Liberation Walking Alongside Our Neighbors

Editor's Note: The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel is away this month on his vacation. While he is away our Associate Rector, the Rev. Anne Thatcher, will be writing for the Rector's Note.

“Is it about the liberation of the receiver or the redemption of the giver?” Robert Egger

Many of you have heard the announcements about our One Book, One St. Martin’s selection, Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton. We have copies available in the foyer of the Parish House and we had a wonderful turnout for our first discussion in late June. We have another conversation scheduled for Wednesday, August 14^th after SUPPER. All are invited: those who attended the last one, those who have not come to one yet, those who have read the book (part or all), and those who are curious to learn more.

The Monday after Bluegrass Mass, both Jarrett and I received an email from a Sunday visitor who heard my announcement about Toxic Charity. He said he was curious so he went home, ordered an e-copy, and read it right away. He shared that he found the book to be transformational in his understanding of ministry, and that as a member of the Diocesan Council (Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania leadership), he was recommending that the entire council read the book. What a ringing endorsement! I was delighted that he found the book as transformative as I did. 

I discovered this book a few years ago in Washington D.C. when I attended a Faith in Action series with the Consortium for Endowed Episcopal Parishes (CEEP). Our group visited D.C. Central Kitchen (founded by Robert Egger) where I saw a community engagement ministry that truly walks alongside to empower and liberate our neighbors in the communities in which we are situated. They do extraordinary ministry as a nonprofit that hires those who are homeless or released from prison, and trains them in job skills, character building, and community. I encourage you to visit their website and learn more. When I asked about resources to guide me in this different approach to ministry, Toxic Charity was recommended.

Both the trip and the book moved me to deeply reflect on how we approach ministry when we are working with different communities and individuals. Robert Egger asks, “Is it about the redemption of the giver or the liberation of the receiver?” Apparently, it was Robert’s participation on a midnight sandwich run to the homeless with a church in Washington D.C. which was the catalyst for his question to emerge. He noticed that the regular parishioners who participated in this ministry knew the names of the homeless to whom they were giving sandwiches. When he mentioned this observation to one of the volunteers, they said, “Why yes we do,” very proudly. They were proud of the relationship that they had built with the homeless community through this food ministry. But was giving out free sandwiches a liberating act to the homeless? This reflection let Robert (an experienced restaurateur) to found D.C. Central Kitchen as a place to liberate the receiver through employment, job skills training, and a caring community.

This summer Refugee Resettlement Ministry (RRM) is in the process of reflecting on our call to serve immigrants and refugees. What have we learned? Where is God calling us next? And how do we take a new approach to our ministry based on Robert Egger’s question and the learning examples from Toxic Charity? RRM has invited St. Martin’s to read this book and reflect with us on how these lessons apply to our daily lives: whether in church ministry, nonprofit involvement, or volunteer opportunities. Is this all about my resume, my desire to “feel good”, or about “doing good”? Are our acts of ministry purely for our own self-aggrandizement? Or are they truly selfless, seeking to empower and liberate our neighbors? Shining a light on our own intentions illuminates motivations that we don’t always want to admit are there within ourselves. But this illumination is what gives us the gift of self-awareness. Through this journey we can discover how to step out of ourselves and into the shoes of another. Jesus said to God, “Not my will but your will be done”. It is very difficult to remove our own agendas and desires for others and not only let, but actually askGod to step in and lead the way. In handing over the reins, we can discover discomfort at letting go but also relief in following a God who will surprise us and delight us while transforming us. We will learn how to walk alongside our neighbors and liberate them so that we may all be free from injustice and oppression.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

Blessings,
The Rev. Anne Thatcher

Associate Rector 

Here's How You Can Help Minors at the Border

Our baptismal call is to stand up for human rights and dignity for all.

As news reports continue to uncover the inhumane conditions migrant children are facing in U.S. detention facilities, the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields shares in the national outrage and dismay at federal immigration policy. Many parishioners have asked what we can do to respond to an issue that has local, state, and federal implications.


Here are some ways to keep the call for justice for migrants and refugees before us in the coming weeks, and to commit to the ongoing work of securing their dignity and protection.

Learn and Advocate.

The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations provides several information guides and action alerts on migrant issues on its Migration, Immigrants, and Refugees page, including its most recent, “Ten Things you can do to Accompany Undocumented Immigrants.” You can also send advocacy emails directly from the site.

Information and resources can also be found on the site of Episcopal Migration Ministries.

Raise Your Voice.

