SUNDAY OFFERINGS

Sunday, February 18, 2024:

The First Sunday in Lent

8 a.m. • The Holy Eucharist

in Thomsen Chapel

9 a.m. • The Holy Eucharist

in the cathedral nave

10 a.m. • Godly Play

in the St. Nicholas Bldg, 2nd floor

10:10 a.m. • Sunday Forum: Spotlight on Spiritual Practices

in Bloedel Hall

11 a.m. • The Holy Eucharist

in the nave and livestreamed

7 p.m. • Contemplative Eucahrist

in Thomsen Chapel

9:30 p.m. • Compline

in the nave and livestreamed

10 p.m. • Organ by Night

in the nave and organ loft

Cover photo from last Tuesday's burning of palms on the front patio (which concluded the Shrove Tuesday celebration and Closing of the Doors liturgy) by Michael Perera.

NEW THIS WEEK

Strategic Plan Adopted

available online or in print

This Sunday

Vestry installation and welcome to new clergy

Organ by Night

with Susanna Valleau

Lenten Morning Prayer

online with Canon Linzi

A Lenten Quiet Morning and Not-so-quiet Afternoon

a day of special practices for the season

A Cathedral's Complicity

Save the date for an important exploration of redlining and racial restrictions in our own backyard

New Picnic Tables

for Leffler Garden

Saint Mark's offers a spectrum of liturgies, performances, forums, and other other offerings throughout the season, including dinners, forums, concert, and more, culminating in the great liturgies of Holy Week and Easter themselves. Check out a complete listing here. (This page will be updated as new information is announced).

New Strategic Plan Adopted

On Saturday, February 10, the Vestry adopted the 2024 Strategic Plan at its annual working retreat. The content is shaped by parishioner feedback gathered in many ways over the course of last seven months, including the All-Parish Survey, engagement activities, and over seventy ministry outreach conversations. The plan is designed around six themes that were first introduced at a recent forum:

1. Being Rooted in Spiritual Practices
2. Empowering the Call to Action and Service
3. Cultivating Diverse Community
4. Stewarding Our Resources
5. Expanding Regional Reach and Welcome
6. Connecting and Telling Our Stories

The Vestry invites you take time to read the Strategic Plan, reflect on the content and prayerfully discern how ministries may be called to respond in participating in this shared work together. Check out the plan here. Printed copies are now available in the narthex. If you have comments or questions, we would be delighted to hear from you—email strategicplanning@saintmarks.org

Installation of the New Vestry, and Welcome to Canon Weyls

THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, at the 9 and 11 a.m. services

The newly-elected Vestry met for the the first time at their retreat last weekend, and this Sunday Vestry members will be formally installed with a brief rite during the 9 and 11 a.m. services. This Sunday is also the first Sunday on staff for the new Cathedral Canon, the Rev. Rich Weyls. He will preside at the 9 a.m. service, and will be present at coffee hour after both services. Welcome, Canon Weyls!

Organ by Night

THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 10 P.M. (following Compline)

Susanna Valleau will offer this month's Organ by Night music following Compline this Sunday, June 18. She has performed several times on the Flentrop in recent years, and presently serves as Music Director of St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church in Shoreline. She will play works by French, Kerr, and Sandresky.

On every third Sunday of the month, organists offer 20 minutes of music on the mighty Flentrop organ, and encourage listeners to join them in the gallery to see and hear the organ and organist up close. They are also happy to answer questions about the music and the organ itself.

Presidents' Day

The cathedral and offices will be closed on Monday, February 20, in observance of the Presidents' Day holiday. Evening Prayer is suspended. The evening 12-step group and Cathedral Yoga will meet as usual. Canon Stahlecker's Lenten Morning Prayer offering will gather on Zoom (see below).

Morning Prayer with Canon Linzi on Weekdays during Lent

BEGINS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 7:30-8 A.M., via Zoom

Come just as you are to Morning Prayer each weekday morning of Lent, on Zoom. Join Canon Linzi for this daily 30 minute liturgy, all are welcome, whether you're still in your pj's, joining from your workplace, or listening on the move. We will be praying straight from the BCP, so grab your Prayer Book and your Bible. For those who would rather, you can also follow along on these two sites, which also have apps that work on smart phones: Mission St. Clare; Venite. No former experience with Morning Prayer is necessary. Join using this Zoom link. Please reach out to Linzi+ with any questions.

