Compline on The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday, 2020

by on May 31, 2020 with No Comments

Sunday May 31, 9:30 p.m. • Compline on The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark's

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday, 2020

by on May 31, 2020 with 2 Comments

Sunday May 31, 11:00 a.m. • The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday  •  Service Bulletin

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark's

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

Dean Thomason: Racial Violence and God’s Call to a “New Normal”

by on May 30, 2020 with 4 Comments

Dear friends,

Our hearts singe once more with the excruciating pain of seeing a police officer in Minnesota use an established torture technique to subdue a black man under suspicion of an alleged crime. Other police officers were complicit in their participation. George Floyd died at their hands.

There has been much talk in recent weeks of constitutional rights, but Mr. Floyd was not afforded his in this moment which has catalyzed outrage and terror. Yes, terror, for there are fellow citizens of this nation who must live in fear of such heinous and deadly acts being perpetrated on them, too, and their sons and brothers. They live in terror because this is not an isolated event. This nation’s deep roots of racism have given rise to more than four centuries of such terror. It is no wonder that terror intermingled with grief from a pandemic has stirred the masses into a riotous furor.

“A riot is the language of the unheard.” So said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who used his prophetic voice to call this nation to repent of its sin of racism, in 1968. That quote has become a soundbite in recent days, as it did four years ago in Baltimore, and eight years ago in Ferguson, and… and… and…

But in that same speech Dr. King went on to ask America — which is to say, he went on to ask you and me: “What is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor [sic] has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”

The prophet’s voice singes our ears and our hearts a half century later, and his words are sadly as true now as they were then. Dr. King rejected violence as a means for societal change, and yet he understood the violent protests of the oppressed in relation to the violence and terror that racism has inflicted on a people for centuries.

Let’s be honest: we all want justice… for ourselves at least, but maybe not so much when it disturbs the status quo to which we have become accustomed. That is human nature, I suppose, but it comes with a heavy price for some as we organize our common life by a deeper logic that insists on inequity: insider/outsider; rich/poor; powerful/oppressed. Barak Obama reflected this week in the wake of George Floyd’s death that “it's natural to wish for life ‘to just get back to normal’ as a pandemic and economic crisis upend everything around us. But we have to remember that for millions of Americans, being treated differently on account of race is tragically, painfully, maddeningly ‘normal’ — whether it's while dealing with the health care system, or interacting with the criminal justice system, or jogging down the street, or just watching birds in a park.”

My friends, God is calling us to create a new normal in which justice will take a shape that extends well beyond a neighborhood in Minneapolis, and well beyond cries for retributive justice to be meted out. Yes, a police officer has been charged with murder; other police officers have been fired. We pray this day for the riots to revert to non-violent protest. And we pray that those voices may be heard, by us, by our leaders, and by all in this nation as we struggle to find a new way, a different way of being part of that “inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.”

God’s relentless call to us is about working for a new creation in which the even deeper logic is abundant life for all. A “new normal,” if you will. As we renew our Baptismal Covenant tomorrow on the occasion of Pentecost, may we form the words on our lips and on our hearts: “I will, with God’s help.”

Your Brother in Christ,

The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason

Dean and Rector

National Day of Mourning and Lament

by on May 29, 2020 with 2 Comments

Monday, June 1. Special service of Evening Prayer: 6:30 p.m., via Zoom

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has joined with over one hundred other faith leaders—from Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions representing major denominations, national faith-based organizations, local congregations, and millions of people of faith across the country—in calling for a National Day of Mourning and Lament to grieve and honor the over 100,000 people in the U.S. who have now died from COVID-19. This call is being supported by the U.S. Conference of Mayors who represent over 1,400 mayors across the country. Please view the video below to learn more about this event.

On Monday, June 1, at 6:30 p.m., Saint Mark’s service of Daily Evening Prayer online will be focused on this special observance. Dean Thomason will lead the prayers. All are welcome.

Contact Sacristan Michael Seewer, mseewer@saintmarks.org, if you do not already have the Evening Prayer Zoom link.

An Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: May 31, 2020

by on May 28, 2020 with 3 Comments

On Thursday, May 28, Associate Organist John Stunteback introduced the hymns to be sung during this coming Sunday's live-streamed service for May 31 at 11 a.m—The Feast of Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

The Hymns discussed are:

Hail thee Festival day! (tune: Salva festa dies) - The Hymnal 1982 #225
Loving Spirit (tune: Omni die) - Wonder Love & Praise #742
Holy Spirit, ever living (tune: Abbot's Leigh) - The Hymnal 1982 #511

...with a bonus presentation of the tunes on which the Sunday's organ voluntaries are based: The Lutheran chorale Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott (the basis of the Buxtehude prelude), and the plainsong hymn Veni Creator Spiritus (the basis of the Bédard postlude).

