11 a.m. • The Holy Eucharist

in person and livestreamed

in person and livestreamed

in person and livestreamed

Cover photo from last Tuesday's prayer service in the style of Taizé by Michael Perera.

The Hero's Journey and the Liturgy

How Not To Be Afraid

2023 Women's Retreat

QUICK LINKS: LEAFLETS | CATHEDRAL PRAYER LIST | VIDEO ARCHIVE | SERMONS | CALENDAR

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 12:30 P.M., in Bloedel Hall and via Zoom

As we’ve announced in recent weeks during Sunday services, the Annual Parish Meeting will occur this Sunday February 5, 2022, beginning after the conclusion of the 11 a.m. Eucharist, at approximately 12:30 p.m. All cathedral parish communicants in good standing are encouraged to attend the meeting, at which we will elect new vestry members, delegates to Diocesan Convention, and vote to amend the by-laws to confirm to recent changes to the Washington Non-Profit Corporation Act. Statements from the candidates for Vestry and Diocesan Convention Delegate are now posted online. We will also celebrate our common life, and Dean Thomason will share Pro Christo Awards and a Cathedral Cross to individuals. Please note:

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. As in past years, we will vote to elect new members to the Vestry and delegates and alternates to Diocesean Convention. In addition, there will be a vote to approve the Second Restated Bylaws. In 2022, the Washington legislature revised the Non-Profit Corporations Act (RCW 24.03A) which applies to St. Mark’s. The Vestry undertook to revise the St. Mark’s Bylaws to comply with the new statute. The most significant revisions relate to rights of transparency and participation by members in a non-profit. While The Vestry usually votes on any Bylaws revisions, because the revisions under the new statute impact member rights they will be voted on by Parish Communicants in Good Standing at the Annual Meeting. A copy of the revisions to the Bylaws can be found at this link. Learn more at saintmarks.org/bylaws

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 9 A.M.–2:30 P.M., drop in any time (see the schedule of events here), in person only, in the cathedral nave and outdoors. Registration requested.

This offering for children, youth, and adults is an intentionally intergenerational exploration of embodied spiritual practices. The doors will open at 9 a.m., and we'll begin at 9:30 a.m. with prayer, song, and an introduction to the day's activities. Feel free to come and go as you desire; we'll break for a light lunch at noon and the day will end at 2:30 p.m. All activities take place in the cathedral nave and on the labyrinth, weather permitting. The day includes facilitated experiences as well as self-guided activities, and includes options for all ages and abilities. You are invited to choose among the offerings that interest you. Scheduled offerings include Qi Gong, Body Prayer, A Drum Circle, making collages, and Yoga. In addition, self-guided activities available throughout the day include: Praying in Color, Outdoor, indoor, and finger labyrinths, Ignatian Imaginative Prayer, Children's activities inspired by Sing, Wrestle, Spin: Prayers for Active Kids, and more. Facilitators include Betsy Bell, Emily Meeks, Deborah Brown, Will Matthews, and Sarah Hyde. See the schedule of offerings here. Don't miss this day of prayer and connection for all ages! Please register in advance by submitting this form. (Registration is appreciated but not required.) Suggested donation: $10. Contact Canon Barrie with any questions: wbarrie@saintmarks.org

THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 4:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed

Come hear the story of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple and enter into it with your heart, mind, and voice at eventide this Sunday. The Feast of the Presentation is a liminal point in the church calendar—when our focus on Jesus’ Incarnation turns from his birth to his ministry, death, and resurrection. Accordingly, the prayers and praises on this occasion are rich in contrasting themes. Light and shadow, promises kept and promises made, hopes and fears, the past and the future—all meet in the Feast of the Presentation. The Evensong Choir will offer the radiant setting of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis composed in 1946 by Herbert Howells for Gloucester Cathedral, and a masterpiece of early English polyphony, Robert Parsons’ Ave Maria.

NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, immediately following the 11 a.m. service

A newcomers' coffee with clergy is normally offered on the first Sunday of each month immediately following the 11 a.m. Sunday service. However, the next newcomers' gathering will be offered on February 12 rather than February 5, due to the Annual Parish Meeting and Elections. Email newcomers@saintmarks.org with any questions.

THIS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2023, 6:45–8:15 P.M., presenter on Zoom. Optional community dinner in Bloedel Hall at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family).

