Saint Mark’s offers a variety of social and formation opportunities on Wednesday night. These offerings are known as the Cathedral Commons, since they provide a space in which the cathedral parish community can come together to share, learn, and grow.
Many of these offerings are presented as "hybrid" events, with a full experience available both to those gathered in person in Bloedel Hall, and to those joining from home online. Others are offered online via Zoom only, and certain events (such as the Rogation Day procession and Twelfth Night gathering) are offered only in person.
Special events, presentations, and forums sometimes occur on other weeknights—these events are also posted on this page.
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
5:30 p.m. | Evening Prayer in McCaw Chapel (behind the altar platform in the cathedral nave).
6–6:30 p.m. | A community dinner, prepared by Chef Marc Aubertin and his team, is served in Bloedel Hall. (Due to food safety requirements, food service must end at 6:30 p.m. sharp.) Cost: $6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family.
Cathedral Commons is offered during the program year, September through May. Occasionally, we will not have a forum offering on Wednesdays.
UPCOMING OFFERINGS
Please note: Schedule and descriptions subject to change.
Solidarity in Suffering: The Martyrs of Memphis, Frances Perkins, Jonathan Daniels, and Pauli Murray
We’ll examine the lives and ministries of faithful Episcopalians whose lives embodied solidarity in suffering. While they responded to their times, circumstances, and the deep needs of others in unique and profound ways, we can draw inspiration and practical wisdom in their remarkable stories and find resonances in the present day.
Cathedral Commons: Cultivating Beloved Community
The Affordable Housing Committee and Kendall Clawson, the consultant for Saint Mark's CBO will share about their work of "repent and repair" as the cathedral prepares to welcome new neighbors to Cathedral Place, an affordable housing community on the property of the St. Nicholas School to the north of the cathedral. As part of this effort, the Committee is telling the story of how Saint Mark's intends to co-create beloved community through a community-based organization that will offer services and … Read More
When is Suffering Redemptive, and Who Decides?
Much has been written about redemptive suffering; that is, the possibility of suffering for the sake of justice or love leading to a greater good. Others counter that the concept is unjust and contributes to further victimization. We’ll question whether redemption is in the eye of the beholder and consider what roles grace and resurrection play in how we make meaning of our suffering.
God and the Alcoholic Experience: Suffering and Solidarity with the Addicted
1 in 6 Americans struggle with addiction at any given moment. Recovery and healing are found through solidarity with fellow addicts, forming community, and service to others.
On Spiritual Darkness
It’s easy to rejoice when we feel God’s presence: a moving service, a beautiful vista, an answered prayer. But when God feels absent, it’s another story. We can easily assume that we’ve failed God somehow, that God is disappointed in us or even angry. Spiritual darkness can be a hopeful sign that we are growing closer to God and more deeply connected to our neighbors.
Talking to God in the Whirlwind: A Sufferer’s Wisdom in the Book of Job
How are we to make sense of suffering when God so blithely allows the life of his servant Job to disintegrate into dust and ashes?
RECENT WEEKDAY OFFERINGS
Special Parish Forum: Design Committee Update
The Living Stones II Design Committee has exciting updates to share about the construction project set for mid-2027. Our general contractor, Abbott Construction, Architect Richard Glasman, and our Owner’s Rep Spectrum Development Solutions will join as well to answer questions. In addition to design features, we will share the project timeline, planning for worship, and updates on the capital campaign. We hope you join us for this exciting and important parish update. Learn more about the Living Stones II project … Read More
Wisdom School Plenary: A Spirituality of Suffering and Solidarity
How are we to respond to human suffering in our time? What does solidarity with those who are suffering look like? What does compassion, meaning ‘to suffer with,’ really mean in a world that has erected all sorts of diversions—the economies of war, wealth disparities, and constant entertainment? If we are created in God’s image, and if there is so much suffering in the world, then God, too, must be suffering.
Cathedral Commons Special Parish Forum: Dean Thomason Offers Sabbatical Reflections
Join Dean Thomason as he reflects on his sabbatical leave, with travel across three continents. There will be opportunity for engaged conversation along the way, and we will consider learnings that inform our common life as a cathedral community.