St Mark's Episcopal Church

Centering Prayer
2026-01-16 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-01-21 08:30 - 09:30, 2026-01-23 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-01-28 08:30 - 09:30, 2026-01-30 09:00 - 10:00, 2026-02-04 08:30 - 09:30, 2026-02-06 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Kennedy Room – St. Marks, 600 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto, California, 94306
Gather to spend time with God in quiet communion and Centering Prayer

8 a.m. Liturgy in Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene
2026-01-18 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-01-25 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-02-01 08:00 - 09:30, 2026-02-08 08:00 - 09:30 | Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, 600 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Join us for a spoken 8:00 a.m. service from the Book of Common Prayer held in the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene.

10 a.m. Liturgy
2026-01-18 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-01-25 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-02-01 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-02-08 10:00 - 11:30 | Sanctuary, 600 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94306

Day Worker Center Forum
2026-01-18 11:30 - 12:30
For the forum hour on January 18, we will be joined by the Executive Director of the Mountain View Day Worker Center, María Marroquín. Join us to learn about the important work this center does and how we at St. Mark’s can support them especially in this time of attacks on immigrant rights.

St. Mark's Book Club
2026-01-20 14:00 - 15:30
For our January book, we are reading How We Learn to be Brave by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde. Marie Highby will lead the discussion. We meet in the Kennedy Room.

Good Reads Book Club
2026-01-22 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-05 16:00 - 17:00
In January, the Good Reads Book Group will be reading and discussing the Good Reads group will be reading and discussing Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene H. Peterson.
From the review on Journey with Jesus: Pastor and professor Eugene Peterson combines head and heart, theology and everyday spirituality. On the one hand, much theology is little more than arid rationalizations and “depersonalized information about God.” On the other hand, much so-called Christian spirituality is “impersonally functional,” served up with cliches, slogans, and programs. Peterson protests against both. As he defines it, spiritual theology “represents the attention that the church community gives to keeping what we think about God (theology) in organic connection with the way we live with God (spirituality).”
For a short interview with Peterson about what he hopes to accomplish in this book, see the interview from Christianity Today (March 2005).
The group meets bi-monthly via Zoom on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. Contact Marie Highby at mhighby@gmail.com for the Zoom link!

Choir Rehearsal
2026-01-22 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-01-29 19:30 - 21:00, 2026-02-05 19:30 - 21:00 | Sanctuary, 600 Colorado Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94306

All Parish Ice Skating Party
2026-01-25 17:30 - 19:30
On Sunday, January 25, all St. Markers are invited to an Ice Skating Party at Winter Lodge in Palo Alto! We will have food, hot cocoa, and plenty of wintery fun. Skating is optional – you don’t have to be on the ice to be part of the party!
Admission to skate is $20 and skate rentals are $6. If you would like to join us but need help with the fees, please contact lily@saint-marks.com.

Scripture Discussion: Revelation for Normal People
2026-01-27 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-02-10 19:00 - 20:30
Starting in November, the Scripture Discussion group will be reading and discussing Revelation.
We read aloud passages of Scripture and then have discussions following Study Guide materials. All are welcome; no prior Scripture background is needed,
The group meets every-other week in the Kennedy Room (or the Library) on Tuesday Evenings 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM
Contact Ken Bencala [kenbnc@hotmail.com] for more information.
For our discussions we will be using the Study Guide Revelation for Normal People: A Guide to the Strangest and Most Dangerous Book in the Bible by Robyn J. Whitaker
It has never been more important to read Revelation well. Whether you love it, hate it, or avoid it like the plague, the last book of the Bible’s influence permeates our cultural, political, and religious landscapes. From the so-bad-they’re…still bad actually…Left Behind series, to conspiracy theories about microchips and barcodes, to all-too-real political discourse and actions, John’s visions in Revelation reach far beyond anything their ancient author could have imagined. But what did John imagine? Who was he writing for and why? And what’s the deal with all the hideous horned beasts? Join New Testament scholar Robyn Whitaker as she uncovers the real-world contexts behind this ancient apocalyptic text. A world occupied by an oppressive empire, a marginalized people, and a God committed to justice. Where a beast overthrown was a declaration of authority and a falling star was a statement of evil’s demise. Where symbols gave voice to resistance and visions provided a glimpse of hope. A world utterly and entirely ancient. Only when we understand Revelation’s ancient contexts can we begin to find meaning from it for our own.

Men's Breakfast
2026-01-28 07:00 - 08:00, 2026-02-11 07:00 - 08:00
The Men’s Breakfast is open to all men of St. Mark’s. We meet every other Wednesday morning at 7:15 a.m. in the Parish Library. We typically choose a book to discuss based on a consensus of what’s on the minds of our members. Breakfast is truly spirit driven with folks bringing what they like, or nothing but themselves…all are welcome! Lively and open discussion are always on the menu.

Annual Meeting & Potluck Brunch
2026-02-01 10:00 - 12:30
During the 10:00 a.m. service on Sunday, February 1, we will have our Annual Meeting to review Vestry nominees, the parish budget, and other important information and decisions for the coming year. Afterwards, we will gather in the Parish Hall for a potluck brunch!
Potluck assignments are by the first initial of your last name:
A – C: Fruit or Salad (pasta, potato or couscous salad; bean salad; cucumber salad or coleslaw)
D – J: Drinks (milk, juice, lemonade or iced tea)
K – P: Main Dish (Ham, frittata, quiche, other covered hot-dish)
Q – Z: Breads (donuts, coffeecake, muffins)
Before the service, please bring your hot or cold dish to the kitchen to be kept warm or cool for brunch. Assignments are by the initial of your last name. Please bring enough for 10-12 people.
If possible, mark your dish and serving utensil with your name. As a mercy to the dish-washers, please, no soup. And if you cannot bring something, please come anyway!

Sacred Words Spiritual Writing Retreat
2026-02-07 09:30 - 16:00
Spiritual writing is writing that helps us to encounter God in our own stories, our own lives. It is writing that opens up possibilities, asks probing questions, and challenges easy assumptions. When we engage in this kind of writing, we discover deep inner places ripe for exploration, healing, and celebration.
In this day-long retreat, we will consider what it means to write as a practice of the soul. Guided by a variety of gentle meditations, free-writing exercises, and conversations, we will draw close to what is real, true, and sacred in our lives. We will pray, chat, laugh, and open our hearts. At the end of our time together, anyone who wishes to share a brief piece of their writing will be welcome to do so during an “open mic” reading.
This retreat is open to ANYONE interested in exploring spiritual writing as a practice. You do NOT have to be experienced at all — beginners are most welcome!
The details:
When: Saturday, February 7, from 9:30am to 4pm
Where: St. Mark’s (Parish Hall and the Kennedy Room)
Please bring: a notebook and your favorite pens if you like to write longhand, or your laptop, if you prefer to type.
Register here. Registration deadline: February 2

Stanford Canterbury Foundation Forum
2026-02-08 10:00 - 12:30
On Sunday February 8 we will welcome Dr. Travis Stevens, the Episcopal Chaplain to Stanford University, to St. Mark’s to preach and lead a forum following the 10:oo a.m. service. Please join us to learn more about the work of the Stanford Canterbury Foundation and the progressive student ministry on campus.
Then on Wednesday February 11 at 5 p.m., Stanford Canterbury is sponsoring the first of a new monthly Eucharist series at Stanford Memorial Church. All are welcome, and there are no campus parking restrictions (other than the Oval) after 4 p.m.