Share your concerns about the mistreatment of migrants in federal detention with your elected local, state, and federal officials. Because ICE raids and detention facilities are implemented on every level, from local to federal, we can ask our officials on every level where they stand and what they plan to do.

Commoncause.org provides a search engine to help locate all your officials from local to federal.

Gather and Strengthen.

We cannot do this work alone. Plan to attend the local Lights for Liberty Vigil to End Human Detention Camps at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 12 at Lovett Park in Mt. Airy, 6945 Germantown Ave. The nation-wide vigil will bring thousands of Americans to detention camps across the country, into the streets, and into their own front yards, to protest the inhumane conditions faced by refugees. More information can be found on the local event’s Facebook Page.
You can also share the resources you have discovered - from places to donate or to organize your own response with fellow parishioners - on our Facebook page.

Pray.

Both in your private prayer and in communal worship, bring the needs of our undocumented sisters and brothers before God, and pray too for the ongoing ability to take action for their dignity and safety.

Listen to Rev. Anne Thatcher’s moving June 23 sermon on how the Gospel calls us to respond.

Looking Forward to Visiting Guatemala, part 2

Ava Moseley

Editor's Note: The Rector's Note this week has once again been turned over to another of the seven youth and young adults heading on pilgrimage to Guatemala in July. 

I am looking forward to going on the pilgrimage to Guatemala this summer mainly because I don’t know exactly what to expect. I cannot predict everything that will happen, and so the excitement of the trip is traveling into an unknown culture, a life-style so different than mine, that I'll be immersed in for two weeks. This is an amazing opportunity because not only will I be learning about the history and culture of Guatemala, but by traveling there and meeting new people in Guatemala, I will learn firsthand from their daily lives. I am also looking forward to strengthening my friendships with the other kids going on this trip. By experiencing this trip together, I believe we will grow as individuals and a community. [Rev.] Jarrett has devoted so much time to our youth group, teaching us what we can accomplish together, and helping our growth overall. With his guidance, I know we will go on this journey with open minds and hearts to strengthen our values for ourselves and others. And I have no doubt that this trip will create lasting friendships and memories for life.

Blessings,
Ava Moseley

PLEASE NOTE THE UPDATED DATE AND TIME OF THE Beach Vacation Party and Auction fundraiser, this SUNDAY, June 16, immediately following worship. Bidding on the silent auction items will end at 12:15 p.m. Be sure to support the summer youth pilgrimage to Guatemala by attending and bidding on items.

Looking Forward to Visiting Guatemala

Clare Robinson

Editor's Note: This week the Rector's Note has been turned over to one of the seven youth and young adults heading on pilgrimage to Guatemala in July. 


I have been looking forward to going on this trip for years. From wandering around the craft sale to seeing the pictures of the rich culture and wonderful people, I have wanted to be a part of this experience. I am excited about the gorgeous places we will go, from the small mountain villages to the scenic van drives. Growing and developing relationships with the other students I am traveling with is something that I am really looking forward to; this trip will bring us together in a very unique way. 

The aspect of this trip that I value the most is that it truly is an experience, it allows for relationships to be built, people to meet, and most importantly for us to learn. It matters a lot to me that this trip was designed for us Americans to learn about the culture, to fully immerse ourselves and learn from the people we meet. It is not a time for us to bring our ideas, societal norms, or perceptions to them, but rather a time to learn and help where we can with an emphasis on respect and valuing everyone. I hope to bring back to St. Martin's community and my own life a better understanding of the rest of the world, specifically the importance of the church in different places.

Blessings,
Clare Robinson

Update 6.13.19:
DATE CHANGE: Sunday, June 16 following 10:30 a.m. Bluegrass Mass worship

Due to poor ticket sales we are moving the Guatemala Youth Trip Fundraiser to after church on Sunday. Folks can bid after each service and we will have delicious homemade pulled pork BBQ after the Bluegrass Mass at 10:30. Come support our high school youth! The auction will close at 12:15 p.m.

Get on the Bus!

For eight years we have worked on full, fair funding for the public schools of Pennsylvania. We won a big victory two years ago when we convinced Harrisburg to use the full, fair funding formula on all new money allocated for public schools in the Commonwealth. 6% of state funding is now distributed justly. Our next goal is 100%, a change that will bring $1,800 per student to Philadelphia public schools, not to mention Reading, Allentown, Harrisburg, etc. 

On June 12 a bus will depart from St. Martin’s to the State Capitol, full of citizens concerned about public school excellence. Our goal is that 25 members of St. Martin’s will be on the bus reflecting our deep, long-term commitment. Please talk to Deacon Carol Duncan or me for more information and sign up on POWER's website.

