Virtual Choir Anthem Collection

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Inspired by the success of the "O come, O come Emmanuel" video, the next virtual choir video will again be for the entire cathedral community—a rendition of "Jesus Christ is risen today" for Easter Sunday! Click the image above for all the details.

 


In the Stewardship video above, Heather and Peter briefly reflect on their history at Saint Mark's, and then explain how the Saint Mark's virtual choir offerings came about.

Like many choral and instrumental ensemble around the world whose normal activities have been suspended due to the pandemic, the choirs of Saint Mark's Cathedral have turned to "virtual choir" offerings, in which choir members each record themselves singing their own part individually, and the videos are edited together to make one performance. While the experience for the choir members is nothing like gathering in person to sing in a choir, it is a valuable way to allow the participants to continue to offer their gifts in worship during this extraordinary time.

The process of editing together all the submitted videos is labor intensive and technically complicated. All the videos below were edited by longtime Cathedral Choir members Peter Garbes and Dr. Heather MacLaughlin Garbes, on a volunteer basis.

Their generosity of time and talent has been exceptional. Their many hours of work, combined with labor of the music staff in preparing the guide tracks and printed music, and of course the work of the choir members themselves, means that each video below represents dozens of hours of labor.

Jesus Christ is Risen Today! • April 4, 2021

O come O come, Emmanuel • November 29. 2020 (“O” Antiphons Liturgy)

Keep Your Lamps! (arr. Thomas) • November 8, 2020

At the River (Lowry/Copland) • November 1, 2020

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind (Parry) • October 11, 2020

Lord for Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake (attr. Farrant) • September 6, 2020

Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart) • July 26, 2020

If Ye Love Me (Tallis) • May 31, 2020

Faith Action Network Candidate Forum

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 7 P.M., via Zoom

The Faith Action Network will offer a candidate forum for candidates in legislative districts, which includes Sarah Reyneveld and Liz Berry from the 36th District, Kirsten Harris-Talley and Chukundi Salisbury from the 37th District, and Sherae Lascelles and Frank Chopp from the 43rd District. Participants may send in questions to use during the forum before the event. RSVP here: bit.ly/36-37-43CandidateForum to receive the Zoom link. There will be questions prepared by the sponsors as well as a limited opportunity for the audience to submit questions. Each district will have a 30-minute time slot - see the flyer for more information (click to enlarge).

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: October 11, 2020

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On Thursday, October 8, Associate Organist John Stuntebeck introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on October 11, 2020, the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

The hymns discussed are:

  • Rejoice, ye pure in heart!  [Hymn #556]
  • Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness [Hymn #339]

... followed by a few words by John about his organ selections for Sunday, and more than a few words from Gregory Bloch about this Sunday's "vitual choir" presentation, Dear Lord and Father of mankind by C.H.H. Parry.

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.

Stewardship Videos

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This year's stewardship campaign will feature videos from a number of community members, including brief messages included in Sunday morning worship, and longer videos and reflections send out via email and shared on social media.

Check back on this page—more videos will be added here as they are released in the coming weeks.

An Invitation from Dean Steve Thomason

Stewardship Ministry Co-Chairs Robert Stevens & Lynne Markova

Dr. Heather MacLaughlin Garbes & Peter Garbes

A Message of Gratitude from the Stewardship Ministry members

Noel House Ministry Update

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Our Noel House guests have found a new home!

The women who formerly slept on the floor of Bloedel Hall now have a permanent home in the Central area of Seattle. The building is a former day care center and is named the Bunny Wilburn Home, in honor of a woman who worked to establish an early childhood education facility in the space a few decades ago. Each woman has her own bed and space to keep belongings. They do not have to leave in the morning. What a blessing! Operation Sack Lunch is providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a full time case manager is onsite. Click on this link for a Seattle Times article from early September.

For over 20 years, Saint Mark’s Cathedral has opened its doors to 30 women each night of the week. They have slept in Bloedel Hall and received an evening snack and light breakfast. Our dedicated volunteers have cooked soup, sewed holiday bags, shopped for groceries, picked up and delivered donations from Food Lifeline, tended the vegetable garden, and served meals in the evenings and mornings. Then, when COVID-19 required the Cathedral to close to the public, the women moved to other emergency shelters set up by the city. The move to the Bunny Wilburn Home is good news for our former guests.

When it is safe to gather again, we will plan an event for volunteers to meet and tell stories and reminisce.

The Saint Mark’s community and Justice Ministries are committed to responding to the ongoing challenges of the homeless population. Watch for news of opportunities to volunteer and get involved.

