The Women’s Compline Choir 2024

by on July 16, 2024 with No Comments
Click below to enlarge a feature from The Rubric about the first Women's Compline Choir services:

NOTE: The post below describes the services in the summer of 2024. For the 2025 services (on June 29 and August 24, 2025) please see this post. 

THREE SUNDAYS: AUGUST 4, 11, AND 18, 2024, 9:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave, broadcast, and livestreamed

Following their debut in the summer of 2019, the Women's Compline Choir, led by Saint Mark's Associate Musician Rebekah Gilmore, has become an annual tradition at Saint Mark's, chanting the Office of Compline in place of the all-male Compline Choir and presenting special repertoire for women's voices, including world-premiere compositions and arrangements.

In the summer of 2019, the men of the Compline Choir traveled to the U.K. for two weeks, serving residencies in Canterbury and Salisbury. To cover the services during absence, Saint Mark's Associate Musician Rebekah Gilmore was asked to assemble an all-female choir, comprising some of the most accomplished choral singers in the Seattle area. The services they sang, the first all-female services in the 63-year history of Compline at Saint Mark's, were deeply moving to many.

The Women's Compline Choir now gathers to chant the service a few times each year, usually during the summer. This included a quartet of women's voices in the summer of 2020, and the full complement of voices in 2021, 2022, and 2023. These service can be seen and heard in the videos and recordings below on this page

This year, the men of the Compline Choir are again traveling to the U.K., this time to serve residencies at the cathedrals of Canterbury, St Albans, and St. Paul's, London. Rebekah will again lead the Women's Compline Choir in chanting the office for three Sundays while they are away: August 4, 11, and 18.

Note: In the fall, the singers of the Women's Compline Choir will also participate in the concert Shaker Harmonies: Celebrating 250 Years of the Shakers in America, presented on the Saint Mark's Music Series, November 10, 2024.

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Dean’s Message on Being Christians in the Civic Discourse (July 4, 2024)

by on July 4, 2024 with 3 Comments

A MESSAGE FROM DEAN THOMASON:

On Being Christians in the Civic Discourse

 An email to the cathedral parish community, sent July 4, 2024

Dear friends,

The tragic irony is not lost on me that in this week when we observe the 248th anniversary of the signing of this nation’s Declaration of Independence, with its litany of the king's calumny, we have received another document into the public discourse—this time delivered by six Supreme Court justices who have rendered a starkly unsettling decision about presidential immunity. My purpose in writing to the cathedral community is not to levy an ideologically charged response; there are plenty of spinners across the spectrum frantically casting their webs of political response, ranging from full-on glory in the court’s verdict to fearful prognostications of the demise of democracy.

My purpose in writing is twofold: first, in the wake of so many of you confessing your heavy hearts to me in recent days, I intend a pastoral response for a community of faith here. Read on for that if you so choose. I get the weariness, even to the point of despair—the global manifestations of tribal hatred that holds war as the solution to our ills; the societal anguish of inequity in these hard times; the fractious political divide that has cast aside our better angels for a zero-sum game of ad hominem attacks; a perilous future for humanity which seems bent on self-destruction. It is a lot to hold right now. Let us hold it together; let us hold one another in community as we make our way. The Church exists for times such as this!

I am reminded that six months before Thomas Jefferson set his pen to parchment in 1776, Thomas Paine wrote famously, “these are the times that try men’s souls [sic]…” The words resonate across the generations into this Independence Day on which we reflect once more on the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Of course, we know Jefferson’s document was not scoped to afford every human being with certain unalienable rights, and we continue to come to terms with the pain and suffering he and others caused even while tilling the soil for a democracy we have inherited. Historian Jon Meacham reminds us that “the story of America is...one of slow, often unsteady steps forward. If we expect the trumpets of a given era to sound unwavering notes, we will be disappointed, for the past tells us that politics is an uneven symphony.” We feel the dissonance today. And we have much work to do, as citizens, and especially as citizens who are guided by a Gospel that, quite frankly, is the balm needed to help heal our broken humanity.