In fantasy games like Dungeons & Dragons, groups of players weave a story together about a fellowship of heroes. Those heroes vanquish horrors, experience unspeakable wonders, and transform the world. We’ll explore what we can learn from such group storytelling and how it relates to the story we immerse ourselves in each time we participate in the divine liturgy. Presenter Jeremy Crawford is a Saint Mark’s parishioner who studied theology at Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and is the lead rules designer of Dungeons & Dragons.

Program is free; join using this Zoom link. Those attending the community dinner in Bloedel Hall will participate in the forum together in Room 210.

Gareth Higgins: How Not To be Afraid

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

Fear feeds on the stories we tell ourselves, Higgins claims, and in the pages of How Not to Be Afraid, he delves into the mechanisms of fear, as well as the quiet, immense strength of individuals and communities that refuse to let it reign. Grounded in personal experience and expert reflection on violence, conflict transformation, and trauma recovery, Higgins traces vulnerability as strength to address seven common fears that plague each of us at some point in our lives. By examining such topics as the fear of being alone, the fear of not having enough, and the fear of violence and death, he invites readers into habits of hope rooted in Celtic spirituality and the mysteries of love. Learn more and see preview videos here.

Gareth Higgins was born in Belfast in 1975, grew up during the Northern Ireland Troubles, and now lives in the US. He writes and speaks about the power of storytelling to shape our lives and world, peace and making justice, and how to take life seriously without believing your own propaganda. He is the co-founder of The Porch Community, the Wild Goose Festival, The New Story Festival, and The Movies & Meaning Festival, and he leads retreats in Ireland and the U.S. He is passionate about helping people discover the meaning of our own lives, and to learn from each other about how stories help us live better. www.garethhiggins.net

Program is free; join online using this Zoom link; no need to register for in-person attendance. Optional community dinner served at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family).

Mideast Focus Ministry Announces Dates and Films for the 2023 Film Festival—Break the Silence: Stories of Occupation

For several years the Saint Mark's Mideast Focus Ministry has presented a series of film screenings each spring, featuring a wide variety of films, including documentaries, dramas, and comedies, that address the history and current situation in Israel/Palestine, as well as related justice issues. In 2021 and 2022 the film festival was offered almost entirely online, but 2023 they will offer in-person screenings, as well as hybrid options. As always, each film will be followed by a lively discussion with special guests—often the filmmakers themselves, or an expert in the topic of the film. Each screening and discussion will be offered on a Thursday evening. The dates and titles for the 2023 festival will be:

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 6–7:15 P.M., in the cathedral nave. Suggested donation: $5/person, $20/family.

Please join us on Shrove Tuesday (a.k.a. Mardi Gras), February 21, in the cathedral nave, to end the season after Epiphany in the traditional way—by gathering in community, eating pancakes, and having fun! There will be live music, crafts, and games. Chef Marc Aubertin and the youth will be preparing our meal, and the members of the Seattle Service Corps will be decorating and assisting in the celebration. The celebration in the nave will conclude with a brief liturgy to bury the Alleluias and close the great doors until Easter. (This is a treasured tradition unique to Saint Mark's—see a glimpse of what the Closing of the Doors looked like last year here.) Finally, on the patio, palms are burned to create the ashes for the Ash Wednesday services the next day.

Second Sunday Book Group Selection for March: A Thousand Splendid Suns

SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 12:30–2 P.M., in person in Cathedral House Room 210 or online via Zoom

The Seattle Opera is staging the world premiere of an opera based on Khaled Hosseini’s 2007 novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, so Saint Mark’s Book Group is reading or re-reading it, with many planning to see the opera. “There has never been a more important time for this story to be taking the stage,” opera's Afghani director remarked. Undoubtedly, he is referencing the subjection of women under Taliban rule which is the focus of Hosseini’s book... and again a reality in Afghanistan today. The presence of the Popal family, currently living as our guests on the cathedral property, brings this reality even closer. The novel is a horrific story of family violence but also of sacrifice and hope. It’s moving and melodramatic and operatic. You do not need to see the opera in order to participate in the discussion of the novel. Contact Pearl McElheran with questions. Contact Deborah Brown to get the Zoom link.

