COP28 Roundup with The Rev. Lisa Graumlich, Ph.D.

by on January 18, 2024 with 1 Comment

UPDATED WITH VIDEO

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 7–8:30 P.M., in person in Cathedral House Room 210 or online via Zoom

The Creation Care Ministry invites everyone January's monthly monthly meeting, in person in Room 210 (large conference room), or online via Zoom. The January 16 meeting will feature a special debriefing from the Rev. Lisa Graumlich, Ph.D. about the recent annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). What actions were taken/not taken at COP28? What can we do as individuals and as The Episcopal Church to make a difference in global climate policy? Learn about the first ever interdenominational Faith Pavilion at COP28. Lisa is a climate scientist and deacon whose ministry bridges the worlds of science and faith. She was a member of the Episcopal Church's delegation to COP27 in 2022. She currently serves as the President of the American Geophysical Union and as Deacon at Trinity Parish, Seattle.

UPDATE: A resource list shared at this presentation can be see here (pdf).

A video is now available below:

Compline in Collaboration with the Choristers of the Choir School, 2024

by on January 11, 2024 with No Comments

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 9:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed

Since 2015, the men of the Compline Choir have occasionally been joined by trebles from the Senior Choristers and Schola of the Cathedral Choir School to chant the Office of Compline at its usual time at 9:30 p.m. Sunday—creating an enriching intergenerational experience for all the singers involved, and a unique sound for the congregation. These collaborations are intended to occur every two years, but the last one was in February of 2019. This Sunday's office will feature a variety of special repertoire, including Peter Hallock's anthem Whom should we love like thee?, accompanied by Canon Michael Kleinschmidt on the organ.

UPDATE: A video of this service is now available:

The Order of Service & repertoire may be found at: complineunderground.wordpress.com/2024/01/14/compline-2023-the-second-sunday-after-the-epiphany-2/

January 14, 2024 • The Second Sunday after the Epiphany (sung with the Senior Choristers of the Choir School)

For this service, the men of the Compline Choir were joined by the Senior Choristers of the Saint Mark’s Cathedral Choir School, directed by Rebekah Gilmore. (This collaboration is intend to occur every other year, but it has not happened since 2019.) The organist for this service is Canon Michael Kleinschmidt.

ORISON: Here, O Lord, your servants gather (Tune: TOKYO) – Based on Japanese Gagaku mode; setting by Isao Koizumi (1907-1992)

PSALM 139 – Peter R. Hallock (1924-2014)

HYMN 689: I sought the Lord (Tune: FAITH) – J. Harold Moyer (1927-2012)

NUNC DIMITTIS – Roger Sherman

ANTHEM: Whom should we love like thee? – arr. Peter R. Hallock

Jason Anderson & Rebekah Gilmore, directors • Michael Kleinschmidt, organist • Gregory Bloch, reader • Tyler Morse, cantor

Thanks to this evening's Compline volunteers: hospitality ministers John Gulhagen and James Davidson, and videographer Chris Brown.

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/

Creation Care Tips!

by on January 11, 2024 with No Comments

The Creation Care Ministry will be offering tips on a variety of topics related to carbon reduction in the cathedral newsletter this season. 

Heat Pumps

In spite of their name, heat pumps are a way to cool AND heat your home, and they have a lighter impact on our planet. According to Energy.gov, heat pumps can reduce the electricity you use to heat your home by as much as 65%! The IRS offers a tax credit of up to $2,000 for a heat pump. Keep an eye on the Washington Department of Commerce website for details on additional energy incentives available to Washington homeowners in 2024. And don’t forget to check with your utility provider for other potential incentives.

Future tips will be archived on this page, as they are published.

2024 Annual Parish Meeting & Elections

by on January 11, 2024 with No Comments

LINKS:

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 12:30–2 P.M., Bloedel Hall and via Zoom

Documents distributed at the meeting (links will be updated as documents become available):

UPDATES:

The slate of candidates for Diocesan Convention Delegate was approved by acclamation.

The new Vestry members elected were: Martha Craig, Christopher Breunig, Julia Logan, and Phil Haas.

