WEDNESDAYS in LENT & EASTER, 2026, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom.
Countours of the Christian Life
Living a journey of faith takes inquiry and practice to conform to Christ's way of life and be open to continual transformation. In this series, we’ll focus on what it means to deepen our faith, our practices, and our relationships as Episcopalians.
Each session of Contours of the Christian Life is open to anyone who would like to attend. Those who are preparing for the rites of baptism, confirmation, reception into The Episcopal Church, or who would otherwise like to journey together through Lent and into April with a cohort of those wishing to deepen their faith are encouraged to register to join the Contours cohort.
February 25: Finding Portals into God’s Story—The Bible and Why We Read It (Especially) Today
Facilitated by Dean Thomason
“In Scripture, God has uttered for us, not the last word but the first—a word designed to set us off on pilgrimage, in pursuit of that life that God has willed for us to have.” (Wm. Countryman). As the opening foray into our Contours of the Christian Life series, Dean Thomason will offer some insights into prevailing themes, trajectories, and grounding theology found in our Scriptures, while those gathered reflect together on our questions: Why do we read these ancient books still? Through what lenses of interpretation do we read them? What do they have to say to us in our time? What can we learn from Scripture about who God is and who we are as God’s people? All are welcome to join, either in Bloedel or on Zoom.
March 4: Praying Shapes Believing with Canon Rich Weyls
There is an ancient adage in Christian liturgy that says, "the law of prayer establishes the law of belief." This class will examine "Common Prayer" in the Anglican tradition using the Book of Common Prayer as our resource. We will see how our common prayer expresses and supports our belief along the lifecycle and how can transform us and our world. All are welcome to join, either in Bloedel or on Zoom.
March 11: One God, One Faith, One Baptism: Baptismal Identity in the Body of Christ with Fr. Adam Conley
St. Augustine said that Christians are above all, baptized members of Christ’s risen body, the church. This Contours session examines what it means to center baptismal identity in the Christian life. We will draw from the deep well of Baptismal ecclesiology at the heart of the 1979 BCP to explore how our shared life of prayer and worship directly connects to our vocation to seek and serve Christ in our neighbor.
March 18: Episcopal Identity facilitated by the Rev. Canon Emily Griffin
What happened as the Church of England took root on American soil, and how does that history shape us as Episcopalians today? How do we make decisions as a church body, and who holds authority for what? Join us as we take a tour through time and across continents, encounter some fascinating characters along the way, and explore how our faith is embodied in how we live and serve together on this particular branch of the Christian family tree.
March 25: An Instructed Eucharist with Dean Steve Thomason
April 8: No forum
April 15: Debriefing Holy Week (optional for Contours cohort)
April 22: Anglican Identity with Canon Wendy Claire Barrie
Programs are free; optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($8/adult; $25/family max.)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026
A Holy Lent
Each year on Ash Wednesday, we are invited "to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word." On Wednesday, February 11, come learn some spiritual practices for Lent and plan to share one that has been meaningful to you.
Program is free; optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($8/adult; $25/family max.)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2026
Film Screening: SUGARCANE, A Documentary About the Indian Residential School System
Join the Saint Mark’s community for a compelling opportunity, a screening of SUGARCANE, the award-winning feature documentary. SUGARCANE is a groundbreaking investigation into an Indian residential school, shedding light on years of forced separation, assimilation and abuse that Indigenous children experienced at the hands of Church and government. This urgent and timely film brings the hidden story of cultural genocide while celebrating the resilience of Native people as they work to overcome cycles of intergenerational trauma.