FRIDAY–SATURDAY, APRIL 21–23, 2023, at St. Andrew’s House Retreat Center, Union, WA

Registration is now open for this year's Women's Retreat! The theme for our time together will be: Our Lives as Sacred Stories. This two-night retreat will take place at St. Andrew's House, a lodge-like setting, with warm and comfortable accommodations and en suite bathrooms, on the beautiful Hood Canal. All meals are included in the cost of the retreat, and are locally sourced and chef prepared. There are a few single rooms available, but most rooms are doubles, we hope many will be open to sharing, please specify your preference when you register. The cost for two nights' accommodation, dinner on Friday, all meals on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday is $340 for a single room; $250 for a double. Scholarships are available. Please reach out to Canon Jennifer or Rev. Linzi with any questions. To register to attend, simply send an email to Erik Donner: edonner@saintmarks.org. A $50 deposit is required to reserve your spot.

Videos are now available of recent events and discussions, which you can watch on-demand at your convenience. Recent videos include the January Climate Conversation on the topic of Advocacy for Systemic Change, Phil Cousineau's Saturday workshop on The Art of Pilgrimage, the fascinating presentation on Religion in the Public Square offered by Newsweek's Religion Editor Julia Duin, and the Sunday morning presentation from our partners at Casa Latina. These videos and many more can also be found gathered in a YouTube playlist here .

The cathedral sent out giving statements for 2022 by email earlier this week. If you made any financial contribution to Saint Mark's in the 2022 calendar year, but did not receive a statement, or if you have any questions or concerns, please contact Erik Donner: edonner@saintmarks.org

Saint Mark’s Singers wants YOU. Saint Mark’s Singers, the adult choir which sings in the 9 a.m. Eucharist on Sundays, has several openings for new members. Do you feel God calling you to offer your time to a cathedral ministry, enjoy singing, want to learn more about the music of the church, seek a friendly community to join? Any or all of these are great reasons to contact Michael Kleinschmidt, Canon for Cathedral Music: mkleinschmidt@saintmarks.org No audition is required, just a brief, in-person meeting with Canon Kleinschmidt to discuss how your hopes and dreams intersect with Saint Mark’s musical ministries.

Ash Wednesday this year falls on February 22—there are just three Sundays remaining before Lent begins. The ashes used in the Ash Wednesday liturgy are made by burning palm leaves distributes at last year's Palm Sunday service, so please bring any palms you may have in your home to church on February 5, 11, or 18. Place palms in the baskets located near the entrance to the nave. The palms will be burned at the conclusion of the Shrove Tuesday celebration on February 21. Contact Sacristan Michael Seewer with questions: mseewer@saintmarks.org

The cathedral's front office needs friendly faces to answer the phone, let visitors in through the office doors, and to help with occasional office duties. Opportunities are available on Wednesdays and Fridays This is a critical role at the cathedral—often the first face visitors to Saint Mark's see—and it can also be a lot of fun! If interested, please contact Erik Donner: edonner@saintmarks.org

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 6:30 P.M., online via Zoom only

The Creation Care Ministry normally meets online via Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month. However, for February only the meeting has been moved to the fourth Tuesday, February 28, at 6:30 p.m. Visit the Creation Care website for more information, or email ministry leader Marjorie Ringness to receive the Zoom link to join.

The Meal Sharing Ministry program at Saint Mark’s is an evolving, growing ministry in collaboration with several programs in Seattle working to combat hunger. Right now we provide a hot dinner to Saint Martin de Porres, a shelter for men over 50, on the third Sunday of every month. Teen Feeds provides nutritious dinners to homeless youth in the University District six times a year. We have recently partnered with First Covenant Church on Capitol Hill to provide a hot breakfast for homeless men and women on the first Saturday of every month. If you would like to cook, help serve food, and get to know some members of our community outside the Cathedral walls, we would welcome your help. We guarantee you will have fun while serving, and the burden is definitely light! For more information, please contact Deborah Person at deborah.person@gmail.com, Maris Olsen at maris.olsen@gmail.com, or Chris Rigos at crigos33@gmail.com

A message from Cathedral Sacristan Michael Seewer:

"We are looking for ushers at the 11 a.m. liturgy on Sundays! Being an usher is awesome. You get to welcome people as they arrive for the liturgy and help them find a seat, walk around during the service, count people, help people, collect money, be a part of the campus safety team and live out your Baptismal Covenant by 'seeking and serving Christ in ALL persons!' You might be called to this ministry if you like order, enjoy counting, and enjoy physical activity. Want to learn more? Speak to Wayne Duncan, Kathy Sodergren, or me: mseewer@saintmarks.org "