Which brings me to the second purpose for writing today: to gently remind us that, in the person of Jesus, we follow One who knew suffering wrought by unjust governments, who knew the weight of war waged to keep the peace in injurious and demeaning ways, who knew intimately the tribalisms of human impulse which convince us that violence must be met with violence if there is to be any justice. Jesus refused such a quid pro quo calculus, offering instead a way of being that bends toward hope while insisting on a non-violent response.

Jesus was, in the span of his short life, a refugee, unhoused, hungry, targeted by his opponents, and ultimately murdered by an unholy alliance of leaders who saw him as a threat to their power. He knew the sharp end of the spear of hatred, and yet he never wavered. When we speak of his Body and Blood every Sunday, we remember this… and we commit to embody such a way of being in our own right.

So how do we translate this into our civic life? Well, (and here is the pastoral exhortation to us all), we pattern our lives after this Jesus we follow. We have truth to speak into the world in which we live, and it must be a just truth, even when that is hard to do or carries consequences. We must be clear not to be guided by ideological impulses that quickly degrade into violence, but by virtues that insistently orient to human flourishing. This is nuanced, to be sure, which is why we form community to navigate the path with care.

I am convinced that Jesus was able to remain non-violent in the face of all that beset him because with great intention he engaged in contemplative practices that were restorative and resolutely grounding in the “still point” of love that dwells deeply within each of us. The center of that love is God, and I am convinced that we must ground ourselves in such contemplative rhythms if our work of justice is to have any lasting effect. It is the both/and enterprise of the Church.

And finally, it is the Christian’s charism to retain hope, not because we ourselves will fix all that is broken in humanity, in this nation, or in our lives, but because we believe that this “still point” of love is the guiding force of the cosmos pulling us into a future that will be made whole in the fullness of time. We hope because we believe God is present in us and to us as we make our way.

Dear friends, be assured of my prayers for you, for this community, and for our nation on this day. I am,

Faithfully yours,


The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector

Leffler Garden Blessing, Reception, and Herb Giveaway

by on July 3, 2024 with 1 Comment

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 10:10–10:50 A.M., Leffler Vegetable Garden

Everyone is invited to gather for the blessing of the Leffler Vegetable Garden between the 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday services on July 14 at 10:10 a.m. Following the blessing, enjoy a glass of lemonade and a tour of the garden. Bundles of oregano, mint, sage, parsley, and rosemary from the garden will be available to attendees! Contact Else with questions at: elsectb@gmail.com

(The Leffler Vegetable Garden will be open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through August 18, as part of the 2024 Sacred Spaces offerings)

2024 Alternative Gift Market Planning Meeting

by on July 3, 2024 with No Comments

BRAINSTORMING CHAT: THURSDAY, JULY 25, 4:30 P.M., via Zoom

MARKET: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Last year's Alternative Gift Market was a terrific success, with an overwhelming response to the many items on sale and the many opportunities for donations. This year’s Alternative Gift Market will be on Sunday, November 24 in Bloedel Hall following both the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. This is slightly earlier than last year, on the Sunday before both Thanksgiving and the beginning of Advent, which we hope that will make it easier for more folks to participate.

To build on last year’s success, let's team up now to consider what worked, what didn't, and what new additions could be added. Perhaps a "Treasures Table" for small items donated by parishioners, or themed gift baskets, or a raffle? Bring your ideas to a Zoom brainstorming chat on Thursday, July 25, 4:30–5:30 p.m. Join using this Zoom link.

If you are unable to attend, or if you have questions, email Canon Barrie: wbarrie@saintmarks.org

A Moveable Feast: Neighborhood Gatherings

by on July 3, 2024 with No Comments

Saint Mark’s Intergenerational Council presents A Movable Feast—a new ministry of neighborhood-based gatherings to foster friendship and build community.

