This Sunday, March 15 at 11 a.m. , the community of Saint Mark's Cathedral will gather online for Sunday morning worship . Although the cathedral building is closed to the public, your presence in spirit is important!

Visit saintmarks.org/livestream to watch live.

Download the leaflet in advance here .

Scripture: Exodus 17:1–7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42

Presider: The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman

Preacher: The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason

Hymns: Come, thou fount of every blessing (686); Surely it is God who saves me (679); I heard the voice of Jesus say (692); Guide me, O thou great Jehovah (690)

Music Highlights: Palestrina, Sicut cervus (sung by a solo quartet of cathedral choristers)

Compline will also be offered at 9:30 p.m. Sunday as usual. As on every Sunday for decades, it will be broadcast live on KING-FM 98.1 and online at king.org. In addition, for the first time ever, video of the office will be livestreamed on the cathedral's website. Visit saintmarks.org/livestream Sunday night to experience Compline in this new way. 

Community Life during This Season of Exile

Saint Mark's clergy and staff have been exploring ways to use technology to create opportunities to engage with one another in community while the building is closed. These opportunities will appear in two different places:

I. Online Community Life on the cathedral's website

This page will contain reflections to read, video to watch, suggestions of activities to engage in, invitations to virtual meet-ups, and more. At this time, the page contains a thoughtful reflection from parishioner and Cathedral Chaplain Sandra Smith, an invitation to engage with the cathedral's outdoor labyrinth, a message from the Dean, and more. Check back often, as new content will be added all the time. In the coming days and weeks, we are planning a new Stations of the Cross liturgy video, information about Lenten spiritual practices, announcements of book/film discussions and prayer services using Zoom... as well as some surprises.

II. Saint Mark's Seattle Community Life during the Closure private Facebook group

This group is for members of the community of Saint Mark's (where ever they might be) to connect with each other and with the cathedral during this time of isolation. Members of the group will be invited to share their own photos and stories, reflect together on cathedral offerings, and see regular updates of what's going on inside and around the shuttered cathedral building. As a private group, posts and comments will not be visible to the world at large. You'll need to request to join.

For those who don't use Facebook, summaries of activities from the Facebook group will be posted occasionally on the Online Community Life page described above.

THE DEAN RECOMMENDS

Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Bruggeman

During this "wilderness time" for the cathedral, Dean Thomason is encouraging everyone to read  The Sabbath as Resistance: Saying NO to the Culture of Now . You are encouraged to support independent local businesses by  purchasing the book online  from our Capitol Hill neighbors  Elliot Bay Book Co . Purchasing from  Amazon  is also an option! In future weeks, we will schedule online book discussion sessions using the  Zoom  platform—stay tuned...

NOTE: All previously-announced events, meetings, and activities at the cathedral (including Leffler House) are, of course, cancelled at least through the end of March, potentially longer. In addition, the King County Resource Exchange, which had been scheduled for April 1, and for which Deacon Emily Austin was recruiting foot-washing volunteers, has also been cancelled. The accompanying cathedral sock drive is likewise postponed.

The future is very uncertain right now. No one knows how long the current situation will last or when the cathedral will reopen. We do know, however, that the day WILL come when cathedral activities—and all of our lives—will return to something like they were before. Registration is now open for the offerings below. We live in hope!

The Radix Project Returns in the Easter Season 

Begins with a plenary session WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15. Deadline to register: FRIDAY, APRIL 3.

In January of 2020, we launched the Radix Project: Small Groups/Deep Roots. More than 150 people in 18 small groups met weekly for six weeks to share their stories, reflect on scripture, and pray for one another with intention. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so we are going to do it again during the season of Easter. The spring series, designed by Spiritual Formation Associate Kelly Moody and the cathedral Dean and Canons, will focus on post-resurrection encounters in the Gospels. To register, saintmarks.org/radix, or complete a postcard (available in the back of the nave) and place it in the offering plate or turn it in to the cathedral office. Contact Kelly Moody, kmoody@saintmarks.org, with any questions.  NOTE: While there is a possibility that these meetings will be disrupted by the current coronavirus situation, they will not begin until after Easter, and the situation will certainly be different five weeks from now.

THE WISDOM SCHOOL AT SAINT MARK'S

Men’s Retreat—Just a FewSpots Left. Reserve Your Place Today!

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, JUNE 5–7, 2020, at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island, facilitated by The Rev. Dr. Stuart Hoke and Dean Steve Thomason

This will be a time of rest, leisure, camaraderie, and spiritual renewal. Gatherings such as this one afford us the opportunity to gain perspective on life, and are beautifully restorative. We will have an internationally recognized retreat leader in The Rev. Dr. Stuart Hoke, an Episcopal priest whose life changed on 9/11 when he stood beneath the Twin Towers as they fell. He then led the relief efforts housed in historic St. Paul’s Chapel across the street from Ground Zero. Space is limited. For more information and to reserve your spot, go to saintmarks.org/mensretreat.

AGE 5–GRADE 8: JULY 13–17

HIGH SCHOOL: AUGUST 3–7

The Choir School is excited to present this year’s camp theme: Fruits of the Spirit. This year, for the first time, we will be offering camps for children of all ages, from 5-year-olds through high schoolers. Join us for a week of music, learning, community, and lots of fun! You can find much more information and register at https://saintmarks.org/music-arts/choir-school/choircamp/.

Courage on the Threshold: Embracing Life’s Changes with Integrity and Grace

FRIDAY–SUNDAY, JULY 10–12, 2020, St. Andrew’s House Retreat & Conference Center, Union, WA

If you find yourself poised between the known and the unknown, between what has been and what comes next, we invite you to join us for a weekend Circle of Trust retreat to explore the theme of “Threshold.” We will contemplate what it means to stand on the threshold with

courage and attentiveness, listening for the next congruent step, and honor the threshold moments in our lives as an integral part of the process of transformation and change. For more information and details about how to register, go to couragerenewal.org/events/threshold2020.

For Lent, the Creation Care ministry is offering prayers selected from a variety of sources to prompt spiritual reflection on our responsibilities as citizens of our planet. Here is the prayer for the third week of Lent, from the Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council of Churches: 

Creator God,

You make all things

and weave them together in an intricate tapestry of life.

Teach us to respect the fragile balance of life and to care for all the gifts of your creation.

Guide by your wisdom those who have power and authority;

that by the decisions they make,

life may be cherished

and a good and fruitful Earth may continue to show your glory and sing your praises.