Join us in the future on Thursdays at 4 p.m. for another live hymn chat! Just visit the cathedral's public Facebook page at the time of the broadcast—if you "follow" the cathedral on Facebook, you should receive a notification when we're live.

Women Clergy at Saint Mark’s Panel Discussion Video

by on May 26, 2020 with No Comments

On Sunday, May 24, The Rev. Canon Jennifer King Daugherty moderated a panel discussion with three women priests who served at Saint Mark's, Seattle, in three different decades: The Rev. Carla Berkedal Pryne, the first woman priest at Saint Mark's, who served in the 1980s, The Rev. Kate Kinney, who served in the 1990s, and The Rev. Sue Reid, who served in the 2000s.

Compline on the Seventh Sunday of Easter

by on May 24, 2020 with No Comments

Sunday May 24, 9:30 p.m. • Compline on The Seventh Sunday of Easter

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark's

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

Heritage Sunday Slide Show

by on May 24, 2020 with No Comments

Thank you to everyone who submitted photographs for the Heritage Sunday Slideshow, shown immediately before the livestreamed liturgy on May 24, 2020.

Please note: The photograph at 5:50 depicting the Saint Mark's Habitat for Humanity Team was not, as the caption says, taken in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It was taken several years earlier at a work site in South Seattle.

The Seventh Sunday of Easter—Heritage Sunday, 2020

by on May 24, 2020 with No Comments
  • Sunday May 24, 11:00 a.m. • The Seventh Sunday of Easter—Heritage Sunday • Service Bulletin

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark's

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

Preparing for Pentecost from Home

by on May 22, 2020 with No Comments

The Feast of Pentecost is upon us!

On May 31, the Church observes the Feast of Pentecost. It is a great feast, a grand day, and one full of joy and anticipation! 

While social distancing may change the look of some of our celebrations, nothing can stop the Holy Spirit from transforming our lives and the life of the Church. This year, there are lots of ways to catch that Pentecost Spirit at Saint Mark’s! Read on for some suggestions... As always, engage with any or all of these practices as you wish or are able. You are very much encouraged to make them your own, adapting them as makes sense in your life and your circumstances right now. And please contact the cathedral, in whatever way is convenient for you, to share your feelings and experiences.

What is Pentecost?

Pentecost is one of the Major Feasts of the church year. We celebrate and give thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit, we remember how God speaks to humanity through every human language, we renew our Baptismal vows, and we mark "the birthday of the Church"—the moment when the small band of confused disciples became, through the grace of God, the kernel of global movement to transform the world. Pentecost is also an inflection point in the rhythm of our liturgical year, marking the end of our 50-day celebration of Easter and the turn towards the "long green growing season" of the so-called "Ordinary Time" of the summer.

1. Preparing your home altar before next Sunday

First, prepare your home altar home altar for this new season. You might redress it colors fitting of the day—reds, oranges, yellows—and consider placing symbols of Baptism and the Holy Spirit. Include something that reminds you of your own baptism like or other symbols for the promises made at baptism, such as your baptismal certificate, a Bible, BCP, bread, or prayer beads. A candle brings to mind the flames of the Spirit—and if you happen to have the candle presented to you at your Baptism available, bring it out! Other images of the Holy Spirit include: birds, wind, water, oil, fruit, and more. A cross and flowers are always appropriate adornments. Think creatively about how the Divine Spirit might best be represented to you! In addition, place a small bowl of water and a fragrant branch of your favorite herb to be used during the Sunday liturgy. Please take a picture of your Pentecost altar and share it for the community to see, either on Facebook or by emailing them to info@saintmarks.org.

2. Prayerfully reflect on the Baptismal Covenant  

The promises we made (or were made on our behalf) at our Baptism, and which we renew at each Baptismal liturgy during the year, articulate the core of what it means to follow Christ. Before the Pentecost celebration, you are invited to take a moment to read through them—they may be found in our Book of Common Prayer, p. 304, or at this link. What is one promise you feel called to practice with intention at this moment? Write it down; then on Sunday place that note on your altar during the Offertory.

During the week leading up to Pentecost, keep an eye out for more videos and ideas, here on the cathedral website or on social media. (UPDATE 5/28: Check out Dean Steve's video reflection, featuring voices from the community.)

