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Rector's Note
"Who Am I?"
by Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Who am I? They often tell me
I stepped from my cell's confinement
Calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
Like a Squire from his country house.
Who am I? They often tell me
I used to speak to my warders
Freely and friendly and clearly,
As thought it were mine to command.
Who am I? They also tell me
I bore the days of misfortune
Equably, smilingly, proudly,
like one accustomed to win.
Am I then really that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I myself know of myself?
Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
Struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing my throat,
Yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
Thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
Tossing in expectations of great events,
Powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
Weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
Faint, and ready to say farewell to it all.
Who am I? This or the Other?
Am I one person today and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
And before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army
Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am thine!
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An annual favorite at St. Martin's! Sing your favorite Christmas carols - all you need to bring is your voice. If you play an instrument, you are invited to bring that and join our band - music will be available for just about any instrument.
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Schedule Changes:
- Dec. 25th: Christmas Day, Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m. only.
- Jan. 1st: Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.
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Jan. 8th: Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.,
Epiphany Party at 11 a.m., Lessons and Carols at 5 p.m.
- Jan. 15th: Full service schedule resumes, Parish Forum and worship.together resume, Children's Chapel during the 9 a.m. service returns.
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Christmas Pageant Rehearsals!
- Saturday, Dec. 17: 10 a.m. (all parts)
- Sunday, Dec. 18: 10 a.m. (all parts)
- Friday, Dec. 23: 4 p.m. (all parts)
- Saturday, Dec. 24: Arrive by 4:15 p.m.
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Advent at St. Martin's
Looking for resources for this season of preparation, watching, and waiting?
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The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel to be Honored at St. James School 5th Annual Christmas Benefit
Sunday, December 18th, Christ Church
Advent Lessons and Carols - 5 p.m., open to all
Colonial Christmas Celebration - 6 p.m., tickets: $85
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New Year's Eve Kirtan with Mandala
Saturday, December 31,
7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Church
Suggested Donation: $10
Start the New Year on a meditative, musical note with a New Year's Eve Kirtan service. Kirtan is an ancient chant tradition, with prayers sung in a call-and-response style. An annual tradition at St. Martin's, Scott Robinson and his band, Mandala, will lead this enchanting devotion.
Mindfulness and White Privilege: An Anti-Racism Seminar for White People
Sundays: Jan. 15 and 29, Feb. 12 and 26, March 5 and 19, from 3 to 5:30 p.m.
Concludes with a day-long retreat Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location:
Houston Room
Facilitators:
Pamela Freeman and Deborah Cooper
Fee: $320
This seven-week anti-racism program will blend mindfulness meditation practices with an exploration of white privilege. Open to a multi-faith audience, the seminar aims to engage white people in both a spiritually and historically informed practice of addressing racism to foster the personal insight and understanding that is essential for interracial work right now.
Registration is required.
Listening Lessons: No Fixing, No Saving
Wednesday, Jan. 18, from
7:30 to 9 p.m.
Led by Joanne Conway, this program will explore how the techniques for active listening used in St. Martin's Women Connecting program can be a model for all listening, following Parker Palmer's advice of "no fixing, no saving, no setting each other straight."
Registration required. Suggested donation: $15
How to be Happier
Saturdays:
Jan. 21 and 28, and
Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25;
10 to 11 a.m.
Learn ways to ways to increase happiness and life satisfaction in this six-week series. The classes are based on the new field of positive psychology, which, instead of treating illness, looks at ways to promote happiness, life satisfaction, and resilience. Dr. Sarah Whitman is a psychiatrist practicing in the Philadelphia area. Her practice focuses on chronic physical pain.
Registration required.
Fee: $60
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Christmas in the Middle East
Saturday, December 17th,
7 p.m.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Chestnut Hill
Since 2003, with the rise of sectarian violence and ISIS in Iraq, o
ver 120,000 Iraqi Christians under persecution have fled Iraqi cities for the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in the north, where they are protected by the Kurdish authorities and Peshmerga fighting forces. Come meet the Archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese of Cypress and the Gulph to learn more about what is happening on the ground. For more information contact The Rev. Cliff Cutler (215) 242-2055.
