In this Issue
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Special Preview: A Creation Care Video Message from Dean Steve Thomason
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Opening Reflection: Easter Uprising
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Events: Upcoming Activities and Past Highlights
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Faith and Creation: Intersectionality and Environmentalism, An Update from the Beehives
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Carbon Tracker: Updates & Spotlight on Food Waste
- Resources & Quick Links
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A CREATION CARE MESSAGE FROM DEAN STEVE THOMASON |
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Easter Uprising
"We will go into the future as a single sacred community or we will perish in the desert."
—Thomas Berry
"People in Gaza rely on water from public filling stations."
It’s Shrove Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras—the night before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. As I’m waiting for a friend, a message on my phone alerts me to the information that it’s World Water Day. Water scarcity in the West Bank and Gaza is an issue I’ve explored in some detail, beginning with my first trip to Israel-Palestine some ten years ago with friends from Earth Ministry.
The water situation there hasn’t changed much since then. As Amnesty International reports, soon after Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, in June 1967, the Israeli military authorities consolidated complete power over all water resources and water-related infrastructure in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Of the water available from West Bank aquifers, Israel uses 73%, West Bank Palestinians use 17%, and illegal Jewish settlers use 10%. While 10–14% of Palestine’s GDP is agricultural, 90% of them must rely on rain-fed farming methods.
I’ve not been to Gaza— it’s next to impossible to get in since its border has been controlled by Israel— but I have friends who endure the reality of life over there, where the water is essentially undrinkable, primarily because of the destruction of sewage plants during Israeli attacks. A recent report sums up the hard news.
We all have a chance to learn something about this through a Wednesday night forum on April 20th featuring staff from The Middle East Children's Alliance....
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Middle East Children's Alliance: The Maia Project
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in person in Bloedel Hall and online via Zoom
Join Zeiad Shamrouch, Executive Director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance, as he discusses MECA’s Maia project, which is supported by Bishop Rickel and the Diocese of Olympia.
The Maia Project began in 2007 when the Student Parliament at the UN Boys’ School in Bureij Refugee Camp, Gaza were given the opportunity to choose one thing they most wanted for their school: They chose to have clean drinking water. The reason: 95% of Gaza’s water is unfit for human consumption. Since then The Maia Project has completed 73 water purification and desalinization projects, bringing clean water to 90,000 children in Gaza.
The Middle East Children’s Alliance is a nonprofit organization working for the rights and the well-being of children in the Middle East. Learn more about the forum here.
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Meaningful Movie Project: The Story of Plastic
WATCH APRIL 16–22
PANEL DISCUSSION FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 7 P.M., via Zoom
In observation of Earth Day, Meaningful Movies Offered by The Episcopal Church in Western Washington is partnering with Mt. Baker Meaningful Movies to present The Story of Plastic, a searing exposé revealing the ugly truth behind plastic pollution and the false solution of plastic recycling. Different from every other plastic documentary you’ve seen, The Story of Plastic presents a cohesive timeline of how we got to our current global plastic pollution crisis and how the oil and gas industry has successfully manipulated the narrative around it. From the extraction of fossil fuels and plastic disposal to the global resistance fighting back, The Story of Plastic is a life-changing, Emmy award-winning film depicting one of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. Register here.
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Ravished by Nature’s Beauty—Longing for God
A two-part workshop led by Belden C. Lane
FRIDAY, APRIL 22 and SATURDAY, APRIL 23, in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom, registration required.
Renowned theologian and best-selling author Belden Lane will guide a wholesome exploration of reconnecting our spiritual lives with the earth through images, storytelling, poetry, and guided meditation. Advanced registration and fee ($60) required. Learn more and register here.
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Art by Coast Salish Artist Peter Boome on Exhibit at Saint Mark’s
APRIL 24–JUNE 5, in the cathedral nave
SUNDAY MORNING FORUM WITH THE ARTIST: APRIL 24, 10:10 A.M., in Bloedel Hall and via Zoom
OPENING RECEPTION: SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 12:30 P.M., cathedral nave
Saint Mark’s Visual Arts Ministry is delighted to host an exhibition of works by Peter Boome, Coast Salish Artist and member of the Upper Skagit Tribe, April 24–June 5 in the Cathedral nave. He works in a variety of mediums but is best known for his graphic work and hand-pulled serigraphs. Each of his works tells a story, and his exhibition at Saint Mark’s will explore themes including the connection between spirituality and the natural world. Works on display will include a new eight-foot canvas he is painting especially for this exhibition, a template for a mural on the Seattle waterfront, along with smaller works. The 10 a.m. Sunday Forum with the artist on April 24, co-hosted by the Creation Care Ministry and the Visual Arts Ministry, will focus on creation, art, and spirituality. Learn more here.
