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

Field Notes

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Sunday Worship

June 2nd, 2024

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

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

10:30 a.m. Choral Holy Eucharist

A Note From Rev. Laura

Short, pithy, statements often capture essential truths.

Many churches have tag lines that affirm a church’s identity. St. Martin’s doesn’t and I think it would be a good idea if we did-- especially as we begin to focus on and plan for our 135th anniversary. 

Here are examples from other parishes: 

• “We are a community of people rooted in God’s love, growing through God’ grace and reaching out to all.” (St. Peter’s Glenside)
• “We seek to be a welcoming community of faith, reaching out to share the love of God made known to us in Jesus Christ.” (St. Paul’s Chestnut Hill)
• “We are a church on a mission to make God known to others in Jesus Christ.” (St. David’s Radnor)
• “Come explore your faith at the community of St. Asaph’s. We are as open-minded as you are.” (St. Asaph’s Bala Cynwyd)
• “Here for God, here for good.”   
• 325 years of worship, serving our neighbors and following Jesus. (St. Thomas Whitemarsh)
• “Everybody needs a place. We invite you to make this place yours.” (St. Bart’s NYC)

Here’s an idea for St. Martin’s

Belong. Believe. Behold.  

Belong to a diverse community that believes in Jesus Christ and behold how love and service transform our world. 

I’d like to avoid the word “welcome” because it’s on the verge of becoming a cliché. I have also talked to people who have been coming here for a while who’ve told me that they feel welcomed at St. Martin’s but that they don’t really feel as though they belong. 

My hope is that over the summer we can gather your ideas and suggestions and have a tag line ready to go by fall. Continue reading here.

Features

2024 Annual Parish Meeting

Next Sunday, June 9th

Immediately following the 10:30 a.m. service (~12 p.m.)

All are encouraged to attend this year's Annual Meeting led by the Vestry. The meeting will take place in the Parish Hall next Sunday, directly following the conclusion of the 10:30 a.m. service.

Final Food & Fellowship, Choristers, and Summer Concert!

This Upcoming Wednesday, June 5th

4:30 p.m. Choristers Rehearsal

6:00 p.m. Food & Fellowship

7:00 p.m. Summer Concert

Please join us this upcoming Wednesday evening as we close out our Wednesday Night programming for the summer! Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who help make our Wednesday programming possible! After a brief hiatus from June to August, Food & Fellowship and Choristers Rehearsals will resume in September, and you needn't wait long to hear more music after our final summer concert, because our Folk Mass is June 16th! If you would like to enroll your child in Choristers in the fall, please contact Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts, at twhiting@stmartinec.org

Join Us Wednesday for Our Final Summer Concert!

Featuring the Fairmount String Quartet

Children under 18 and students with ID: Free!

Click here for tickets.

Please join us next Wednesday, June 5th for our final Summer Concert! Ensemble in Residence at St. Martin's, the Fairmount String Quartet will present a closing concert of music from classical to pop! All are invited to a reception in the Parish House following the concert. Please try to book your tickets in advance to help us plan hospitality for the reception. Thank you. 

Sound System: A Note from Our Director of Music & Arts

Had Frankenstein's monster not been a man in Mary Shelley's novel, it could have easily been our sound system! I have learned more about A/V technology in the last 12 months than I ever thought I would need in trying to understand our Frankenstein system. A conglomeration or parts from different decades, brands, and companies, that usually functions well but sometimes its various parts don't communicate so well with each other. 

After June 9, the end of the program year, I will be working with two sound companies (Illuminated and Ashworth Media) to best consider how to remedy an issue with the speakers above the choir, and to 'tune' the microphones of the sanctuary and wireless system to ensure everyone can be heard. As these adjustments are made I offer a few pieces of advice if you struggle to hear in church:

• If you are a reader/intercessor, please move the microphone so that it points at your mouth; there is little adjustment that can be made "behind the scenes" in real time if the microphone is not placed properly;
• If you are hard of hearing, consider sitting closer to the Altar where the sound from the speakers will be stronger;
• If you would like to try one of our hearing assist devices, please find me before the 8 a.m., 9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. services. 

Continue reading here.

View Our Parish Profile

Click here to view.

Upon its completion, the Parish Profile was submitted to the Diocese, who then publicized it as part of the job posting for our next rector. Thank you to the Parish Profile Committee and all who attended our Listening Circles or otherwise contributed to this comprehensive parish chronicle.

Sermon Transcript

The Rev. Laura Palmer

May 26th, 2024: Trinity Sunday

Accept the offering of our lives, O God; we do not know quite what to do with them. We place them before Thee as they are, encumbered and fragmented, with no hints, no suggestions, no attempts to order the working of Thy Spirit upon us. Accept our lives, our Father—work them over. Correct them. Purify them. Hold them in Thy focus lest we perish and the spirit within us dies.* Amen

Mystic and theologian Howard Thurman’s prayer points to vitality as the pulsing heartbeat of the Holy Spirit. It’s a gift given to us that’s easier to embrace than explain or understand. We celebrate and sing “God in three persons, blessed Trinity.” Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and skate right by the enormity of what we’ve been given. 