The Rev. Gail Wheatley will serve as a new Diocesan Member of the Vestry.

The Dean appointed Greg Hamm as Senior Warden.

The Pro Christo et Ecclesia medal was awarded to Scott Hulet.

The Cathedral Cross was awarded to Emily Meeks.

A complete video of the meeting is now posted below. 

The 2024 Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday February 4, 2024, following the 11 a.m. service (start time: approx. 12:30 p.m.). The business will include election of parish vestry members and delegates/alternates to Diocesan Convention. A brochure featuring the candidates is available now in the back of the nave. Reports will be presented by the Dean, Senior Warden, ministry leaders, Strategic Planning Committee, and the Finance Committee. We will also celebrate our common life, and Dean Thomason will share Pro Christo Awards and a Cathedral Cross to individuals. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our vibrant parish.

Please note:

  • The meeting will again be hybrid—you can attend in Bloedel Hall or via Zoom.
  • There will be no potluck meal again this year. Light snacks and coffee/tea/water will be available to those in Bloedel Hall, and you are welcome to bring your own food if you find that helpful.
  • Elections will occur by paper ballot in Bloedel Hall, or electronic ballot for those on Zoom. The link to the electronic ballot will only be available in the Zoom chat during the meeting. There is no early voting or proxy voting, per the cathedral by-laws. The election rules will be read by the Cathedral Chancellor during the meeting.

A Forum on the Book of Common Prayer

by on December 21, 2023 with 3 Comments

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family)

The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) shapes how Saint Mark’s worships, what we believe, and how we see the world and ourselves in the Episcopal tradition. It is designed to inform every aspect of our lives in rich ways. Join in for a discussion to learn more about its history, language and theology and explore ways to incorporate it into our spiritual lives. Facilitators will include Dean Steve Thomason, James Davidson, Peter Barrie and Canon Wendy Claire Barrie. A physical copy of the BCP or a free online version are not needed to attend but could be helpful to have available. All are invited to join whether you are new to the text or have been engaging with this book for years.

A video of the forum will be posted here when it is available.

 

Resources:

Two Forums on Ignatian Spirituality

by on December 21, 2023 with 1 Comment

Resources

Books

 

Apps

 

Podcast

 

Materials from the Jan. 21 Sunday Forum

UPDATED WITH VIDEO OF BOTH PRESENTATIONS

SUNDAY FORUM

Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality: Going Deeper in Your Life of Prayer

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 10:10-10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall

Come take part in a discussion on the gifts of Ignatian Spirituality. This Christian spiritual tradition is inspired by St. Ignatius Loyola and is a spirituality for everyday life, beckoning us to see that God is ever-present in our world and active in our lives all around us. Learn about the basic tenets of this approach that can support deepening prayer and attuning discernment as we listen to how the Spirit may be moving in our midst. Facilitators include Erin Beary Anderson, Ross Hays, and Dean Steve Thomason. On February 7, a follow-up Cathedral Commons will go deeper into the The Daily Examen, a technique for meaningful reflection of your day (see below).

UPDATE: This handout on the Examen was passed out at the forum.

The slides from the Sunday morning forum can be seen here.

A complete video of the Sunday forum now available below.

CATHEDRAL COMMONS

The Examen: Finding God Across Your Day

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family)

Usually prayed in the evening, the Daily Examen is a way to help notice and attend to God’s presence throughout the day through prayer. Come learn about the history of this practice with an overview from Dean Steve Thomason, hear experiences from Molly Bosch and Bryan Pansing who learned the Examen in the Jesuit Service Corps, and practice with a guided exercise from Ross Hays and Erin Anderson. Together we will consider what’s bringing us closer to God and what may be creating distance for us?

UPDATE: A complete video of the Sunday forum now available below.

Twelfth Night Eucharist & Burning of the Greens, 2024

by on December 14, 2023 with No Comments

FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 7 P.M., in the cathedral nave and parking lot

In our tradition, the celebration of the Feast of Christmas lasts twelve days, beginning December 25 and ending on January 5 (that is, the day before the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6). The evening of the last day of Christmas is known as “Twelfth Night,” and is an opportunity for festivity and reflection.

