Saint Mark’s Stewardship Committee is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 Stewardship Campaign on Sunday, October 2. Packets of material about this year's campaign were sent to all parishioners this week, including a letter from Dean Steve Thomason. Beginning this Sunday and continuing through October 30, members of the community will offer reflections during the 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday services, on why they value Saint Mark’s and its ministries, and why they choose to share their time and treasure here.
The first speaker, on October 2, will be Chris Rigos, Junior Warden for Stewardship. He will announce the opening of the campaign, explain how you can be part of it, and share how important all our contributions are to Saint Mark’s, to the life of the parish, and to our own spiritual development. After the services, Chris and other members of the Stewardship Ministry will be available in the rear of the nave for questions and concerns.
Please visit the Stewardship page of the cathedral website to find the online pledge card and Frequently Asked Questions. Additional material will be added there in future weeks. Thank you for your participation, support, and prayers.
Join the 2022-2023 cohort of the Seattle Service Corps in Bloedel for a Q&A and an opportunity to get to know them better. Learn about their stories and what drew them to SSC and life in intentional community, and hear their impressions of Seattle so far. Check out this article introducing each of these amazing young people, recently posted by the Diocese of Olympia.
September 25, 2022 • SAINT MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS transferred
ORISON: Christ, the fair glory of the holy angels (Tune: CHRISTE SANCTORUM) – Sarum plainsong, Mode I
PSALM 91 – Peter R. Hallock (1924-2014)
HYMN: Jesus came, adored by angels (Tune: LOWRY) – Gerald Near (b. 1942); arr. Gregory Bloch (b. 1977)
NUNC DIMITTIS – Plainsong, Tone I; harm. Anon. 16th cent. composer
ANTHEM: Tibi Christe, splendor Patris – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594)
Jason Anderson, director • Gregory Bloch, reader • Kenneth Peterson, cantor
Thanks to this evening's Compline volunteers—hospitality ministers Ray Miller and Estephan Meza, and videographer Kathy Wickward.
Compline at Saint Mark's Cathedral has been a Seattle tradition since 1956. All the singers are volunteers. Learn more at: https://saintmarks.org/worship/compline/
and: https://complinechoir.org/
LEAFLETS
The Service Leaflet contains all you need to fully participate in each liturgy from home.
NEWSLETTER
The weekly cathedral newsletter contains important announcements, offerings, and events. Click here to add yourself to cathedral emails lists.
Audio and printed text of sermons can be found 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 also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022, 4:30 P.M., on the outdoor labyrinth and front lawn
On Saturday, October 1, Saint Mark’s will once again offer its beloved Saint Francis Day tradition. A few years ago this offering was moved from Sunday morning to Saturday afternoon, and the outdoor celebration has a truly festive community atmosphere. Dogs, cats, bird, bunnies, ponies, chickens, and all creatures great and small are welcome!
Music will be offered by acclaimed Seattle musician James Falzone and the young choristers of Choir School. The service will include prayers for healing humanity’s relationship with the earth, and for all the creatures who share the earth with us. Following the service, animals can receive an individual blessing from a priest if desired.
All are invited to attend, with or without their animal companions. Stuffed animals are also welcome to be blessed, as are photographs of pets who would not find attending the event a blessed experience.
Animals should remain leashed or kenneled. You are welcome to bring your own chair to use on the lawn, although chairs will also be provided.
Below: Photos from previous years' St Francis Day celebrations, including images from 2015 through 2021. Click to enlarge.
Gather between the services on Sunday morning, October 9, for an interactive, intergenerational forum with the leaders of Saint Mark's Taizé ministry. Learn a bit about what exactly Taizé is, its origins in France, and what got the Taizé ministry started here at Saint Mark's. Then we'll discuss the unique music of Taizé, and do some singing together. It will be informative and fun for all ages, and serve as preparation to more fully participate in the upcoming Taizé service on Tuesday, November 8. Any questions, contact Sacristan Michael Seewer: mseewer@saintmarks.org
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 10:10-10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall
Rev. Canon Richard K. Toll, Canon Pastor of St. Mark’s Cathedral, 1976-84, returns to Seattle from his retirement life in Portland, OR to participate in a Symposium: The Holy Land – What’s Next? - a gathering of faith leaders working for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine (Bloedel Hall, Saturday, Sept. 24th, 1-4 p.m.).
On Sunday morning, join the Cathedral Parish in welcoming Dick and his wife, Elaine, both of whose ministries were a major part of parish life during their time here. Dick’s post-Saint Mark’s ministries—as Rector of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Milwaukie, Oregon and founding Executive Director of Friends of Sabeel North America—deeply affected many lives, at the local, national, and international level.
