St. Martin's sign as seen from Hawthorn Lane.
| Location |
| 640 Hawthorne Lane (behind University Mall) |
| Phone |
| (530)756-0444 |
| Services |
| Tue 12:10 P.M. Holy Eucharist (Simplified, with healing) |
| Sun 7:45 A.M. Holy Eucharist Rite I |
| Sun 9:00 A.M. Holy Eucharist Rite II |
| Sun 11:00 A.M. Holy Eucharist Rite II |
| Summer Services |
| Sun 7:45 A.M. Rite I |
| Sun 10:00 A.M. Rite II |
| Website |
![[WWW]](http://wikispot.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png){kind=small} http://churchofstmartin.org/ New site! |
| <info AT churchofstmartin DOT org> |
The Shield of the Episcopal Church
Located off of Sycamore and Hawthorne, Saint Martin's is one of the closest churches to the UC Davis Campus. Although affiliated with the Belfry, the church created its own campus ministry last year to reach out directly to students.
The Episcopal Church originated with the Church of England (hence the name "Anglican"), headed today by the Right Honorable and Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Today, the Episcopal Churches in the U.S. and around the world are part of the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church in the United States retains its own independent leadership and structure; hence it is not subordinate to the Church of England, but traces its spiritual roots there.
St. Martin's holds three Eucharist services each Sunday morning. The first, held at 7:45, is the traditional "Rite I," using the more traditional language (e.g., "Our Father who art in Heaven" instead of "Our Father in Heaven," and "Holy Ghost" in lieu of today's "Holy Spirit"). At 9:00 the church offers the family-oriented Rite II service, using not only contemporary language but also some contemporary music. This service usually has the largest number of worshipers. At 11:00 there is another Rite II service, but with traditional choir music. Coffee and refreshments are served after every Eucharist.
Church is out!
In the Episcopal Church—as in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches—worshipers partake of Holy Communion (or Eucharist) each time, rather than once a month. Real wine is used. All who feel drawn to Christ, regardless of background, are welcome to take communion at this church. However, by no means will anybody force it upon a visitor. One may choose to remain seated, or to go up to the altar rail and receive the priest's blessing without bread and the wine. To do that, cross your arms over your chest instead of holding them out.
The church on Hawthorne Lane.
St. Martin's is one of Davis' best-kept secrets. Compared to many churches today, it is small, so that the staff have the chance to become acquainted with worshipers on a personal basis. Yet the congregation is large enough to have a diverse variety of people. The priests (Mark Allen, and Sarah Motley) and deacon (Dr. Ernie Lewis, a retired urologist!) are friendly and accessible. All are welcome, regardless of background or religious training, and nobody will single a visitor out or start proselytzing—these are Episcopalians, after all! Many in the congregation have switched from other denominations. A sizeable contingent of undergraduate UCD students attends the 9:00 and 11:00 services.
The sermons lean towards the cerebral, contemplative side, inspiring worshipers to become closer to God through introspection and reflection as well as the course of daily life. Anyone attending this church ought to be prepared to do things—stand, sit, kneel, sing (a lot!), bow, genuflect, cross yourself, take communion and so forth. It's a liturgical church, not a charismatic one, so the ritual is comfortingly similar each week, and the sermon is usually only 15-20 minutes in length. Scripture readings are rotated steadily throughout the year according to the lectionary, thereby guaranteeing a well-rounded spiritual journey. The church closely observes the traditional Church year (Advent/Christmas/Epiphany and Lent/Easter/Pentecost).
Acceptance, tolerance and respect are of paramount importance to this church and its staff. Contrary to the rather outdated stereotype, participation and membership in the Episcopal Church is not restricted to rich, white, old-money people. The church also recognizes the baptisms of all other Christian churches. Non-baptized persons are equally welcome to attend, although naturally one needs to be a baptized Christian to participate in more official capacities (e.g., as a vestry member, lay reader, etc.).
Before the Eucharist service, volunteers greet you at the door and distribute pamphlets containing an outline of the liturgy and rites, with excerpts from the Book of Common Prayer and hymnal. The programs also tell you when to stand, sit and kneel, although persons may stand in lieu of kneeling.
Another image the church from Hawthorne Lane.
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