All ages are invited to celebrate the end of the Christmas season on Friday, January 5 at 7 p.m. We’ll gather in the nave for a simple, intimate, and brief Eucharist with the Epiphany gospel. Following the liturgy, we’ll process with the Advent wreath to the bonfire in the lower parking lot. You are most welcome to bring your greens from home to toss into the fire. Then, we’ll toast marshmallows, enjoy s’mores, hot cider, and good cheer.

UPDATE! For more information about events around the Burning of the Greens at other Episcopal parishes, check out this article, featuring quotes from our own Dean Steve Thomason, as well as the Rev. Hilary Raining, PhD, our former Theologian-in-residence who will return here this March to lead a Wisdom School event.

Check out some photos from the Burning of the Greens in years past below (click to enlarge):

Greenbelt Update—Fall 2023

by on December 13, 2023 with No Comments

Guy Oram, the Saint Mark’s Greenbelt Work Party Volunteer Coordinator, had written this summing-up of the work that was done on the Greenbelt in the recent series of work parties:

The colors of fall are giving way to frost and filtered light in the Greenbelt as winter approaches.

The Saint Mark's Creation Care Ministry is working with the Seattle Green Partnership and Forest Stewards Robert Hayden and Joey Baumgartner to support the recovery and restoration of the 9-acre woodland greenbelt surrounding the cathedral. Following a three-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers from the Seattle community and members of Saint Mark’s participated in four work parties this fall to remove invasive ivy, blackberry, and other non-native weeds and trash along the perimeter of the cathedral’s south parking lot and down in the ravine below.

During my work party days, I saw and heard a variety of birds, including juncos, chickadees, robins, northern flickers, wrens, hummingbirds, jays, towhees, nuthatches, kinglets, and a red-tailed hawk. Joey and Robert provided a wealth of knowledge and practical advice about distinguishing native from non-native plants, removing ivy and blackberries efficiently, and the long-term goal of establishing a conifer canopy in the Greenbelt.

If you missed these work parties and would like to join in, it is not too late to get involved! Robert and Joey will be planning additional work parties through the winter months, as this is prime planting season. Since efforts to restore the Greenbelt began in the late 1980s, over 2,500 native plants have been reintroduced into the forestland, but there is much more to do. We will be providing updates as new volunteer opportunities are scheduled. If you have questions or want to learn more about how Saint Mark’s members can support this important land-based ministry, feel free to contact me or Creation Care Co-Chair Kathy Minsch at: creationcare@saintmarks.org

The Saint Mark’s Cathedral Merch Store!

by on December 7, 2023 with No Comments

The Saint Mark's Cathedral Merch Store is now live and open for business!

You can now order a tee shirt, sweatshirt, shopping bag, coffee mug, apron, or sticker with the cathedral logo, or a unique rose window bandana, from the print-on-demand service Teespring. The cathedral makes a small profit on each sale.

Makes great gifts! Additional items and designs are planned for the future. If you have ideas or requests for new merch items, contact Gregory Bloch: gbloch@saintmarks.org

2023 New Year’s Eve Labyrinth Walk with Compline and Midnight Eucharist

by on December 7, 2023 with No Comments

LABYRINTH WALK SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 6 P.M. to MIDNIGHT.

The Office of Compline will be chanted at 9:30. Midnight Eucharist at the center of the labyrinth, observing the Feast of the Holy Name.

Since 1999, Seattle's most peaceful New Year's tradition.

As the old year passes and a new one begins, take time in the quiet, candle-lit space of the cathedral nave to pause, look inward, and experience a large indoor labyrinth laid out in the nave.

Invitations to other contemplative practices will be offered, and musical accompaniment will be provided by guest musicians throughout the evening. Drop by any time between 6 p.m. and midnight; stay for a few minutes or a few hours. Activities especially appropriate for younger children will also be available. Tea and cookies will be served. More details, including musician line-up, will be announced on this page when they are available. All are welcome; freewill donations gratefully received.

Check out this 2015 Seattle Times article about the event!

