Sermons from St. Martin-in-the-Fields

This liturgy combines music and prayer as we hear the Gospel of John's account of the Lord’s trial, suffering, and death. We will engage in intense intercessory prayer for the church and for the world. It was on the cross that Jesus made his full intercession for us, and we are united with him through Baptism in that intercession. The final portions of this liturgy take place before a cross, where we praise Christ for his love, which he demonstrated on the cross.

St. John’s Passion, setting by Erik Meyer, sung by St. Martin's Choir. Soloists: Alyson Harvey, John Wentz, Krys Cooper, Matthew Vickers, and Lyndon McNall. Used with permission.

The Rev. Barbara Ballenger, preacher.

The Rev. Anne Thatcher and the Rev. Carol Duncan, solemn collects.

Were you there (harmonization) (Hymn #172) - C. Winfred Douglas, Music - ©1961 Church Publishing, Inc.

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-701187. All rights reserved.

Photographs and graphics by the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday, April 9, 2020.

The Rev. Anne Thatcher, Celebrant

Intermezzo in B minor, Opus 119, no. 1 by Johannes Brahms. Ralph West, piano.

Ubi Caritas / Live in Charity - Jacques Berthier, Taizé Words and Music - ©1979 Taizé, Les Presses de Taize (North America) Ross Drucker, soloist.

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-701187. All rights reserved.

Photographs and graphics by the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

For Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020, our worship service begins with Palm Sunday's entry into Jerusalem and continues to the passion with the Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross - spoken reflections on each word and Haydn's composition of the same name for string quartet.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel, Officiant

Reflections, in order, by Harry Gould, Daniel Cooper, Tanya Regli, Krystiane Cooper, Andrea Fine, Scott Robinson, Barbara Thomson.

Prayers from the Book of Common Prayer available from Church Publishing, Inc.

All Glory Laud and Honor (Valet will ich dir geben) The Hymnal 1982 #154 sung by Alyson Harvey. Words: Theodulph of Orleans, Tr. by John Mason Neale.

Music: Melchior Treschner. The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross by Joseph Haydn. Played by the Fairmount String Quartet, Rachel Segal and Leah Kim, violins; Beth Dzwil, viola; Mimi Morris Kim, cello, as performed at Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields on Friday, April 19, 2019. Used with permission. Find them on Facebook or YouTube. https://fairmountstrings.com https://www.facebook.com/fairmountstr... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHHA...

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-701187. All rights reserved.

Thanks to Daniel Cooper for audio editing assistance.

March 29, 2020.
For the fifth Sunday in Lent, the Rev. Jarrett Kerbel talks about the lifelong impact of the story of the dry bones from Ezekiel. Readings from Lent 5, Year A.

For the fourth Sunday in Lent, the Rev. Anne Thatcher's sermon on the healing of the man born blind has more to deal with our own need for healing, and to heal others. Based primarily on the Gospel reading of the day, John 9:1-41.

For the third Sunday in Lent, the Rev. Barbara Ballenger ties together the longings of the people of Israel in the desert with the thirsts of Jesus and the Samaritan woman as they meet at the well. In what ways are we thirsty today, and what can we do to quench our own thirst, the thirst of others, and even the thirst of God?

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel has some very specific reasons for extending our Gospel reading this second Sunday in Lent, from John chapter 3.

The Rev. Anne Thatcher offers the sermon for the First Sunday in Lent, focusing on the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11, the temptation of Christ in the desert.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel gives us some modern saints from this past week to look to for guidance as we consider the Transfiguration readings for the Last Sunday after Epiphany and our entry into Lent.

The Rev. Barbara Ballenger preaches on texts for the Feast of Absalom Jones, on this Sunday following his feast day of February 13. Absalom Jones was the first Black priest ordained in the Episcopal Church, but in our remembering of him, we should not dis-member him. Listen in to Rev. Ballenger's sermon to understand more.

The Rev. Anne Thatcher offers the sermon for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, focusing on the Gospel of Matthew 5:13-20.

The Rev. Canon Arlette Benoit Joseph offers the sermon at Evensong for the Feast of the Presentation, focusing on the Gospel from Luke 2:22-40. She talks about those things we wait for, and whether we have eyes to see them when we've been waiting a long time.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel offers the sermon on the Feast of the Presentation, focusing on the Gospel from Luke 2:22-40.

The Rev. Barbara Ballenger offers the sermon on the Feast of the Ordination of Florence Li Tim-Oi, focusing on the Gospel from Luke 10:1-9.

Peter, partiality, and peace. The Rev. Anne Thatcher talks about these three p's and our faith in her sermon, focusing on the reading from Acts, on the First Sunday after the Epiphany, The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.

Will Platnick was our guest preacher this morning taking on the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Lectionary readings include Matthew 2:13-18. Will is pictured here with his wife, the Rev. Becca Ehrlich, who also presided for the Holy Eucharist this morning.

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel's sermon from Christmas Eve at 10:00 p.m. based on the Lectionary readings of the day for Christmas I, including Luke 2:1-20.

"A desert full of flowers is not a miracle. Flowers bloom in the desert every time it rains. Which is not often, to be sure, but it does happen, especially in the spring time. That's because deserts are full of seeds and bulbs and stream beds and dry ponds and, they wait. They wait for long stretches for water to bring them to root, and to bloom - to make them spectacularly what they are." - The Rev. Barbara Ballenger


The Rev. Barbara Ballenger delivers this sermon on her first Sunday as an ordained priest from the readings of the day, the third Sunday of Advent.

The Rev. Emily Richards, rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Glenside, PA delivers the sermon at the Ordination to the Priesthood of the Revs. Barbara Ballenger and Laura Palmer. She focuses especially on the responses in scripture to the phrase, "Here am I," repeated only a few times in scripture, including both in Isaiah and in the words of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Readings for the day include:
Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 132
Philippians 4:4-9
John 10:11-18