Dear Beloved Friends in Christ, No matter how you slice it, things in our country are pretty dire. News headlines focus on the revelations of men in power who were connected with a known pedophile, on American citizens being killed on the streets by federal agents, on the continued rise of costs for basic necessities, on the arrests of people with brown skin—citizens, immigrants, or refugees—by agents wearing masks and refusing to identify themselves. It’s a lot. But it’s not the first time in history when similar events have taken place. Sadly, we humans have a tendency to repeat the past unable to learn the painful lessons when those in power do anything they can to feed their insatiable desire for more. During one such time, Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed in a letter to Mahatma Gandhi that the issues of the day were neither political nor economic, they were spiritual. And he lamented that churches as a whole were not responding in a spiritual way. He wanted to find a community living into the values found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and he didn’t see that in Christian communities in Europe or the US. He believed that the best community living it was the one Gandhi had established in India, and Bonhoeffer wanted to see it in real life. Friends, the issues of our day is neither political nor economic but spiritual. And spiritual matters need spiritual responses. In less than two weeks, we’ll begin the holy season of Lent. On that day, our clergy will call us to a season of penitence and fasting. A time of reflection, repentance, prayer, and abstaining from food in order to be prepared for the Great 50 Days of Easter. It seems that fasting has become disconnected from the call for contrition, almsgiving, and prayer. We give up things like chocolate or alcohol or pizza or meat—all well intentioned—but don’t connect it to spending more time with God or meeting the needs of the poor or in lament. The point of fasting isn’t to show our willpower or how spiritual we are. Rather, we fast to respond to God’s cry for justice and to grieve the ways in which we—and our country—have ignored the ills of our day which are spiritual. I therefore invite each of us to observe with great devotion a time of fasting this Lent. Of giving up food or a meal daily throughout this holy season. There are caveats, of course, best described by our Muslim friends who fast throughout their holy month of Ramadan. Those who are pregnant or who have medical issues—including a history of eating disorders—or the elderly or young are all discouraged from this fast. We are not to do harm to ourselves in this. It is to draw us closer to God. Additionally, I want to note that we are the only Abrahamic faith who does not practice their fast in community. Our Jewish neighbors gather with each other for a 25-hour fast from all food on Yom Kippur, and a traditional greeting is “May your fast be easy.” Muslims during Ramadan when they go without food or water during daylight hours will often gather each night with family and friends for an Iftar meal to break the fast together, including inviting non-Muslims to join with them. I wonder what that might look like in our congregations, of perhaps gathering for a simple supper and reflection each week so our fast is done in connection with others. For those who wish to join with me, I will be forgoing lunch and snacks between a simple breakfast and dinner each of the 40 days. (And a reminder, Sundays are always feast days and aren’t included in the count for Lent.) During the noon hour, I’ll be praying the Jesus prayer—“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”—using a simple knotted prayer bracelet to focus my attention. Conversion always begins in our own lives. Because the truth is that both we and our nation need to repent, to turn around. To experience deep transformation through the love and grace of Jesus Christ. For the issues of our day are not political or economic. They are most certainly spiritual. Faithfully, |
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An Invitation to Incorporate Creation into Lenten Liturgies While the season of Lent is often thought of as a wilderness period in the church calendar, a myriad of creation themes abound throughout the six weeks. From the garden with our ancestors Adam and Eve, to the Easter Vigil and baptismal font, Lent can be a time of quieting our souls to become awake to the elements of creation surrounding us in word and sacrament and planetary systems. |
Exploring Vocations Retreat – Save the Date! April 11 | St. Stephen’s, Seattle Save the Date! The next Diocesan Discernment Retreat will be on Saturday, April 11 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Seattle. Anyone who would like to learn more about discernment in the diocese is invited to attend. This includes any kind of discernment, not just holy orders. People who are currently in the discernment process (Diocesan Discerners, Postulants, etc.) are welcome to attend, but not necessary. Questions, email the Secretary to Vocations, Michael Seewer, at mseewer@ecww.org. |
Important Note Regarding Priestly Ordinations Please note that this year’s priestly ordinations will occur on July 18, 2026, at 10:30 am. This date is different from the original date that had been selected (June 13). The ordination liturgy will occur at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, and all are invited to worship with us and celebrate the ordinations of 5 new priests. More information to come in the weeks leading up to the ordination liturgy. |
An Update from the Bishop’s Task Force to the Unhoused “Criminalizing homelessness with the attendant arrests, fines, and incarcerations is expensive for municipalities, and exacerbates rather than mitigates the crisis of the unhoused individual. Real solutions to the problems of homelessness include expanding shelter options, providing treatment for substance use and mental health issues, and building more affordable housing; money spent on criminal prosecutions would better be spent on these priorities.” Read more at the link below! |
