Dedication Liturgy of Memorial Benches

by on July 30, 2020 with No Comments

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 5:30 P.M.

On the first Sunday in August, at 5:30 p.m., you are invited to attend (via livestream or in person) a brief service of dedication and blessing of four benches that have been placed around the perimeter of the labyrinth on the front lawn of Saint Mark’s Cathedral.

These benches are given in loving memory of four long-time members of the cathedral who have recently died—The Rev. Canon Mike Jackson, Randy Revelle, Kathie Moen, and The Rev. Canon Timothy Nakayama. Their families will be on hand for the occasion, and we hope that many in the parish community will gather around them, masked and socially distanced of course, as we remember these beloved people and give thanks for their lives, and place into service these four benches designed to be seats of urban rest around the mystical beauty of the labyrinth. This is one more way we intend to say to the world: wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome here…

Following the brief rite of dedication of the benches, The Pacific Brass Quintet—a professional ensemble with which parishioner and resident trumpeter, Bob Gale, has performed for over twenty years—will gather on the cathedral front terrace and offer a festive musical offering for those present and those joining via livestream.

Video of this service may be seen below:

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: August 2, 2020

by on July 30, 2020 with No Comments

On Thursday, July 30, Canon Michael Kleinschmidt introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on August 2, 2020, the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, in addition to the hymn that will be sung a special outdoor service at 5:30 p.m. that same Sunday. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

Please note: Due to technical issues, the discussion of the first hymn on the agenda, # 579, God is Love, was not streamed correctly, and has been deleted.

The Hymns discussed are:

Hymn #591, O God of Earth and altar
Hymn #289, Our Father by whose servants, but sung to the tune of #525, Aurelia

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.

Come Hell or High Water: Climate Justice Webinar

by on July 30, 2020 with No Comments

FILM: WATCH ANY TIME BETWEEN MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3–5
WEBINAR: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 5 P.M., via Zoom

Please note that some information listed in this week's Sundays & Beyond about this event was in error. A generous member of the Creation Care Ministry has made it possible for people from Saint Mark's to watch the film for free. Visit https://interfaithpowerandlight.salsalabs.org/comehellorhighwaterfilm to register and indicate "Saint Mark's Cathedral" under "congregation." Also, note that the free webinar begins at 5 p.m.

Saint Mark's Creation Care Ministry invites you to view Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek, an award- winning film about the unjust impact of climate change on an historic black community, sponsored by Interfaith Power and Light. You can view the film for free any time between Monday, August 3 and Wednesday, August 5 — just register here and indicate Saint Mark’s Cathedral as congregation. You will receive a link to watch the film after you register.

Additionally, on Wednesday, August 5, at 5 p.m. PDT, a webinar follows with Leah Mahan, the filmmaker, and Derrick Evans, the activist featured in the film. Sign up separately to attend the webinar using this link.

Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek follows the painful but inspiring journey of Derrick Evans, a Boston teacher who moves home to coastal Mississippi when the graves of his ancestors are bulldozed to make way for the sprawling city of Gulfport. Over the course of a decade, Derrick and his neighbors stand up to powerful corporate interests and politicians and face ordeals that include Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil disaster in their struggle for self-determination and environmental justice.

This is an award winning film about the unjust impact of climate change on an historic black community. After watching the film, attend the webinar to learn ways we can practice being allies in the fight for safe and healthy black communities. Moderated by Susan Stephenson, the conversation will center around the disproportionate impacts of climate change on black and brown communities.

“This powerful documentary illustrates a classic case of environmental injustice and exposes raw in-your-face Mississippi racial politics. Come Hell or High Water is a perfect lesson that we are not living in a post-racial era.”
-Dr. Robert Bullard, “father of environmental justice”

View the trailer below:

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost, 2020

by on July 26, 2020 with 1 Comment

Sunday July 26, 11:00 a.m. The Eighth Sunday After Pentecost, 2020

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.

