Would you like to be part of a new endeavor to provide and/or deliver meals to parishioners with a new baby or who are recovering from illness or surgery? Canon Wendy Claire Barrie is gathering names and contact information from folks who are willing, and she will then let you know specifics (who, what, where) when the need arises. We have two families with new babies right now who would be the first to benefit from this coordinated effort! A homemade meal is wonderful, but so is a Trader Joe's run or a GrubHub gift card.
UPDATE: Community meals are now being organized using the website Mealtrain. Keep an eye on the newsletter for opportunities to help.
If you have questions or know of someone in need, please contact ministry coordinator Tajarii Gray: fortydaysdoulas@gmail.com
The 2022–23 Seattle Service Corps cohort arrives Saturday, August 27, and help is needed to make them feel welcomed and at home. If you would like to help next month as we put the finishing touches on their living space at Leffler House, or if you would like to be part of providing some homey hospitality throughout the year, especially around the holidays, please email Canon Barrie: wbarrie@saintmarks.org
Pantry Pouding
The members of each year's cohort of SSC members are a great blessing to the community in Saint Mark's in so many way, so let's make them feel at home by filling their cupboards when they arrive. Check out the list of pantry staples here—including items from pasta to canned good to coffee and tea—and sign up for one or more on the form. Then drop your item(s) off in the baskets at the back of the nave this Sunday, August 21. (You can also bring them to the cathedral office during the week.) If you have any questions, please email Canon Barrie: wbarrie@saintmarks.org.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022, 9:30 A.M.–2:30 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom
A Saturday gathering led by The Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining
Mary Magdalene has rightly been called “the Apostle to the Apostles” because of her important witness to the life, ministry, and resurrection of Jesus. However, few people today truly understand the sheer magnitude of her contribution to the Jesus movement itself. Recent scholarship counts her as one of the shapers of many of the rites and rituals of Christianity thanks to her deep firsthand knowledge of Jesus’ healing ministry. Indeed, she is often called “The Magdala” or “The Tower” by those who understand her to be the lineage-bearer of some of Jesus’s most important teachings on healing, anointing, exorcism, and giving witness.
Fee $35 (for both online and in-person participants). Includes a light lunch and snacks for those participating in person (scholarships available). Pre-registration required.
Participants in previous forums with Dr. Raining said, “She is an engaging teacher, warm, and accessible” and “she shares vital information for personal healing that then translates into community healing.” Contact Canon Barrie at wbarrie@saintmarks.org with any questions.
NOTE: Dr. Raining will also offer a guest sermon at the 9 and 11 a.m. services on Sunday, August 21.
Let’s take a day trip to Bainbridge! We will take a tour of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church with a break for coffee and conversation. Next, we’ll visit the Japanese Exclusion Memorial to reflect and remember those forced to leave their home for internment camps. We’ll enjoy lunch at the home of John Simmons and Scott Hulet with the option for exploring a trail to the Halls Hill labyrinth, Blakely Harbor, and a historic cemetery.
For those wanting to carpool, we will meet at 7:30 a.m. at Saint Mark’s. RSVP (encouraged but not required) to Emily: emcmeeks@gmail.com
The Intersection Between Environmentalism, Racism, and Privilege
A Program at Town Hall Seattle on May 10, 2022
Reflections by The Rev. Edie Weller
Leah Thomas, author of The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People and Planet (2022), recently spoke with Hannah Wilson, Farm Manager at Yes Farm, leader of the Black Famers Collective and co-chair of the Environmental Justice Commission of the City of Seattle, as part of a program offered by Town Hall Seattle. Their conversation focused on Thomas’ work in the field of environmental justice with direct focus on intersectionality—how to understand and give voice to environmental issues and actions through multiple perspectives of race, gender, physical and cognitive ability, age and other factors. A video of their conversation is available here.
Thomas described her motivation to enter into environmental advocacy because she realized she saw little evidence of contributions to environmental science and sustainability by Black scholars and professionals. This was especially so during the crucial time of protests related to both racial justice and climate change in recent years.
Here are some observations and recommendations from Thomas’ conversation with Wilson:
Education
Environmental science curricula in both predominantly Black and white academic programs need to be more inclusive and deepen their focus on intersectionality around topics of racial & social justice, environmental racism, and climate justice.