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| Summer Camp Staff Applications Now Open! Camp Huston, Gold Bar Looking to spend a summer doing transformational work? Apply to work at camp today! We are hiring Discovery Group Leaders, Resident Staff Counselors, and Session Staff Counselors. Visit www.huston.org/apply-for-summer-camp-staff to find job descriptions and the link to apply. |
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| Compline, Sung by The Compline Choir Sundays, 9:30 pm | Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle Sung prayers for the close of the day, offered every Sunday at 9:30 pm in person and via radio and audio stream courtesy Classical KING. |
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| Diocesan Youth Confirmation Program: 2026 Sundays Beginning February 8, 7:00 pm | Online Welcome to our youth confirmation program! Together, we will explore and learn about the Episcopal faith with the option of participating in a confirmation service at Cathedral Day, April 25, 2026. |
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| Get Registered for Winter Camp Today! February 13-16 | Camp Huston, Gold Bar | $255 Registration Winter Camp registration is still open! This will be an exciting weekend of wintery camp fun for 3rd-10th graders. There will be plenty of classic games and activities, along with some new experiences! Please visit www.huston.org/hustonevents for more information and to register. |
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| Day of Remembrance February 15, 10:30 am | St. Peter’s, Seattle Join us on Sunday, February 15 at 10:30 am to acknowledge and honor those of Japanese descent incarcerated during WWII. |
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| Sacred Waters Healing Arts Day Online February 15, 12:30 pm | Sacred Waters Retreat Center, Union Treat your sweet heart (and your sweetheart) to a delightfully nourishing afternoon of healing modalities. |
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| Silence and Honey Cakes: Lessons from the Desert for Modern Communities February 21, 8:30 am | Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle | $25 Registration Explore belonging, loving, and navigating the blessings and temptations that can manifest in community. |
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| Congregational Leadership Conference March 7 | St. Margaret’s, Bellevue Join other clergy and congregational leaders for the Congregation Leadership Conference – a combination of plenary sessions and breakout workshops. |
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| Summer Camp Registration Open! June 14-August 8 | Camp Huston, Gold Bar Spots are already filling up and early bird rates ($25 off) end February 28th. Come spend a week (or two! or three!) having all kinds of summer fun at Camp Huston. We have camp experiences for youth ranging from rising 1st graders to rising 10th graders. Visit www.huston.org/summer-camp for information on dates, rates, and our parent handbook. |
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| College for Congregational Development – 2026 Summer Sessions June 21-26 | Sacred Waters Retreat Center, Union Registration for our 2026 Summer Sessions at The Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat is now open! |
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| Province VIII Youth Pilgrimage: 2026 July 28-31 | Cathedral of St. Andrew’s, Honolulu, HI Come along for a youth pilgrimage to the Diocese of Hawai’i as we hear their stories of community and immigration history. |
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| Celtic Culture in Scotland w/ Revs. Hillary Kimsey & Ruth Anne Garcia October 7-17, 2026 | Scotland | $6,000 Registration This 11-day journey explores Celtic culture, spirituality, and the Episcopal history of Scotland. |
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| Following in the Footsteps of Paul: A Pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey October 8-19, 2026 | Greece and Turkey| $5,999 – 6,149 Registration ($1,500 Limited Availability Single Supplement) Led by The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason and local archaeological guides on the ground, this 12-day pilgrimage traces the footsteps of Paul in Greece and Turkey as he engaged the early Christian communities there. |
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For more upcoming diocesan events, visit our Diocesan Events Page at the link below. |
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Join our congregations across Western Washington for events and activities, including: a Day Retreat with Author Sara Billups at St. John’s | San Juan, Olympia; an Afternoon Delight with Sha’Condria “iCON” Sibley at St. Margaret’s, Bellevue; the Significance of Lent Amid Political Turmoil at St. Paul’s, Seattle; Encountering the Divine at Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle; Vesper Piano Trio: Echoes through Time, Weaving Sound Across Centuries at St. Dunstan’s, Shoreline; Choral Evensong & Piano Recital at St. Luke’s Memorial, Tacoma; and Messy Church Training at Good Shepherd, Vancouver. Learn more about all of these events and more at the link below. |
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Our diocesan staff will be traveling across the Diocese in the coming months. Here is where you can find them next. - February 8 | St. Andrew’s, Aberdeen | The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman
- February 8 | St. Hugh of Lincoln, Allyn | Bishop Phil LaBelle
- February 15 | Grace, Bainbridge Island | The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson
- February 15 | St. Timothy, Chehalis | The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman
- February 15 | Epiphany, Seattle | Bishop Phil LaBelle
- February 22 | St. Paul’s, Bremerton | The Rev. Canon Carla Robinson
- February 22 | St. Clare’s, Snoqualmie | The Rev. Canon Cristi Chapman
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The following churches and organizations are currently looking to fill the positions below: |
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