Compline at St Mark’s

from Anthony Spain, Music Director

Every Sunday evening at 9:30pm a service takes place in Seattle that includes mostly music from hundreds of years ago. Not the mega-hit one would expect today, and this service would largely be forgotten were it not for the fact that not only is the church packed out each Sunday with people of all ages, but that the predominate age of those attending this service is often teens through post college.

Many years ago, this caught the attention of National Public Radio, and they came to ask a one word question- Why? Why would a service that focuses on ancient Gregorian chant etc., be packed with teens and college age students? There is certainly a social aspect, but as youth can meet anywhere, why would they come to a place where they don’t get to talk, and instead they just sit there (or lie there in the aisles, if the church is too packed) silently. Part of the answer is, especially in our anxious world, we all yearn for “the peace that surpasses all understanding.” This yearning is in our spiritual DNA, and especially in moments of anxiety, crisis, and “dark nights of the soul,” we know instinctively where we need to go spiritually.

For many years when I [Anthony] was single, many friends and myself, would finish our Sabbath day by attending compline at St Mark’s. There we gave over our anxious thoughts in prayers, let the Holy Spirit work in our lives, and we left more centered, more at peace, and ready to face the challenges of the week ahead.

Philippians 4: 6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


The Link to Last Sunday’s Compline service at St. Mark’s

Link to LiveStream Compline Sunday evening at 9:30pm

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