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: July 26, 2020

by on July 23, 2020 with 2 Comments

On Thursday, July 23, Associate Organist John Stuntebeck introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on July 26, 2020, the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

The Hymns discussed are:

Immortal, invisible, God only wise [Hymn #423];
God, you have given us power [Hymn #584, but sung to the tune of Hymn #684, Caithness] If Thou But Trust in God [Hymn #635]

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.

The Women’s Compline Choir on the 7th Sunday After Pentecost, 2020

by on July 19, 2020 with No Comments

The Women's Compline Choir | Sunday, July 19, 2020, 9:30 p.m.

Information and texts for this service may be seen here.

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.

The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost, 2020

by on July 19, 2020 with No Comments

Sunday, July 19, 11:00 a.m. • The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost, 2020 • 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 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.

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: July 19, 2020

by on July 16, 2020 with No Comments

On Thursday, July 16, Canon Michael Kleinschmidt introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy in July 19, 2020, the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

The Hymns discussed are:

To God with gladness sing (399)
As Jacob with travel was weary one day (453)
For the fruits of all creation (424)

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.

Cathedral Bees Updates—Summer 2020

by on July 16, 2020 with No Comments

Cathedral Bees Update

The cathedral building has two beehives on the roof of Bloedel Hall. Thanks to beekeeper Rob Reid, our bees are thriving! Scroll down to view pictures.

Your prayers for the health of our hives are welcome. For more information about protecting pollinators, visit this link.

If you are interested in helping out with the bees, contact the cathedral and we will put you in touch with Rob.

Sundays & Beyond Update August 30, 2020

The bees and beekeepers have been hard at work. In July, one of the hives lost its queen. However, wild bees are able to create a new queen with remaining larvae, so apiarists Rob and Jaime moved eggs from the healthy hive to the queenless one. Once the queen was established, she then started laying fertile eggs. We're happy to report the success of Rob and Jaime's work - both beehives are now thriving!

Sundays & Beyond Update July 19, 2020

The active honeybee hives on the roof of Bloedel Hall have been busy. And, apparently, they have a sense of humor: Q: Why do virgin bees mate in the air? A: They can’t get any privacy in the hive. Consider planting pollinator-friendly plants in your own garden or window box. And reduce or eliminate pesticides on your plants.

Sundays & Beyond Update July 12, 2020

Did you know St. Mark’s has two active honeybee hives on the roof of Bloedel Hall? Installed on May 10, they include thousands of residents. Recently, our apiarist Rob Reid suspected one of our hives had lost its queen because, when inspecting the frames, he was unable to find eggs. But wild bees are able to create a new queen with remaining larvae. To assist our bees, Rob and Jaime Rubio moved eggs from the healthy hive to the queenless one. Now the bees can create queen cells and feed them “royal jelly.” If all goes well, in less than a month, the new queen will mate in mid air with drone bees and start laying fertile eggs. There’s lots of miraculous science involved. You can see where the expression “the birds and the bees” comes from.

Sundays & Beyond Update July 5, 2020

This week’s thought: The world is facing a mass extinction of species, including pollinators. Bees are critically important to our global food production and nutritional security. Estimates suggest that pollinators directly contribute US$235–$577 billion to global food production each year. Without pollinators, many of the foods we depend on would become scarce, putting life on our planet at risk. When planting your flower garden this summer, consider planting pollinator-friendly plants. Take Earth Day Network’s Pesticide Pledge, and learn about additional actions you can take to help protect pollinators.

 

June Update from Beekeeper Rob

The bee population in our hives is increasing rapidly. We have added a second deep hive box to both hives. I may try to split an existing hive and create a third hive. Providing another queen can be tricky though.

Some of you have joined me in caring for the bees already. Thank you for your company, Jaime, Keiko, Yoshi, Barbara and Steve, and Nancy.

May Update from Beekeeper Rob

Penny and I picked up bees from the Snohomish Bee Company at the Monroe Fairgrounds last Sunday afternoon. Then, we “installed” two “nucs” of bees into two of the existing hives on the roof of Bloedel Hall. I ordered them several months ago and they were shipped here from Northern California a week ago. Each nuc comes with 5 frames and a working queen and thousands of worker bees. It was quick and easy to move the 5 frames, one at a time, into our hives. In fact, miraculously, I saw the queen on one of the frames as I was moving it from nuc box to hive.