This screening is part of Saint Mark’s continued commitment to addressing the legacy of Indigenous Schools within the Episcopal Church and for building deeper and ongoing relationship with Indigenous people. Learn more: saintmarks.org/justice/land-acknowledgment
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2026
Reflections on Hiking in Nepal with Canon Kleinschmidt
Canon Kleinschmidt will share stories, photos, and videos from his sabbatical project last October: a trek in the Himalayas of Nepal. The Sherpa people, Buddhist monks, yaks, helicopter pilots, fellow trekkers, stormy weather, and some of the most famous peaks and glaciers in the world will be featured, along with modest personal insights about the spiritual practices of sabbath-keeping and pilgrimage.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2026
Letters from Prison—St. Paul, Bonhoeffer, and King
FACILITATED BY DEAN STEVE THOMASON
St. Paul wrote at least four of his New Testament letters while in prison. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a prolific writer in the concentration camps of WWII, and Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is considered by many to make the compelling case for civil rights. Something about the crucible of confinement prompts prophetic figures to write more prolifically. There are themes that run through all three writers’ reflections, and they offer theological riches worth mining in our own time, in a world beset by chaos and suffering. Dean Thomason will guide an exploration of the points of convergence. No preparation is needed to participate fully, but if you want to read some samples in advance, read Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (esp ch. 2-4), any of Bonhoeffer’s writings compiled posthumously by his friend Eberhard Bethge, excerpted here, and/or King’s Letter.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2025
Special Parish Forum: Affordable Housing Project Updates
Join the Affordable Housing Committee to discuss key project milestones and meet some of the partners in our work. This forum will provide updates and insights from Redwood Housing, Saint Mark’s development partner, community engagement planning, and an opportunity to preview initial visioning for an innovative community-based organization model that will help guide the development of a housing community on campus. More details to come.
Video and slides from this forum are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2025
Forum on The Council of Nicaea
WITH THE REV. CANON RICH WEYLS
This past summer marked the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea (325). Martin Luther considered it "the most sacred of all councils." The decrees of the Council helped us find language to describe what we mean when we say "God." We will explore the historical context of the Council while reflecting upon its rich theology in order to discover significance for today. Rather than being a list of intellectual propositions, the Council is a gift to the church and an act of praise to God.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2025
Simple Gifts
James Davidson and Molly Bosch will share what they are reading, listening to and gifting this season, with a focus on what’s grounding them and giving them hope and joy. Art, music, and literature are particularly important in the current social climate, and those attending in person and on zoom are encouraged to share their personal recommendations. We’ll also talk about alternatives to the holiday consumer frenzy, as a way of making a difference locally and an opportunity to participate in socially conscious gift-giving.
Please bring a favorite book in very good condition you’d like to pass on in exchange for another book.
Resources and recording are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2025
Reflections on the Evensong Pilgrimage
Join Canon Michael Kleinschmidt, Rebekah Gilmore, and members of the Evensong Choir for reflections and discussion on their summer pilgrimage to serve as choir-in-residence for a week each in Lincoln and Durham Cathedrals, England. The forum will be led by Evensong Choir Members James Wilcox and Molly Porter, and some choir members will share some music that was sung during the pilgrimage.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2025
A Liturgy for All Hallows’ Eve
Come in costume, or come as you are on Wednesday, October 29 for the evocative and brief liturgy of All Hallows Eve from the Book of Occasional Services. By candlelight we'll sing and pray and hear the ancient stories of Saul and the Witch of Endor and Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones and reflect on the deeper meaning of the Triduum of All Hallows, All Saints, and All Souls. Afterwards, enjoy hot cider and a sweet treat.
The liturgy was led by Rev. Conley and Canon Barrie. It was an in-person only event, and was not recorded.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2025
Braver Angels Forum
The Cathedral Commons forum on Wednesday, October 22, will be a special opportunity facilitated by Braver Angels, a cross-partisan movement working to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. The program is entitled Depolarizing Ourselves Introductory Workshop: A First Step Toward Civil Engagement. We begin with our own work, learning how the effects of polarization impact us and lead us to regard people with other political leanings as if they were enemies. We must learn how to interact (and often disagree) without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2025
Forum on the Archbishop of Canterbury
The recent election of Sarah Mullaly as the first woman to serve as Archbishop of Canterbury is an historic event. What is the Archbishop of Canterbury all about? How did this clerical role gain such primacy? What does the recent election mean for the Episcopal Church, the Church of England, and the worldwide Anglican Communion? Our curate, the Rev. Adam Conley will guide an exploration and discussion of the role, meaning, and impact of the Archbishop of Canterbury for Anglicans across the globe. He will offer stories of his personal experiences at an enthronement of a past archbishop and share perspectives on the current archbishop from different corners of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.
