St. Martin’s News for the Week of Sunday, 06/28/2026
From the Rector
Dear Ones,
This Sunday we will once again be wearing orange stoles in church. Orange has been a color that symbolizes gun violence awareness for more than 10 years now, and sadly the need to “wear orange” has not diminished in that time.
The shooting we are lamenting now happened on Monday at the public library in Chico, right here in our Diocese. We are united to them in bonds of friendship; many of us have spent time in Chico for school or recreation or church gatherings. The tragic loss of life there, in a place that is every bit as much a sanctuary as many churches, hits too close to home.
I know many of you are already praying for the people of Chico, and for an end to gun violence everywhere. The Bishop sent a pastoral letter this week and I’ve been in touch with the Very Rev. Tammy Smith-Firestone, rector at St. John’s and dean of the Alta Deanery.
A few years ago a colleague gave me the icon pictured here, which is based on an icon commissioned in the wake of the police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. It is called “Our Lady of Ferguson.” Both Madonna and Child are shown with dark skin, and their hands are raised in prayer, a posture that also reminds us of the “hands up, don’t shoot” mantra that followed that death. I turn to it at times like these, and hope it will bring both comfort and courage, so that we not only lament and pray but also work to change a culture that glorifies violence, instead of following the way of love, fully modeled for us in the life and ministry of Jesus.
As Bishop Deon Johnson of Missouri writes, “We pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to inflame and enkindle our lives, our churches, our communities, our cities, and our nation with a passion for lasting peace; through Jesus Christ the Author of Peace. Amen.”
Blessings,
Pamela+
Graduation Sermon and Guest Musician
Graduation Sermon and Mission Support Opportunity: This Sunday, we welcome James Hochbruekner as our guest preacher. James just graduated from UC Davis with degrees in Ecology and Philosophy and is delivering his graduation sermon. James, an active parishioner at St. Martin’s and the peer minister at the Belfry for the past two years, leaves August 16 for a service year in Argentina through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)’s Young Adult in Global Missions (YAGM) program. There, he and other young adults will partner with the Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Unida to do work ranging from afterschool programs to human rights initiatives. If you would like to follow James’ journey through a newsletter or donate to his cause, please click the appropriate links!
Welcoming Guest Musician: While Jeffrey and Suzanne are on vacation, we are pleased to welcome guest musician Shirley Luttio. You can read more about her in our announcement sheet for the week. Shirley has been a guest musician at St. Luke’s in Woodland and several other churches in the area. If you want to be part of the Summer Choir, Shirley will hold rehearsals at 9:15am on Sundays in the church to practice the anthem for that Sunday. Welcome, Shirley!
Educational Events in the Broader Community – This Sunday, June 28
Celebration of Abraham Gathering in the Garden, 1:30-3:30pm at Grace Garden: Celebration of Abraham invites the community to a gathering featuring thoughts from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim community leaders and a community meditation project. Attendees are encouraged to bring a dessert, fruit, or snack to share and a nonperishable food item for donation. Be sure to dress for outdoor weather. Address: 1620 Anderson Rd in Davis. More information on the Celebration of Abraham website.
Screening of Movie 1946 at Davis Community Church (412 C Street; library), 3:30pm: The movie, 1946, is a documentary exploring how the word “homosexual” first appeared in an English Bible translation and how that translation influenced Christian attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people. Discussion will follow the film. All are welcome!
Next Sunday, July 5! Guest Preacher and Adult Forum
Guest Preacher, The Rev. Mike Kinman: We are pleased to welcome the Rev. Mike Kinman back to St. Martin’s on July 5. Rev. Mike is a member of the Global Advisory Council of Thistle Farms, a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction and connecting women’s justice enterprises around the world. He is also former rector of All Saints Church in Pasadena and former dean of Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis. He was a friend and mentor to Rev. Pamela during her time in St. Louis and preached at her installation as rector at St. Martin’s.
Adult Forum after 10am Service: Join Rev. Mike in the parish hall after the 10am service for an adult forum on the important work of Thistle Farms. To read more about its mission and programs, visit the Thistle Farms website.
Fellowship Opportunities
“A Place at the Table” Potluck, July 12: Would you like to meet fellow parishioners and spend an evening with them? Consider attending one of our monthly A Place at the Table potlucks. Our July potluck will be hosted by Diane Snow at her home on Sunday, July 12 at 5pm. Please RSVP to the Church Office. There is space for six guests.
