Dear friends,
The news out of Atlanta over the last 36 hours has been a swirl of tragedy, horror, and a distressing series of comments by police that seek to point anywhere but to the fact that these murders were racially motivated. Sex addiction, mental illness, human trafficking, random gun violence—these are threads woven into the news cycle for reasons yet unclear to me—perhaps meant to humanize the alleged perpetrator (we must ask then, for what purpose?), or perhaps police are striving to avoid stoking the embers of racial protests Atlanta saw last summer.
Whatever the motives, and whatever other “isms” may be involved in this mass murder, it is evident that these were racially motivated hate crimes targeting Asian women. What’s more, I have heard from Asian Americans in the Saint Mark’s community in the last 24 hours expressing a real fear for their lack of safety in this time—and yes, in this place…in Seattle where we have heard accounts of violence against Asian Americans precipitated by an insidious xenophobia seeking to lay blame for a viral pandemic. This is not an issue for a city in the Deep South—it is an epidemic that has swept the nation, and lurks in our midst as well—right here, right now.
The Vestry of this Cathedral is on record as denouncing white nationalism which I believe is at the heart of all this hatred and the violence that flows from it. I write this morning, not primarily to comment on the hate crimes in Atlanta (horrific as they are), but to draw on whatever emotional response you may have in this moment in the wake of those murders, and say to you: we have work to do HERE, in Seattle, and at Saint Mark’s.
An estimated ten percent of the Saint Mark’s community are Asian Americans; 14% of Seattle’s population is Asian. It is not okay that they do not feel safe. It is not okay that they feel the need to watch over their shoulder when they go to the grocery store, or to work…or to church. The collective trauma of decades of disrespect, injustice, and racial violence takes its toll, and I wonder how we might awaken to the haunts of racism, not just as a systemic blight on our society, but also really face racism as the very real weight some in our midst must carry relentlessly while others of us do not.
Do we care enough to make it personal?
Here on the eve of Holy Week, I’m mindful that Jesus says, if we are to follow him, it must be personal. What is our response, beyond horror or outrage for a few days before returning to our routines? What is our response collectively as a faith community? What will you do personally?
Your Brother in Christ,
The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector
UPDATE: On Maundy Thursday all the banners will be gathered together, collectively blessed at the evening liturgy, and offered up as an embodiment of the prayers of the community.
You will need a piece of cloth about 3" wide, and between 12" and 24" long. You can pick one up from the bin placed on the front patio of the cathedral during the day (M–F, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Or you can make one yourself, using whatever fabric is at hand.
Using a Sharpie, fabric marker, or another method that will be permanent and waterproof, write your prayer intention on the cloth, in whatever style makes sense to you. You can write a small note in one corner or the banner, or your lettering can fill the whole space. You can write a lot, or just a single word.
Then, make a prayer pilgrimage to Saint Mark’s!
Bring your prayer banner—or make one on the spot—and then take a clip from the bin on the patio to string your banner along with others around the labyrinth. (The banners will be more permanently attached at the end of each day.) If you cannot make it to the cathedral in-person, please mail your banner to the cathedral at the usual mailing address.
When we put our prayer banners together this way, even though we may not be all walking there at the same time, we are connecting with each other, taking time to be present at the labyrinth in prayer, and leaving something of ourselves that we share. As we string our own prayer banners, we pray for all the others who have walked and placed their prayers here in community.
Contact Canon Jennifer at jkdaugherty@saintmarks.org with any question.
Canon Nancy Ross discusses this offering in the second half of the video below:
This five-minute evening service of worship is a great way to begin your evening meal or prepare for bed and can be found below on this page. A printed version of the service was mailed to parishioners in February, or you can view a pdf online here. You’ll light and then extinguish candles to acknowledge the darkness that comes before Easter light, and then at Easter, light all the candles to celebrate.
All the members of Saint Mark’s are invited to share their prayer intentions by writing them on a fabric banner and hanging them around the labyrinth on the cathedral front lawn. You can pick up fabric and a marking pen at the Saint Mark’s office or make your own with other fabric and permanent ink. Then make a prayer pilgrimage to Saint Mark's to join your prayer with the whole community. More information can be found here.
Jesus and the Disinherited. Join Theologian-in-residence Canon Walter Brownridge in engaging with this foundational text exploring the Gospel as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Introductory presentation on Sunday, February 28 at 1 p.m.—join using this Zoom link.
Consider committing to attending one of the Daily Office liturgies online from home for the next six weeks—perhaps just once a week, or more—as part of your Lenten discipline. Beginning Wednesday, February 24, and every Wednesday thereafter, a new service of Morning Prayer will be offered at 8:30 a.m. (Thursday Morning Prayer at 7 a.m. continues as usual.) This means Morning Prayer is now offered twice a week, while Evening Prayer continues to be offered five times a week, M–F at 6:30 p.m. as usual.
In addition, for five Wednesdays in Lent only, a special service of Evensong (sung Evening Prayer) led by choristers of the Choir School will be offered at 4:30 p.m. These very special Zoom services are intended for the whole community, and will happen each Wednesday, from February 24 through March 24.
A leader begins by saying the antiphon of the week, or:
Leader:
Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
All respond:
Thanks be to God.
A reader reads the following, or another appropriate passage of Holy Scripture:
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me, night after night. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not fall.
—Psalm 16:7–8
All pray together:
Almighty and most merciful God, kindle within us the fire of love, that by its cleansing flame we may be purged of all our sins and made worthy to worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
As we move toward the events of Holy Week, we extinguish one candle each week, recognizing the darkness that comes before the light of the Resurrection. In the days immediately following Ash Wednesday, keep all the candles lit. Then, extinguish one candle of the six on the nights of the first week of Lent, two candles the second week, and so on.
Conclude by saying or singing the evening hymn, known as the Nunc dimittis or “Song of Simeon,” one of the oldest Christian hymns.
or another version, such as this one [The Hymnal 1982 # 499] :
If dinner follows immediately, say together the mealtime blessing for Lent:
Give us grateful hearts, O God, for all your mercies, and make us mindful of the needs of others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BEGINS MONDAY, MARCH 1, 5:30 P.M., via Zoom
Last year on March 1 the final Cathedral Yoga gathering of 2020 was offered on the altar platform of Saint Mark's. The following week, the class was suspended.
Now, one year later to the day, Cathedral Yoga will begin again as a once-a-month live Zoom offering from the cathedral nave direct to your living room!
Ministry leader Irene Beausoleil, a longtime parishioner of Saint Mark's and a professional yoga instructor, will lead the class. It will look different, but some things about Cathedral Yoga will remain the same as ever: a gentle, contemplative, and restorative practice, offered on a pay-what-you can basis. All are welcome, regardless of skill level or prior experience—Irene will always adapt or modify elements when requested. Cathedral Yoga will be offered on the first Monday of each month, and future months could feature special guest teachers and musicians. Check out the Cathedral Yoga web page for more information, and join using this Zoom link.