TWO WEDNESDAYS, OCTOBER 5 & 12, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family).
Listening as an Act of Solidarity
Facilitated by The Rev. Linzi Stahlecker & The Rev. Canon Eliacín Rosario-Cruz.
As Christians, we are called to strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. A foundational practice for this work is the ability to listen to the lives and experiences of our neighbors. In these sessions, we will explore how culture shapes our ability to listen and impacts our work of justice. We will learn and practice various ways to cultivate listening as an act of solidarity and how to create spaces that honor complex stories and foster transformative relationships.
The following exercise was used in small groups during part 2, but the instuctions on the slide were difficult to read. Here is the complete text of the slide.
While individuals are sharing, the others listen prayerfully through to the end without interruption.
Silence (2 minutes)
This silence is a time to notice our initial reaction/response and for making space for God, for allowing God to cut through the limits of biases and accustomed ways of responding so that individuals might respond to the presenter from a place of freedom.
Response (about 5 minutes)
There is a period of sharing the questions or comments that have come up on the silence. Trust is honored when individuals listen to the response of others, instead of holding onto a personal agenda for the person.
Silence (about 2 minutes)
During this time people pray for the person who has just presented. The presenter may want to take some notes on what she has heard.
The “Sharing—Silence—Response—Silence” is repeated, until at least two members have presented, having our time limit in mind.
Reflection on the time together (5 minutes)
This reflection is not meant to analyze the time together or to control future outcomes. Instead, it is a gentle looking and noticing, God and the group together, and an honest sharing around what is seen. The focus for this time is the sense of prayerfulness within the group and within individuals. Whatever is addressed — silence, words, the human dynamics within the group — is viewed in terms of that prayerfulness, looking at what has served it or has gotten in its way.
September 18, 2022 • The 15th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20C)
ORISON: O come, ye servants of the Lord – Christopher Tye (c. 1505-1572/73)
PSALM 113 – Jason A. Anderson (b. 1976)
HYMN: All who love and serve your city (Tune: CHARLESTOWN) – mel. from The Southern Harmony, 1865; harm. Alistair Cassels-Brown (1927-2001), alt., and Jason A. Anderson (b. 1976)
NUNC DIMITTIS – Plainsong, Tone III; harm. Carolus Andreas (d. 1627)
ANTHEM: Hear the voice and prayer – Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585) [Green Book, p. 2]
Jason Anderson, director • Vernon Nicodemus, reader • Derek Tilton, cantor
POST-COMPLINE ORGAN MUSIC:
The Hanging Garden – Jehan Alain (1911–1940)
Praeludium in D Major, BuxWV 139 – Dieterich Buxtehude (1637–1707)
Tumpet Tune in A – David N. Johnson (1922–1987)
Toccata – Eugène Gigout (1844–1925)
Thanks to this evening's Compline volunteers—hospitality ministers Maria Drury and Estephan Meza, and videographer Michael Lee.
Compline at Saint Mark's Cathedral has been a Seattle tradition since 1956. All the singers are volunteers. Learn more at: https://saintmarks.org/worship/compline/
and: https://complinechoir.org/
LEAFLETS
The Service Leaflet contains all you need to fully participate in each liturgy from home.
NEWSLETTER
The weekly cathedral newsletter contains important announcements, offerings, and events. Click here to add yourself to cathedral emails lists.
Audio and printed text of sermons can be found 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 also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.
Exploring Indigenous Theology: Two-Eyed Seeing, Vision Quests, and Sacred Stories
A Saturday morning workshop offered by The Rev. Canon Mary Crist, Ed.D. (Blackfeet)
Co-sponsored by Saint Mark's Cathedral and the Office of the Bishop of the Diocese of Olympia.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2022, 9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom. Free, but registration required for either option.
Dr. Crist extends this invitation to join the workshop:
"Did you know that the Episcopal Church has over 400 years of history with Indigenous people in North America? Did you know that many Indigenous spiritual beliefs are compatible with those of Jesus? How can we make it possible for Indigenous people to be Christians and to honor the spiritual practices of their ancestors at the same time? How can we use “two-eyed” seeing, vision quests, and sacred stories to explore Indigenous theology? We will explore these questions and others in our time together. Participants will learn what Indigenous leaders in the Episcopal Church have to say about being both Native and Christian and how theological education is expanding to broaden the preparation of church leaders. Bring your own stories and questions to share in this workshop grounded in the narrative tradition."