A complete video and slides are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2025
Naming Our Thresholds
WITH THE REV. CANON EMILY GRIFFIN
Thresholds are places for entering and leaving—for moving from one kind of space or time to another. We make these kinds of transitions throughout our lives but often don’t know how to prepare for them, mark them, or discern the shape of our lives in light of them. In this session, we will share tools for narrating our own life stories and explore how our shared story as Christians helps us make meaning of our endings that are also new beginnings.
A complete video and slides are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2025
St. Francis, Honeybees, and Caring for Creation
Rick Samyn is the Pastoral Assistant for Social Justice at St. Leo Church in Tacoma. A former Capuchin Franciscan Brother, he has been beekeeping for 24 years. In this forum, Rick will invite us to expand our view of what it means to live incarnationally. We'll learn and talk about how to renew our bond with creation, taking St. Francis of Assisi as our guide and honeybees as our model.
A complete video and slides are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025
Undaunted Joy!
Does joy just seem too difficult to come by these days? Does it seem irresponsible or naïve? Maybe you don't feel like you can be joyful, don't know how to, or don't deserve to?
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17
Crossing Thresholds as Sacred Journey
In the practice of medicine, the liminal point marks the bounds of perception—below it, one does not experience a discernible physiological or psychological response. In mythology, the crossing of a threshold marks the protagonist’s journey from routine (unaware) to sacred (new awareness). The ancient tradition of religious pilgrimage takes similar shape. The “in-between” space is often marked by uncertainty or a sense of suspension; one must muster courage, vulnerability, and a willingness to let go of what was in order to embrace the new beginning. Sacred rituals and practices help us orient to these transformative moments so that, even in the routine, we see the sacred.
Video and slides are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2025
Practicing Sabbath
For the final Cathedral Commons of the program year, we'll explore the theme of honoring the Sabbath through the first set of videos and discussion questions from Bishop Phil LaBelle's new Zimzum Discipleship series. This is a great bookend to Bishop LaBelle's first forum with us in September 2024, and a great way to consider rest and recreation in the summer months.
A complete video of the forum, along with the Bishop's video and additional resources, can be found here.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2025
Rogation Day Procession & Liturgy
An outdoor liturgy for Rogation Day, an observance that dates to the 5th century. For 1,500 years, the weekdays preceding Ascension Day have been marked by outdoor prayers and thanksgiving for the fruitful Earth. Following the community dinner in Bloedel Hall, participants will process around the cathedral grounds, stopping to reflect and pray at significant locations. Canon Rich Weyls will officiate. The liturgy includes a portion of the Great Litany
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025
Affordable Housing Project Update
We have exciting updates to share about the affordable housing project at St. Nicholas! Join Dean Thomason, Affordable Housing Committee Chair John Hoerster, and committee members, as they share updates regarding the redevelopment of the St. Nicholas property for affordable housing. Hear updates on selection of a developer/partner for the project, community engagement, community-based justice conversations, and much more. Learn more about this important missional project.
A complete video of this forum is available here.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025
Walking the Pilgrim Way: The Camino de Santiago
Have you ever considered walking the medieval pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago, in Spain? Several St. Mark’s parishioners have and they wish to share their experiences and enthusiasm for the Camino! This Cathedral Commons will cover questions such as: What is a pilgrimage and what is the Camino de Santiago? What are the most popular routes to Santiago? How does one make this journey? How are pilgrims changed by their experience and how do they serve future peregrinos? We may also have a brief presentation from the Friends of the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago promoting the beautiful guesthouse, Casa Anglicana del Peregrinos, and the historic Church of San Felix de Solovio (“San Fiz”) where Anglican liturgies are celebrated in English. Please join us for this interesting evening of information and faith sharing.