Since December 31 falls on a Sunday this year, at 9:30 p.m. The Compline Choir will chant the office as usual. At the stroke of midnight, a special, intimate service of Holy Eucharist is offered in the center of the labyrinth, observing the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus—a beautiful way to begin 2024. Dean Thomason will preside.

2023 Musician line-up will be posted here when it is available.

Poetry of the Season with Prof. Doug Thorpe

by on December 7, 2023 with 1 Comment

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 10:10 A.M., Bloedel Hall

Winter solstice brings the first day of winter and a return of more sunlight. Drawing from a selection of poems connected to light, parishioner and English professor Doug Thorpe will guide us in a time of reading and reflection to discover creation themes. A slideshow of light-inspired photos from Saint Mark's parishioners will also be shared.

Notes from the Forum

Presenters: Prof. Doug Thorpe, Sarah Reeves, (resident Lopez Island), returning member Dr. Kate Thorpe

Themes emerged from key quotations in At Home on an Unruly Planet by Madeline Ostrander:

  • …Solastalgia, the aching for solace, consolation—the loss of comfort, the loneliness of being estranged from home. linked with impact of loss of home through climate change.
  • …David Wallace Wells – our society’s “incredible failure of imagination.”
  • …for humans, “home is far more than just engineering; it is also a combination of meaning, symbolism, and social function.”
  • …what does it mean to be human? ‘we delay our eating of food and bring it to some other place, often with an expectation of sharing it with others, and the places where we eat together take on significance as part of home.
  • …Our ancestors had landed on some other elements that were perhaps more central to human lives, well-being, and survival: the sharing of food, cooperation, and the act of place making –altering a space to keep yourself and the people you care about safe and more comfortable. Homemaking can be a simple and imaginative act.
  • …We had used these smarts and imagination to build deep relationships with the places where we started to learn how to survive and adapt. And this was probably the true root of the human home.
  • …in the last several years, human societies have engaged in a project of unimagination, of ignoring or denying the signs of climate catastrophe, of distancing ourselves from the way the landscape is changing... And I think that we many not make it through this crisis if we forget that home isn't just a thing we build, but an awareness of and care for our surroundings and the capacity to imagine new ways of living in them... we will need a new set of stories about what it looks like to live on the earth in a manner that doesn’t destroy our future.

Other readings include:

Robert Hayden, Those Winter Sundays [available in a number of anthologies or online]

Martin Espada, That We Will Sing, in his book Floaters, National Book Award Winner

Naomi Shihab Nye, Shoulders, which is in the anthology Before There Is Nowhere To Stand, a collection of poets from Israel and Palestine.

Joy Harjo, Perhaps the World Ends Here (at the kitchen table...) in The Woman Who Fell From The Sun. See also selected or collected volume of her work.

Harjo, Catching the Light (pp 62–63* birth, 115 light, 119–122* light)

Wendell Berry, “Manifesto: the Mad Farmer Liberation Front.” In his Collected Poems.

 

2023 Christmas Memorials & Thanksgivings

by on December 2, 2023 with No Comments

DONATIONS RECEIVED BY DECEMBER 19 WILL BE PRINTED IN THE CHRISTMAS BULLETINS.

Help underwrite the beautiful flowers and special music of the season by making a special contri­bution in honor or memory of someone. Please fill out the form here or below, or use the paper form inserted in your bulletin on Sunday.

Then you can make your gift online at saintmarks.org/give, or donate by check in the offering plate, to the cathedral office, or by mail (instructions may be found on the form.) Contributions received by December 19 will be acknowledged in the bulletins on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Contact Erik Donner with questions: edonner@saintmarks.org

 

Fill out my online form.

Paul’s Letters to the Early Church (and Us)—Wednesday Forum with Dean Thomason

by on December 1, 2023 with 2 Comments

A Wednesday evening series with Dean Steve Thomason

TWO WEDNESDAYS: JANUARY 10 & 17, 2024, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family)

UPDATED DESCRIPTION: Responding to broad interest expressed for a class on Paul’s letters following a sermon last summer, Dean Thomason offers this two-week series to explore major themes of Paul’s epistles, why they are so prominently esteemed in the Christian tradition, and why they are problematic for us in modernity. We will unpack some difficult passages, revel in some exquisitely beautiful ones, and seek to better understand this titular figure whose legacy makes him one of the most impactful people in all of human history. Can his letters serve as catalyst to transformation on the Christian journey even today?