Access to environmental education at all levels should be a priority. Social media has a role to play in expanding access to multiple levels/cohorts of people (though this is not necessarily the primary teaching platform).
Hiring
Thomas advocates for increasing staff diversity (in terms of race and other dimensions) across every level of environmental organization, including academic programs. It’s not enough to have an officer for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. More opportunity needs to be given for BIPOC and other non-dominant voices to contribute to analysis, goal setting, community interactions, and overall action.
More established, white-led environmental organizations need to examine and confront their legacy of not hiring diverse staffs.
Funding
Thomas identified the need to broaden the funding of smaller environmental organizations (majority are non-profits), particularly those led by BIPOC staffs. She noted that 8 of the largest and best-known environmental organizations receive about 70% of grants and other funding, while Black-led organizations receive less than 2%. This distribution needs to shift to build capacity for action over a broader base.
Advocacy development:
Thomas and Wilson both advise getting to know local climate and environmental justice organizations and coalitions, as well as the issues most salient to that community or region. This will increase the capacity for advocacy as well as deepen relationships and coalition-building.
Thomas and Wilson both see a connection to disability justice, especially the need to include voices and ideas from those with ability issues who might not have an easy time physically participating in meetings or actions.
Both speakers were very clear that many serious environmental issues face BIPOC and other marginalized communities right now—action is needed to help people live healthy, productive lives now, not only in future (white) generations. The complexity of climate change and its impacts—and other environmental challenges—calls for an intersectional perspective and participation NOW!
White allies need to be aware and intentional in working with diverse communities:
Be aware of bringing a “white savior” attitude (that whites need to help/lead others in defining the critical areas of focus and action)
Recognize that there is always more to learn: be open to what BIPOC and others have to contribute from their own experience and priorities. Do not attempt to speak for communities that you aren’t actually a part of.
LISTEN to others and respect their right to give input into issues of deepest concern to them.
Resources
Black Nature – A poetry anthology of the Black community’s experiences in nature across the last century
Generation Green – Environmental Liberation, for and by Black people
It’s an old game I’d often play with my students to jog them into writing, especially in Spring Quarter as we moved into May. We all get a little restless indoors by this point in the academic year, sitting in a sterile classroom; we start to feel some warmth rising up from the earth and can imagine again a life beyond the rain and cold. So I’d ask: if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? Tell me about it—make me feel it in your words.
My own answer would vary. I dearly love the Gulf of Mexico and the beautiful white beaches of Siesta Key, just as at certain moments I might choose the Left Bank of Paris early in the morning as the bakeries were opening, or even certain quiet streets in the old city of Jerusalem at dusk. But it’s clear to me that my own preference finally lies with the Cascades. So many memories up there—so many hikes and backpack trips with Judy and Kate over the years, and with the hope and expectation of more to come. And of course part of the pleasure is coming to know these places fairly intimately after numerous trips. For me the Cascades are specific: among many other sacred spots I think of Dishpan Gap, just north of Lake Sally Ann on the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT), or Meandering Meadows, still further north by a few miles and a mile below the PCT, or Macalester Pass, a few miles north of Stehekin.
Of course all of these spots are beautiful, but I could have chosen others which are clearly more picturesque. So what is it about these places? It’s certainly that sense of truly being out there—in the mountains, far from roads and cities, far from Starbucks—but it’s also being out there with people whom I love. And so the memories of those places are filled not just with glorious mountains and deep green valleys but with people.
This awareness of mine may well mark a difference from when I first wrote about these mountains in a book called Rapture of the Deep: Reflections of the Wild in Art, Wilderness and the Sacred. Back then, fifteen or twenty years ago, I was focusing on the connection I felt between my experiences on these trips with Judy and Kate and what I knew from my life teaching great literature and from my experience with contemplative and mystical spirituality. All of these, I argued, have something to do with the kind of depth of power we feel in wilderness—in the mountains, the desert, the ocean—as Belden Lane has written about so often. In my Introduction to the book I talk about this literal and metaphorical place into which so many of us are drawn, where we might well feel both fear and wonder. Writing of the ancient Sumerian hero Gilgamesh, I say that (metaphorically) “he has known the rolling waters of the sea, the great silence of the mountains, and in those places has felt something so huge and beautiful that he’s ready to surrender everything to be part of it.”