SPECIAL THURSDAY EVENING EVENT FROM THE WISDOM SCHOOL
Ellen Bass: The Intimate Web of Humanity, Healing, and Hope
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025, 7–8:30 P.M., in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom
Join bestselling writer, poet, and educator Ellen Bass for an evening of poetic exploration of themes of healing, hope, life and intimacy as part of the Wisdom School at Saint Mark’s Cathedral. With a disarmingly deft touch and piercingly intimate voice, this sage offers poetic balm and a buoying lightness amidst the vagaries of life, connecting the humble to the luminous. She will share selected poems and thoughts as manna for the journey with good humor and much grace before engaging those present for Q&A and book signing.
This event was recorded and a video was made available to registered attendees. Email info@saintmarks.org if you would like to access the recording.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2025
Becoming a Poverty Abolitionist
“If America’s poor founded a country, that country would have a bigger population than Australia or Venezuela.” —Matthew Desmond, Poverty, by America
Why is there so much poverty in the richest country on earth? Can poverty be abolished? Participants in the recent Community Book Studies of Matthew Desmond’s, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City and Poverty, by America invite you to join this conversation at a Cathedral Commons on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Whether you have read one or both of these books is NOT a requirement to attend. We come together to consider our role in economic justice and to ask, What am I willing to change about how I live to abolish poverty?
Video and resources from this forum will be posted here when they are available.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, 2025
Forum on Supporting Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People
Come learn about the challenges facing transgender and gender non-conforming people in these uncertain times and how we can best support one of our most vulnerable minorities. Queer in Christ leaders Chloe Jett and Rose Hazard will guide us in learning more about the power of using gender affirming terms and how we can mobilize to help protect those in the transgender and gender non-conforming community.'
A video is now available here.
TWO WEDNESDAS IN LENT: MARCH 19 & 26, 2025
Generosity as Resistance: Living the Call to Radical Hospitality in Challenging Times
“From anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again” (Luke 6:29b–30).
Jesus proclaimed a message of extravagant generosity—a generosity responsive to God’s overwhelming generosity to us as the one who creates, sustains, and redeems us. But today there are voices in our nation and in the Christian Church who seek to restrict generosity to those deemed “worthy.” How are we to live out Jesus’ call in these times? How do we develop a counterculture of abundance in the face of a culture that operates out of scarcity? Join us on March 19 and 26 to reflect together on these questions. Led by Peter Snyder, James Davidson, and Greg Simon.
Slides and video from this forum are now available here.
SPECIAL THURSDAY EVENING EVENT FROM THE WISDOM SCHOOL
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2025
Pádraig Ó Tuama: The Better Angels of Our Nature
We live in fraught times when violence seems to be the common denominator in a calculus based in mistrust and misanthropic othering. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind… Drawing on inspiration from his work with language and religion, conflict and peacemaking, this truth-teller of our time will draw us into an orbit of soulful wisdom and poetic grace.
This presentation was recorded and the video was made available to those who registered to attend. Please reach out to info@saintmarks.org to learn more.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025
Eco-theology—Is God's Love Broad Enough for Bears?
led by Canon Rich Weyls
What does theology have to say about environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change? Ecotheology is a form of constructive theology that focuses on the interrelationship between religion and nature, particularly in the light of environmental concerns. In this session, we will explore classical theological notions of Creation, our neglect of these concepts in Western Christianity, and their restoration in the Triune God of love. This presentation will be given by The Rev. Canon Rich Weyls, Canon for Community Life and Senior Associate Rector. Canon Rich is also the staff support person for Saint Mark's Creation Care Ministry.