Special Coffee Hour Welcoming Our New Curate, July 26: As Rev. Pamela announced last weekend, our new curate, Maggie Rutherford, will start her ministry with us on July 26. We’ll have a special coffee hour after the 10am service to welcome her. Plan to stay, and if you’d like to help organize this welcome event, contact Rev. Pamela or the church office.
Venezuela Earthquake Relief
On June 24, two strong earthquakes struck Venezuela in rapid succession. Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) has reached out to local diocesan partners to assess the needs of evacuees and provide community support. As the scope of the disaster unfolds, please consider donating to ERD’s International Disaster Fund, where the funds will go to critical relief now as well as to long-term relief. Our prayers go out to the families and communities affected by these earthquakes.
New Sunday Evening Worship Services
We’ll have two Sunday evening services in July: Taizé on July 12 at 6:30pm in the church and Pizza Church on July 19 at 5pm in Room 6/7 and on the patio outside. Lasting about 30 minutes, Taize worship focuses on praying through song and silence. Pizza Church is an intergenerational service consisting of informal, interactive worship followed by a time for fellowship with pizza.
Note that we have ONE Sunday morning service at 10am for the month of July with no 8am service.
PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS
- St. Martin’s News 06/26/2026St. Martin’s News for the Week of Sunday, 06/28/2026 From the RectorDear Ones,This Sunday we will once again be wearing orange stoles in church. Orange has been a color that symbolizes gun violence awareness for more than 10 years now, and sadly the need to “wear orange” has not diminished in that time. The shooting we are lamenting now happened on Monday at the public library in Chico, right here in our Diocese. We are united to them in bonds of friendship; many of us have spent time in Chico for school or recreation or church gatherings. The tragic loss…
- St. Martin’s News 06/19/2026St. Martin’s News for the Week of Sunday, 06/21/2026 From the RectorDear Ones,I am so happy to announce that we have a new curate who will be joining our staff in July! Maggie Rutherford recently graduated from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale with a Master of Divinity degree and a Certificate in Anglican Studies. Those of us who had an opportunity to meet with her last month found her delightful, bright, and deeply insightful about the work of the Church. You can read a bit more about Maggie below. Over the next few weeks we’ll be making plans to welcome…
- St. Martin’s News 06/12/2026St. Martin’s News for the Week of Sunday, 06/14/2026 Pride Eucharist and Youth Liturgy of the Word – Sunday Morning, June 14PRIDE Eucharist, Painting Crosswalks, Chalking the Walkways: June is Pride Month! This Sunday, at 10am, we’ll have a Pride Eucharist with special music, prayers, and reflections. Right after the 10am service, we will chalk the walkways and spray paint parking lot crosswalks. If you want to help spray paint, meet right after the service at the parking lot entrance on Hawthorn; we will provide masks and gloves. If you want to chalk the walkways, meet under the narthex wooden overhang…
- St. Martin’s News 06/05/2026St. Martin’s News for the Week of Sunday, 06/07/2026 Preaching, Godly Play, Summer Choir on June 7Seminarian Anthony Amato Preaching: On Sunday, we welcome our seminarian, Anthony Amato, as our preacher at both services. Anthony just completed his second year of seminary at Virginia Theological Seminary and is home for the summer. Last Godly Play Session until September: Godly Play meets in Room 4 for the last time this program year and will take a break until September. Children are always welcome in church! Music Notes for 10am Service: Jeffrey’s music selections currently feature the passacaglia, a solemn and stately musical form based on…
- Podcast: 21 June 2026, the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost21 June 2026, the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Audio recording of the 10am service, sermon by the Rev. Debbie Hawkins Service Bulletin: 26_06_14_10AM_FINAL Where’s the Music? Prelude (“Passacaglia in d“, by Josef Rheinberger, at 0:00, Opening Hymn, at 11:28, Song of Praise, at 14:17, Sequence hymn, at 22:53, Offertory Anthem (“Thou Knowest, Lord“, by Henry Purcell), at 1:01:35, Offertory response, at 1:03:35, Sanctus, at 1:05:22, Communion music, at 1:10:46, Closing hymn, at 1:19:25, Postlude (“John Bull’s Farewell”, by Dr. John Bull, at 1:21:46