Stewardship Season Begins

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OCTOBER 4 (LAUNCH) THROUGH NOVEMBER 8 (INGATHERING)

Join a community Facebook discussion:

THIS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020, 5:30 P.M. in the Community Facebook Group (highlights will be posted later in the week on the Cathedral website)

To the greater Seattle community, Saint Mark’s Cathedral provides a welcoming place to come in joyous times, times of sorrow, times to pray for peace, and as a beacon on the hill for justice. For many of us, both near and far, The Holy Box on the Hill is our spiritual home, where we come on Sundays, Holy Days, and special events to experience a faith community full of love and acceptance.  This year, we have worshiped and gathered both physically at the Cathedral and through Livestream. We are living as One Body—A Cloud of Witnesses, both near and far.

The Stewardship Ministry invites all to join in a weekly reflection on the year and how St. Mark’s has knit all of us together into a community. We will host an informal sharing on Saint Mark’s Seattle Community Life during the Closure Facebook page. Each Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., a member from Stewardship Ministry will host and offer a brief reflection, and invite others to share. Please plan on joining us on October 6 at 5:30 p.m. on Facebook.Highlights will be posted on the cathedral website later in the week.

Look out for additional offerings from the Stewardship ministry throughout the month! Watch your mail next week for the annual stewardship mailing, and watch your email next Tuesday, October 6, for a special video invitation from Dean Thomason.

 Generous Creator, who knits us together into one common life: open our eyes and hearts to your gracious hand at work in all of creation, so that, rejoicing in your glory, we may be faithful stewards of your gifts as One Body - A Cloud of Witnesses; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Earth Ministry Presents: Salmon, Justice, & Community

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 6 P.M.–7:30 P.M.

This program is presented by Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light, a Saint Mark's partner organization with longstanding links to the cathedral.

Salmon are a Northwest icon, a species of great cultural, ecological, and spiritual significance. Author Timothy Egan once defined the Northwest as “wherever the salmon can get to.” In the Northwest, our regional identity is steeped in mighty rivers and the fish therein, and the connections we share run deep.

Join LeeAnne Beres and Rev. John Rosenberg of Earth Ministry to explore the sacredness of salmon and the orcas that depend on them. You'll hear about how the faith community is bringing people together to restore the Lower Snake River for the benefit of all, and have the opportunity to ask questions and put your faith into action.

This event is part of a fall online speaker series hosted by our partners at Save Our Wild Salmon.

Learn more about the event and the speakers here.

Register to attend the event here.

St. Francis Day Outdoor Liturgy with Blessing of the Animals.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

Two different opportunities are offered:

  • 2:30–3:30 P.M.: DRIVE-THROUGH PRAYER AND ANIMAL BLESSING (no pre-registration required)
  • 4:30 P.M.: IN-PERSON OUTDOOR LITURGY ON THE LABYRINTH (In-person registration is now closed, but the liturgy will be available via livestream.)

Like last year, the event will feature contributions from acclaimed Seattle musician James Falzone, and include prayers for healing humanity’s relationship with the earth, and for all the creatures who share the earth with us. All are invited to attend, with or without their animal companions. Following current guidelines, attendance will be limited, participants will remain masked and distanced, and advance registration will be required. Families will be asked to sit together in marked "zones" with sufficient distance maintained between them and other attendees.

Dogs, cats, bird, bunnies, ponies, chickens, and animals of all kinds are welcome, but must remain in their household’s designated space until invited, in orderly fashion, to one of the stations for blessing at end of the service. Stuffed animals are also welcome to be blessed, as are photographs of pets who would not find attending the event a blessed experience.

For those who do not wish to attend in-person worship at this time, a drive-through animal blessing will be offered earlier in the afternoon, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., with no preregistration required.

Registration to attend the 4:30 p.m. liturgy is now closed, but the service will be livestreamed at saintmarks.org/livestream.

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: October 4, 2020

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On Thursday, October 1, Canon Michael Kleinschmidt introduced the hymns that will be sung at the 11 a.m. morning liturgy on October 4, 2020, the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost. This introduction was presented live on Facebook.

The hymns discussed are:

  • Christ is made the sure foundation [Hymn #518]
  • Lord Christ, when first thou cam'st to earth [Hymn #598]

...plus a few words about this Sunday's anthem at the offertory, Kevin Siegfried's arrangement of the Shaker song "Heavenly Display."

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 Radix Project Returns, Fall 2020!

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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

The Role of Surprise in the Spiritual Journey

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 7-8:30 P.M., via Zoom
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.
Video of this presentation may be seen below:

Introductions to Sunday’s Hymns: September 27, 2020

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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:

  • Come thou fount of every blessing [Hymn #686]
  • Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing [Hymn #344]

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 Wisdom School 2020–21 Season Announcement

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See the complete 2020–21 Season Schedule here. 

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.

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: September 20, 2020

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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:

  • Awake, awake to love and work [Hymn #9, starting with stanza 3]
  • Guide me, O thou great Jehovah [Hymn #690]

...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.