A Lenten Quiet Morning and Not-So-Quiet Afternoon

SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 9 A.M.–3 P.M., throughout the cathedral campus

The nave will be open as a space for prayer and quiet contemplation for this self-curated Quiet Morning; optional offerings will include Morning Prayer (9:30 a.m.), Breathwork (10:30 a.m.), and Centering Prayer (11:30 a.m.). Afternoon offerings will include a Sound Bath, drumming, art activities, and more. A simple soup lunch will be available in Bloedel Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Additional information and a schedule for the day will be posted here when it is available.

Freewill donations gratefully accepted ($10–$15 suggested). No RSVP necessary. Email Canon Linzi Stahlecker for more information: lstahlecker@saintmarks.org

SAVE THE DATE

A Cathedral's Complicity in Redlining and Restrictive Covenants: Telling the Truth for a More Just Future

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2024, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person only, starting in Bloedel Hall. Optional community dinner at 6 p.m. ($6/child; $8/adult; $25/max. family)

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 Cathedral leadership, Sophie Betz (University of Washington Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project) and the Rev. Canon Carla Robinson (Diocese of Olympia Canon for Multicultural Ministries and Community Transformation) 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.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

A Lenten Invitation from Dean Steve Thomason

On Ash Wednesday, Dean Thomason send a message to the congregation inviting everyone into the spiritual practice of planning your funeral as a gift to your loved ones, and to prepare (or review) your will and estate plans. Lent is an especially appropriate time for this. Resources for funeral are available here, and you are encouraged to reach out to any member of the clergy if you need guidance. If you have not made a will, the Cathedral Foundation and the Diocese of Olympia have partnered with Freewill.com to provide a powerful online resource designed to help guide your decisions around estate planning and will preparation. This service is free when you use the diocese’s link: freewill.com/dioceseofolympia

Picnic Tables Now in the Leffler Garden

The Leffler Garden now has two picnic tables for gathering! The project was made possible to the Leffler Community Gardeners out of a Small Sparks Grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. The tables are made from red cedar and are a walk-through design to ensure greater accessibility. Earlier this year the Leffler Fence was replaced and along with a more sturdy fence, there is greater visibility of the garden and Greenbelt. Thank you to the assembly crew: Gretchen Cook, Tom Kmitta, Melinda Kmitta, Emily Meeks, Jacquelyn Miller, Gordon Miller, Steve Quinn, John Selberg, Kathy Sodergren, Kathy Thomason. Check out some more photos in the video above!

Lenten Devotions from Intergenerational Ministries

Saint Mark's Intergenerational Ministries is pleased to make available Floriography: A Lenten "Flower Power" Calendar, a resource for weekly prayer and reflection by saltproject.org. These will be shared each week in the email newsletter, but you can download the complete set here.

“Floriography” is the secret language of flowers. It bloomed first in eighteenth-century northern Europe, drawing on the fascination with flowers that cuts across cultures, times, and places.

In many churches, the word, “Alleluia” (which means, “Praise God!”) is buried, or put away, on Ash Wednesday. On Easter, all those buried Alleluias sprout up everywhere, in all the prayers and songs. They flower on the tongue. The same is true for flowers. On Easter morning the sanctuary blooms with a party of tulips and daffodils, hyacinths and lilies—potted Alleluias! Resurrection is spread through the world like pollen on the wind, and Christians head out like bees covered in good news to spread it everywhere they go.

This year we’d like to invite you on a Lenten journey that’s full of flowers. Just at the time of year when (in the top half of the Northern Hemisphere, anyway!) things seem most barren and flowerless, we hope you’ll join us in considering the lilies, as Jesus asked us to do. And not just the lilies, but the tulips, the forget-me-nots, the snowdrops, the weeds, and the corpse flower too, to see what they might have to teach us about life and death and resurrection on Easter morning.

Download this resource here, or pick up a hard copy in Coffee Corner on Sunday! Copies will also be available at the Sunday Forum on Spiritual Practices between the 9 and 11 a.m. services this Sunday.

