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 also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.
OPENING PLENARY VIDEO NOW AVAILBLE.
GROUPS MEET: ONCE A WEEK FOR SIX WEEKS, BEGINNING OCTOBER 7
In January of 2020 the cathedral launched The Radix Project: Small Groups/Deep Roots. Over 150 people met together weekly for 6 weeks to study scripture, share stories, and pray for one another. Then, when the Cathedral closed in the Spring, 80 people met in small groups via Zoom to study the Resurrection narratives in the season of Easter. This fall, you are invited to a third series centered around stories of Biblical surprise. New groups are formed for each series, and meet once a week online for six weeks, beginning the first week of October. More information is available on the Radix Project webpage, where material from previous iterations of the Radix Project are now posted, and where materials for the upcoming series will be posted as they become available.
Registration for the small groups is now closed, but the Opening Plenary is open to everyone, whether or not they are participating in the meetings.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
Dean Thomason will offer some theological reflections on the element of surprise in scripture and in our lives. We’ve had a lot of surprises this year, good and bad! How do we understand them in light of the spiritual journey? (Note: this forum serves as opening plenary for the Radix Project, but all are welcome to attend.) No pre-registration necessary.On Thursday, September 24, Associate Organist John Stuntebeck introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on September 27, 2020, the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.
The hymns discussed are:
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.
Earlier this week, an email was sent to the community announcing the upcoming season of The Wisdom School, now entering its fifth year. The complete schedule may now be seen at saintmarks.org/wisdom, and the full season brochure can be downloaded as a pdf. The earliest special event on the schedule is the annual Advent Quiet Morning at St Andrews on December 12, 2020 (update: Quiet Morning cancelled); the main programing of the season, organized under the theme of The Spirituality of Desire, begins with an opening plenary on January 13, 2021. Other events include visits by the teacher and theologian Belden C. Lane; author and therapist Dr. Hillary McBride (co-host of the well-known podcast The Liturgists); a men's retreat and a women's retreat; a capstone pilgrimage to Britain rescheduled from summer 2020 (update: Pilgrimage postponed to 2022); and more. In light of the ongoing pandemic, contingencies have been built in to the planning—events will be in-person, all-online, or blended as conditions allow. Check back on The Wisdom School page as the events approach, and use this form to sign up for the special Wisdom School mailing list.
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 also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.
On Thursday, September 17, Gregory Bloch introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on September 20, 2020, the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.
The hymns discussed are:
...plus a few words about Sunday's anthem, The eyes of all wait upon thee by Jean Berger.
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.
UPDATE (October 2020):
In late October, it was announced that Laura Ellen and Robert Muglia had made a gift of their share of the St. Nicholas property. This is the largest single gift in the history of Saint Mark's Cathedral! Read about it here.
FORUM: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 7 P.M., via Zoom
On September 2, Dean Thomason sent an email to the cathedral community announcing that the Vestry has recently engaged a development consultant to assist us in exploring potential uses of the St. Nicholas building with a goal of advancing the cathedral’s mission and ministries. John Hoerster serves as the chair of a committee guiding this process. The text of the summary report is available below.
On Sunday, September 20 at 7 p.m., Mr. Hoerster and Dean Thomason will share details of the process, plans for parish input along the way, and address questions folks may have at this early stage.
There will be time in this meeting for parishioners to ask questions about the process as well. It is important to note that this is an exploratory process, authorized by the Vestry, which will unfold across the fall, and the committee will provide periodic updates to the parish at key intervals. You may also email committee leaders using the special email address: stnicholas@saintmarks.org
Saint Mark’s Cathedral is receiving a generous gift this Fall by which it will become the sole owner of the St. Nicholas property that is north of the main cathedral building. As a result, Saint Mark’s is undertaking a process to explore how the property can best be used to further the cathedral’s mission and ministries after 2023, when the current subleases with Gage Academy of Art and Bright Water Waldorf Society expire.