I still can feel this desire, and acknowledge that it remains central to my understanding of Christ and my own spiritual longings. But what’s curious is that, even as I look back through this book of mine, what moves me most are those passages where I’m with Judy and Kate. At the beginning of the first chapter, for example, I describe a moment with them on our first backpack trip when we did a loop around Stehekin, making our way to Macalester Pass where we spent a night in our family-sized tent. Kate was eight at the time; early in the morning I was out listening to the howling of wolves to the east of us and in my mind making some connections to those beautiful animals and my daughter. And then I wrote: I remember this moment nine months later as I stand on my front porch and watch my daughter walk down the sidewalk, lunch box in hand, to her carpool. She turns, smiles and waves, then vanishes from my sight.
This was a moment in time that is now more than thirty years ago. It’s long gone, as of course we both—we all—will be long gone in what is really just a blink of an eye. And yet I’m convinced that in some other sense, or in some other understanding of time—Kairos versus Chronos—this moment endures. It’s these tiny threads of love, these connections we have to people and to places. Suddenly I’m aware that it’s not just the magnificent mountains that surround us here beside the Salish Sea that last, but—perhaps even more—it’s the tiny mycorrhizae, those threads that weave all things together beneath the forest floor and, as we now know, that connect those trees into one magnificent community.
Into, I might say, another part of the body of Christ.
And so yes, I do still experience that fear and wonder up there at Dishpan Gap or camped down in Meandering Meadows or up at Macalester Pass; I still feel the sense of adventure setting out down a narrow mountain trail. All that I wrote about decades ago is still true to something in my own spiritual journey. But now, gratefully, gracefully, there’s also this—all those years and memories with friends and family, memories that I see now are their own form of mycorrhizae, spiritual threads woven through time and space connecting us to each other and back to parents and grandparents and forward to the generations still to come. “Fibres of love” Blake calls these connections, and like love, as love, they endure.
We are dust certainly enough, but we are also, as Joni said long ago, star dust.
Longtime Saint Mark's parishioner and former vestry member Doug Thorpe is Professor Emeritus of English at Seattle Pacific University.
UPDATE: The next Women's Compline Choir services will be JULY 30 & AUGUST 6, 2023. SEE DETAILS ABOUT THE 2023 SERVICES HERE.
SUNDAYS, JULY 17 & 24, 2022, 9:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave, broadcast, and livestreamed
In the summer of 2019, the Office of Compline was chanted by an ensemble of women for the first time in the six-decade history of Compline at Saint Mark's Cathedral, Seattle.
(click to enlarge)
These beautifully-sung services were deeply moving to many. In the word of choir director Rebekah Gilmore, "We have many decades—generations worth of women who have wanted to sing Compline at Saint Mark's." And so the decision was made to make the Women's Compline Choir an annual tradition at Saint Mark's each summer. In the summer of 2020, of course, a gathering of the full choir was not possible, and the Women's Compline Choir was represented by just four solo voices. In the summer of 2021, a full complement of singers chanted the office, but the service remained closed to the public. See photos and video from previous year's services below.
At last in 2022, a full choir featuring some of the finest choral singers in the region returned to chant a service open to one and all. As in the past, the services featured special repertoire for women's voices, including world-premiere compositions.
The next Women's Compline Choir services will be offered JULY 30 & AUGUST 6, 2023.
Saint Mark's Cathedral's Curate was ordained to the priesthood in a special ordination liturgy last Wednesday, June 29. The complete liturgy may be seen here (or on youtube). She sends the following note or gratitude to the community:
"I am so grateful for all who attended my ordination, and for all who offered their prayerful support from afar. I could not be more thrilled to be serving my curacy in the midst of this community at Saint Mark’s, and for the Gospel-rooted, life-giving reality I continue to experience here. Thank you!"
Rev. Stahlecker will preside at the 8, 9, and 11 a.m. services this Sunday, July 3. Photos below from Wednesday's service by Kevin Johnson and Troy Stahlecker. Click to enlarge.
Contact Legislators and urge them to guarantee reproductive freedom (via The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations)
JUNE 24, 2022
Dear friends,
Today our nation received the news we’ve been expecting for several weeks now—that a divided Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade and Casey decisions which had for nearly fifty years ensured the constitutional right to reach an informed decision about termination of pregnancy and safe access to act upon those decisions.