What is the format?
Parishioners who register will be organized into groups of 8–10 people near where they live or work, and then be invited to share three meals together between August and November. Each group will together decide when and where to meet. All ages are encouraged to participate!

Which neighborhoods are part of the launch?
The neighborhood groups below were chosen based on concentration of parishioners by zip codes to help make travel and meeting easier. Please choose which group is most convenient for you knowing the meeting location is intended to be in the neighborhood-area listed. 

  • Ballard area including Loyal Heights, Crown Hill, Whittier Heights, North Beach-Blue Ridge, Sunset Hill (based on 98107 and 98117)
  • West Seattle and White Center (based on 98116, 98136 and 98126)
  • Wallingford area including some parts of Green Lake (based on 98103)
  • Maple Leaf, Roosevelt, Green Lake, View Ridge, Hawthorne Hills, Wedgwood (based on 98115)
  • Madison Park (based on 98112)
  • East Lake and Capitol Hill-north (based on 98102)

“A Movable Feast” will start in these six neighborhood areas – we hope to expand depending on interest.

Where should we meet?
You don’t need to be an expert cook, or to have a huge space. Groups can gather in a home, in a park for a picnic, at a local restaurant, or another place of your choosing.

How do I register?
Register here by Friday, July 26.

Questions? Email Canon Wendy Claire Barrie: wbarrie@saintmarks.org

Receptions in Honor of Emily Meeks

by on June 21, 2024 with No Comments

RECEPTIONS: SUNDAY, JULY 7, following the 9 and 11 a.m. services

Emily Meeks heading to Seminary

Emily Meeks is leaving in July for Virginia Theological Seminary where she will engage in coursework toward a Master of Divinity. As a postulant in the Diocese of Olympia, she is sponsored by Saint Mark’s Cathedral, and her seminary training is expected to last three years, after which she would return to the diocese to be ordained to the priesthood and serve in a parish in this diocese. Her last Sunday before moving is July 7, when she will preach at the morning services, and we will bless her at each service, with receptions in her honor following the 9am and 11am services. Parishioners are invited to bring an item for the receptions: sign up to contribute food using this link.

 

Special Parish Forum with Palestinian Priest Fr. Fadi Diab

by on June 14, 2024 with No Comments

Related:

Fr. Fadi's first forum and sermon in July 2023

Fr. Fadi's second forum in December 2023

Mideast Focus Film Festival

Bishop Committee on Peace and Justice in the Holy Land

The story of a member of Rev. Diab's congregation who was seized in her home in a night-time raid by the Israeli military in April and remains detained without charge.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2024, 10:10 A.M.–10:50 A.M., in Bloedel Hall and on Zoom

Fr. Fadi Diab, an Anglican priest at St. Andrew’s in Ramallah, Palestine, will join us once again on Sunday morning via Zoom to share a report of life in the West Bank in these extremely difficult times. Last year, he preached at Saint Mark’s in July, and then conducted a similar hybrid forum in December from his home in Ramallah after the war in Gaza began. He and Dean Thomason have remained in communication, and Saint Mark’s has continued to offer financial support to St. Andrew’s school and orphanage.

We continue to pray for peace and for all devastated by the violence, and this partnership with our Christian siblings in the Holy Land is a tangible sign of our commitment to “strive for justice and peace, and to respect the dignity of every human being.”

UPDATE: A complete video is now available:

The Rev. Edie Weller appointed Honorary Cathedral Canon

by on June 13, 2024 with 1 Comment

A MESSAGE FROM DEAN THOMASON

Dear Friends,

As noted in our worship services on June 9, 2024, the Rev. Edie Weller has been named honorary canon of Saint Mark’s Cathedral by Bishop Provisional Melissa Skelton at Dean Thomason’s request. This lifetime appointment is the Church’s way of recognizing and celebrating a person’s extraordinary service to Christ and the Church.