Need a Saint Mark's Name Tag?

Wearing a name tag is an easy way to greet each other by name on Sundays. Saint Mark’s can order a branded magnetic name tag that you can wear each week. You are welcome to make a donation to the cathedral defray the cost of your name tag, but this is not required. If you would like a name tag, please email Erik Donner for more information: edonner@saintmarks.org —and if you already have a name tag, you are encouraged to wear it on Sunday.

2023 Giving Statements

Annual giving statements were sent to all cathedral donors via email in the last week of January. If you think you should have received a statement but did not, or if you had trouble with the email, please reach out to Erik Donner: edonner@saintmarks.org

Meal Trains

Participating in a Meal Train is a wonderful way to help fellow parishioners feel God's love and stay connected to the cathedral community in times of need. The McLaughlin-Krikorian family is going through a difficult time, as they manage a serious chronic illness in the family, as well bereavement—sign up to help at mealtrain.com/trains/m3ov43. If you know of someone who would appreciate the gift of some meals, please contact Canon Stahlecker: lstahlecker@saintmarks.org

Help Create a Seed Library at Saint Mark’s

A seed library is a place where community members can take and swap seeds for free. It’s a wonderful way to introduce new plants and flowers and connect with others. Seed saving is something that has been done for more than 10,000 years. (Read more about the connections between seeds and caring for the Earth in this article from Orion magazine.) Are you interested in collaborating with others to organize a seed library at Saint Mark’s? Email Emily Meeks: emeeks@saintmarks.org

2024 Civil Rights Pilgrimage: An Invitation from The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson

SEPTEMBER 30–OCTOBER 9, 2024. Registration deadline: June 30

In this video, the Rev. Canon Carla Robinson extends an invitation to join the 10-day Civil Rights Pilgrimage from Atlanta to Memphis. “There will be time, time to reflect, time to enjoy the uniqueness of the places we visit. Time to share, for sharing our stories and our insights is critical to what will make this pilgrimage transformative. And there will be time for prayer.” More information and registration can be found here.

FROM THE SAINT MARK'S COMMUNITY

Nana Sophia's Oasis, a Play by Elizabeth Clark-Stern

TWO MATINEE PERFORMANCES: TOMORROW, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17 or SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2 P.M., at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Seattle, Room 202

Saint Mark's member Elizabeth Clark-Stern's play Nana Sophia's Oasis, exploring exploring themes of compassion and our responsibilities to our neighbors, will be presented at two Saturday matinee performances at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford. A trio of eccentric, transplanted Southerners attempt to adjust to their new life in a senior condo near the Arizona/Mexico border. One of them, later dubbed "Nana Sophia," secretly puts out food and water for people crossing the border. Madcap plans for their granddaughter's wedding are thrown off track when a Guatemala refugee seeks shelter in their home. Each character must confront their deepest prejudices and fears, and choose a course of action. Find nore information here. Suggested donation: $20; all proceeds go to New Dawn Guatemala, a nonprofit working to bring sustainable life to communities in Guatemala.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENT CHOIR

Kauge Maa: Ester Mägi 102 Estonian Tour Homecoming Concert

SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 7 P.M., Mount Baker Park Presbyterian Church, 3201 Hunter Blvd S, Seattle

The Mägi Ensemble (a Saint Mark's Cathedral choir-in-residence) presents their Estonian Tour Concert program in Seattle! Repertoire includes four pieces by our namesake, Ester Mägi, in honor of what would have been here 102nd birthday, along with selections by Arvo Pärt, Katherine Pukinskis, Laura Jēkabsone and founding Mägi Ensemble member and current board president, Ailisa Newhall. Purchase tickets here.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENT CHOIR

The Choir of the Sound presents: The Book of Hours: A Choral Reflection on Time

SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 7 p.m., in the cathedral nave and livestreamed, purchase tickets here.

Minutes, hours, years, seasons, moon phases, birthdays, prayers…join the Choir of the Sound in the timeless space of Saint Mark’s Cathedral as we explore the different ways we mark and measure the passage of time throughout our lives. This concert will also be offered on Sunday March 10 at 3 p.m. at the Bastyr University Chapel in Kenmore.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENT CHOIR

The Seattle Choral Company presents: Eternal Light 

SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 8 P.M., in the cathedral nave (pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. by director Freddie Coleman), purchase tickets here.

