Volunteer to greet at Saturday Misa



Please sign up to support our Spanish-speaking service on Saturdays at 5:30 pm. One volunteer is needed, two is company! Open the door to welcome worshipers, be a caring and alert presence, and get to know our fellow San Marcans. Sign up at: https://bit.ly/MisaDoor

Giving statements mailed

Giving statements for the first half of 2025 are in the mail. If you do not receive yours or have any questions, please contact mypledge@ourcathedral.org.

Looking forward to the return of small groups!

“Words Create Worlds”

These powerful words are credited to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. The power comes in his succinct naming of an eternal truth, that words matter. This message, and the exhortation to heed it, are found everywhere throughout scripture; punctuated and prioritized by Jesus.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to love God and our neighbor, not just conceptually, but wholeheartedly, in every aspect of our lives as individuals and as the community of St Mark’s.

We live in a world that is full of brokenness and division, isolating us further. But we are called by a relational God to be in relationship with each other, as God is with us. Though this might sound impossible, by the Grace and love of God, all th9ings are possible.

Understanding ourselves, our feelings and beliefs, and the language we use, is vital to understanding others and to move us toward reconciliation.

Building those connections and moving towards reconciliation will be a focus this Fall, including the return of small groups. The details will be forthcoming, but we encourage you to be in prayer for these connections. And although the groups will not be a book study, “Atlas of the Heart” is an excellent resource and is a part of the underpinnings for these groups. We recommend it to you most highly: https://brenebrown.com/book/atlas-of-the-heart/

Throughout the life and ministry of Jesus, the Gospel writers share story after story of what happens when people are seen and heard. Imagine the moment when Jesus says your name and it feels like home. To be fully seen and known, including the dark spots, and yet accepted? We don’t have to imagine that, as it is already true. With that in mind, imagine what could be if we all speak and act from that truth?

SMEC Library request for book donations

If you recently purchased an adult, teen, or children’s fiction or nonfiction (adult nonfiction in these areas- biography, history, poetry, social justice, climate justice, prayer, spirituality, theology, worship, other religions, parenting) or general children's or teen nonfiction book with copyright dates of 2023 or after, consider donating it to the SMEC library!!!

We are also looking for newer (copyright 2023 or after) books, fiction and nonfiction, to “refresh” our new LBGTQ+ section.

Books from the library check out for 4 weeks.

If the book is in very good or like-new condition, please contact Jennifer Long at jllong55343@yahoo.com with the title, author, and publication date. I will get back to you!

In Peace,

Jennifer Long

WELLS FOUNDATION GRANT SPOTLIGHT:

Rebuilding Together Minnesota

The Wells Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit managed by Saint Markans, granting funds to organizations serving the needs of our communities.

Here is one of the organizations supported in 2024:

Operating since 1997, Rebuilding Together Minnesota has a mission of sustaining healthy

neighborhoods and ensuring that residents in need can live independently and with safety

and dignity in their own homes. They serve low-income homeowners including seniors,

individuals with disabilities, families with children, and veterans and their families,

making critical home repairs and accessibility modifications at no cost.

They also work on community centers, playgrounds, and shared spaces, to revitalize and uplift entire neighborhoods.

The Wells Foundation is proud to be a supporter of their efforts.

For more information on Rebuilding Together Minnesota, visit rtmn.org. To learn more about the work of the Wells Foundation, visit wellsfound.org.

A message from Rev. Clara

Dear Saint Mark’s Community,

I used to start my emails with “I hope you are well.” And while I do still hope people are well, I’ve shifted to salutations that seem slightly more appropriate to these times:

I hope you are breathing deeply and staying grounded today.

I hope you are nourished by the sunshine today.

I hope you are feeling supported and loved today.

While painful and unjust policies and practices have always existed in our country and our world, our current crises are increasingly acute. Many of us are desperate to figure out how to take action for ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities. Some of us feel paralyzed with anxiety and fear.

How each of us inhabit this moment may be different, but we all have the common callings of prayer and action. Reflecting on the story of Mary and Martha this past Sunday, Rev. Bryan Bliss reminded us that both prayer and action are important, and what matters is how we center them on Jesus.

In the Gospels, Jesus exemplifies a cycle of devoted prayer and intentional action. He prays, he preaches, he heals, he turns over tables. Faith without works may be dead, as the book of James says, but acting without prayer can be both ineffectual and harmful. We must hold both simultaneously.