As I said in a recent sermon [pdf] addressing the topic of reproductive rights, this is a matter of human dignity, and as such it is a first and foremost pastoral issue, even as it has been politicized. Since preaching that sermon on May 8, 2022, I have heard from several who have shared very tenderly of their life experiences and the difficult decisions they faced as crucial moments. I stand by what I said that day, and I share here once more that the Episcopal Church has, since 1976, unequivocally and repeatedly adopted formal position statements affirming full and equal access to health care for all genders, and that access to decisions surrounding reproductive rights must be reserved to the individual in consultation with their health care providers. [source]
Here is the statementfrom the Episcopal Church shared today:
Since 1976, The Episcopal Church has maintained its “unequivocal opposition to any legislation on the part of the national or state governments which would abridge or deny the right of individuals to reach informed decisions [about the termination of pregnancy] and to act upon them.” We uphold the conscience rights of pregnant women and other pregnant persons to determine whether they want to continue a pregnancy. The Episcopal Church views reproductive rights as “an integral part of a woman’s struggle to assert her dignity and worth as a human being.”
In light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, we reiterate our opposition to any legislative, executive, or judicial action at all levels of government that would restrict or limit a woman’s right to choose, or that would limit the rights of women and other pregnant people to access a safe abortion procedure. For us as Episcopalians, this is a matter of faith. Respecting the dignity of every human being means respecting the rights and freedoms of women to control their own bodies, destinies, and future.
I would refer you to the resource page of the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations for additional information about how to respond in light of this judicial ruling. I would also say I am grateful to live in a state where reproductive rights are ensured by legislative action.
As I said in the sermon on May 8, we will make our way together, even when we won’t agree on every detail of such complicated matters. We do so as people of faith who hold dear the human dignity for all people; we do so as people committed to a way of life that is at its core a pastoral way of being with one another; we do so as people who cast a vision for a more just world, bringing hope into a world which is parched and thirsts for good news. I am willing to work for that, and I trust you are too.
Blessings and peace,
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
THREE WEDNESDAYS: JUNE 22, JULY 27, and AUGUST 24, 5 P.M.–8 P.M., in Bloedel Hall and throughout the cathedral grounds. Registration requested. Fee: $10 in advance; $12 at the door.
UPDATE: On the Sunday following all three evenings (JUNE 26, JULY 31, and AUGUST 28) between the morning services at 10:10 a.m., participants in the Wednesday gathering will share some of what was presented and created at the event. Meet on the front patio. The gathering on July 31 will include the splash mat!
First offered in the summer of 2019, Eat, Play Love (Not Your Average Bible Study) is an opportunity for all ages to share a meal, learn, explore, and have fun together at the cathedral. Now this offering returns for 2022!
Take a night off cooking and enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by our own Chef Marc Aubertin, then participate in a variety of creative and reflective activities, including the option to attend in-person Evening Prayer 6–6:30 p.m. The evenings end with a brief service of Compline in the Cathedral Nave.
This year, we will explore the theme "Water of Life" through three scripture stories (Creation, the Baptism of Christ, and The Woman at the Well) and respond to them creatively through activities such as music, art, and science. We'll also dive into justice-seeking as it relates to clean water and water access, both locally and globally.
SATURDAY, MAY 28, 4 P.M., at the Ermoian/Kelley residence in north Ballard
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 4 P.M., hosted by Christopher Breunig in Clyde Hill, near Bellevue. Dean Thomason will preside.
SATURDAY, JULY 30, 4 P.M., hosted by Laurel Petrik at Mercy House of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps on First Hill. Rev. Stahlecker will preside.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 4 P.M., hosted by the Gavin Family at their home in Lynnwood. Canon Rosario-Cruz will preside.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 4 P.M., by Rachel & Russ Crosbie in West Seattle
THERE WILL BE NO NEIGHBORHOOD EUCHARIST IN OCTOBER. SEPTEMBER WAS THE FINAL OFFERING IN THE CURRENT SERIES.
Each month from May to October September, Saint Mark's parishioners will be taking turns hosting a simple Neighborhood Eucharist in a backyard or park on a late Saturday afternoon. These are designed to be especially family-friendly, meaningful, and brief—a great way to strengthen the connections among us as well as to God's good earth.
Capitol Hill PrideFest is Back... and so is the Saint Mark's booth!
We will have a tent and display on Broadway during Pride weekend on Saturday, June 25, from 11 a.m. on toward evening. Just like last time—pre-pandemic—we will have fun talking with festival attendees about Saint Mark's and handing out info and souvenirs. PrideFest is a great time and a great way to represent your faith community to a variety of folks looking for a spiritual connection.
SUNDAY, JUNE 26, meet downtown at 11 a.m. (exact location to be announced); registrationrequired.
Join the Diocese of Olympia for the 2022 Seattle Pride Parade. Though many, we truly are one as we march for justice and dignity. By our actions we demonstrate that the Episcopal Church of Western Washington really does welcome everyone. Learn more and register here. Once you register, you will receive precise instructions about where to meet on Sunday, when the information is available. All marchers get a free tee shirt!
The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (WAGR) works to end the gun violence crisis in our community and to promote a culture of gun ownership that balances rights with responsibilities. Saint Mark’s Cathedral and Dean Steve Thomason collaborated with other civic leaders to create the Alliance in 2013 to support policy, education and engagement that focuses on reducing gun violence.
NOTE: Late on Wednesday, June 8, Dean Thomason sent a message to the community announcing that the protest that was expected to take place in downtown Seattle on Saturday, June 11, would NOT be occurring. The Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (WAGR) is encouraging folks to attend one of the many other demonstrations that are occurring this weekend, particular in Redmond or Olympia. Find other options and sign up here.
See a video below of Dean Thomason's recent sermon, titled "Courageous Hope in the Wake of Gun Violence," in which he lays out specific arguments for a ban on assault-style weapons such as the AR-15. The printed text of the sermon may be found here.
This summer we will examine the tensions between political power and justice through scripture and supplemental texts with opportunity for reflection and discussion. Canon Eliacín Rosario-Cruz will join us in exploring these themes together. Attendees are encouraged to attend all three sessions but it is not required—join as you can.
SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 3:30-5:30 P.M., Seward Park, Lake Washington Blvd. S., Seattle
Calling all bikers, scooters, walkers, rollerbladers, runners, unicycles and so forth to join in a Trinity Sunday Ride/Run/Roll around Seward Park in Southeast Seattle. We will meet on the lawn near the Seward Park Playground at 3:30. Look for a St. Mark's banner and table to find us! From there, we will head around the Seward Park 2-mile paved and flat loop. Celebrate the turn to Ordinary Time by stretching your legs and then indulging in root beer floats! Families with children should plan to chaperone their own children around the loop as needed. The park is a popular place on Sunday afternoons so allow time for parking!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 9:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom, registration required
These difficult COVID years have left many of us in need of a “reboot” in our prayer. Join us for a time of reflection, prayer, and discussion, about being emotionally honest with God just now, and open again to more real intimacy with God.
Fr. Martin L. Smith is well known throughout the Episcopal Church and beyond for his roving ministry of spiritual formation in retreats and workshops, and as the author of widely read books exploring contemporary spirituality, including The Word is Very Near You, A Season for the Spirit, Reconciliation, Compass and Stars, and Love Set Free. He is based in Washington DC.
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 6:30 P.M, starting at Temple De Hirsch Sinai, 1511 East Pike St.
On Thursday, June 2, all people of faith are invited to come together in a prayer vigil for the victims of the massacre in Uvalde. We will gather at 6:30 p.m. at Temple De Hirsch Sinai at 1511 East Pike Street, and then march to St. James Cathedral where we will continue to pray, remember the victims, and strengthen our resolve to end the scourge of gun violence in our nation.
Parking at Temple de Hirsch Sinai is limited. Please consider taking public transportation to the Temple. Free parking is available at St. James Cathedral.
If you wish, you may RSVP on Facebook here(not required).
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 6:45-8:15 P.M., online via Zoom only
Join Creation Care for a special forum featuring parishioner Clara Berg, fashion historian and curator, and Richard Hartung, sustainable writer/blogger to discuss connections between clothing, the environment and our faith.
We'll share ways to buy less, choose well and make clothes last.
UPDATE: The slides form this presentation may now be seen here.
UPDATE: Bishop Greg Rickel's message to the Diocese about the shooting may be read here.