Once could preach a theologically sound sermon on Trinity Sunday in just 16 words: “If God were small enough to be understood he wouldn’t be big enough to be worshiped.” Amen.

Continue reading here.

*Thurman, Howard, “The Light of His Spirit, The Inward Journey” Friends United Press, 11/1/2007

LGBTQ+ Pride Evensong

Next Sunday, June 9th, at 5:00 p.m.

The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields was the first in the Diocese of Pennsylvania to offer a Choral Evensong specifically in celebration and recognition of LGBTQ+ Pride in June 2022. 

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Join us for our now yearly tradition featuring music by all LGBTQ+ or underrepresented composers. 

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Singers who may be interested in joining us for this event are encouraged to come to rehearsal on June 6 at 7 p.m. and should email Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts at twhiting@stmartinec.org or register by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of StringFlo

StringFlo

Next Saturday, June 8th

10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall

Join resident ensemble the Fairmount String Quartet with guest bassist Timothy Raub in a yoga class (mat or chair) with live string music written by Ellen Fishman, retired director of music at SCH Academy, and led by Jake Ellis of Cocoon Studio in Mt. Airy. This class is a celebration of the release of the StringFlo album, its feature article in Strings Magazine, and its studio licensing on YogiTunes. Advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended as it was a sellout last time. Celebration cake will be served following class!

Folk Mass

June 16th sees the return of our yearly Folk/Bluegrass Mass! Co-led this year by Vestry Member, David Dieck, and Alto Section Leader, Marisa Miller, this service will bring together musicians from the congregation who will share a variety of wonderful music. If you are interested in playing for this service, please reach out to David or Marisa!

Take Action

Sponsor a Beyond Borders Family

At the Mothers' Day Adult Forum, Beyond Borders staff explained their Family Graduation Program, which helps empower a cohort of 160 families to move from poverty to financial security and self-reliance within two years. At this time 35 of the 160 families in the program still need sponsors. If Beyond Borders does not find sponsors for these remaining families, they will need to use general operations funds to cover costs, which would require laying off staff. We are looking for individuals who can sponsor a family in whole ($100/month) or in part ($25/month). So far, eight parishioners have already signed on to help! Our Community Engagement Committee is also sponsoring a family on behalf of St. Martin’s. Continue reading here.

PAIPL Bike & Hike Event

Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light is on the ground throughout our commonwealth, working with local organizations and lawmakers to bring about positive changes. These climate issues have many social and racial justice components, as the marginalized in our communities – within a few miles of St. Martin’s parish – often do not have a voice. Continue reading here.

You can donate to the St. Martin-in-the-Fields team here, or directly sponsor Griffin and Freya (pictured) here. Please support Griffin, Freya, and all the other hikers and bikers from St. Martin's!

Griffin & Freya will hike 100 miles in May!

Guatemala Student Scholarship Fundraising 2025

St Martin’s Guatemala Companion Parish Committee will be collecting pledges for the 2025 San Juan Apostol Scholarship Fund now through June 30th. In 2023 St Martin’s parishioners generously pledged and donated $19,425 to support students in pre-primary school through local university for the 2024 school year. These funds helped 35 young learners to attend school, each of whom would otherwise have been unable to attend due to economic hardships. Education is making a difference to break a cycle of poverty with student graduates making a difference in their families and local community. The young people we sponsor and their families are so very thankful for our support. This year our goal is $15,000. Please consider pledging a contribution to this scholarship fund for the 2025 school year. Continue reading here.

Good News

From Joanne Conway, Upon Return from 3 Week Train Trip Exploring U.S.A. & Canada

To All Who Blessed my 80th Birthday Journey,

I thank you and want you to know your blessing was with me the entire three weeks of my journey.

My adventure into traveling alone, navigating the beginning to my 81st year, and desiring confidence, reassurance and affirmation all worked - it all happened! The word I used most often as I re-read my journal was “amazing”. The scenery, the people, the food, and me - all were amazing and the Holy Spirit was there for the entire journey. I am indeed blessed and grateful for all, including your loving send-off. Thank you, thank you.

Joanne

Coming Up

Youth Connecting

Sundays June 16 and July 21

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Grades 7-12   

Meet at the home of the Martin Family

Youth are invited to connect for games, conversation, and hanging out. At each session, we will make time to discuss resources from Christian tradition that help us respond to some of the most challenging issues of our day. Topics may include climate change, gender and sexuality, or war; we will adjust our focus based on what is most important for the youth who are present. A simple meal will be provided. Feel free to bring a snack to share. We hope you can make it! Please contact Rev. Britta with questions or to RSVP (cyf@stmartinec.org).

It's Not Too Late to Register for VBS!

Mon., June 17th - Fri., June 21st

9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Full Day) or 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Half Day)

Please click here to register.

This year's Vacation Bible School invites children to come celebrate the wonders of the earth! Our theme, Songs of Creation, is inspired by Psalm 150:6, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” We will explore the incredible ways people care for creation and celebrate it. Join us for a week of games, crafts, stories of faith, and lots of music!

Contact Rev. Britta with any questions: cyf@stmartinec.org

Wednesday Noon Eucharist

Every Wednesday at

12:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Wellspring Worship Reflections

In Person in the Houston Room following the 10:30 service.