Forward Day by Day: New Issue Available

Forward Day by Day is a daily devotional published quarterly by Forward Movement, containing scripture, reflections, and prompts to prayer for each day of the year. For many years at Saint Mark's issues were made available (in both pocket-size and large-print version) to anyone who wanted one, in the rear of the nave. At this time there is no longer a place for them in the nave, so the new issue (covering February, March, and April), is now available just inside the office entrance, on the table beneath the community bulletin board. This resource is made available to the community through the generosity of anonymous parishioners.

The Cathedral Commons offering last Wednesday, February 1, featuring a presentation on Candlemas, Imbolc, and St. Brigid of Kildare, along with candle-making and a brief prayer service, was enjoyed by all who attended. A few of the candles created during the evening are pictured here. The youngest candle maker was 4, the oldest was 80!

Don Fornoff, Member of the Bishop’s Task Force on Homelessness of the Diocese of Olympia, recently released a message to the community inviting everyone to participate in the legislative process in the State of Washington, specifically with respect to a number of bills now under consideration which would affect the dynamics of poverty and homelessness in our state. These include bills which would allocate funding to aid the unsheltered, but also bills addressing the availability of affordable housing, tenants rights, free school meals, and a pilot UBI program. Your voice matters. See the complete message here.

SEVEN THURSDAYS BEGINNING FEBRUARY 16, 9 A.M. Pacific, streaming online, or watch on demand. Registration and fee required.

The Rev. Dr. Hilary Raining's memorable turn as Saint Mark's Theologian-in-residence has concluded, but Dean Thomason would like to alert the congregation to a very special 7-part workshop led by Dr. Raining that begins on February 16.

Transform fear and spiritual trauma with wisdom from the great mystics, Indigenous spirituality, and trauma-informed research—as you cultivate your own sustaining practice for joy, peace, and lifelong spiritual growth. Explore the next evolution of Christianity, and connect with a more fulfilling, experiential, and grounded relationship with the Divine. In today’s world, why are even the most devoted spiritual seekers feeling anxiety about the future? Join Hillary for a brand-new 7-week live video course as she guides you to understand the chaotic transitions of the world in a whole new light, as a necessary birth into a more sacred way of being. You’ll learn from great mystics and Indigenous traditions—including Native American and Celtic—to cultivate peace and a deep awareness of where Spirit has been speaking to you in your life. You’ll explore where you need support to heal and use your gifts as you respond to this era of spiritual transformation and growth.

Read much more, see an endorsement from a familiar face, and find out how to register here

Are you looking for a new discipline for a holy Lent to prepare for Easter? Deepening your listening skills might be just that discipline. Consider attending Listener Training at Underhill House, a quiet place to pause for prayer. Our Listeners come 1–2 times per month, on a Thursday, to sit in sacred silence and pray. Roles include greeting guests and, if desired, listening to what brings them in that day and offering a prayer. The next Listener Training is Wednesday, February 15 from 12–2:30 p.m. at Underhill House, on Capitol Hill near Broadway and Republican. Come and discern—no commitment necessary to attend training. If you have questions or would like to sign up, please contact Susan Dean at susan@underhillhouse.org. To learn more please visit our web site at www.underhillhouse.org/partners. 

THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1:30 P.M., in Thomsen Chapel

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 12 P.M., in the cathedral nave

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2 P.M., in the cathedral nave

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1:30 P.M., in the cathedral nave

Daily Evening Prayer meets in person at 6 p.m. in Thomsen Chapel on Wednesday only, and is offered online via zoom at 6 p.m. on Monday–Tuesday and Thursday–Friday.

Morning Prayer is offered on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m., via Zoom. This offering has been discontinued as of January 2023.

Thursday Morning: At 7 a.m. on on the first, third, and fifth Thursdays of the month only, a service of Holy Eucharist is offered in person in Thomsen Chapel. On the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, an online-only prayer service is offered via Zoom at 7 a.m. instead.

Saint Mark’s Cathedral acknowledges that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People, who are still here, and we honor with gratitude the land itself and the life all the Coast Salish tribes. [Learn more]

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