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Cathedral Day 2022: Returning to Our Roots
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 10:30 A.M.–3 P.M., in person; liturgy will be livestreamed. Registration required.
Cathedral Day is a celebration of the community of the Diocese of Olympia—a "family reunion" for Episcopalians from across western Washington. Cancelled due to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Cathedral Day returns with a theme of “Returning to Our Roots.” A liturgy of Holy Eucharist with the rites of confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation for candidates from parishes near and far will begin at 10:30 a.m., opening with a procession of colorful parish banners. Following the service, all are invited to have lunch from our food trucks and participate in activities for all ages. Food truck lunch is free with advance registration.
This year's festivities will also include Evangelism and Creation Care workshops led by Jerusalem Greer, Evangelism Officer of the Episcopal Church, and Brian Sellers Petersen, Diocese of Olympia Agrarian Missioner and Good News Garden Consultant. Click here for a full schedule of events.
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Jerusalem Greer Visiting and Preaching at Saint Mark’s
SUNDAY, MAY 8
Following Cathedral Day, Jerusalem Greer will offer a guest sermon at both the 9 and 11 a.m. services. She will also participate in a "Friends Talking" forum with Dean Thomason at 10:10 a.m., between the two liturgies, in person in Bloedel Hall or online via Zoom. Greer supports the Good News Gardens movement, which is a church-wide movement designed to partner with people in transformational agrarian ministry to feed the body, mind and spirit. |
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Cathedral Campus Gardening
On the second Saturday of each month, 9 a.m. to noon. All are welcome and needed, whether you have a green thumb or not! The next work party is Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m. to noon. Questions? Email [email protected].
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Made in Faith: Clothing and Sustainability
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 6:45–8:15 P.M., in Bloedel Hall and via Zoom
Join Creation Care for a special forum featuring parishioners Clara Berg, fashion historian and curator, and Richard Hartung, sustainability writer/blogger, to discuss connections between clothing, the environment and our faith. Join online using this Zoom link.
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The Alaska Suite Concert
SUNDAY, MAY 15, 3 P.M., Seattle First Baptist Church, tickets $20–$40
The Alaska Suite concert will feature multimedia jazz work featuring Nelda Swigget's quartet to tell a story of beauty, loss and hope themed in climate justice. All proceeds benefit Green Buildings Now, a Seattle-based coalition promoting social justice and climate resilience by working with frontline community leaders to remove fossil fuels from buildings in a just way. Click here for tickets and more information.
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Our Blue Planet: Global Visions of Water—Group Viewing
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 10 A.M. TO NOON, Seattle Art Museum
Come explore the vast connections of water in the context of artwork at a new exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. A group from Saint Mark's is planning to attend on Saturday, May 21 at 10 a.m. and then discuss the art afterward at SAM's cafe, MARKET. Interested in meeting up? Email Wayne Duncan ([email protected]) or Emily Meeks ([email protected]).
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Check out the bibliography, prayers and other resources from Canon Jennifer King Daugherty’s recent Celtic Spirituality forums in February.
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Intersectionality & Environmentalism
In February, Canon Eliacín Rosario-Cruz invited Creation Care members to think about Intersectionality & Environmentalism. Intersectionality is a term coined to describe the ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class and other forms of discrimination create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. Check out these links to learn more about how intersectionality & environmentalism can champion justice and care for people and the planet:
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News from our Beehives on the Roof of Bloedel
by Rob Reid
It’s Spring when another season of beekeeping begins. Now is when we decide if our hives are strong or if we need to buy more bees. Did our bees survive the winter?
We always hesitate to open a hive until it gets warmer outside. When it’s below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the bees cluster together around the queen, generating heat. They do this for months, day and night. Hopefully, they move around as a cluster and access honey that was created from nectar collected when flowers were blooming. We can also supplement with sugar if there is not sufficient honey that can be easily accessed. Sometimes there’s honey but the bees don’t find it. To inspect and also preserve heat, we quickly open the top of the hive. We can add granulated sugar on newspaper on top of the frames and at the same time look for bee activity. After the cold snap we had in January, an inspection revealed no signs of live bees. The bees in both of our hives did not survive so we will be adding new bees in April or May. They probably could not generate enough heat to survive. There are other contributing factors though.
One of the contributing factors affecting all beekeepers is the problem of varroa mites in both commercial hives and those of hobbyists. We knew we had significant numbers of this tiny parasite and therefore treated the hives with a natural substance, oxalic acid. This acid kills the mites but not the bees. We treated our hives a couple of times and found lots of dead varroa on the bottom board of the hive. There is a lot of research on varroa and we’re hoping to have bees that can survive the presence of this parasite on their own. There are some hives with bees that can naturally limit the varroa. Scientists are trying to reproduce those bees and let nature take its course. Wouldn’t it be nice to let natural adaptation fix the problem with
minimal intervention from us humans?
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Savings as of April 10, 2022
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Reducing Food Waste
In a land of plenty, almost 40 percent of the food grown in the United States is thrown away. It took plenty of land and water to grow it, and the tractors that plowed the fields created carbon emissions. Throwing it away creates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
The Carbon Tracker at Saint Mark’s has surprising and helpful insights on what each of us can do to help reduce food waste. While it might seem like putting food and leftovers in the refrigerator is the easiest way to make food last longer, it turns out that where you put it makes a difference. The inside of the door is the warmest spot in the fridge, so the least perishable items such as condiments should go there. The coolest place is the lowest shelf right above the crisper drawers, so putting meat and fish there will keep them fresh longer. And since ripening fruits and vegetables release a chemical that can quickly ripen everything around them, keep fast-ripening fruits such as bananas and apples or avocados separated from other items to keep them fresh for longer, inside or outside of the fridge.
You may also be able to use food longer than you think. Even though many food products have labels that appear to be safety deadlines, the meanings of those dates vary a lot. “Use by” and “Best by” indicate when the product will be at its highest quality and are not FDA regulated expiration dates, according to the Carbon Tracker. While the “Sell by” date tells retailers when they should pull an unsold product from the shelf, it’s often safe to eat for a few days afterwards if you store and cook it properly. Only the “Expires on” date is an FDA enforced expiration date, and the Carbon Tracker says the only place you’ll find it is on infant formula. Rather than throwing away food that you still have after those dates, it’s best to use visual inspections and sniff tests to decide whether to throw something out.
Check out this guide as a resource to help you “demystify” your fridge.
Using insights like these from the Action Categories on the Carbon Tracker can help you do more to reduce food waste, and you’ll like saving money too.
—Richard Hartung
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Carbon Tracker in Action - see this change that one parishioner from Saint Mark’s recently made:
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RECOMMENDATIONS & RESOURCES |
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Recommended by Doug Thorpe.
Recommended by Emily Meeks.
Recommended by Wayne Duncan.
Recommended by CJ Beegle-Krause.
Curious about land acknowledgments in places that you may be traveling? Check out this resource shared by Canon Wendy Claire Barrie that helps share more about land acknowledgments and includes a search locator to find territory acknowledgment information.
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Lowell Elementary Garden Work Day
Volunteers helped lay mulch around newly planted apple trees and raspberries. Saint Mark’s donated cardboard to help with the project. Interested in getting involved on Lowell work projects? Email Cherie Bradshaw ([email protected]).
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Leffler Garden Tour
Did you know there is a garden just beyond the gate of Leffler House? Keiko Maruyama recently gave a tour of the thriving garden she has been tending to a group of parishioners interested in digging in and helping out. Interested in joining a future garden gathering? Email Marjorie Ringess ([email protected]).
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Holy Week Resurrection Garden
Children and families recently gathered to hear the stories of Holy Week and create sprouting resurrection gardens. Check out some of their fun.
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Creation Care Monthly Meetings
THIRD TUESDAYS, 6:30–8 p.m., via Zoom
Anyone is welcome to join a Saint Mark’s Creation Care Ministry meeting on the third Tuesday evening of every month from 6:30-8:00pm via Zoom. Please contact Marjorie Ringness for the link. Notes from past meetings can be found here under Ministry Meetings.
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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 of the Duwamish Tribe. [Learn more]
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