St. Martin’s has a lot at stake in this funding struggle. More families will stay in Philadelphia when their children hit school age when the schools reach their potential. More families who stay in Philadelphia will have more free time and resources for other things without the demands of the private schools. Our members will invest more in the neighborhood as property values increase in proportion to the desirability of our schools. 

The church is committed to this struggle not only because we believe in equity, equal opportunity, and the inherent dignity of every human being, but also because we have a real self-interested stake in the outcome. I hope you will join me and at least 24 other church members on the bus to Harrisburg. There, we will join thousands of other citizens exercising our duty and right to shape our Commonwealth into a just society. 

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel

Rector

Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Episcopal

Action on MLK Day

I have spent my whole life working in soup kitchens and food pantries, building houses for Habitat for Humanity, running tutoring programs, and volunteering at homeless shelters. There is no question that Jesus asks us to care for the most vulnerable among us and so I respond. Even as I do the work, however, I always pray for the day when charity will end. Charity will end when - as an American people - we finally choose to take responsibility for the poor, the sick, and mentally ill in ways that accord full respect to the basic needs and human dignity of all people.
On Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day - January 21 - I want to encourage you to resist the pleas to do charitable service and take up the banner of action instead. King was not an advocate for more feeding programs. He worked tirelessly for changes to our laws that would create a more just order where feeding programs would not be so necessary. He worked to created the conditions where all people could exercise self-determination and self-sufficiency, for themselves, their families, and their neighborhoods.

This is why St. Martin’s is inviting our members to participate in actions on King Day that look forward to a future of economic justice. You will see the invitation below. I encourage you to begin with worship at the Unitarian Society of Germantown. Worshipping together with people from across the Northwest is an action that speaks of solidarity and equality. Recently I worshipped on Christmas morning with my wife’s congregation which is from all over the world - Africa, Asia, Latin America, India, Europe, and North America. I was inspired to see the real complexion of Christ’s diverse body and reminded of the poverty of worshipping only in a homogenous group.

Next you will have a chance to join me at the McDonald’s near Chelten and Germantown Avenue to advocate for a living wage in the state of Pennsylvania. Structurally, our economy will never reach full employment, and left to itself it will not produce enough living-wage jobs. We must intervene as citizens for a more equal distribution of wages.
Finally, you are invited to a People’s Assembly with POWER to discuss and vote on an agenda for social justice for our region. We will gather as citizens and people of faith to advance a vision of a more just order in education, environment, economic dignity, and racial justice. Our Beloved Community work calls us to cross racial divides, shed our white privilege, and engage with our neighbors on an equal footing. POWER assemblies provide the rare place of that engagement. I encourage you to attend.

Blessings,
The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel
Rector

MONDAY, JANUARY 21- MLK DAY OF ACTION

Partnering with POWER Philadelphia

We encourage you to choose one or all of these events to attend.

9 a.m. - Sermon by the Rev. Greg Holston
Germantown Unitarian Society, 6511 Lincoln Drive, Philadelphia
This is a non-denominational worship service focusing on Rev. Dr. King’s life and accomplishments led by the Rev. Kent Matthies with preaching by the Rev. Greg Holston, Executive Director of POWER. The service will be held at Unitarian Society of Germantown, 6511 Lincoln Drive. The parking lot GPS address is 359 W Johnson Street Coffee and bagels will be served beginning at 8:00. They expect a crowd, so get there early to get a seat.

11:30 a.m. - Raise the Wage rally
Outside of McDonald’s located at 29 E. Chelten Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19144
Last year a rally was held in front of CVS on MLK Day. This was one of the actions that led CVS to increase wages to $11 an hour in April 2018. St. Martin’s Deacon, Carol Duncan is particularly interested in this action. Fast food workers are often vulnerable to poor working conditions. Their hard work is often unrecognized and little rewarded. The rally is organized by Economic Dignity team of POWER with Sen. Art Haywood and Rev. Kent Matthies. It’s really POWER’s Northwest community’s MLK Day expression. You will hear that PA has the lowest possible minimum wage, and that ALL surrounding states have a higher wage. This is an action to respect the dignity of the workers and show them their neighbors support their efforts to improve their lives.Learn more, get updates, and share.

1:00 p.m. - MLK Day Teach-In & Rally
Bible Way Baptist Church, 1323 N. 52nd St., Philadelphia, PA
This is the main POWER event of the day, the People’s Platform event. Attenders will contribute to an electoral platform that will build a better Philadelphia and hold our elected officials accountable. Get directions. Learn more, get updates, and share.