 

 

Bees update June 2020

Bees update August 2020

Flentrop Organ Workshop Open House

by on July 15, 2020 with No Comments

The Flentrop Orgelbouw, founded in Zaandam in the Netherlands in 1903, created the organ for Saint Mark’s Seattle in 1965, and is still producing world-class instruments in 2020. On Saturday, July 18, 2020, the firm presented a virtual open house via YouTube livestream, during which they presented a tour of their workshop, presented videos and sound recordings illustrating their work, answered live questions from viewers, and revealed their current project, a large instrument for the Royal Birmingham (U.K.) Conservatoire.

View the video below to go step by step through the making of the organ.

A New Liturgical Pattern for Summer

by on July 15, 2020 with 1 Comment

UPDATE 8/18: With the return of a Sunday Morning service of Holy Eucharist on August 23, the cathedral's experiment with Morning Prayer has concluded. Eucharist will be continue to be offered every Sunday as we enter the fall season. Please reach out to the cathedral or to Dean Thomason directly and let us know what your experience of this liturgy was like.

For a period of time this summer, Saint Mark's Cathedral will adapt the rhythms of its Sunday Morning livestreamed liturgy. On July 19 and 26, the cathedral will offer a service of Morning Prayer instead of Holy Eucharist, harking back to the standard practices of the Church until the last generation. A service of Holy Eucharist will return August 2, followed by Morning Prayer again on August 9 and 16.

This pattern or services, with Eucharist only once a month, and morning prayer at other times, was the normal practice at churches of the Anglican tradition until the liturgical reforms of the mid-to-late 20th century. Morning Prayer, or Matins, is part of the cycle of prayer services contained in the Book of Common Prayer collectively known as "The Daily Office," which in the current prayer book includes Noonday Prayer, Evening Prayer (called "Evensong" when sung), and Compline.

Writing at the dawn of the current global pandemic, The Most Rev Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal church, wrote:

Many factors contributed to a general decline in the celebration of the Eucharist well into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Morning Prayer became the common service of worship on the Lord’s Day. And while it is good and right that the situation has changed dramatically, that the Holy Eucharist has again become the principal act of worship on Sunday across our church, few would suggest that the experience of Morning Prayer somehow limited God’s presence and love to generations of Anglican Christians. [...]

 

While not exclusively the case, online worship may be better suited to ways of praying represented by the forms of the Daily Office than by the physical and material dimensions required by the Eucharist. And under our present circumstances, in making greater use of the Office there may be an opportunity to recover aspects of our tradition that point to the sacramentality of the scriptures, the efficacy of prayer itself, the holiness of the household as the “domestic church,” and the reassurance that the baptized are already and forever marked as Christ’s own.

For a few weeks this summer, Saint Mark's will be taking up the Presiding Bishop's invitation. Please write to info@saintmarks.org or contact any of the clergy and let us know what you think of this experiment.

 

Taking Up Our Responsibility for Racial Justice

by on July 15, 2020 with 2 Comments
Photo by Tim Pierce via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

THIS SERIES MET IN JULY AND AUGUST, 2020

Although this offering is now concluded, you are invited to view the video of the plenary presentation, and explore course materials below. 

At this critical moment in our nation’s and community’s history, we are confronted again with fresh knowledge of longstanding racial injustice – in policing, the justice system, health care, housing, education, the Church, and many other sectors of our common life. Our faith community is grappling with important questions – what do I need to learn? How should I and our church respond?

This four-week study and discussion series in summer 2020 brought the Saint Mark’s community together to confront racism—its theology, history, and presence in our lives today—and ways to move forward toward justice. The in-depth series open to all recognized the responsibility for change falls on white people. We met on four Wednesday nights, with a required advance registration and commitment to attend all sessions and read/watch articles and videos in advance, and began with encouraging participants to read ahead of time Ijeoma Oluo’s book, So You Want to Talk About Race.