The office has no obligatory duties, but we know Edie is still very much engaged in the work of ministry in retirement, and we are deeply grateful for Edie’s presence and ministry in our midst at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Bishop Skelton’s letter (see below) shares more detail about Edie’s decades of humble and faithful service in the diocese, and we are honored to count her as an Honorary Cathedral Canon, joining the ranks of other notable servants of Christ, including:

  • Rebecca McClain
  • Joan Anthony
  • Mel Butler
  • Mary Coon Butler
  • Patricia Taylor
  • Marda Steedman Sanborn

Please join me in thanking the Rev. Canon Edie Weller for her ministry among us.

The Very Reverend Steven L. Thomason
Dean and Rector

A MESSAGE FROM BISHOP MELISSA SKELTON

Dear Dean Thomason,

It is both the prerogative and privilege of a bishop to acknowledge from time to time certain individuals who have provided exemplary service to Christ's church. The title of "honorary cathedral canon" is accorded to those who have labored long and well and have been exemplars of servant leaders who have built up the kingdom of God. These persons have distinguished themselves in their work of equipping the saints for the work of ministry, building up the body of Christ, helping others to grow into the full stature of Christ.

I write to you today with the appointment of the Rev. Edie Weller as an Honorary Canon of Saint Mark's Cathedral. Edie has served this diocese and the cathedral with much grace over the years. I am delighted for this acknowledgement to honor and give thanks for her service to Christ and the Church.

Edie was born on November 11, 1953. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Platteville in 1977. Edie met Albert John Weller, and they were married on December 29, 1973. They have two children, Elizabeth and Bryan. Edie went on to earn a Master in Health Administration from the University of Washington in 1981, and worked with Group Health in various roles from 1981–1996 when she founded her own consulting firm, working with community-based and not-for-profit organizations in strategic and program planning, group facilitation, and grant preparation.

Edie felt the call to ordained ministry and began taking courses at Seattle University's Institute for Ecumenical Theological Studies. Witnessing Patty Baker's installation and the celebration of the new ministry at St. Clare's helped Edie clearly resolve her own sense of ministry as a priest. She earned her Master of Divinity degree from the Church of Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, CA. While in graduate school, she completed an internship at St. Peter's Church in Seattle and a Chaplain Internship with the Veterans Administration–Puget Sound Health Care in Seattle.

She was ordained to the Diaconate on June 28, 2003, by Bishop Vincent Waydell Warner and to the priesthood on January 17, 2004, by Bishop Vincent Waydell Warner. She was called to Trinity Church in Everett as a Curate, where she served from 2003 to 2006. Edie was called as Rector at the Church of the Resurrection in Bellevue from 2008 to 2015.

Edie retired from active ministry on September 1, 2016, but she did not stop working as a minister of Christ in this diocese. Her long-held commitment to justice has guided much of her time since retiring, with deep commitments to the work of anti-racism and ecumenical/inter faith engagement. She has also served as a trained listener at Underhill House and as a pre-cook/server for the Fatted Calf Café at St. Paul's in Seattle, and since retirement has held the position of priest associate at Saint Mark's Cathedral where, in addition to regularly providing liturgical leadership for worship, she has provided leadership to the Creation Care ministry, Seattle Service Corps, Noel House Women's Shelter, the Sanctuary Network, and many other ministries. Most recently, she has served as Interim Pastoral Associate for Saint Mark's, and many in the community recognize her as pastor, priest, and teacher.

It is with deep gratitude and great affection for Edie, and for her dedication and service to the people of this diocese, that I delight in appointing the Rev. Edie Weller as Honorary Canon of Saint Mark's Cathedral.

Faithfully,

The Most Rev. Melissa Skelton
Bishop Provisional Diocese of Olympia

Community Art Installations with Sandy Nelson

by on June 8, 2024 with No Comments

PART 1: SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 10:10–10:50 A.M., Bloedel Hall

PART 2: SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 10:10–10:50 A.M. AND 12:30–2 P.M., Bloedel Hall

PART 3: SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 12:30–2 P.M., Bloedel Hall

Artist and designer Sandy Nelson is inviting the entire community of Saint Mark’s into the creation of three large-scale art installations that will be displayed in the cathedral nave as part of the cathedral’s suite of summer offerings, Sacred Spaces.