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FUSE Service Trip to St. Barnabas Mission
LAST CHANCE: Sunday, Dec. 18th, 12:30 p.m.
After church on Sunday the 18th, FUSE junior and senior high will be going to St. Barnabas Mission, part of Episcopal Community Services, to help package meals to give away this month.
ECS St. Barnabas Mission provides safe, decent shelter, healthy meals and supportive services to homeless families headed by a single mother. Located at 6006 W. Girard Avenue, the program's immediate goal is to give families a safe place to stay. The long-term goal is to help mothers and children become self-sufficient. St. Barnabas is critical to ECS' mission of empowering vulnerable individuals and families and directly addresses the agency's long-term outcomes of safety, well-being and self-sufficiency for all clients.
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Treble Choir Caroling
Cathedral Village
December 21st, 4:30 p.m.
Members of the Treble Choir will be singing Christmas Carols for residents at Cathedral Village.
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Prepare the Church for Christmas!
Friday, Dec. 23, at 9 a.m.
Come one, come all, for a merry morning of decorating the church for Christmas! Bring: clippers, a friends, and you coffee or tea. We'll provide the snacks and the know-how!
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"In our family, we have a special way of transitioning the kids from receiving from Santa, to becoming a Santa. This way, the Santa construct is not a lie that get discovered, but an unfolding series of good deeds and Christmas spirit."
Read More...
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Yesterday, the Dahan family of four arrived in Philadelphia and were settled into their temporary home in Mt. Airy. Sameer, age 40, Majidah, age 26, and their children Ayman (7) and Iman (1) were met by representatives of the Refugee Resettlement Ministry, our case worker from Bethany Christian Services, and Samra, the college student we've sponsored who also helped with translation. The Dahans are Muslim and their primary language is Arabic. Thank you for all your work in helping the Refugee Resettlement Ministry prepare for their arrival!
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Less than $10,000 to our Goal! Help us make it there by Christmas!
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Thursday Breakfast Club
NEW LOCATION!
Trolley Car Diner at 8:15 a.m.
The weekly breakfast club is now meeting at a new location: the Trolley Car Diner on Germantown Avenue. Grab some coffee and join us for conversation!
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Volunteers Needed for the Creating Change Conference
January 18-22, 2017
Creating Change is an annual conference hosted by the National LGBTQ Task Force for social justice leadership and skills building. Scheduled to be at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in January, this conference needs hundreds of justice-minded volunteers to run smoothly and offers free workshop attendance in exchange for volunteer shifts.
Contact conference host committee member Angelique Gravely (
[email protected]
) with any questions.
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UPCOMING
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CANCELLED Men for Others: Saturday, Dec. 17th
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Spirituality of Aging: Wednesday, Jan. 4th at 3 p.m.
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Women Connecting: Saturday, Jan. 7th at 9 a.m.
ONGOING
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Weekday Worship:
Morning Prayer:
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs at 7:30 a.m.
Morning Meditation:
Weekdays at 8:15 a.m.
Mid-Week Eucharist:
Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m.
Compline:
2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 7 p.m. after SUPPER at St. Martin's
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Quick Info & Links
Our Mission
Welcome all seekers
Worship God in liturgy, music and prayer
Equip all baptized persons for ministry
Engage as agents of Christ's love in the world.
Our Core Values
Learning Leads to God
In giving and receiving care we encounter Christ
Life in the Holy Spirit is beautiful
Our Aspirational Values
Community Engagement and Social Justice
Unconditional Welcome and Inclusion
A community that calls forth the gifts of its entire people
Becoming a Racism-Free and Diverse Community that reflects the City where we worship
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Field Notes is the weekly parish e-newsletter for the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia. Read about our events, programs, and other opportunities.
To submit news or articles, please send typed blurbs (75 words or less!) to Natalee Hill, Associate for Communications & Administration at
[email protected]
by Tuesday. Feedback is always welcome!
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Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields |
StMartinEC.org
| 215.247.7466
8000 St. Martin's Lane | Philadelphia | PA | 19118
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