UPDATE:

The slides from part 1 can now be downloaded here.

The slides from part 2 can now be downloaded here. 

Videos of Part 1 and Part 2 are now available:

Friends Talking: Life in Palestine in This Time of War

by on November 29, 2023 with No Comments

UPDATED WITH VIDEO

Dean Thomason and Palestinian Priest Fr. Fadi Diab in Conversation

SUNDAY, DECEMBER  10, 10:10 A.M.–10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall and on Zoom

Fr. Fadi Diab serves as rector of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Ramallah in the West Bank. He and Dean Thomason have forged a friendship since Fr. Fadi preached at Saint Mark’s last July, and their email exchanges of prayerful support and mutual affection have deepened since October 7 and the start of the war in Gaza.

Fallout from the war and ongoing hardship for Palestinians in the West Bank have only intensified, and Fr. Fadi reports that violence and suffering in his church community and in the city he loves is heart-breaking.

At this special Sunday forum Fr. Fadi will join Dean Steve from Ramallah over Zoom to discuss the current situation on the ground, how the war is impacting our Christian siblings in the Holy Land, and how the prospect of peace can still be held in the face of such challenges.

UPDATE: A complete video is now available below:

More information about Rev. Diab and a video of his conversation with Dean Thomason from July of this year can be found here.

Saint Mark’s recently announced a $5,000 grant from the Diocese of Olympia’s Global Mission Program to support the Arab Evangelical Episcopal Home and School in Ramallah, which is administered by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and linked to St. Andrew's parish, following a request from Rev. Diab during his visit.

The Greening of the Cathedral, 2023

by on November 23, 2023 with No Comments

MONDAY, 10 A.M.–2 P.M. (or until finished), in the cathedral nave

The parish family of Saint Mark’s will come together on Monday, December 18 for The Greening the Cathedral, that is, helping Chris Brown clean and decorate our sacred space with evergreen garland, wreaths, and trees for the celebration of the birth of Christ. The bows won’t be added until December 23, but the space will be filled with greenery for the Pageant on December 20. Families with kids and people of all ages are encouraged to participate. Work will continue until it’s finished, probably around 2 p.m., but many hands make light work! A lunch of tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches will be served. Questions? Contact Kathy Sodergren at 206-240-3748

Alternative Gift Market, 2023

by on November 18, 2023 with 4 Comments

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, following the 9 and 11 a.m. services, in person only in Bloedel Hall.

Bring, Buy, Enjoy! We hope everyone will consider being a part of this year's Alternative Gift Market. BRING a Christmas gift for one of the local organizations we're supporting, BUY a Christmas gift for a loved one, ENJOY delicious treats and hot drinks available for purchase. We're excited for this fun morning of community and connection.

Check back often as this page is being continually updated will new offerings and information!

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QuiC Advent Devotional Writing Series—Making Manifest

by on November 17, 2023 with No Comments

Join the Queer in Christ ministry for an Advent devotional writing series using the book Making Manifest: On Faith, Creativity, and the Kingdom at Hand by Dave Harrity. All are invited, you do not have to identify as queer or be a part of the Queer in Christ ministry to join this series! All you need is a desire to write and reflect, and share the experience with others.

The book we are using, Making Manifest: On Faith, Creativity, and the Kingdom at Hand, contains devotional meditations and exercises designed for personal spiritual growth and innovative community building through 28 meditations and short projects anchored in poetry, prayer, writing, contemplation, and personal reflection. Each day’s project contains one meditation and one writing exercise—activities totaling at least a half hour. The meditations are short, thought-provoking points of contemplation—sometimes accessible, sometimes obscure. Each day’s project is designed to help you “re-vision” the way you understand and interact with the Kingdom of God. As you move through the devotional series, let the book’s daily exercises replace your devotional activities and routine, and allow the practices of daily writing and reflection to be born or more fully embodied as you spend time working through this text by yourself and/or with others.

