Chichi; yesterday was a shopping success at the glass factory."

What’s Your Favorite Hymn?

This summer, we want to sing your favorite hymns during our 10:30 a.m. Sunday services at St. Martin’s! Whether it's a beloved classic or a joyful tune that lifts your spirit, we’d love to include the hymns that mean the most to you.

Submit your favorites using our short Google Form—it only takes a minute! Let your voice shape our summer worship and help us make a joyful noise together.

Tyrone Whiting

Director of Music & Arts

twhiting@stmartinec.org

Summer Sunday Musicians - Do you play a musical instrument?

Now that our Choir, Choristers, and Staff Musicians are on vacation for the summer, I want to invite and encourage those of you with musical talents who play an instrument or sing to help support our Sunday worship. If you are interested or curious, please contact me at twhiting@stmartinec.org. It is always so great to share in music-making with you all!

-Tyrone Whiting

Director of Music & Arts

Sermons

The Rev. Laura Palmer

June 22, 2025

Legions and other Demons

Steeped in drama and action, our readings this morning are hard to top—or ignore. Prophets are slaughtered, a fierce wind splits mountains, earthquakes erupt, fires are raging. Angels appear in dreams and nourishing cakes baked on hot stones are there in the morning for nourishment. To top it off, Elijah hears God speak to him in a mountain cave. Continue reading here.

Take Action

Thank you, St. Martin's from the Children of ChiChi and Toto

Thank you for your generous pledges and direct giving for the 2026 Chichicastenango and Totonicapán Scholarship Funds. As of Sunday, June 15th our pledge and donation total was $18,885. We have exceeded our goal of $15,000 in pledges. The Guatemala Companion Parish Committee is very grateful for your fabulous support of these deserving children and their families.

Three members of the committee will be traveling to Guatemala June 20th to 30th and will be able to inform our companion parishes in ChiChi and Toto that we will be able to fully fund the scholarship programs for 2026.

The Committee will no longer be collecting pledges after services. Contributions of pledged funds can be paid on or before Sept. 30th with a check via the plate or online.

Coming Up

Save the Date: Iced Tea Under the Tent Begins July 17th!

Continues every Thursday through end of August

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

This summer’s Iced Tea Under the Tent series kicks off Thurs., July 17th, and 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 snack to share. Contact Kate Maus with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!