Dear friends,
“Shocked-but-not-surprised…” That’s the sad truth of the reaction many have expressed in the wake of another mass shooting in this nation—the 213th of this year. According to the Gun Violence Archive, the numbers tell a certain story:
213 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022 through May 24 (the 144th day of the year) [source; source]
693 mass shootings in 2021
Mass shootings in this nation have increased 50% since 2020 and nearly doubled since 2017 [source]
27 mass shootings in schools in 2022, at least 140 dead
The numbers are sobering; they prompt outrage, disgust, horror… but they do not tell the full story. We know the names of schools because of this blight of violence, seared into our collective memory that remains haunted by the serial trauma—Columbine, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Marjorie Stone Douglas, Santa Fe, to name just a few here. Now Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, is added to the long lamentable list. How long, O Lord, how long!
And we will say the names of those who died yesterday, as we did with those who died a week ago in Buffalo, and those before that… and those that are yet to come. We say their names prayerfully, with intention and purpose, as we commend them to God while holding their families in our aggrieved hearts. It is not a hopeless act to pray in such times, even as the weight of this nation’s epidemic of gun violence and repeated failure of our elected leaders may feel like there is no way out of this nightmare.
But there is; there must be. We must take the long view. Ten years ago, after Sandy Hook, I stood with fellow interfaith clergy in the sanctuary of Temple De Hirsch Sinai as we brought our moral outrage, our broken hearts, and our collective resolve to bear in that crucible moment. With civic leaders, we forged a new enterprise—the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility (WAGR), which has had extraordinary impact in our state. Good things have come from that effort, and we must continue. It is not hopeless.
I refuse to concede my hope to such evil and its conspiracy with feckless politicians who lack the courage to act. I refuse to concede my hope in God who I believe with all my heart is calling us into this work, even as we discern what that may be through the prism of our tears… tears shed for the children who have died, for all children who live in fear today, for all parents who heartache, and really for all people, including you and me, who bear the collective trauma of this insidious violence.
I will say more on Sunday in the sermon, and there is an interfaith vigil being considered, but for now I bid you reach out to your friends and family, and to one another in this cathedral community, and hold each other in your hearts. Know that you are in mine. And your clergy will hold the space with you—just ask.
Let love be our antidote to the venom of gun violence. Pour appropriate resources into your local school. Check in on the teachers and mental health professionals whom you know. Parents of young children, too. Get involved.
And I bid you be present in your daily prayers, show up in our corporate prayers and worship. Resist the numbness that can come in these moments. Be gentle with yourself, too. We take the long view, and we will find our way together.
Peace and prayers,
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
Selected Prayers from Enriching Our Worship resource of the Episcopal Church
Gracious God, we come before you this day in pain and sorrow. We grieve the loss of the children and teacher in Texas. Give your grace to those who grieve, that they may find comfort in your presence and be strengthened by your Spirit. Be with the entire human family as they mourn, and draw all together in your healing love; in the name of the one who suffered, died, and rose for us, Jesus our Savior. Amen.
For a Child Who Dies by Violence
Loving God, Jesus gathered your little ones in his arms and blessed them. Have pity on those who mourn for the children in Uvalde— innocents slaughtered by the violence of our fallen world. Be with us as we struggle with the mysteries of life and death; in our pain, bring your comfort, and in our sorrow, bring your hope and your promise of new life, in the name of Jesus our Savior. Amen.
God our deliverer, gather our horror and pity for the death of your children into the compass of your wisdom and strength, that through the night we may seek and do what is right, and when morning comes trust ourselves to your cleansing justice and new life; through Christ our Savior. Amen.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 6:45–8:15 P.M., online via Zoom only
We are living in a moment of great cultural and spiritual change. At times it can feel like there are countless factors working against us to add stress to our lives. Yet, in our spiritual traditions we have a great wellspring of practices that can ground us in the Holy Sprit if we turn to them. In this presentation, The Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining, Saint Mark’s 2022 Theologian in Residence, will invite us to explore some of these practices—new and old—that can bring wisdom and joy to our souls. In preparation for this event, participants are invited to read this article by Willigis Jäger from his classic work, Search for the Meaning of Life.
Participants in the March forums with Dr. Raining said, “She is an engaging teacher, warm, and accessible” and “she shares vital information for personal healing that then translates into community healing.” We are looking forward to another impactful evening—register here. Contact Canon Daugherty at jkdaugherty@saintmarks.org with any questions.
GUEST SERMON: SUNDAY, MAY 22, at the 9 and 11 a.m. services "FRIENDS TALKING" FORUM: 10:10–10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall
Rabbi Daniel Weiner has led the congregation of Temple De Hirsch Sinai, our neighbors on Capitol Hill, since 2001. Among his many roles and accomplishments he has placed a special emphasis on interfaith and ecumenical efforts, and has collaborated with Dean Thomason on multiple occasions over the last ten years. In March, Dean Thomason preached at Temple De Hirsch, and on May 22 Rabbi Weiner will reciprocate, offering a sermon at the 9 and 11 a.m. services.
Also on Sunday morning he will join the Dean in a "Friends Talking" forum at 10:10 a.m. in Bloedel Hall. (The forum will be recorded and posted on this page as soon as possible following the event.)
UPDATE: A complete video of the forum may be seen below:
Children's Activity in the Leffler House garden
10:10–10:50 A.M., Leffler House garden
When adults and children are having their own formation experiences between the 9 and 11 a.m. services, we can offer teaching around a theme and parallel resources to strengthen intergenerational connections and conversations. That's what we'll do this week, as Dean Thomason and Rabbi Weiner are having a conversation in Bloedel Hall, and children are invited to learn more about our Jewish friends and neighbors through a story and activity in the Leffler garden. Both offerings will begin at 10:10 a.m.
The cathedral beekeepers will share about their ministry and the current state of the bees who live on the roof above Bloedel, and we’ll conclude with a blessing of the hives.
Note: Doreen Tudor's birthday celebration, previously announced for this time, will be rescheduled for a later date.
See a video introduction to the beekeeping ministry from Fall 2020 below:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person only, outdoors on the cathedral grounds
Rev. Stahlecker, Canon Rosario-Cruz, and Canon Barrie will lead this intergenerational, prayerful exploration of the tradition of Rogation days, an ancient practice, dating from the 5th century, of blessing and giving thanks for the earth which sustains us.
The service begins with a blessing of Leffler House gardens, followed by a procession with stations, and concludes with the Great Litany (including the Supplication for use "in times or national anxiety or of disaster")
As you have likely observed in recent days, the number of people we know contracting COVID has increased substantially. Since April 12 (just one month ago) the King County daily infection rate has more than doubled! The good news—those who are fully vaccinated experience a relatively mild illness for the most part, and hospitalization rates have not risen in commensurate ways. The bad news—vaccinations and booster shots do not seem to carry as much protection with the latest variants as they did earlier. We must therefore rely on additional interventions to ensure the well-being of everyone who worships in the cathedral.
To that end, and with some grief at the need for it, it is time for us to resume the mask mandate for worship, until further notice, guided by the public health statistics. I hope it won’t be a lengthy imposition, but this is an important measure for us to take at this time. Effective this Sunday, May 15, 2022, all persons attending worship services in-person are requested to wear a mask of optimal protection—N95, KF94, KN95 types masks are highly encouraged, for your sake and for the benefit of others. Other forms of masks offer a much lower protective benefit.
I would encourage all ministry groups to resume a similar practice as well. The choirs have already adopted this, and I am grateful for their example. We can continue to worship well together, and with all the elements of liturgy to which we are accustomed. Of course, you can also join via livestream for the 11 a.m. Eucharist and 9:30 p.m. Compline service each Sunday.
I suspect this request will come as no surprise to any of you, perhaps a relief to some, but if you find it problematic, I would welcome the chance to visit with you. I am grateful for this community and for the ways we continue to care for one another.
FOUR SUNDAYS, BEGINNING MAY 15, 12:30–2 P.M., in Bloedel Hall and via Zoom, registrationrequired
Join Canon Rosario-Cruz for a book study of The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for the Beloved Community by The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers. This book looks in an honest and hopeful way at the history of Christianity and, more importantly, at the life of the Episcopal Church today. Canon Spellers (who presented at Saint Mark's in May of 2019) challenges us with an opportunity to discern our faithfulness toward building the Beloved Community in response to the racial reckoning and the pandemic experience of the past two years. We will meet on Sundays, 12:30–2 p.m.
This awareness of mine may well mark a difference from when I first wrote about these mountains in a book called 