Click here to download a preview of the book’s first three exercises.

Since Advent is only 3 weeks long this year, day 1 of the devotional series will begin on Sunday, November 26 (Christ the King Sunday). We will  meet as a group on the following 4 Saturdays at 1:30pm to discuss our writing journeys together:

  • December 2 (hybrid meeting on Zoom and in Leffler Living Room), 3–4 p.m.
  • December 9 (Zoom only meeting), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
  • December 16 (hybrid on Zoom and in Leffler Living Room), 1:30-2:30 p.m.
  • December 23 (Zoom only), 1:30-2:30 p.m.

At the weekly check-ins, we will join together to reflect on the week's devotions, and maybe even do a group writing exercise together!

To join this devotional writing series, and to purchase a copy of the workbook, email Michael Seewer (mseewer@saintmarks.org). Access to the book has been provided free of charge by the author, but participants will be asked to contribute $15 toward a donation that will be made to the author’s favorite charity (Fellowship of Reconciliation USA).

Questions? Email Michael Seewer (mseewer@saintmarks.org).

Isaiah, the Prophet of Advent

by on November 17, 2023 with No Comments

THREE WEDNESDAYS: NOVEMBER 29, DECEMBER 6 & 13, 2023, 6:45–8:15 P.M., Presenters on Zoom. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family). 

led by The Rev. Hillary Raining, Ph.D., The Rev. Canon Jennifer King Daugherty, and Canon Wendy Barrie

Join former Saint Mark's Theologian-in-residence, The Rev. Dr. Hillary Raining, for this three-session series centering on the wisdom of the Prophet Isaiah. Each section will focus on an essential and living affirming theme from this book of prophecy. We will explore how Isaiah has been used in the Christian tradition, especially in the mysterious Advent season. Join using this Zoom link.

Download the booklet for the series here. PLEASE NOTE: The pdf of the booklet has been updated to add missing pages. If you open the link in your browser, you may need to click "refresh" to see the corrected file, which is five pages rather than four. 

Program is free. The presenters will be on Zoom. Those attending the community dinner in Bloedel Hall at 6 p.m. will participate in the forum together in Room 210.

Check out Dr. Raining's brief trailer for the series below:

An Advent Quiet Morning, 2023

by on November 17, 2023 with No Comments

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 9 A.M. TO NOON, Leffler House

UPDATE (12/5): This event is now at capacity.

Saint Mark's annual Advent Quiet Morning will be offered this year on Saturday, December 16. This morning of Spiritual Retreat, in the comfortable Living Room at Leffler House, will include Centering Prayer, a meditative Breathwork session (lead by guest teacher Andrew Ragan), and a Contemplative Eucharist. There will be ample spaciousness for rest in the sacred stillness, for journaling, and for personal prayer. The Quiet Morning is offered at no charge, but freewill donations will be gratefully received. Space is limited, so registration is required, please email Rev. Linzi with questions or to reserve your spot. No longer accepting reservations.

The “O” Antiphons Advent Liturgy, 2023

by on November 17, 2023 with 2 Comments

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2023, 7 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed

The annual "O" Antiphons Liturgy is considered by many to be a highlight of the liturgical year at Saint Mark's. The particular form of this liturgy that we use was invented here, first presented in 1986, and is today used by churches around the world. It is similar to a "Lessons & Carols" service, but rather than presenting a linear narrative from scripture, it is structured around seven medieval antiphons, each beginning with the word "O ," which also form the basis of the hymn O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

The liturgy is a poetic exploration of resonant images of Christ found in the antiphons—star, key, root, cornerstone—while drawing the connections between the first advent of Jesus, when he came into our world 2,000 years ago, with both the long-expected coming of the Christ at the end of time, as well as the coming of Christ into the human heart. This beloved cathedral tradition provides a moving and evocative entrance into the Advent season of prayerful expectation.