I. Gather in Bloedel Hall on Sunday, June 9, between the 9 and 11 a.m. services for the first of these, an assemblage installation titled Communion of Saints, an artistic reflection on the table of the Eucharist, where everyone is welcome and fed. There are several different jobs to do, and all ages can participate—don’t miss your chance to take part.

The Use of The St. Helena Psalter in Our Worship

by on May 31, 2024 with No Comments

A Special Hybrid Forum with Dean Thomason, Canon Kleinschmidt, and Two Sisters from the Order of St. Helena

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 10:10–10:50 A.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom

During the past year, as part of our larger initiative of employing expansive language in our worship services, the cathedral has been regularly using translations of the Psalms as found in The St. Helena Psalter, a resource developed by an Episcopal monastic community of sisters in Augusta, Georgia. We are delighted that two sisters—Sr. Miriam Elizabeth and Sr. Ellen Francis—will join us via Zoom to share a bit of history and planned updates for the psalter. Canon Kleinschmidt and Dean Thomason will also guide a conversation about the historical role of psalms in worship and how we use them today.

Resources: 

Order of St. Helena website

The OSH Breviary App for iPhone

Psalm comparison handout

A complete video is now available: 

20s/30s Car Camping Trip

by on May 31, 2024 with No Comments

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23–SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, Potlatch State Park

Several campsites have been reserved at Potlatch State Park on the Hood Canal for a weekend of 20s/30s fellowship, camp meals, and outdoor activities. Carpooling from Seattle will be available, and there is a limited supply of extra camping gear if you need to borrow some. The approximate cost will be $25–45 per person for the campsite & parking, plus the cost of food (option to bring your own or take part in shared meals). If the cost is a barrier for you, let us know! Space is limited and will be first-come first-serve. To learn more and to RSVP, please sign up here. Questions? Email Julia: julia7cooper@gmail.com

Special Thursday Pride Month Forum with Theologian James Alison

by on May 31, 2024 with 1 Comment

UPDATED WITH VIDEO

No More Special Pleading: How Opening Up to LGBTQ+ Reality Flows Organically from Basic Christianity

THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024, 7–8 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom

The Wisdom School at Saint Mark’s presents acclaimed Catholic theologian James Alison, presenting a project he’s been at work on for several years—a book, provisionally titled You Can… If You Want To, to be published in 2025, which aims to empower Christians to move on, in good faith, regarding LGBTQ+ issues. The narrative that Christianity itself demands the condemnation of LGBTQ+ lives as sinful has been so prevalent for so long, that many Christians, including LGBTQ+ people themselves, may still harbor niggling doubts in the back of their minds, voices whispering “maybe being queer really is incompatible with taking Jesus and the Bible seriously…”

Alison aims to confront these doubts directly, showing that the fundamentals of the Christian faith, even when presented from a quite conservative perspective, do in fact open up the possibility of reaching beyond any and all of our cultural comfort zones—of which sexuality and gender identity are only two of many—if we want to go there. It follows that those who continue to uphold old prejudices are doing so by their own choice, and cannot blame any supposed “higher authority.” Join in person in Bloedel Hall, or participate online.

UPDATE: A complete video is now available below.

About James Alison

James Alison (b. 1959) is a Catholic theologian, priest and author. He has studied, lived and worked in Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Spain and the United States as well as his native England. James earned his doctorate in theology from the Jesuit Faculty in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1994 and is a systematic theologian by training.

His principal claim to fame is as one of those who has done most to bring the work of the great French thinker René Girard to a wider public. In addition he is known for his firm but patient insistence on truthfulness in matters gay as an ordinary part of basic Christianity, and for his pastoral outreach in the same sphere.