Special Parish Meeting – Exploring Potential Uses of the St. Nicholas Building

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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


 

Exploration of Potential St. Nicholas Redevelopment

September 2020

Summary

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.

Read More

“Wonder in Creation”: Two Wednesday Forums

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TWO WEDNESDAYS, SEPTEMBER 16 & 23, 7–8:30 P.M., via Zoom

Wonder in Creation: A Two-Week Series of Spiritual Practices in Creation

How do you experience God in everyday life? How might your daily living itself be and become a spiritual practice? The Creation Care and Faith Formation ministries will jointly host a two-week series in September to explore how spiritual practices outside bring opportunities to encounter presence, connection and reflection. Each evening, a panel from Saint Mark's will reflect on their own experiences, and you will have time to share your own. We'll also introduce tangible ways to share in active spiritual practices and reflect on how they may nurture reflection and faith in our response.
Join us to "Celebrate the Harvest" on 9/16. The panelists for the first session will be:
  • Rob Reid
  • Carolyn Blount
  • Keiko Maruyama & Jamie Rubio
  • Lisa Graumlich (host)

 

The second session, "Mindful Steps," on 9/23, will feature contributions from:
  • Sarah Elwood
  • Robert Stevens
  • The Rev. Earl Grout, Deacon
  • Brother Paul Dahlke
  • Nancy & Andy Valaas
  • Emily Meeks (host)
For questions and to obtain the Zoom link, contact cchapman@saintmarks.org.

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:

In addition, below are some additional links shared from the chat and conversation during Part 2:

Year of Seattle Parks 

Vote with Creation as a Value
 
Books on Ecology and Spirituality
Diocesan Resource Center - email Sue (resource@ecww.org
)
 
Muck Rack
A podcast series on environmental perspectives by Ashley Aheard
 
The Year You Finally Read About Climate change

"Read about the future of the planet,"
New York Times Book Review.

“Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints Walking Tour” from St. Andrew’s, Green Lake

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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!

Saint Mark’s Music Series 2020–21 Season Announcement

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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.

 

Details of the complete series may be found on the Music Series page here. 

 


Highlights include:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2020, 7:30 P.M.,
Flentrop Organ Concert with Canon Kleinschmidt

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2020, 7:30 P.M.,
Native American Flute Songs with Gary Stroutsos

FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021, 7:30 P.M.,
Fritts Organ Concert with John Stuntebeck

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2021, 7:30 P.M,
Concert à 3: with Jillon Dupree, Rebekah Gilmore, & Page Smith

PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021, 4:30 P.M.,
Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time

FRIDAY, 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!

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: September 13, 2020

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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:

  • Creating God, your fingers trace [Hymn #394, but sung to the tune of #455, Dunedin]
  • When Christ was lifted from the earth [Hymn #603]

...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.

Ministry Blessing Sunday and Ministry Fair (Online)

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, before, during, and after the morning worship service.

 

Check out the Ministry Guide page here, including video introductions by ministry leaders!

 

Here is the slideshow of cathedral ministries presented before the service on Sunday morning, including live organ accompaniment by Canon Michael Kleinschmidt:

The building may be closed, but the ministries of Saint Mark’s are as vibrant in heart as ever. They are integral to our community—those fully in action during the pandemic and those that will be reenergized as we gather in person again! At the 11 a.m. livestream liturgy on September 13, Dean Thomason will commission and bless all ministries of Saint Mark's. That also includes everyone who participates—all of us—because worshiping together IS ministry!

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.

Reopening Plan is now available

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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.

Introduction to Sunday’s Hymns: September 6, 2020

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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:

  • Joyful, joyful we adore thee [Hymn #376]
  • Lord, make us servants of thy peace [Hymn #593]

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.

Tuesday Bible Study Returns

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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.

Feeding Ministry Update Summer 2020

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Saint Brigid’s Banquet/Saint Martin de Porres Ministry Report

Saint Marks Episcopal Cathedral, August 2020

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 Merton

Our 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

A Season of Creation

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SEPTEMBER 1–OCTOBER 4, 2020

Saint Mark’s and the greater Episcopal Church joins Christian churches across the world in celebrating the Season of Creation September 1 – October 4. From the Season of Creation website:

“The Season of Creation is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator through repenting, repairing, and rejoicing together. During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family in prayer and action for our common home.”
  • Be inspired by watching Presiding Bishop Curry’s video message below, titled, The Jesus Movement: Good News for All Creation.
  • Weekly "Season of Creation" devotionals will be shared in Sundays & Beyond each week during the month of September — See the complete collection of weekly devotionals below!
  • And plan to attend the "Wonder in Creation" Cathedral Commons offering on September 16 and 23 about spiritual practices in Creation.
You can email marjorie@ringness.org for more information on the ongoing work and conversation of the Creation Care Ministry.

 

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