For the 2023 "O" Antiphons liturgy, the Compline Choir, Senior Choristers of the Choir School, and Cathedral Choir will adorn the opening procession by singing Peter Hallock's dramatic setting of the 5th-century hymn From lands that see the sun arise (A solis ortus cardine). The "O" Antiphons themselves will be sung in a graceful setting by the 20th-century Canadian composer Healey Willan. The congregation and choirs together will sing a hymn published in 2006 by Mary Louise Bringle, Now the heavens start to whisper, and a new tune by Jack Burnam for the classic Advent hymn The King shall come when morning dawns, among other well-known hymns of the season.

Incense is used.

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The Giving Tree 2023

by on November 16, 2023 with No Comments

This year's Giving Tree will be in the nave beginning on Thanksgiving Day! As we have in years past, the cathedral will be supporting the children and families of Lowell Elementary, Casa Latina, and Mary's Place.

Choose a tag from the tree, buy a gift, and bring it back to Saint Mark's to be blessed at the altar on Sunday, December 10. (The gifts need to be delivered to Lowell School  before classes end.) You can also order directly from the Lowell School wishlist or the Mary's Place wishlist.

Your generosity means an enormous amount to these families in our community.

If you have questions about the Giving Tree, please contact The Rev. Linzi Stahlecker: lstahlecker@saintmarks.org.

Photo: 2019 Giving Tree in Bloedel Hall.

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Restorative Justice Council Meeting

by on November 10, 2023 with No Comments

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 3-4:30 P.M., on Zoom only

The next meeting of Saint Mark’s Restorative Justice Council will be held on Zoom Sunday, November 26, 3-4:30 p.m. Focus areas will include: immigrants/refugees, Duwamish relations, homelessness and hunger ministries, racial justice, and election support/voter registration. All are welcome to join and participate as we plot our course for justice ministries at Saint Mark’s in this new era. Join using this Zoom link.

Womanist Midrash & Biblical Interpretation with The Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D.

by on November 8, 2023 with 4 Comments

UPDATED WITH VIDEO

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 9 A.M.–12 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom. Registration required for either option.

Womanist Biblical scholar and renowned author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, The Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D. will lead a seminar on Womanist Midrash, exploring the complexity of scripture and importance of translation as she interprets the Hebrew Biblical tradition of women prophets and leaders. Fee: $65 (for both online and in-person participants). Partial scholarships available. Includes a light lunch and snacks for those participating in person. Register by submitting the form here or below.

Note: Dr. Gafney will also offer a guest sermon on Sunday, December 3, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

This workshop is made possible through generous gifts in loving memory of Matthew Briggs.

UPDATE: A complete video is now available below. 

Film Screening: The Philadelphia Eleven

by on November 7, 2023 with 1 Comment

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall only. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family). Optional post-film discussion & dessert 8:15–8:30 p.m.

In 1974, a group of 11 women and their supporters organized their ordination to become Episcopal priests in an act of civil disobedience. This story is told in a compelling new documentary The Philadelphia Eleven. The 90-minute documentary film will be screened a the Wednesday evening forum on November 15.

This film tells a story that echoes today as women continue this fight for the pulpit. It explores the lives of these remarkable women who succeeded in transforming an age-old institution when they took a stand despite the threats to their personal safety and the risk of rejection by the church they loved. These women are an inspiration for a generation of women in the ministry, and a clarion call for the entire Christian Church.

This event is free. The community dinner precedes the screening at 6 p.m. If you wish, please stay for dessert and conversation immediately following the film, from 8:15 to 8:30 p.m.

Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner

by on November 3, 2023 with 1 Comment

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 11:45 A.M., Bloedel Hall. Registration requested. DEADLINE: 10 a.m. on Monday, November 20. 

Several members of the cathedral community have expressed interest in joining chosen family here at Saint Mark’s for a Thanksgiving Day feast in Bloedel Hall following the service of Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m.

All are welcome, and feel free to bring others in your circles to join the fete. Turkeys (and a vegetarian alternative main dish) will be provided; bring a side dish, bread or dessert if you can. No worries if not—just come and be a part as we give thanks together in this place. In order to plan for room setup and the size of the turkey, please reserve your spot no later than 10 a.m. on Monday, November 20. Register using this link or submit the form below:

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