Here are pdfs of lists of references and resources related to the two sessions:
Session 1: Celebrating the Harvest, Sept. 16
Session 2: Take a Next Step: Mindful Steps, Sept. 23
Video of both sessions is now available:
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 also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.
OPEN NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 20 at St. Andrew's Green Lake, 111 NE 80th St. Seattle, WA 98115
Saints from a diversity of faiths and backgrounds who have rocked the religious boat on behalf of love and justice are featured as part of this self-guided walking tour, located on accessible pathways on the west lawn at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Seattle, near Green Lake. [Parishioners may remember the current rector of St. Andrew's, Rich Weyls, formerly a priest associate at Saint Mark's.] You are invited to experience a physically distanced stroll at your own pace, discovering stories about people inspiring change in our world. Text and images are used with permission from Daneen Aker, author of Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints, a children’s book emphasizing the stories of women, LGBTQ people, people of color, and others who are too often written out of religious narratives. A great outing for families and individuals!
The 2020–21 Saint Mark's Music contains a variety of offerings, from beloved annual traditions to encounters with the unfamiliar. You can read the series announcement email here. This year, all the event on the Music Series will be livestreamed and viewable for free.
Highlights include:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020, 7:30 P.M.,
Flentrop Organ Concert with Canon KleinschmidtFRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020, 7:30 P.M.,
Native American Flute Songs with Gary StroutsosFRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021, 7:30 P.M.,
Fritts Organ Concert with John StuntebeckFRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2021, 7:30 P.M,
Concert à 3: with Jillon Dupree, Rebekah Gilmore, & Page SmithPALM SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021, 4:30 P.M.,
Messiaen's Quartet for the End of TimeFRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021, 7:30 P.M.,
All-Bach on the Flentrop Organ with Alex Weimann
Check out the Music Series page to learn more!
On Thursday, September 10, Canon Michael Kleinschmidt introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on September 13, 2020, the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.
The hymns discussed are:
...plus a few words about the Sanctus from "A Community Mass" by Richard Proulx [#S-125 in the Hymnal 1982], and the anthem "Draw us in the Spirit's Tether."
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.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, before, during, and after the morning worship service.
Here is the slideshow of cathedral ministries presented before the service on Sunday morning, including live organ accompaniment by Canon Michael Kleinschmidt:
Just before the morning liturgy, at 10:45 a.m., a slideshow of images of cathedral ministries in action in recent years will be presented (see above).
After the service, Zoom into a lively online Coffee Hour for a special presentation on the ministry life of Saint Mark’s and preview of our new Ministry Guide, and talk together as we kick into our fall season!
If you have not already received the link to join Zoom Coffee Hours, please email Peter McClung for instructions: petercamfan@gmail.com.
On Wednesday, September 8, an email message was sent to the cathedral community with information concerning the eventual reopening of the cathedral building and resumption of in-person worship. Dean Thomason announced over four months ago, in May, that "we will not be among the first churches to reopen." As of now, there is no date set to reopen. But a committee of staff and volunteers has worked hard to think through what it will look like when the cathedral's doors do eventually open, and to create policies and procedures to keep everyone as safe as possible during this ongoing crisis.
The work of that committee may be seen on the "Reopening Planning" page here. At this time, the page contains the complete Reopening Plan document downloadable as a pdf, a summary version of the policies and procedures, as well as some Frequently Asked Questions. The Reopening Planning webpage will be continually updated as the situation develops. When the date for the resumption of in-person worship is set, further information including a link to register online to attend a Sunday service will appear there.
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.
On Thursday, September 3, Associate Organist John Stuntebeck introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on September 6, 2020, the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.
The hymns discussed are:
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.
EVERY TUESDAY, 11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M., currently meeting via Zoom, although a return to in-person meetings is under consideration
Tuesday Bible Study provides a weekly conversation around the scripture readings for the following Sunday. It has recently re-launched using the Zoom platform. Each week a discussion is facilitated and lively conversation ensues as people share their thoughts about the lessons.