3. Participate from home on Sunday morning 

For many years, people of Saint Mark's have enjoyed wearing red to church on Pentecost—particularly for the sake of seeing the whole congregation in red. Put on your favorite red outfit before the service begins, and, if you are so inclined, take a picture and send it in to the cathedral——either on Facebook or sent to info@saintmarks.org. We'll put the photos we receive together into a collage.

Join the livestream a few minutes early (about 10:45 a.m.) for another special slide show. The Holy Eucharist with Renewal of Baptismal Vows begins at 11 a.m. Have your water and herbs ready to use during the service. The service will contain some special elements. Listen with care to the readings, and offer your voice along so many others as we sing and pray and give thanks to God!

4. On Sunday afternoon, take your celebration outdoors 

For many years, a Pentecost tradition at Saint Mark's has been, following the Sunday service, to "run, ride, or roll" around Green Lake, wearing festive red clothes and with bikes and scooters festooned with red ribbons and streamers. The event would conclude with root beer floats. This type of celebration is not possible at this time, but why not recreate it in miniature, alone or with your household? Decorate your favorite mode of transport and take your celebrations outside! Ride, run, or stroll through your neighborhood. Decorate your yard or balcony. Notice the feel of the wind and the sun. Enjoy festive cake and floats. How might you give thanks to the Living God in new ways that reflect how God is moving in your life? And don't forget to take pictures and share them on Facebook or email them to info@saintmarks.org.

Above: The 2016 Pentecost Run, Ride, & Roll

Come Holy Spirit, and renew the face of your Church!

An Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: May 24, 2020

by on May 21, 2020 with 2 Comments

On Thursday, May 21, Canon Kleinschmidt introduced the hymns to be sung during this coming Sunday's live-streamed service for May 10 at 11 a.m—The Seventh Sunday of Easter, The Sunday after the Ascension, AND, at Saint Mark's, Heritage Sunday. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

Join us in the future on Thursdays at 4 p.m. for another live hymn chat! Just visit the cathedral's public Facebook page at the time of the broadcast—if you "follow" the cathedral on Facebook, you should receive a notification when we're live.

Compline on The Sixth Sunday of Easter, 2020

by on May 17, 2020 with No Comments

Sunday May 17, 9:30 p.m. • Compline on The Sixth Sunday of Easter

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark’s Cathedral

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

The Sixth Sunday of Easter, 2020

by on May 17, 2020 with No Comments

Sunday May 17, 11:00 a.m. • The Sixth Sunday of Easter • Service Bulletin

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark’s Cathedral

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

An Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: May 17, 2020

by on May 14, 2020 with 1 Comment

On Thursday, May 14, Associate Organist John Stuntebeck (standing in for a stay-cationing Canon Kleinschmidt) introduced the hymns to be sung during this coming Sunday's live-streamed service for The Sixth Sunday of Easter, on May 17 at 11 a.m. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

Join us in the future on Thursdays at 4 p.m. for another live hymn chat! Just visit the cathedral's public Facebook page at the time of the broadcast—if you "follow" the cathedral on Facebook, you should receive a notification when we're live.

Storytelling and the Bible: An Interview with The Rev. Earl Grout

by on May 13, 2020 with 2 Comments

Spend some time with The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman and The Rev. Earl Grout, and hear how Earl approaches the reading of the Gospel, the stories of the Bible, and the way we tell our stories as people of faith! Earl also shares a few of his favorite Bible stories.

What are your favorite bible stories?  Post in the comments below.

Climate Change Forum

by on May 11, 2020 with No Comments
Climate Change Forum with Drawdown Seattle: MAY 4 & 11, 7–8:30 P.M., Via Zoom

Led by his faith to be a steward of life on this planet, Scott Henson is the co-founder of Drawdown Seattle, a collection of concerned and engaged Seattle citizens who are interested in enacting proven solutions which create the possibility of reversing the global climate crisis we face. Scott will lead two sessions focused on introducing “Project Drawdown” as well as facilitating the beginning of your personal action plans to help reverse global warming. Through videos and group activities, we will learn about a comprehensive plan to reverse global warming from Project Drawdown—a scientific study that identified 100 solutions that, together, could actually reverse global warming by 2050. These solutions encompass the energy we use, the food we eat, and the cities we live in. Let’s shift the conversation, from “Game over” to “Game on!” By the end you will see the vital role you can play in the movement to reverse global warming.