The Rev. Canon Mary Crist, Ed.D. (Piitaki/Eagle Woman) is enrolled Blackfeet from the Douglas family in Montana. She is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles serving at St. Michael’s Ministry Center in Riverside. Dr. Crist serves on the Presiding Bishop’s Staff as the Coordinator of Indigenous Theological Education in the Department of Ethnic Ministries. She is a Visiting Professor of Education and Indigenous Studies at Bexley Seabury Seminary in Chicago. She has earned the Doctor of Education from Columbia University in New York, Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology, Master of Education from Pan American University, and Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Berkeley. She is the author of the articles “Frybread in Canaan” and “Native Christian Perspectives on Reconciliation,” both published in the First Peoples Theology Journal, as well as various articles in early childhood education, special education, and online instructional design. In 2022 she was named a Woman of Distinction for Province VIII by the National Episcopal Church Women.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family).
Join Dean Thomason, Canon Daugherty, and participants from July’s pilgrimage from Saint Mark’s as they share a bit of their experience and spiritual gleanings while also inviting everyone present to share experiences of sacred travel and why this is an important spiritual practice for all people. A preview of a potential pilgrimage to Ireland will also be shared. All are welcome.
Canon Daugherty's slides from her presentation may be seen here (pdf).
A complete video may be seen below:
The slide show played before the presentation:
Steve played a brief excerpt from remarks by Phil Cousineau to the group prior to the pilgrimage. His complete presentation may be seen here:
The Queen, Colonialism, and the Anglican Communion: Connections, Heritage, and Hope in a New Era
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 6:45 p.m.–8:15 p.m., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family).
Join Cathedral clergy and canons for a reflection and conversation on our experience of Queen Elizabeth’s recent death and funeral, the connections we share as Anglican Christians, the challenges of colonial realities of the British Empire, and what we see unfolding in the global arena of 21st Century geopolitical landscapes.
Dean Thomason has written a reflection on the meaning of Queen Elizabeth's legacy, which may be read below.
UPDATE: A complete video is now available:
A REFLECTION FROM DEAN THOMASON
A Queen and the Project of Democracy
Dear friends,
In the days since Queen Elizabeth died, I have received several inquiries about what we at Saint Mark’s Cathedral planned to do. Some had an expressed need for formal ritual to honor this woman of remarkable grace and fidelity to her role; others found it troubling that a monarch who epitomized the colonialist structures of a fading empire would be regarded at all. I will admit being a bit amused by the machinations other cathedrals and churches undertook to have special services, watch parties, and the like.
For our part, we split the difference: we commended her in our prayers on Sunday morning September 11, while the Compline Choir devoted parts of the service of compline that evening to special intentions for the Queen. It felt like a Via Media approach worthy of our Anglican heritage.
I am no royalist, but I fervently believe we pray for those who have died, as we did for Elizabeth, using her full name, Elizabeth Mountbatten-Windsor, as we did for her husband Philip last year. Her name was read alongside others’ names—in our baptismal and resurrection theology, no one person is more important than others. We buried my sister-in-law on September 8, the same day Elizabeth died, and I was preparing for a parishioner’s funeral at Saint Mark’s two days later. These others were no less important to observe than a queen’s.
But the energy given this particular queen’s death amidst the pomp and circumstance of royal customs surrounding her funeral provides an opportunity to reflect on what is really involved for us as we gaze upon the ritual from a distance—from a country that fought a war to separate ourselves from this imperial throne. We can have it both ways (independent yet with bonds of affection), but we should give considerable thought to what it is in this moment that draws us into this queen’s orbit.
Rowan Williams offers a fine reflection on the ways her life and work as monarch were sacramental, grace-filled and faithfully exercised. The invitation is to see not just Queen Elizabeth’s life in that light, but how we might see ours alongside such an invocation of the Spirit to speak into our lives as faithful enterprise.
Serge Schmemann wrote an opinion piece in the September 11 issue of the New York Times: “To function in an otherwise normal democracy, a hereditary monarchy requires that the citizenry accept a bit of fiction — namely that one family, standing above politics, can represent the nation and its values.” What is it about royalty that captures our imagination, and why?
And Hari Kunzru wrote in the same issue: “the British elite have always understood that the monarchy is a screen onto which the people project their own fantasies.” What does that mean for us as Americans?
There are 56 countries in the British Commonwealth; 14 of those are constitutional monarchies (including Canada) who will now replace their queen’s image from their currency with their new king’s. There is already talk about which of those nations may choose this time of transition to reflect on what has been, and how they may orient to a different polity. I pray that work is guided primarily by principles of justice for all their citizens. To be sure, we have work to do in this regard as well.
None of us choose the family into which we are born. Elizabeth was born wealthy, and when called upon to serve as queen, she did so with courage and commitment to her people. She did not seek the throne. I believe history will account for her effort as one of faithful devotion in which she sacrificed her ego in the cause of service to her society. And perhaps that is the image worthy of emulation—servant to the larger project of democracy, just society, and the common good. May we have the grace and courage to be such servants here and now.