The group meets from 11:30–12 p.m. for social time and 12–1:30 p.m. for study and prayer over the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday.
Hello to all the supporters of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral’s ministry to the Saint Martin de Porres shelter on Alaskan Way in Seattle!
I hope that you are enjoying your summer. I wanted to report to our wider group of supporters and volunteers as to what has been happening during July and August for our ministry.
We have had a very busy two months! We are as active as possible in providing meals to some of our homeless friends, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. As you know, our friends in need require more support than ever due to the hardships imposed by the pandemic.
In early July, Reverend Cristi Chapman asked if some of us involved with the Saint Martin de Porres ministry would be able to cook some meals for our church visitors with Tent City 3 in the church parking lot. We decided that the lead cooks in our ministry and those in Teen Feed program ministry should join together to help out.
On Sunday night, July 26, four of us met in the church parking lot to help prepare 50 meals for our guests. You can see the four of us in the photo at the bottom of this email. On the left side of the photo, you will see some of the paper bags we prepared for each Tent City resident. We prepared 50 paper bags, each with a sandwich (Maris Olsen and Mark Stumpf), homemade cookies (Earl Grout), an orange, two containers of potato salad, a bag of chips, a small granola bar, and a can of seltzer water. It was a perfect outdoor dinner on a pleasant summer evening!
On August 23, our other lead cooks Brook Brayman, and Teresa Pliskowski hosted Tent City again with Kathy Albert ‘s help. You can check us out below! This time we offered homemade sandwiches, potato salad, fresh fruit, and cookies. The photo below shows Kathy, Brook, and Teresa in the church parking lot.
Meanwhile, we continue to provide hearty dinners twice a month to the Saint Martin de Porres shelter on Alaskan Way. In July Kathy Albert and Rabi Lahiri, a new volunteer, helped do the grocery shopping. In August Earl Grout and Jay Quarterman helped us at Restaurant Depot. In the final photo you can see Jay Quartermain, Brook Brayman, and Earl Grout with our meal supplies from Restaurant Depot. Thank you all!
Do any of you read the Real Change newspaper sold by Seattle street vendors? In the July issue (Volume 27, Number 28), vendor David Dunn (and Saint Martin’s resident) refers approvingly to Saint Martins as “the ranch.” He talks about how challenging the pandemic lockdown was for many shelter residents. The good news is that Real Change vendors are back selling their papers. Maybe you could buy one and help the vendors out?
Why in the midst of a worldwide pandemic do we continue to provide meals to our neighbors in need? Volunteer Kathy Albert summarized her thoughts and values when she wrote our team members in March. (With her permission):
I'm glad the prep and delivery of the lunches for the Saint Martin de Porres men was such a success! I'm proud that my faith community is doing the saintly work of serving the needs of our most vulnerable during this pandemic, the people who in the long run will be the most forgotten as we find our way through. We need to continue doing this kind of work! We could conceivably shut down this ministry, out of consideration for our own health needs and those of the people around us. But what about the needs of these homeless people whom we serve? They are just as important, and our faith tells us their needs are to be considered first.
Perhaps it also helps us to re-read the mission statement from the local Saint Martin de Porres on its website:
Our Ministry of Presence
“Do not depend on the hope of results…In the end, it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything.”
—Thomas MertonOur ministry of presence is rooted in the Gospel Values and entwined with our idea of friendship and community. We believe our ministry is to live out an unconditional affirmation and passionate pursuit of the best in every person.
We have faith that the good is there and that we can discover it together through our solidarity with one another in all the pain and joy of life.
We recognize our shortcomings and we ask forgiveness when we fail to sustain our vision of home for one another.
Enjoy the last few weeks of summer! We will periodically keep you all advised of our activities. Thank you again for your continued support in helping to keep our ministry alive and vibrant.
—submitted by Chris Rigos, Team Coordinator