Sermons from St. Martin-in-the-Fields

December 20, 2020

In his sermon for the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Jarrett Kerbel asks, "Who says Annunciations don't happen anymore?" Like Mary, it is our immersion in the story of God with us that teaches us to hear God's word in our lives.

Today's readings are:
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
Luke 1:26-38

Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B.

In her sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Barbara Ballenger recalls a time 30 years ago when "pink candle moments" would arrive in the mail in the form of long-awaited letters from her then-fiance, now husband Jess. She encourages us to savor such moments of rejoicing which can appear unexpectedly in the current sea of Advent blue.

Today's readings are:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
The Magnificat (from the Gospel of Luke, listed as Canticle 15 in LectionaryPage.net below)
John 1:6-8, 19-28

Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for the Third Sunday of Advent, Year B.

In his sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Jarrett Kerbel talks about the ways in which the wilderness just outside our door is something we have helped to create. There is hope because something good is on the way. If we heed the call to repentance as offered by John the Baptist, we may find ways to heal our country, one another, and ourselves.

Today's readings are:
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Mark 1:1-8

Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B.

As we enter a new liturgical year, the next turn in the constant spiral of time, the Rev. Carol Duncan reminds us that, in some ways, there is nothing new under the sun. The trials and apocalypses of today have been experienced throughout history. This brings us a measure of comfort as we know both that we will see these times end and that, if we watch for him, Christ who has come will come again and carry us through.

Today's readings are:
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 18-19
Mark 13:24-37
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for the First Sunday of Advent, Year B.

On this Christ the King Sunday, the Rev. Barbara Ballenger wonders if we've been misunderstanding the Parable of the Talents all these years.

Today's readings are:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Psalm 90:1-8
Matthew 25:14-30
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 28, Year A.

Lyrics by the Rt. Rev. Frank Griswold, set to the tune Puer Nobis.

Did you know that we've got our very own version of a hymn about St. Martin of Tours? Every year we sing this song on St. Martin's Day. The lyrics were written by the Rt. Rev. Frank Griswold when he was the Rector of Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. The hymn tells the full tale of St. Martin of Tours' encounter with a beggar one day along the roadside - the encounter fabled to have turned his path toward Christ.

Recording from St. Martin's Day celebration, Sunday, November 15, 2020.
Dr. Lyn Loewi, piano
Alyson Harvey and John Wentz, cantors
St. Martin's Handbell Choir

When will the light break upon us like dawn? When the hungry are fed, the grieving comforted, the prisoners set free… The Rev. Kerbel notes that today’s passage from Isaiah is the same background for both today’s passage in Luke 10 as the Beatitudes in Matthew 25. You will find Christ, and Christ’s disciples there where people need to be set free. He notes that sometimes we make a big deal about God’s will being mysterious, but sometimes God is really clear. If you follow Christ you will find yourself in works of justice and mercy.

Today's readings are:

Isaiah 58:6-12
Psalm 15
Matthew 25:31-40

Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for the Feast of St. Martin of Tours.

November 1, 2020

In her sermon for All Saints' Day, the Rev. Anne Thatcher shares her vision of the Beatitudes as she has seen them at St. Martin's in her five years with us. As she departs for her new call, she leaves us with these new blessings to take us forward.

Today's readings are:

Revelation 7:9-17
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
Matthew 5:1-12
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for All Saints’ Day, Year A.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel's sermon for Sunday, October 25, 2020.

Readings for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 25:
Psalm 1, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 25, Year A.

In her sermon from Sunday, October 18, the Rev. Anne Thatcher wonders about our “smugness warning light”, the internal indicator that maybe we think we know right or best. She reminds us that this feeling doesn’t allow much room for the love of neighbor or the mercy of God. How can we find and root out the underlying sin behind this feeling when we see our indicator light?

Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13)
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Matthew 22:15-22

Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 24, Year A.
Streamed to YouTube Live.

In his sermon from Sunday, October 11, the Rev. Jarrett Kerbel reminds us that God is good all the time. We're "supported by His goodness that transcends our circumstances." Rev. Kerbel illustrates what it means to believe in this goodness, despite threat and discord around us, with two stories of joyful resilience from the end of last week in Germantown.

Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 23, Year A.
Psalm 23, Philippians 4:1-9, Matthew 22:1-14

In times like these, you better be sure that your anchor holds. In her sermon from Sunday, October 4, The Rev. Barbara Ballenger lets us know that “in times like these” we don’t need to just hunker down and power through, but rather to live in ways that stand in contrast, revisioning the ways we all could live.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel wonders, would we really want to have an argument with Jesus?

Sermon from Sunday, September 27, Ordinary Time, Proper 21.
Readings:
Psalm 25:1-8
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32

Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 21, Year A. Recorded live in Zoom.us

The Rev. Anne Thatcher's sermon for Sunday, September 20.

NIMBY's - an acronym for Not In My BackYard - are those folks with the privilege to declare what does or does not happen where they live, and thereby make decisions for what happens in communities without that power. Most NIMBY's do not realize that they have that privilege, it is a plank in their eye, denying them the ability to see their own place and be merciful and generous to others. Today's scripture contains two stories of NIMBY's - Jonah, and the workers in the field. They also showcase the mercy and non-judgmental generosity of our God, that we are called to imitate. How can we work to name the plank in our own eyes, and to truly live into the truth that all of God's people are "worthy of love, justice, mercy, forgiveness, and human dignity" today?

Today's Readings:
Jonah 3:10-4:11
Psalm 145:1-8
Matthew 20:1-16
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 20, Year A. Recorded live in Zoom.us

Read the article referenced in today's sermon in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel reflects on a time when forgiveness opened up new possibility for relationship in his life. He offers to us the idea that the Gospel asks us to forgive over and over, as God does for us, so that we can repair what is broken - in ourselves and with others - and return to Christ's way of love.

Readings: Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 19, Year A. Recorded live in Zoom.us

Today's readings hold some examples of what it meant to be a neighbor in Jesus' time. How about today? What does being a neighbor mean today? The Rev. Barbara Ballenger brings her own experience of a childhood friend and neighbor as an example of how we can be in community today.

Psalm 119:33-40, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 18, Year A. Recorded live in Zoom.us

In the Rev. Anne Thatcher's sermon for Sunday, August 30th, she reflects on the betrayals of Jesus by his close friends, Peter and Judas. In a deeply personal reflection from her own past, she talks of the depth of hurt caused by betrayal, but also the immense healing power possible with forgiveness.

Readings: Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28.
Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 17, Year A. Recorded live in Zoom.us

Our story from the Gospel today has Peter, the rock upon which the church would be founded, a man who often has much to learn on his discipleship journey, finally getting something right. The Rev. Kerbel goes on to speak more deeply about the concept behind, "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Using a story from a recent podcast, he illustrates what this binding and loosing may look like for us today.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel preaches on the texts for Proper 16, Year A. Romans 12:1-8 and Matthew 16:13-20. Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 16, Year A. Recorded live in Zoom.us

The podcast that the Rev. Jarrett Kerbel uses an example from today can be heard below.

Ezra Klein Show with Bryan Stevenson - July 20, 2020

Read a portion of the interview on Vox here.

Recalling a childhood game, the Rev. Barbara Ballenger wonders, who is in and who is out in our world? The scriptures this morning then have her wondering who is in and who is out according to Jesus? Why do we continue to remember this uncomfortabe story from Matthew and what can we take from it today?

The Rev. Barbara Ballenger preaches on the texts for Proper 15, Year A. Isaiah 56:1,6-8 and Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28. Readings may be found on LectionaryPage.net for Proper 15, Year A. Recorded live in Zoom.us