The Seattle Choral Company’s mid-season concert brings back to the repertory a true masterpiece of the 20th century—Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light). The SCC presented the first Seattle performance of this beloved contemporary work in May of 2000, with the composer (a Washington native) in attendance. This concert will also feature two choral works from the 18th and 19th centuries: Misericordias Domini, K. 222, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; and the Mass No. 2 in G Major, by Franz Schubert. Joining the Seattle Choral Company for the performance of Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in G Major will a trio of accomplished Seattle soloists: Ellaina Lewis, soprano; Brendan Tuohy, tenor; and Darrell Jordan, baritone. Once again, members of the North Corner Chamber Orchestra will complete the roster of guest artists for this concert of choral masterworks spanning three centuries.

FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Lenten Offerings from the Rev. Hilary Raining, Ph.D.

Saint Mark's former Theologian-in-Residence and friend of the cathedral Dr. Hilary Raining is leading a special series of workshops for Lent through her online community The Hive. In a series of five live classes on Zoom, The Open Palm: Exploring the Ancient Spiritual Tool of Fasting will examine one of the most ancient spiritual tools that is used across religions and cultures. Jesus himself used fasting as a way to prepare for his ministry, and his 40-day fast in the wilderness is the basis for the Christian season of Lent. Yet, to our modern sensibilities, going without food or a beloved comfort (for non-food related fasts) can seem strange and “old-fashioned.” This series will explore different kinds of fasts, fasting in the Bible, Native American forms of fasting, fasting's role in the mystic path, scientific perspectives on fasting, and more. (The class will be sensitive to issues of disordered eating.) Classes meet in the morning on five Mondays in Lent, starting February 19. Learn more and watch a video trailer here. Enrolling requires membership in The Hive community.

Members of The Hive also have access to the full library of previous courses, including last year's 2023 Lenten program on forgiveness, reconciliation, and spiritual healing called Joy in Confession, based on Hillary’s book of the same title, and Even at the Grave: A Four-Part Series on Death and Dying led by the Rev. April Stace, Ph.D., assistant professor in practical theology at General Theological Seminary. Learn more about The Hive here.

Volunteer at Lowell Elementary: Cooking Classes for 4th and 5th Graders

TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, FEBRUARY 27–MARCH 28

Our neighbors at Lowell Elementary are seeking volunteers to help with cooking classes for 4th/5th graders. The class meets eight times on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:50 to 10:50 a.m., beginning February 27 and ending March 28. (Class does not meet the week of March 12.) For more details about what helping out involves, contact Cherie Bradshaw. All volunteers need to register with the School District; If you have registered to volunteer in the past, you will need to renew your registration. Learn more here.

FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Novena of Grace: I Am The Beloved!

THURSDAY, MARCH 7 to FRIDAY, MARCH 15: weekdays, 12:30–1:30 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. , in the Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle University, and livestreamed

Journey with the Ignatian Spirituality Center this Lent for a nine-day retreat amid daily life. Join daily for one hour a day, in person or online, and be uplifted by beautiful music, inspired preaching, and heartfelt prayer and reflection. Let us pray together as a faith-filled community for God’s healing and mercy in our lives. The Novena’s origins date to 1633, when tradition says St. Francis Xavier appeared to a priest in a healing vision and promised that all who would earnestly ask his intercession with God for nine consecutive days would experience profound grace. The Novena survives today as an annual tradition which is continually updated to remain relevant to the daily lives of retreat-goers. This year’s theme, I am the Beloved!, is a proclamation that claims and names our identity as the Beloved of God. Learn more here.

FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Environmental storytelling by ACT's Young Core Company  

SUNDAY, MARCH 10, 2 P.M., in the Allen Theater at ACT, reserve tickets here.

Saint Mark's members are invited to see a one hour long play at ACT. The play the Sunless Scar explores an environmentally damaged post apocalyptic world. ACT commissioned Maggie Lee to writ this play.  Maggie Lee and director Shana Bestock worked with youth theater artists to explore climate change through performance art. Following the play there will an opportunity for questions for Maggie Lee and the young core company members. ACT is able to provide a space for members of our Saint Mark's community to socialize following the show. Our Schola choir members Fish and Tessa are involved in this production. Please get your tickets ahead of time. Tickets are free or pay what you choose—reserve tickets here.