James was brought up in an Evangelical Anglican family, and became a Catholic at the age of 18 in 1978. He was ordained priest in 1988. Having lived with the Dominican Order between 1981 and 1995, James now works as an itinerant preacher, lecturer, and retreat leader. He is currently a Fellow of Imitatio. He accompanies a wide variety of publics, through academic lectures, undergraduate, postgraduate and professors’ seminars, adult catechesis courses, retreats for priests, parish groups, and Catholic and ecumenical gay and lesbian retreats.

His books include The Joy of Being Wrong: Original Sin Through Easter Eyes (1998), Faith Beyond Resentment: Fragments Catholic and Gay (2001), and Knowing Jesus (2012), and have been translated into Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. His most recent work (2013) is Jesus the Forgiving Victim, a program of induction into the Christian Faith for adults, available in DVD, text or digital formats, and which follows on from the insight into desire associated with René Girard.

When not on the road, James lives in Madrid, Spain. Learn more at: jamesalison.com

Pride Month Parish Forum

by on May 31, 2024 with No Comments

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 7–8:30 P.M., in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom

Mark your calendars for the evening of June 12 in Bloedel Hall when Saint Mark's Queer in Christ ministry will host a Pride Month Forum. This will be an event geared to the entire cathedral community, to provide an opportunity learn why Pride is important to the queer community and how to be a better ally. The forum will be led by Michael Garrett, Rose Hazard, and Michael Seewer, with others from the queer community at Saint Mark's. Join in person in Bloedel Hall or participate online.

UDPATE: The slides from Michael Garrett's presentation can now be downloaded here. 

Let There Be Light: How to get government funding for your faith community’s solar and electrification initiatives

by on May 29, 2024 with No Comments

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 7–8 P.M., via Zoom

All are invited to a presentation and conversation about new ways to engage and advance sustainability and carbon reduction goals in faith communities. Presenters will include Dean Steve Thomason, Shelby Ketchum (Seattle City Light Inflation Reduction Specialist), and Stone Fennell (Saint Mark’s parishioner and UW Materials and Science Engineering student).

Slides and Resources:

Seattle City Light—Inflation Reduction Act Information slides

Seattle City Light—Energy Investment Tax Credit handout

179D Energy Efficiency Deduction handout

IRS Elective Pay to Nonprofits handout

 

A complete video is now available:

About the presenters:

Shelby Ketchum

Shelby Ketchum, Inflation Reduction Act Specialist at Seattle City Light, is a dedicated advocate for equitable and sustainable energy solutions. With a background that includes experience in skilled trades, community organizing, and energy policy, Shelby brings a unique perspective to his work, which is primarily centered on decarbonizing the built environment through building electrification and the proliferation of distributed energy resources. He holds a Master's degree in Urban Planning and a Bachelor's degree in Urban and Labor Studies. His career is driven by a passion and a commitment to a sustainable future, which is best encapsulated in the vision of 'Net Zero By Retirement.'

 

Stone Fennell

Stone Fennell is a graduate student studying Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. He has studied the design of solar cells and batteries and participated in the Global Renewable Infrastructure Development RSO as a technical lead. Last year he volunteered with Kilowatts for Humanity, helping to install a solar microgrid in the Dengeza community in Zambia. He enjoys reading, cooking, and teaching math and science to future engineers.

 

 

The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason

The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason has served as Dean and Rector at Saint Mark’s for more than ten years after serving churches in his native state of Arkansas and practicing medicine as a family doctor and hospice/palliative care specialist. In his time of parish ministry, he has served in various leadership roles in the community, diocese and wider church including guiding Saint Mark’s commitment to have a net zero carbon footprint by 2030. His educational degrees include Bachelor of Science from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN; Doctor of Medicine from University of Arkansas; and Master of Divinity from the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas.

