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. Luke Selles at (267) 571-9876.

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, August 9, 2026

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Spoken)

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

Under the Tent

9:30 a.m. All-Ages Parable Study: “The Sower” (Matt 13:1-23)

Under the Tent

10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music

Also via livestream here

Followed by Worship Reflections (in person only)

This Sunday's Readings

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 | Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b | Romans 10:5-15 | Matthew 14:22-33

Features

Adult Forum Returns Next Month - Topic Suggestions Wanted!

Adult forum will resume Sept. 16 at its usual time and place: 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the Houston Room. The hunt for program ideas is on. Is there a parish ministry or initiative you'd like to learn more about? Are you doing something neat in your life that you're eager to share with the parish? Is there a writer, artist, thinker, activist, doer or leader in our Philadelphia community you think we should invite? Any trends in spirituality or theology that await exploration? 

If any such great ideas for a forum are rattling around in your brain, please send them to Chris Satullo at csatullo@gmail.com or 610-828-6935.  Note: Forums should be as interactive as possible, with no more than 40 minutes for presentation, leaving at least 20 for Q and A. Examples of forums last year that hit the mark: A brainstorming session on how St. Martin's can respond to the deportation crisis; parishioner Barbara Dundon talking about how the idea of "wrestling with angels" has guided bold decisions she's made in her life; and academic freedom advocate Jonathan Zimmerman of Penn talking about the current administration's attacks on elite colleges.

Seasonal Writing Retreat

Saturdays (bi-weekly) from 9:30-11 a.m. in Hilary House

August Dates: 15th and 29th

A quiet time to listen, reflect, create and share

Come and share time with others as we listen to poems/reflections/prayers that reflect the liturgical season we are in. After some time in silence, we write as the spirit guides us and the share our writing without judgement or critique. Find community, respite and inspiration as we move through challenging times. All are welcome. Come for one session or come often. For information contact Joanne Conway, joanneconway86@gmail.com

Save the Date! "Exploring Spirituality with Wellspring—An Afternoon Retreat"

Saturday, September 26th

Lunch (12-1 p.m.) followed by three hour-long sessions (1-4 p.m.)

 There are many ways to encounter the Spirit. Come experience with us three approaches to spirituality:

•  through the signs and symbols of the liturgy;
•  through the teachings of the spiritual scientist, Rudolf Steiner, founder of Waldorf education;
•  through praying the Psalms.

No cost. Stay tuned for more details!

Iced Tea & Chess Under the Tent

Weekly on Thursdays through August 27th

4:00-6:00 p.m.

Rain Space: Houston Room

This summer’s Iced Tea & Chess Under the Tent series continues each Thursday through the end of August! Our Iced Tea & Chess series is a great way to get to know each other, enjoy some snacks, and beat the summer heat with cool drinks and/or chess. No RSVP needed, but if you are able, please consider bringing a snack to share. We look forward to seeing you there!

A Faithful Journey: Preparing for Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation

This fall, St. Martin's will offer confirmation classes for youth and adults. All seekers, age 12 and over, are welcome to join us between the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. service for five Sundays: Sept. 20th and 27th; Oct. 11th and 18th; and Nov. 8th. If you are interested in making a public confirmation or reaffirmation of your baptismal vows or being received into the Episcopal Church at the end of this course, please fill out this form by August 14th. All are welcome to join for one or all of the five parish-wide sessions and the additional opportunities even if you are unsure about being confirmed/received. Click here for more details.

Coming This Fall: Wellspring’s Spiritual Classics Book Group

C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Julian of Norwich, Thomas Merton, Teresa of Avila, Meister Eckhart—we’ve heard their names but often haven’t had a chance to read their books. Is there a title you’ve heard about and always wanted to read? Is there a favorite that you’d like to read again? Would you value reading such books in a small group so you can talk about their insights together?

The Spiritual Classics Book Group will function like many book groups, meeting monthly in participants’ homes, deciding together on the year’s list oftitles. Although Christian writers are the main focus, spiritual classics from other traditions could be considered as well. Watch for further notices about our first meeting in September, and meanwhile, if you’d like to express interest in it, contact Lorie Simmons (loriesimmons@comcast.net) or Mike Gillum (mikegillum@gmail.com).