Saint Mark’s has ongoing programming each season to continue the work to take up our responsibility for racial justice, and encourages each of us to continue doing our own inner work, and learning, and action. As programs at the cathedral are scheduled, details will be available on the Racial Justice resources page, here.

The syllabus for the four-session series, including required reading and viewing, may be downloaded here.

Additional resources contributed by participants in the series may be downloaded here.

PDFs of the power point slides of the opening plenary may be downloaded here..

The Women’s Compline Choir Returns

by on July 15, 2020 with 2 Comments
TWO SUNDAYS, JULY 19 & 26, 9:30 P.M., broadcast live on KING-FM, and livestreamed 
After the historic and moving all-women Compline services offered last summer, plans were made for a repeat offering in the summer of 2020. The 21 women who participated last year cannot gather now, but a choir consisting only of Rebekah Gilmore and three other singers will offer Women's Compline once again on two Sundays in July. These services will be livestreamed on the cathedral website and on Facebook Live. Like last year, a new work has been commissioned and will receive its world premiere — Kevin Siegfried, a composer with Seattle roots and longstanding connections with the Compline Choir, has composed “Sisters, we have met to worship,” based on the early American Hymn tune Holy Manna. If you wish, you may RSVP on the Facebook event page.

UPDATE 7/22: Video of the service of July 19 may be seen below: 

UPDATE 7/28: Video of the service of July 26 may be seen below: 

#VoteFaithfully Parish Forum

by on July 14, 2020 with No Comments

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 7 P.M.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry tells us: “It is a Christian obligation to vote, and more than that, it is the church’s responsibility to help get souls to the polls.”

Come hear about the #VoteFaithfully movement in the Church – working together to empower every voice to get freely to the polls. We’re looking at ways to encourage voter registration and to speak out against voter suppression. We will hear from community members of their personal voting experience, share stories, share a faith perspective on voting your own conscience, and explore ways we can make a difference in valuing every voice through every vote. To register for this Parish Zoom Forum, click here.

Questions? Email The Rev. Emily Austin at eaustin@saintmarks.org.

 

Click here for a list of resources and actions for you to help get out the vote!

Taking White Supremacy to Court: The Charlottesville Case

by on July 13, 2020 with No Comments

TUESDAY, JULY 28, 5 P.M., presented by Temple de Hirsch-Sinai, co-sponsored by Saint Mark’s Cathedral and Faith Action Network

Integrity First for America (IFA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to holding those accountable who threaten longstanding principles of our democracy—including our country’s commitment to civil rights and equal justice. The IFA is backing Sines v. Kessler, the landmark federal lawsuit filed by a coalition of Charlottesville community members against the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and hate groups responsible for the August 2017 violence. Trial is scheduled for October 2020. This case has the potential to be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bankrupt and dismantle the organizations at the heart of the far-right extremist movement of today. (Read a New York Times article about the complexities of the case here.) On Tuesday, July 28 Temple de Hirsch Sinai will present an online forum with representatives from IFA, discussing the history and future plans for the lawsuit, and the broader context of hate groups in America. Learn more about this event here.

Register for this event using this link.

This event co-sponsored by: ADL Pacific Northwest, The Church Council of Greater Seattle, Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation Kol Ami, Congregation Kol Shalom, Faith Action Network, First AME Church, Gonzaga University Institute for Hate Studies, Herzl-Ner Tamid, Kadima, Kavana Cooperative, JConnect Seattle, Jewish Family Service, Montana Human Rights Network, Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Temple Beth Am, Temple De Hirsch Sinai and Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost, 2020

by on July 12, 2020 with 2 Comments

Sunday, July 12, 11:00 a.m. • The Sixth Sunday After Pentecost, 2020 • 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 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.