A video and slides are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 26, 2025
Thresholds and Transitions Across the Liturgical Year
led by Hannah Hochkeppel and members of the 20s/30s group
Hannah Hochkeppel and 20s/30s members will lead this forum on the final Wednesday before Lent to explore the liturgical calendar. What are our seasons? What do the colors and traditions of each season invoke in our spiritual life? Together we will uncover the ways in which the cyclical nature of the liturgical year invites us regularly into the experience of transition and reflection. This is a follow-up to a previous forum exploring the liturgical traditions of The Episcopal Church offered in April 2024.
Slides and video are now available here.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025
An Introduction to Hildegard of Bingen's Approach to Psychotherapy
led by the Rev. Danae Ashley
What can a revolutionary 12th-century Benedictine nun teach us today? Plenty! Saint Hildegard von Bingen was a polymath and a German Benedictine abbess who lived from 1098–1179 in the Rhine Valley. Her myriad of gifts have been noticed throughout history: prophetess, composer, physician and healer, environmentalist, preacher, mystic, advisor, linguist of her own secret language, and much more. You are invited to learn more about St. Hildegard and her fascinating life, focusing on her holistic approach to mental health, through an interactive presentation with the Rev. Danáe Ashley—Episcopal priest, international speaker, and author of a forthcoming book from Tehom Center Publishing on Hildegard and psychotherapy.
A complete video is now available here.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025
Icons: Portals of Sacred Beauty
WEDNESDAY, FEBRAURY 12, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in Bloedel Hall and on Zoom
Byzantine iconography is an ancient and deeply prayerful art form in the Christian tradition, dating back nearly to the apostolic times. Over the centuries, it has evolved and developed as the faith spread throughout the world. Iconography follows a highly systematic and disciplined process which has been handed from teacher to student for centuries. It’s also a very comprehensively demanding educational course for those who want to explore and master the technical, historical, and spiritual aspects of this field. Fr. Peter Pearson, a Franciscan, will guide a reflection and conversation on icons, their use in worship and contemplative practice, and their contribution to art and beauty across generations. Lean more about Fr. Pearson and his other offering at Saint Mark's the week of February 12 here. All are welcome.
TWO WEDNESDAYS, JANUARY 22 & 29, 2025
What Do We Do Now?—Shifting Paradigms in Times of Chaos, Upheaval and Injustice
led by Dean Steve Thomason
Our world is seemingly on fire, and the uncertainties of our time translate to a sense of chaos and upheaval. Anxiety and anger run amok. Under threat of change, the human impulse is to conservative inertia or even regression, which invariably leads to injustice and oppression. We are seeing that; we are living in this crucible moment when the paradigms that have historically made sense in the social fabric will not hold, and tweaks to them will not suffice. Paradigm shifts (revolutionary insights) are needed as we find our way. We are on the cusp of something as significant as Newtonian cosmology or modern Cognitive Psychology, but we will only breakthrough to new paradigms if we let go of the basic assumptions of the prevailing theories of social constructs built on a misguided transactional calculus. Hint: Jesus was on to something big!
UPDATE: Video, slides, handouts, and resources from both parts of this forum may be found here.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2025
Saint Mark's and Sanctuary—Responding to the Needs of Our Time
led by Dean Steve Thomason and Canon Emily Griffin
The Saint Mark's Vestry has once again authorized Saint Mark’s serving as a Sanctuary Hub, if called upon by the Sanctuary Network in our region. Dean Thomason and Canon Emily Griffin explored ways to respond compassionately and with intention, guided by our mandate to respect the dignity of every human being. Key to this effort will be a cohort of volunteers to serve in various ways, and we engaged in conversation during this evening about how we responsibly do that together.
Learn more, including links to related events and resources, here.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2025
Unpacking the Creeds
led by Canon Wendy Claire Barrie
The historic Creeds of the Church—most importantly the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed—are an essential and obligatory part of our liturgical tradition, and also a potential stumbling block for many. In this Wednesday forum led Canon Barrie, participants explored what the Creeds are (and what they are not), asked where they come from and how they came to be central to our worship practice, looked at some alternative creeds, and finally tried crafting our own.
UPDATE: a complete video and slides from this presentation are now available here.