Children, Youth, & Families

Summer Movie Series: Frozen Sing-along

This Saturday, August 8th

5:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Parish House

All ages are invited to join for pizza and a movie this Saturday, August 8th! Please RSVP by tomorrow, Friday August 7th, with your dietary restrictions and number of folks by emailing lselles@stmartinec.org.

Summer Bible Series: The Parables of Jesus

Sundays, Now - Aug 16th

Between the 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services

This Sunday's Parable: “The Sower” (Matt 13:1-23)

All ages are invited to encounter the parables of Jesus -- those elusive, challenging, and deceptively simple stories with imagery from everyday life, which teach something about spiritual realities -- with a story told using Godly Play followed by a collective activity led by members of St. Martin's community that corresponds to the story (i.e. singing, planting, baking). If you have a skill you'd like to teach related to one of the following stories, email Rev. Luke at lselles@stmartinec.org.

• August 16: “The Leaven” (Luke 13:20-1)

Diocesan Youth Wild Adventure at Valley Forge

Sunday, August 30th

4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Washington Memorial Chapel 

2000 Valley Forge Park Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406

Get ready for a fun evening of adventure, music, food, and fellowship to kick off your fall! Youth and their family members from across the diocese are invited to join us for our Diocesan Youth Wild Adventure at Valley Forge National Historical Park on 8/30 from 4 pm - 6:30 p.m. Enjoy live music, wilderness walks, hands-on craft projects like nature mandalas, dinner, and outdoor worship under the open sky that will inspire you for the coming school year. The Rev. Dr. Charles Lattimore Howard will be our homilist. To register, go to this link.

Summer Sunday Musicians

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to offer music this Summer. Upcoming Sundays will feature the following musicians:

Aug 9: Bill Bixby, Voice

Aug 16: Jonathan Leeds, Clarinet

Aug 23: Liam Maher, Violin

Aug 30: B'roke Ensemble, St. Martin's Amateur Baroque Ensemble

Title: A Coming Storm, Date: 1863, Artist: Sanford Gifford (American, 1823-1880), Medium: Oil on canvas, Credit Line: 125th Anniversary Acquisition. Gift of the McNeil Americana Collection, 2004

Nature and Spirit: Prayerful Looking at American Landscapes

Sunday, August 16th

1:30 - 4:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Co-sponsored by Wellspring, Interfaith Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Office for Community Engagement

This program is currently at capacity for registration. We are hosting this session again on August 30th! You can register here for August 30th: same time and place.

This Mini-Retreat will take place in the PMA’s America250 exhibit, A Nation of Artists. We will focus on landscape paintings that express a variety of religious and spiritual commitments, helped create our national identity, and fueled our nation’s westward expansion. Guided meditation on two paintings will be followed by an opportunity for participants to explore the exhibit and select a work of art to contemplate on their own or with a partner. The retreat will conclude with a tour of the works selected, each person sharing their unique experience of prayerful looking. Register here.

Facilitator: Rev. John B. Hougen, PhD, Co-chair of Wellspring, Art of Interfaith Understanding Coordinator for Interfaith Philadelphia, and Volunteer Docent at the PMA.

Cost: The sliding scale fee for this program is $30-$150, with a suggested price of $50.

Parking and admission to the museum are free thanks to the generosity of the PMA’s Office of Community Engagement. 

Sermon

The Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

August 2, 2026

Click here to view a video recording of last Sunday's sermon by Rev. Mary. The sermon begins at the 24 minute mark.

Coming Up

Spirituality of Aging

Next Wednesday, August 12th

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 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, contact Elizabeth Morrison at elizabeth.donnell.morrison@gmail.com.

Wednesday Noon Eucharist

Mary Chapel

Wellspring Worship Reflections

After the 10:30 a.m. service

Houston Room

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)

Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m. (Library)

Al Anon

Sundays 6-7 p.m. (Houston Room)

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

1 - Tuesdays 8-9 p.m. (Houston Room)

2 - Thursdays 7-8 p.m. (Houston Room)

3 - Fridays 7-8 p.m. (Houston Room)

4 - Sundays 8-9 p.m. (Houston Room)