St. Martin's Episcopal Church

05/20/2026

Personal Update

For those who have been faithfully following my weekly reflections on the lectionary, you may be wondering where I have disappeared to. I stepped down at the end of April from 12 wonderful and fruitful years as rector of St Martin's Episcopal Church in Providence, RI, to begin a new phase of life in what is generally referred to as retirement....

For those who have been faithfully following my weekly reflections on the lectionary, you may be wondering where I have disappeared to. I stepped down at the end of April from 12 wonderful and frui…

04/26/2026

Happy Retirement, Father Mark! We are so grateful for you!

04/26/2026

Of Shepherds, Gates, and Belonging: A Farewell Address

The hallmark of belonging is participation – active engagement in the covenanted relationship with God – and – more challengingly, a covenanted relationship with one another. By covenanted relationship, I mean a relationship in which we become responsible to and for one another!...

The hallmark of belonging is participation – active engagement in the covenanted relationship with God – and – more challengingly, a covenanted relationship with one another. By covenanted relation…

04/24/2026

What will the kids do this Sunday from 9:45 to 10:30am? Come this Sunday and fine out!
Here are some recent photos from KidZone:
Creating a Lego scene of Baby Moses in a basket in the river
Waving modern art palm branches from a balcony while chanting, "Hosanna!"
Making our own "magic wands" to let people know that regular water isn't the only kind of water. We can also be filled with the love of Jesus - filling a different kind of thirst
Making prayer flags with glitter glue, buttons, sequins, and many other fun baubles

04/23/2026

Today is National Book Day! Support our "favorite seminarian," Joshua Mari Garcia who has written "A Tranquil Body: Finding the Peace of God in Breath, Movement, and Awareness." You can preorder it through Amazon, Church Publishing, and more online stores. Let your library and local bookstore know you'd like a copy! July 28 is the official publishing date.

04/23/2026

May the kindness of those who raked, swept, and cleaned the Memorial Garden last Saturday during the annual spring cleanup inspire us all! Your selfless acts of service mean the world to us! 🌟

Happy Earth Day to all! 🌏

04/05/2026

Resurrection Storylines

The resurrection does not simply follow the world as it is; it interrupts it....

The resurrection does not simply follow the world as it is; it interrupts it.

03/28/2026

Contested Storylines

At their best, crowds become living expressions of our deepest longings—for justice, for belonging, for change—and they can generate bonds that endure long after we return to the routines of daily life. And yet, there is something deeply unsettling about crowds. For the same energy that unites can also overwhelm. The line between common purpose and collective manipulation is thinner than we like to admit. History—and our own very current experience reminds us how easily a skillful voice can harness a crowd’s energy, amplifying fear, awakening buried grievances, and directing them toward destructive ends....

At their best, crowds become living expressions of our deepest longings—for justice, for belonging, for change—and they can generate bonds that endure long after we return to the routines of daily …