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Resources for Reflection and Growth this Lent

Posted March 1, 2022

The Book of Common Prayer invites us to a Holy Lent on Ash Wednesday:

“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” - BCP 264

As you plan your own practices for Lent, you may find support in some resources in the Book of Common Prayer too. I recommend the Litany of Penitence on page 267. We say the Litany on Ash Wednesday in Worship, and I recommend that you review the Litany once a week as a form of self-examination.

In the prayer we search out our character flaws, for example, “Our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves.” These wise confessions help us identify the patterns of sin in our lives so we can repent and turn to healthy spiritual patterns. Noticing my envy, I can confess it and set the intention of replacing it with a generous spirit whenever the envy arises. With God’s help, of course.

I also recommend our Baptismal Covenant on page 304. The first part of the Covenant is the Apostle’s Creed, our most concise summary of who God is. Please don’t skip the Creedal part! It describes the incomparable gift of God’s self-disclosure to us and the bond of unbreakable love God has made with us in Jesus Christ.

The vows which follow are our response to this gift. Because God is our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, and because God has defeated sin through the Cross and Resurrection and formed an unbreakable bond with us, we respond with commitments. These commitments are a great tool for daily self-examination. How did I “seek and serve Christ in all persons” today? How did I "share the Good News of God in Christ" today? Self-examination leads to self-awareness, confession and amendment of life with the assistance of God’s grace and love.

The path of self-examination is meant to lead us into spiritual freedom; the capacity to respond to the challenges of life from the resources of Christ. What good news! In life, we so often react from our angers, resentments, hurts, frustrations, fears and anxieties. In Christ, we have a reservoir of new life, abundant life, that sets us free to replace our character flaws with the character of Christ.

One tool I personally use is something called the 8 C’s of Internal Family Systems. Richard Schwartz distills 8 virtues that flow when we are living from our God given soul: calmness, clarity, curiosity, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness. I check in on this list every day and take my spiritual temperature. How was I living from my soul today? How was I avoiding it? How can God’s love restore me to God’s loving intention for me? These are the questions of Lent. Thank you for joining me in the questions.

In Christ,

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel

Former Rector

(215) 247-7466 ext. 101

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel (he/him) was educated at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He was ordained Priest in 1995 in Danville, Pennsylvania where he worked as a Hospital Chaplain and a Head Start teacher. Pastoral positions followed at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Flossmoor, Illinois, St. Paul and the Redeemer in Chicago, and then Rector at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Park Ridge, Illinois. After following his wife, the Rev. Dr. Alison Boden, to her new position in Princeton, New Jersey, he was called to be the Executive Director of the Crisis Ministry of Mercer County. The largest food pantry and the gateway agency for Homelessness Prevention services in Mercer County, the Crisis Ministry also runs a Welfare to Work program and an innovative free farmers market. Jarrett became Rector of St. Martin’s in February 2011. He formerly served as the co-chair of Philadelphians Organized to Witness Empower and Rebuild (POWER). Jarrett serves as Dean of the Wissahickon Deanery and is an Associate of the Order of the Holy Cross. He is an Adjunct Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary where he co-teaches a regular class on Faith Based Community Organizing, Theology and Practice. Jarrett has been published in Sojourners, the Huffington Post, Yours the Power, and the Journal of Public Theology. He is the father of two children, Timothy and Martha.

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Tags: Adult Faith Formation / Baptism / Link in Bio

Calendar

Saturday, 6/25 at 11:00 AM
Saturday Bible Study
Sunday, 6/26 at 8:00 AM
Spoken Holy Eucharist with sermon
Sunday, 6/26 at 9:00 AM
LIFT Intergenerational Worship
Sunday, 6/26 at 10:30 AM
Choral Eucharist with sermon
Sunday, 6/26 at 12:00 PM
Worship Reflections In Person
Sunday, 6/26 at 6:00 PM
Online: Al-Anon Sunday-Nighters
Sunday, 6/26 at 8:00 PM
A.A. (in person)
Monday, 6/27 at 7:30 AM
Morning Prayer via Zoom (SM)

Saturday Bible Study

Saturday, June 25, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

St. Martin's Staff Person is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Bible Study Time: Apr 30, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Every week on Sat, 20 occurrence(s) Apr 30, 2022 11:00 AM May 7, 2022 11:00 AM May 14, 2022 11:00 AM May 21, 2022 11:00 AM May 28, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 4, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 11, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 18, 2022 11:00 AM Jun 25, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 2, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 9, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 16, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 23, 2022 11:00 AM Jul 30, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 6, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 13, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 20, 2022 11:00 AM Aug 27, 2022 11:00 AM Sep 3, 2022 11:00 AM Sep 10, 2022 11:00 AM Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZUqcO2urDkiEtG0nVu446eUnvON7mB33m5G/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGpqTwuHNaXuBGCRpwcB4_CLO7zpnpHj7d6zBHTFnQHNAbDOPRtHOVyMouD Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81774622885 Meeting ID: 817 7462 2885 One tap mobile +16465588656,,81774622885# US (New York) +13017158592,,81774622885# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 817 7462 2885 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd4ikOkS2Z

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Spoken Holy Eucharist with sermon

Sunday, June 26, 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Live-streamed to YouTube.com/StMartinECPhilly and StMartinEC.org/live.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

LIFT Intergenerational Worship

Sunday, June 26, 9:00 AM - 9:40 AM

Click here to view on Google Calendar.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Choral Eucharist with sermon

Sunday, June 26, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Live-streamed to YouTube.com/StMartinECPhilly and StMartinEC.org/live.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Worship Reflections In Person

Sunday, June 26, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM

In person only.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Online: Al-Anon Sunday-Nighters

Sunday, June 26, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Click here to view on Google Calendar.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

A.A. (in person)

Sunday, June 26, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Click here to view on Google Calendar.

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Morning Prayer via Zoom (SM)

Monday, June 27, 7:30 AM - 8:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting See your Field Notes email for the Zoom link. Call in only: +16465588656,,856472224# US (New York) Meeting ID: 856 472 224 One tap mobile

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-0400 America/New_York 1 -464

Sermons

  • Jun 5 | The Rev. Dr. Nora Johnson
    Beatitudes for Pride
  • Jun 5 | The Rev. James H. Littrell
    Ticks in the Boxwoods
  • May 29 | The Rev. David F. Potter
    Where Do We Go From Here?
  • May 28 | The Rev. James H. Littrell
    New Every Morning
  • May 22 | The Rev. James H. Littrell
    River

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8000 St. Martin's Lane · Philadelphia, PA 19118
215.247.7466
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Service Times

Join us online for Sunday morning worship!

  • 8:00 a.m. Traditional spoken Holy Eucharist with sermon - live streamed.
  • 9:00 a.m. Living in Faith Together: Outdoor, intergenerational worship with eucharist, immediately followed by formation at 9:40
  • 10:30 a.m. Traditional Holy Eucharist with music and sermon - live streamed.

StMartinEC.org/live

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St. Martin-in-the-Fields
8000 St. Martin's Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19118

Contact Us
215.247.7466

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