Resources and references relating to this event may be found here. Videos of both parts of this two-part event are available below:

Compline on The Fifth Sunday of Easter, 2020

by on May 10, 2020 with No Comments

Sunday May 10, 9:30 p.m. • Compline on The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark’s Cathedral

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

The Fifth Sunday of Easter, 2020

by on May 10, 2020 with No Comments

Sunday May 10, 11:00 a.m. • The Fifth Sunday of Easter • Service Bulletin

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark’s Cathedral

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

Organ Concert – All-Bach On The Flentrop

by on May 8, 2020 with 5 Comments

Friday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. • Organ Concert – All-Bach On The Flentrop • Concert Program

Support the Mission and Ministry of Saint Mark’s Cathedral

If you watch and enjoy our live-streamed or archived services, please consider making a donation in support of the mission and ministry of this cathedral. You may make a contribution online at saintmarks.org/give (link opens in new tab). You may also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.

(Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license A-706820. On occasion, we will remove sections of music from the archived version of the service, due to licensing restrictions.)

An Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: May 10, 2020

by on May 7, 2020 with No Comments

On Thursday, May 7, Canon Kleinschmidt introduced the hymns to be sung during this coming Sunday's live-streamed service for The Fifth Sunday of Easter, on May 10 at 11 a.m—the Sunday of "The Way, the Truth, and the Life." This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

Join us in the future on Thursdays at 4 p.m. for another live hymn chat! Just visit the cathedral's public Facebook page at the time of the broadcast—if you "follow" the cathedral on Facebook, you should receive a notification when we're live.

All-Bach Recital on the Mighty Flentrop

by on May 5, 2020 with No Comments

A livestreamed event

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2020, 7:30 PM

with MICHAEL KLEINSCHMIDT, ORGANIST

Right now Bach is as essential as ever, and we are excited to be able to bring Bach to your homes through livestreaming. Michael Kleinschmidt, Canon for Cathedral Music, will offer a 70-minute program featuring three of Bach’s famous Toccatas and Fugues, and Bach’s monumental Passacaglia in C Minor. In addition, Canon Kleinschmidt will offer brief commentary from the organ console about the music and the Flentrop organ itself.

This concert will be livestreamed. While this is offered freely for all to enjoy, donations in support of Saint Mark’s Music Series will be gratefully received.

Note: Alex Weimann, previously scheduled to perform this All-Bach concert, will instead perform next season on May 14, 2021.

The Inquirers’ Class Resumes Online

by on May 4, 2020 with No Comments

BEGINS SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2020, 12:30 P.M., via Zoom

Are you curious about Episcopal liturgy, beliefs, or tradition? Are you feeling called a deeper commitment with God? No matter where you are on your journey, consider attending this multi-week series, where will explore the basics of the Christian faith through the Episcopal lens. The series, called " Living the Questions," is usually offered in Lent, and was cut short this year... but it will begin anew, virtually, on Sunday, May 10 and continues on Sundays weekly through June 7. Sessions run from 12:30–2 p.m. via Zoom.

Mideast Focus Ministry Presents: Voices Across the Divide

by on May 3, 2020 with No Comments

Film Screening and Live Discussion 

FRIDAY, MAY 15 — FILM AT 7 P.M.;
Q&A BEGINS AT 8:00 P.M., via Zoom.

Watch the film online any time between now and Friday evening, using this link: https://vimeo.com/73860850 (The film is 60 minutes long—begin watching at 7 p.m. at the latest in order to paricipate in the discussion at 8 p.m.)
Live Q&A with the director begins at 8:00 P.M. via Zoom. Email info@saintmarks.org to receive the link. Please note that the time of the Q&A has changed.

On Friday, May 15, the Online Film Series continues with Voices Across the Divide, an award-winning film by Dr. Alice Rothchild, exploring the thinking of Jews who support the Occupation and settlements in the West Bank, and those who do not. A live discussion with Dr. Rothchild will follow the screening. The purpose of the film, as explained by its directors, is to open a space for honest dialogue:

"The Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one of the most prominent, hot button debates in the US today. There is often little space for compassionate listening or deepening awareness. Access to information about the conflict is shaped by powerful forces and organizations. We believe a better future is possible based on mutual respect and knowledge.

We hope Voices Across the Divide will contribute to an open dialogue grounded in mutual respect, understanding, and political activism that leads to justice for all people in the region. Narrated by Alice Rothchild, an American Jew raised on the tragedies of the Holocaust and the dream of a Jewish homeland in Israel, Voices Across the Divide follows her personal journey as she begins to understand the Palestinian narrative, while exploring the Palestinian experience of loss, occupation, statelessness, and immigration to the US."

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