I’ve been feeling the Holy Spirit urging me to more time in prayer, not to avoid taking action, but to discern where God is calling me to show up to continue Jesus’ work. How we show up to build the kingdom of God, both individually and collectively, is going to look different as our world changes. Bringing our pain and rage to God and asking God’s guidance will direct us in this kingdom-building work.

In the spirit of braiding together prayer, action, and community, I would like to invite you into a common prayer practice over the next few months. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, we will gather in-person to pray Evening Prayer.

Reflecting the current building schedule and our intention to be the body of Christ in the world, the in-person gatherings on Tuesdays and Thursdays will happen off-site at nearby parks, libraries, or other public spaces, at 6:00 pm. On Saturdays, we will gather at the Cathedral immediately after the Spanish-speaking service, around 6:30 pm, and you are encouraged to attend Misa at 5:30 pm in solidarity with our Spanish-speaking siblings.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we will gather on Zoom to pray Compline at 8:30 pm.

As we pray these services from the Daily Office, we will hold an extended time for intercessory prayer for the state of our communities, country, and world in this particular socio-political moment. As we deepen our prayer practice, we will foster space for conversations and action-planning that emerge.

Our first prayer gathering will be Friday, August 1, at 8:30 pm on Zoom. Our first in-person gathering will be the next day, Saturday, August 2, at SMEC after the end of the Spanish-speaking service, around 6:30 pm. Come whenever it works for you.

The schedule and zoom links can be found on the website calendar, but please check the weekly Connector and Saint Mark’s Facebook page for last-minute scheduling or location changes.

We still need more volunteer officiants – training is available! Please email Rev. Clara at claras@ourcathedral.org if you are able to help officiate. You can also sign up at this link.

All shall be well, all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well. Julian of Norwich’s famous words are hard for me to believe sometimes.

But, even when we are struggling to believe, we can still practice. We can let our desperate prayers bring us back to hope, and turn us back toward love.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and[m] in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

We are not alone. The Spirit is at work within us.

I hope you can join us this season for this Daily Prayer-In-Action.

In gratitude, resilience, and a yet-persistent hope for an ever-deepening wellness, however I start my emails,

Rev. Clara

claras@ourcathedral.org

P.S. If evenings don’t work for you, or you just want to pray even more, make sure to check out https://dailyoffice.wordpress.com, where our own Rev. Tom Roy coordinates daily virtual Morning Prayer with people from across the country via The Daily Office Network.

Dean Search Committee Update

For ongoing progress updates from the committee, click here.

Gospel Based Discipleship

Fridays, 12:15 pm, online via Zoom

Gospel Based Discipleship is a weekly online meeting to read a passage of scripture and reflect on its meaning. There is no curriculum, no instructor. This is not a class, but a space for thought and reflection, a sort of "mini-retreat" from the week's busyness.

Access the Zoom link here. The gathering lasts only 45-50 minutes, from 12:15 pm until about 1 pm.

Encountering Loss:

Downtown Coalition for Grief Support

The Downtown Coalition for Grief Support meets every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Mark's through the summer.

Each session begins with either a professional speaker or a personal story, followed by small groups depending on the kind of loss experienced: spouse/partner, family/friend, or child. Everyone is invited to listen to the speaker; small group sessions are limited to those who experienced the death of a loved one.

Some upcoming topics: A Gentile Practice for Tough Times, The Courage to Ask: Embracing Help on the Path to Healing, Myths and Grief, Children and Grief, and many more. For more information, visit their website here.

Volunteers are always needed to welcome participants. The hours for volunteers are 9:30- 10:30.

If you have questions on the program or volunteering, email Linda Schelin at lindahneb@aol.com.

Gathering Groups

As a way to connect and to grow as disciples of Jesus, Saint Mark’s has a variety of groups based on interest, affinity, or time. Two groups that meet monthly, with a set schedule, are these:

Women’s group: Second Thursday of the month, 6:00 pm, in the Library. On hiatus July and August, returning September 11.

Men’s group: Fourth Saturday of the month, 9:00 am, in the Library. 

Please join us whenever it fits your schedule!

Summer building hours:

Sunday: 7:30 am - 1:00 pm

Monday: By appointment

Tuesday: By appointment

Wednesday: 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

Thursday: By appointment

Friday: Closed

Saturday: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm