The Cathedral Times - September 3, 2023

The CATHEDRAL TIMES

OUR HOUSE AND THE UNHOUSED

By the Rev. Dr. Theophus “Thee” Smith, Priest Associate

“Emergent church.” Years ago it was an enterprising, popular expression. A kind of movement occurred during the early 2000s. Since then, however, the phrase has virtually disappeared from conversation. Perhaps it succumbed to its original problem: How to define ‘emerging’ or ‘emergent’ when applied to so many new ways to ‘be church?’ Maybe the very efforts to clarify the idea exhausted us! Certainly writers did their level best; writers like Brian McLaren in A New Kind of Christian (2001) whom we invited to speak here at the Cathedral, and Tony Jones in The Church is Flat (2011). Yet confusion and vagueness become inevitable when we’re confronted with a plethora of challenges to faith and practice. Already in 2004 Stuart Murray commented:

Emerging churches are so disparate there are exceptions to any generalisations. Most are too new and too fluid to clarify, let alone assess their significance. There is no consensus yet about what language to use: ‘new ways of being church’; ‘emerging church’; ‘fresh expressions of church’; ‘future church’; ‘church next’; or ‘the coming church’. The terminology used here contrasts ‘inherited’ and ‘emerging’ churches.

Post-Christendom: Church and Mission in a Strange New World (2004/2018); 2004, p. 73 These considerations prompt my query: How might our beloved community here be experienced as a type of ‘emerging church?’ When I seek to discern an answer I’m encouraged by the creative ways in which our clergy and lay ministries improvise and innovate. