St. Martin's Newsletter

Weekly E-News November 20, 2015

www.stmartinsprov.org

Worship Schedule

Sunday

8am and 10am

Holy Eucharist

9:45am Nursery
Tuesday-Friday

9am Morning Prayer in the Chapel
Wednesday

7am service with Holy Eucharist

Please remember to...
return your filled Thanksgiving Bags by this Sunday, November 22nd.

*Bags will be distributed to PICA and Camp Street Ministries.

pick up your Advent calendars on the table at the back of the church.

The Weekly Epistle

Last Sunday's celebration of our patronal festival with Choral Evensong and parish supper was an absolutely, outstanding success. Thank you to our wonderful hospitality committee for organizing and coordinating a massive food celebration along with a short pageant commemorating St Martin hiding out among the geese. A special thank you to the very plump goose. Thank you also to Jay and the choir for a beautiful service of Evensong. It really was an occasion that showcased the warm hospitality and love of celebration that is such a feature of our parish community. Thank you to all involved, our volunteers and our hard working paid staff.

Last Sunday in the morning we also revived Remembrance Day, a custom that has fallen into disuse in the Episcopal Church in recent years. To listen again to the sermon for this commemoration of those whose lives have been lost in war, with an especial focus on the recent terrorist attacks in Paris please click here.

This Sunday is the last in the season after Pentecost. It is especially dedicated to Christ the King. The Kingship of Christ is an ambiguous notion and I will be exploring how this can be interpreted as meaningful within our own particular theological and experiential context.

Richard Rohr in his meditation for last Wednesday reminded us that Jesus and Paul were agents of change. He quoted the great John Henry Newman 1801-1890 "To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often." Yet, human nature is such that change happens only when forced upon us; when our illusion of living in control of our lives is severely challenged. Fr. Rohr speaks of Transformative religion as something that goes against the survival instinct of the fortified religious ego that uses God as the reason to resist change. He likens this resistance to an addictive pattern of thinking that characterizes so much of our religion and politics today.It creates very cognitively rigid, dualistic thinking in service to the ego. This thinking is largely impregnable to either love or logic. He asks: could this be the deepest meaning of sin?

As we contemplate Christ the King and the Kingdom of God, we don't have to look far to see the fortified religious ego in operation among a number of the presidential hopefuls and our current politicians, especially following in the wake of last weekend's tragic events in Paris. A characteristic of our age seems to be the demise of courageous leadership, replaced by an increasing tendency to grandstand, with dire consequences for people's lives.

Advent Sunday, the start of a new Church year follows on November 29th. I remind us all that our new Sunday schedule of services begins on the 29th so please check the website or this E-news for information on the changes. My epistles for 30th October and 6th of November rehearse the reasons for experimenting with this new schedule.

Let's look forward to greeting one another in church, this Sunday.

Mark+

A Message from the Director of Christian Formation

Dear Friends,

I am excited about our new trial schedule which begins next Sunday, 29 November.
After the 9:15 service we will have Christian Formation for all ages from 10:30-11:30. Next week we will have two Formation offerings during the hour: Episcopal 101 for anyone interested in learning more about the Episcopal Church, especially for those who desire to be confirmed; and our Annual Intergenerational Advent Festival, in which families can make Advent Wreaths, sign up for the Christmas Pageant (December 24 at 4:00 p.m.) and sign up for Prayer Partners (see below.)

All materials and instruction are provided for wreath-making: we ask a donation of $10 to cover the cost of wreath form and candles. If you would rather bring your own wreath form to decorate, feel free to do so; the candles are available for $5. Thanks in advance to the Hollinsheads and the Potters for their assistance with this fun activity, and I look forward to seeing you there.

We will also be taking sign-ups for those interested in having Prayer Partners again this year. Last year we originally invited people to partner with someone of another generation for the season of Advent as a way to deepen their prayer life and strengthen the ties between adults and young people in the parish. Some of the prayer partnerships continued well beyond Advent, which is wonderful, but not required. The partnerships are intended to be informal and flexible--partners may simply include each other in daily prayers, or they may make sure to exchange The Peace, say hello at Coffee Hour or attend an intergenerational Formation class together. If you would like to sign up, fill out the forms that will be available in the back of the church and in the Great Hall next Sunday. May this partnership be fruitful and grace-filled.

Peace, Linda

READINGS THIS WEEK

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 (OT)

Revelation 1:4b-8 (NT)
John 18:33-37 (Gospel)
Click here for this Sunday's readings.

THIS SUNDAY

Services

at 8am and 10am

+
Gluten Free Hosts available at the altar rail.

+

Weekly Bible Study at 9am
in the Office (see the Biblebox below)
+

Church School/Nursery at 9:45am

+

Directory Photos in the Stearns Room after both services

+

Youth Group at 11:30am
+

'Hearts are Open' meeting in the church office at 11:30am
+

Coffee Hour this Sunday is hosted by the Marion/Ng Family.

MORNING PRAYER

It is my practice to endeavor to say Morning Prayer in the Chapel of the Church at 9am on Tuesday through Friday each week. I look forward to seeing you there!

Mark+

NEW SERVICE HOURS!

Beginning on Advent 1, November 29 and running through Epiphany, February 7, we will be experimenting with new service times:

7:45am Holy Eucharist

8:30am Bible Study

9:15am Holy Eucharist with choir and sermon

10:30am Adult & Children's Christian Formation

12noon Holy Eucharist

2015 Evensong and Feast of St. Martin

Words cannot express my heartfelt thanks for all those who so graciously gave of their time, treasures, talents, and energy in making our first St. Martin's Patronal Feast such a wonderful gathering.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Jane Taylor
(Photos courtesy of David Brookhart)

The Memorial Garden Committee 2015 Clean-up

We had a very productive morning last Saturday.

The team enjoyed wonderful fellowship while buttoning up the garden for the winter and planting some bulbs to be enjoyed in the spring. Thank you to Tom Calhoun,
John and Rosalind Ditson, Al Howes, Meg LoPresti, Joyce May and Ann and Bob Wood.

Rosalind Ditson

Biblebox
(Weekly Bible Study)
Gospel: Mark 13:1-8

To dig a little behind the Gospel text for this Sunday, take a look at this week's Working Preacher in preparation for discussion at our weekly Sunday Bible study at 9am in the Stearns Room.

Healing Prayers...

Healing Prayers are now offered every Sunday. After receiving Holy Communion you may then go to the Chapel where you can request healing prayers for yourself, a loved one, or for a situation in the wider world before returning to your seat.

Schedule of those leading Healing Prayers:

November 22 Beth Shearer

November 29 Jeana Whittredge

December 6 Hal Conner

December 13 Beth Shearer

December 20 Jeana Whittredge

'Our Hearts are Open' Gift Project

In its fifth year, St. Martin's parishioners will participate in buying Christmas gifts for children in DCYF care. The committee for Our Hearts are Open Gift Project is looking for members to attend one meeting, help promote, organize, collect, sort, and deliver gifts. Please contact Helen Anthony at hanthony5th@gmail.com or call the church office at
751-2141 if you are interested.

FYI...

Open Letter to the Governor from RI religious groups and ACLU of RI to denounce xenophobia and welcome Syrian refugees

here

Coming Up!

Tuesday, November 24 at 7pm

Interfaith Service.
Please join us at Temple Beth-el for our Interfaith service. Our children's choir will be singing! It's also a great chance for us to welcome the temple's new rabbi,
Howard Voss-Altman.
(see flyer at back of church)

+

Thursday, November 26 at 1pm
Thanksgiving Community Dinner in the Great Hall.
We need volunteers to cook, clean-up, help set up the day before etc.
Please contact Gail Peet at 725-0064
or gep@cox.net if you can help in any way.

+

Sunday, November 29

Intergenerational Advent Festival
Please join us in the Great Hall after the 9:15am service to make an Advent Wreath
for your home! All materials provided.
Suggested donation:
$10 for materials.

***Pageant sign-up will be available on this day.

+

Wednesday, December 2 from 6:30-8:30pm

Women's Spirituality

group will meet. Our topic will be "Viriditas: the Greening of the Spirit." Susan Allen will send the readings electronically this week and will have copies available in the church today.

+

Saturday, December 5 at 10am

Altar Guild Meeting
Susan Rodgers and Tom McDonnell will provide coffee and pastry.
Please let Susan Esposito know whether or not you will be attending.

The RI Civic Chorale and Orchestra will be performing the Messiah by G. F.

Handel in two concerts Thanksgiving weekend, the only performance of

the complete work in RI.

This inspiring and moving work will be performed on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 pm at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, 30 Fenner St., Providence, and on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 3

pm at St. Joseph's Church, 5 Mann Avenue (on the corner of Broadway) in Newport.

** Four members of the St. Martin's community will be singing: Hal and Beth Shearer,

Beth Monk, and Ted Fleming.

Vestry Nominations Committee Formed

In accordance with Article VII, Section V of the By-Laws of St. Martin's Parish, the Rector and the Wardens have appointed the following individuals to a Nominating Committee to prepare at least one slate of candidates to the Vestry: David Brookhart, John Lawlor, Edmund Leather, Sean Mulholland, Jill Scott, Elizabeth Welshman.

The Vestry has five vacancies for election at the Annual Meeting on January 24, 2016: including that for Junior Warden.The Nominating Committee invites all Members of the Parish to self-nominate for these vacancies. In accordance with Article III, Section 1 of the By-Laws, "The members of the Parish shall be all persons who have received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and who are registered as members of the Parish." Please contact a member of the Nominating Committee to express your interest in this ministry.

The Nominating Committee will offer its slate(s) in the eNews immediately preceding Sunday, January 10, 2016, and in the News and Notes on
Sunday, January 10, 2016.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark Sutherland, Rector

Elizabeth Welshman, Senior Warden

Sean Mulholland, Junior Warden

Ministries

November 22, 2015 Reading link (Track 2)	November 29, 2015 Reading link (Track 2)
8am: Reader David Brookhart Altar Guild Pat Knowles 10am: Bill Hollinshead (OT) Jennifer Kiddie (NT) Malcolm Griggs (Prayers) Altar Guild Elizabeth Welshman Louise Ely Eucharistic Ministers David Whitman (V) Hal Conner (H) Elke Moonan (C) Linda Griggs Meg LoPresti Acolytes Alison Kostas Peter Kostas Alex Potter Ushers Greg Piper Cathy Bodner Carol Tucker Waylan Tucker Jaye Tyler Coffee Hour The Marion/Ng Family Greeter Jack Nolan	9:15am: Reader Fla Lewis (OT) Holly Loell (NT) Meg LoPresti (Prayers) Altar Guild Al Howes Jane Taylor Raya Goff Eucharistic Ministers Linda Griggs (H) Jim Kelliher Denny Scott (V) Hal Conner (C) Dwight Phillips Acolytes Rebecca Loell Oliver Parker Erin Welshman Ushers Peter Dennehy Peter Lofgren Bob Amarantes Dennis Stark David Burke Coffee Hour The Kostas Family