A Cathedral’s Complicity in Redlining and Restrictive Covenants

by on May 21, 2024 with 4 Comments

SPEAKERS

The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson
Canon for Multicultural Ministries and Community Transformation, Diocese of Olympia

Multicultural Ministries and Community Transformation

 

 

Sophie Betz
Research Associate, The University of Washington

Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project

 

 

E.N. West
Lead Organizer, The Church Council of Greater Seattle 

Faith Land Initiative

 

 

The Very Rev. Steve Thomason
Dean and Rector, Saint Mark's Cathedral 

Affordable Housing on the St. Nicholas Site

 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 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)

A Cathedral's Complicity in Redlining and Restrictive Covenants 

Telling the Truth for a More Just Future

As Saint Mark’s Cathedral considers redeveloping the St. Nicholas property for affordable housing, there is an opportunity to reflect on the history of North Capitol Hill in which racial redlining and restrictive covenants discriminated against people of color. Segregation suppressed homeownership and wealth building opportunities for people of color and has contributed to ongoing impact of housing inequities. Join to learn more about Seattle’s unique civil rights history and racial segregation and consider how church communities have responsibility to honestly face this and respond in just ways in our time.

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Urban Birding Day

by on May 19, 2024 with 1 Comment

SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2024 8 A.M.–12 P.M., Leffler garden, the Greenbelt, and around the cathedral campus

Join Creation Care and Intergenerational Ministries for a morning of exploring nature and learning about birds on the campus of Saint Mark's. Activities will include learning about local birds and making a simple bird feeder.

There will two guided bird walks in the Saint Mark's Greenbelt: at 8 a.m., Gordon and Jacquelyn Miller will lead a bird walk designed for adults and older youth, and at 11 a.m., David Poortinga and Phil Fox Rose will lead a bird walk for all ages.

Between 9 a.m. and noon there will be refreshments, conversation, and materials bird feeder building in Leffler Garden. Questions? Email Emily Meeks: emeeks@saintmarks.org

Restorative Justice Council Meeting, May 2024

by on May 10, 2024 with No Comments

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 3:30–5 P.M., online via Zoom only

All members of the community of Saint Mark’s are encouraged to attend the next gathering of the Restorative Justice Council. Informed by the Saint Mark’s Statement of Lament and Commitment to Action, and guided by the cathedral’s 2024 Strategic Plan, the Restorative Justice Council strives to lead the Saint Mark’s community to actively pursue justice through spiritual practice and action and live out our Baptismal Covenant, “to seek and serve Christ in all persons.”

Summer Solstice Yoga on the Labyrinth

by on May 10, 2024 with No Comments

THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024, 7–8 P.M., on the labyrinth and front lawn

Join yoga instructor and Saint Mark’s parishioner Adrienne Hubbard to celebrate the Summer Solstice with an energizing 60 minute vinyasa flow on the labyrinth. All experience levels welcome; please bring your own yoga mat if available. Bring a post yoga snack to share and enjoy the longest evening of sunlight. Questions? Email Adrienne (adriennehub@gmail.com).

Saint Mark’s Voter Registration Drive

by on May 10, 2024 with No Comments

MAY 26 THROUGH JUNE 30

The cathedral is launching a non-partisan effort to help eligible people register to vote, every Sunday from May 26 through the end of June, at a table in the rear of the nave following morning services and before Compline.

For each Sunday, the organizers are seeking two volunteers to be present at the table in the nave after the 9 a.m. service, two volunteers after the 11 a.m. service, and one volunteer before Compline. Responsibilities will be to greet all warmly, hand out registration forms, and collect the completed forms or give instruction for how to mail it in. Absolutely no partisan conversation and/or debates are allowed.

Sign up using this form. (Sign up for as many slots as you would like according to your availability.)

Living Buddha, Living Christ, Living Spirit—An Interfaith Prayer Service in the Style of Taizé

by on May 10, 2024 with No Comments

UPDATE: A video of the May 21, 2024, liturgy can be seen here and below.

TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024, 7 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed

Join in person or online on Tuesday, May 21 at 7 p.m. for an Interfaith Prayer Service in the style of Taizé. We will be joined by friends from Clear Mountain Monastery Buddhist Community (which currently meets on the cathedral campus every Saturday morning) as we celebrate Living Buddha, Living Christ, Living Spirit, acknowledging two sacred feasts: Pentecost (May 19), celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit in the Christian calendar; and Vesak (May 23) celebrating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing in the Buddhist calendar.

This special service meditates on values that both traditions hold as sacred, represented by the "fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians, and the perfections (parami) of character necessary in Buddhism to achieve enlightenment. The liturgy will include prayers and readings taken from Christian and Buddhist scriptures, as well as chants from the Buddhist and Christian traditions.

A video of the May 21 service and the April 28 Sunday preview forum providing a preview and background of this service can be seen below:

Volunteer at Open Mic Night at Recovery Café

by on May 9, 2024 with No Comments

SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 3:30–6:30 P.M., Recovery Café (2022 Boren Ave.)  

Come sing, dance, read poetry, and cheer for Recovery Café community members. Typically these events serve around 75 people. Email Molly (molly.bosch@outlook.com) to RSVP or if you have questions.

*The event itself runs from 4:30-6 pm. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 3:30 pm for a brief orientation before going over tasks for the evening.

 

Volunteer Opportunities

  • Serve at the event. We can accommodate a group of eight volunteers in person and roles range from connecting with members to plating and serving dinner and cleaning up.
  • Donate refreshments (baked goods, sodas, snacks). These can be brought in advance -- no event attendance required. More information and sign-up details here.
  • Make themed decorations for the space, and/or buy some sodas or other refreshments for the event. There are 20 tables that we can decorate. This month's theme is PRIDE.

 

Greenbelt Work Parties, Spring 2024

by on May 5, 2024 with No Comments

FIRST AND THIRD SATURDAY IN APRIL, MAY, & JUNE, 10 A.M.–2 P.M., meet in the lower parking lot; registration required

Spring work parties in the Greenbelt are starting up again!

Come commune with the forest while helping weed and maybe plant. Get your hands/gloves dirty as you remove non-native plants and create native habitat in the middle of Seattle’s urban environment. Wear sturdy, close toed shoes that can get wet, long-sleeved shirt, pants, and hat. Bring water, a snack, and a raincoat if there's a chance of rain.

Each work party is limited to 18 people, and you must sign up beforehand for each date. All ages are welcome. Tools and training will be provided. Sign up links for each event can be found at:

For questions and more details contact Forest Stewards Robert Hayden and Joey Baumgartner (emails on the registration pages linked above), or Creation Care ministry leaders Guy Oram or Kathy Minsch at: creationcare@saintmarks.org

“What Is Intergenerational Ministry?”

by on May 3, 2024 with No Comments

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 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)

The Cathedral Commons forum on Wednesday, May 14, will be an opportunity to focus on what it means for us as a church community to be intergenerational, and why that matters. Presenters will unpack the definitions of multi-generational, cross-generational, and intergenerational, and talk about why intergenerationality is one of three core mutual ministry goals at Saint Mark's. We'll look at some of where we've been as a cathedral community, and where we are heading! Intergenerationality isn't a program or an event, it's a culture, a way of being and doing church together. It's also important for us to name that while intergenerational is not code for children and families, ministry with children and youth is always intergenerational. The forum will be a chance to share some of the lessons learned at the hybrid workshop for ministry leaders on Thursday, May 9.

UPDATE: A complete video is now available below:

Stewardship Forum: Stewardship as a Spiritual Practice

by on April 25, 2024 with 1 Comment

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom. 

At the next Cathedral Commons forum, come hear members of the Stewardship Committee and Creation Care Ministry talk about the many ways we can experience stewardship as spiritual practice. This is an opportunity to explore what stewardship can mean outside the context of the fall annual campaign. With storytelling, humor, small group work, and creativity, let’s explore how the new Strategic Plan can underpin our efforts to care for our Cathedral’s finances, campus, and living environment.

UPDATE: A video of this forum is now available below:

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