FUNERALS

A funeral for Doreen Tudor will be offered

SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2 P.M., in the cathedral nave

A funeral for Roger Leed will be offered

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2 P.M., in the cathedral nave

Sunday, February 18, 2024:

The First Sunday in Lent

Download the service leaflets in advance here.

Join the 11 a.m. service via livestream here.

Read the Scriptures appointed for this Sunday here.

Scripture:

Genesis 9:8–17

1 Peter 3:18–22

Mark 1:9–15

Psalm 25:1–9

8 A.M. • THE HOLY EUCHARIST

in Thomsen Chapel

Presider & Preacher: The Rev. Canon Linzi Stahlecker

Hymns:

The glory of these forty days [Hymn #143]

Now let us all with one accord [Hymn #147]

Organ:

Dietrich Buxtehude, Chorale-prelude on Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BuxWV 185

Dietrich Buxtehude, Präludium in E Minor, BuxWV 142 

9 A.M. • THE HOLY EUCHARIST

in the cathedral nave

Presider: The Rev. Canon Rich Weyls

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Linzi Stahlecker

Hymns:

Come, thou fount of every blessing [Hymn #686]

Now let us all with one accord [Hymn #147]

Choir:

arr. Carl Haywood and Jim Van Horn, I want Jesus to walk with me

Anonymous, Non nobis, Domine

Organ:

Dietrich Buxtehude, Chorale-prelude on Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort, BuxWV 185

Dietrich Buxtehude, Präludium in E Minor, BuxWV 142 

11 A.M. • THE HOLY EUCHARIST

in the cathedral nave & livestreamed

Presider: The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason

Preacher: The Rev. Canon Linzi Stahlecker

Hymns:

A mighty fortress is our God [tune of Hymn #688, with alternative translation]

I heard the voice of Jesus say [Hymn #692]

Now let us all with one accord [Hymn #147]

Choir:

William Byrd, Emendemus in melius

Organ:

J.S. Bach, Chorale-prelude on An Wasserflüssen Babylon, BWV 653a

Dietrich Buxtehude, Präludium in E Minor, BuxWV 142 

7 P.M. • CONTEMPLATIVE EUCHARIST

in Thomsen Chapel

Presider: The Rev. Canon Linzi Stahlecker

Musician: Page Smith, cello

A beloved Seattle tradition since 1956. Broadcast live on KING 98.1 FM, and king.org; livestreamed on saintmarks.org and Facebook and YouTube; and available as a podcast. Learn more here.

Highlights:

Gregorian Introit, Remember, O Lord

J.S. Bach, The glory of these forty days

Costanzo Festa, Lamentations of Jeremiah (à 7)

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH, 12:30 P.M., meet in the rear of the nave following the 11 a.m. service.

A newcomers' coffee with clergy is offered on the first Sunday of each month immediately following the 11 a.m. Sunday service. This coffee hour is offered especially for newcomers, guests, or anyone who has questions about the cathedral community and liturgies. Gather in the back of the nave.

Email newcomers@saintmarks.org if you cannot attend in person, or with any other questions. And as always, please spread the word to anyone you know who may be interested.

Each week, those for whom the community has been asked to pray are published each Friday afternoon in the Cathedral Prayer List, found as a PDF at saintmarks.org/prayer

On that same page, find information about joining the cathedral's Prayer Chain, to receive emails about individual prayer requests as they are submitted. The prayer list is also available in printed form in the back of the nave.

Weekday Prayer Services

Special Lenten Morning Prayer with Canon Linzi, Monday–Friday at 7:30 a.m. (see above)

Daily Evening Prayer is offered Monday–Friday at 6 p.m., online via Zoom only.

Thursday Morning: A service of Holy Eucharist is offered in person in Thomsen Chapel 7 a.m. on the 1st/3rd/5th Thursdays of the month only. On the 2nd/4th Thursdays of the month, an online-only prayer service is offered via Zoom at 7 a.m. instead.