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.

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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Worship Service

Sunday, January 25, 2026:

ONLINE ONLY DUE TO SNOWSTORM

Guest Preacher: Stephanie Barr

Click here to view the Zoom service.

Please note: This Sunday's Epiphany Fireside Tea, Sherry, and Chess Club are cancelled.

This Sunday's Readings

Isaiah 9:1-4 | 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 | Matthew 4:12-23 | Psalm 27:1, 5-13

Rector's Note

Because of the predicted big snowstorm and its timing, I am making the difficult and unusual decision to cancel in-person worship for this Sunday. Epiphany Fireside Tea, Sherry, and Chess Club will be canceled as well.

For those of us who want to gather virtually, and hear guest preacher Stephanie Barr’s sermon, we will have the Liturgy of the Word on zoom together at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. You can join in at this link, no pre-registration needed.

Normally, I hate to cancel events before we actually see snow falling. Normally, I would not even consider cancelling Sunday worship. Most of you know I’m originally from Oswego NY. I’m used to snow. But even in upstate NY, we know that there are some storms you shouldn’t mess with, that sometimes you need to stock up on supplies and just hunker down. Continue reading here.

Features

Join Tuesday Morning Zoom Bible Study!

On Tuesday January 27th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. via zoom, our Tuesday Bible Study group will be starting to read The Gospel of John. You might want to try Bible Study for the first time or you might be a veteran. Everyone is welcome. We read a little and then discuss the scripture as a group. Please email group leader Cathy Glazer if you would like to join and she will send you the link. Her email is cathyglazer@verizon.net

Lenten Retreat at Holy Cross Monastery

Friday, March 20th to Sunday, March 22nd, 2026

Blooming in the Lenten Desert: Encountering God in Lent as We Age

As we age through mid-life and beyond, we are particularly suited to understand and experience Lent in a profound way. The Lenten desert experience is meant to ultimately deepen our relationship with God through embracing the Paschal Mystery. Likewise aging, with its physical limitations, losses, emotional challenges, invitations to let go and calls to new life, is a mirroring experience that can aid us in a very particular way during this liturgical season. Come and explore this intersection. Please register here by March 1stYou can learn more about our facilitator, Janet Corso, here.

St. Martin's To Be Honored at St. James School's Dr. Audrey Evans Benefit Event

May 20th, 2026 at Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

St. Martin's has been chosen as one of this year's honorees at St. James' School's Dr. Audrey Evens Benefit Event, due to our longstanding partnership with St. James! The Rev. Dr. Mary Barber will be in attendance to accept this honor on behalf of the parish, and we hope you will attend as well! Enjoy an evening of camaraderie and impactful programming paired with delicious food and drinks. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish. Stay tuned for more details!

The Life and Witness of Pauli Murray: An All-Ages Study

Join us this February for an all-ages study of the life and legacy of Pauli Murray—poet, priest, civil rights lawyer, theologian, and saint of the Episcopal Church—whose courage and faith continue to shape both our church and our nation.

We will begin on Sunday, February 8, (9:40-10:15 a.m.) with a conversation for all ages in the Houston Room using the book Pauli Murray: Shouting for the Rights of All People, an accessible and engaging introduction to Pauli’s life and work (ages 6+). You can purchase your book using the link above, or, consider supporting a local bookstore! Our study will then continue on Sunday, February 28 (3 - 5 p.m.) with a viewing and discussion of the powerful documentary My Name is Pauli Murray, also in the Houston Room. Continue reading here.

Discussions In Diversity

Every Wednesday in February except Ash Wednesday

7:00 p.m. in the Houston Room

As part of our Adult Forum Series on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., we will again host a series of Discussions in Diversity during Black History Month. Please mark your calendars! Plan also to join us for Food & Fellowship prior to the discussion, at 6:00 p.m.

Take Action

Join POWER Interfaith's Citywide Assembly On Affordability

Sunday, February 1st from 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Mother Bethel AME Church (419 S. 6th St.)

This is your chance to speak truth to power about affording life in Philadelphia and meet with our elected officials to come up with tangible, long-term solutions. There will be buses to this event. RSVP today by contacting Merritt Andruss at 907.957.1131 or merrittnp@gmail.com.

Sermons

The Rev. Luke Selles

January 18th, 2026

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Morning Services

When I reflect on my own life, I have trouble coming up with a list of enemies. There are the people who blare their horns at me at intersections as soon as the light turns green. There are the people who look at me with confusion which turns to disgust when I tell them my name. There are of course the bullies, the ones who have tried to make my life miserable, to make me feel excluded so that they could feel they belonged. But at the end of the day, in my position of relative privilege in this society, there is little that any of those people have done, or could have done really, to hurt me, at least without my permission. My permission to feel cowed, excluded, unlovable. Up to this point, I have been protected because of my socioeconomic status, my race, and my education from true acts of hate and violence.

But now, in spite of my own peace-loving nature, my dislike of conflict and drama, I know that I am numbered as someone who, not because of my politics or anything really interesting about me, but because of my identity, my joyful declaration of self, I have been drawn into an inflamed, state-sanctioned rhetoric. Continue reading here.

The Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

January 18th, 2026

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Choral Evensong

The Measure of Man is a publication of two of ML King Jr’s lectures from 1958. In the book Dr King talks about the three dimensions of a complete life, length, breadth and height, referencing the dimensions of heaven as described in the Book of Revelation. Continue reading here.

Coming Up

Next Week's Adult Forum

Wednesday, January 28th

7:00 p.m. in the Houston Room & via Zoom here

Brian Armstead, a business and civic engagement consultant, will talk about the work of the Father's Day Rally Committee, where he's a board member. Founded by legendary community activist Bilal Qayyum in 1990, the Father's Day Rally Committee provides men with support and resources to be better fathers, to defuse violence and to build up their neighborhood communities. Armstead holds advanced degrees in social work and business administration. He has held positions with the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, the Philadelphia Education Fund and the PA Project for Civic Engagement.