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: July 12, 2020

by on July 9, 2020 with 2 Comments

On Thursday, July 9, Associate Organist John Stuntebeck introduced the hymns to be sung during this coming Sunday's live-streamed service for July 12 at 11 a.m—The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

The Hymns discussed are:

“O day of radiant gladness” (Hymn #48, tune: Es flog ein kleins Waldvögelein)
“Almighty God, your word is cast” (Hymn #588, but sung to the tune of #529, McKee)
“There is a balm in Gilead” (Hymn #676)
Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend (Hymn #3)

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.

Sandra Smith: A Reflection on Mask Worry

by on July 8, 2020 with 2 Comments

Back in March, Sandra Smith submitted the very first reflection posted on the cathedral website on the events that were then rapidly unfolding, from her perspective as an immune-compromised person. Now, three months later, she has submitted the following thoughts about the current situation.

I believe all people in our human community do matter, especially the vulnerable and oppressed. We must keep ourselves safe. For people who don’t chose to mask, I have felt righteous indignation with my inner bully/tyrant rising up with anger because my health is threatened. I don’t want to be a bully nor a tyrant nor do I want to hate others whose values and behaviors are different than my own. I want to disarm myself, and ask God’s grace to diminish threats, save all of us, God’s people, and help me to truly walk in love, literally.

So, I walked for exercise with my neighbor. We were masked and maintained 6 feet social distancing from each other. As the months continued, I noticed people on my walk who didn’t wear their masks and it worried me; I felt threatened by their choice as they approached on the street. It surprised me how much woeful energy I felt as I encountered the unmasked. I wondered, why such a threat?

Having walked along a busy street for my daily walk, I felt a slow crescendo of anxiety, both my own and others’. After stepping aside from my frustration and fear, I took time to reflect and realized that I want others to behave in a way that protects me. After all, I wear a mask to protect them. Didn’t they have the desire to protect others, like me?

Then I looked deeper and realized that I had a part in this. Perhaps my need to control the masking behavior of others only increased my frustration. Stepping back from my worldview of what compassionate life may look like, it had now become time for me to admit again, that I only have power over my own behavior and actions. I began to consider the question a very wise woman said, “what can I do differently?”

So, my walking buddy and I chose after Easter Monday to walk a new less busy route while reflecting on a scripture passage each of us brings to the walk, maintaining our six-foot distance between ourselves and the fewer unmasked anxious others we encountered. I avoided the nearby unmasked contractor who was consistently not adhering to the Governor’s directive for him to be masked. As he continued in his illegal neglect, I calmly and firmly wrote to my condo neighbors that the behavior of this unmasked contractor was unacceptable. I asked what does he not understand and why? He is now abiding and masked. I also acknowledge the passing joggers’ rights as equal to my right to be outside and avoid or face away from them as they pass quickly to protect myself.

I try to let go of what is not mine to do responsibly. I don’t want to act in a tyrannical way to any of my neighbors. I fervently want to express my needs in a firm and loving way. I ask God to help me walk in love which is hard to do. I pray that I can continue to choose to do the best I can. God bless you in your journey with the unmasked. Be Safe. Let us pray for one another. Amen.

The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost, 2020

by on July 5, 2020 with 1 Comment

  • Sunday, July 5, 11:00 a.m. • The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost, 2020 • 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.)
If you are having problems watching a live liturgy in the player above, please try watching on the back-up livestream page here.

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.

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: July 5, 2020

by on July 2, 2020 with No Comments

On Thursday, July 2, Canon Michael Kleinschmidt introduced the hymns to be sung during this coming Sunday's live-streamed service for July 5 at 11 a.m—The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, and (informally) the day after Independence Day. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

Canon Kleinschmidt introduces the hymns to be sung at the live-streamed liturgy for the Fifth Sunday After Pentecost, July 5, 2020.

The Hymns discussed are:

Hymn #594, God of grace and God of glory (tune: Cwm Rhondda);
Hymn #692, I heard the voice of Jesus say (tune: The Third Tune);
Hymn #719, America but with revised text: "How beautiful our spacious skies" (tune: Materna)
William Whitla's Let streams of living justice flow (tune: Thaxted)

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.