Blessings and peace,
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
September 11, 2022 • In memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)
ORISON: Holy is the true light – William H. Harris (1883-1973)
PSALM 121 – H. Walford Davies (1869-1941)
HYMN: I vow to thee my country (Tune: Thaxted) – Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
NUNC DIMITTIS (ATB/ATB) – Charles Wood (1866-1926)
ANTHEM: Beati quorum via – Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924); arr. Richard Barnes
Jason Anderson, director • James Wilcox, cantor • Joel Matter, reader
Thanks to this evening's Compline volunteers—hospitality ministers Maria Drury and Ray Miller, and videographer Micah Hayes.
Compline at Saint Mark's Cathedral has been a Seattle tradition since 1956. All the singers are volunteers. Learn more at: https://saintmarks.org/worship/compline/
and: https://complinechoir.org/
LEAFLETS
The Service Leaflet contains all you need to fully participate in each liturgy from home.
NEWSLETTER
The weekly cathedral newsletter contains important announcements, offerings, and events. Click here to add yourself to cathedral emails lists.
Audio and printed text of sermons can be found 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 also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.
New purple bags with color-coded tags (pink for toddlers, blue for preschoolers, yellow for elementary ages) filled with items to connect kids to worship are ready for this Sunday, September 11!
Pick them up in the narthex and return them there when you leave. Each contains age-appropriate materials such as a clipboard with a children’s lectionary-based bulletin, a finger labyrinth for older children, a lacing lamb for younger ones, and Montessori hand kites with ribbons in liturgical colors for responding to the music.
September 4, 2022 • The 13th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18C)
ORISON: The shadows of the evening hours – Joshua Haberman (b. 1982)
PSALM 1 – Jason A. Anderson (b. 1976)
HYMN 662: Abide with me (Tune: Eventide) – William Henry Monk (1823-1889)
NUNC DIMITTIS – Plainsong setting, Tone VII; harm. Lodovico Grossi da Viadana (c. 1560-1627)
ANTHEM: Salva nos, Domine, vigilantes – Jacob Handl (1551-1591)
Jason Anderson, director & cantor • Gregory Bloch, reader
Thanks to this evening's Compline volunteers—hospitality ministers Robin Ethridge and Jim Buskirk, and videographer Michael Seewer.
Compline at Saint Mark's Cathedral has been a Seattle tradition since 1956. All the singers are volunteers. Learn more at: https://saintmarks.org/worship/compline/
and: https://complinechoir.org/
LEAFLETS
The Service Leaflet contains all you need to fully participate in each liturgy from home.
NEWSLETTER
The weekly cathedral newsletter contains important announcements, offerings, and events. Click here to add yourself to cathedral emails lists.
Audio and printed text of sermons can be found 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 also donate using the Venmo mobile app from your smartphone (search for @SaintMarksCathedralSeattle ) Thank you for your generosity.
Steve and Kathy Thomason's first Sunday at Saint Mark's, Seattle, was September 2, 2012. The community of Saint Mark's Seattle recognizes with joy and gratitude ten years of their presence in this place, and of Steve's leadership of the cathedral community.
Everyone is invited to add their voice to the community's expression of thanks by leaving a comment of any length, at the bottom of this post.
Your email address will not be shown. If this is your first time leaving a message on saintmarks.org, your comment will be held temporarily for moderation.
One of the first cathedral offerings to be suspended in March of 2020 was the treasured community supper, offered most Wednesdays for several years as part of the regular Wednesday night suite of offerings. Now at last we are able to gather for this shared meal once again, created by the team led by Chef Marc Aubertin.
Wednesday evening offerings begin with in-person Evening Prayer in Thomsen Chapel at 6 p.m. Dinner is served in Bloedel Hall from 6 to 6:30 p.m. (Health regulations require that food service ends promptly at 6:30.) A faith formation offering or other community activity usually follows at 6:45. For the first dinner, on Wednesday, September 14, there will be no Cathedral Commons offering—they begin one week later with Dean Thomason's presentation on embodied spirituality on September 21 (see bel0w). But the dinner will have all its usual energy provided by the kids of the Choir School, whose rehearsals are immediately before or after the meal. The cost of the meal, payable in cash at the door or electronically, is now: Child/$6, Adult/$8, Family max/$25.
Note: One beloved element of the Wednesday community meal that will sadly not be resuming are Jim Green's delicious salads. For several years he personally made the salad for the dinner each week. Jim died last May, and the UW Department of Anthropology recently published this moving remembrance.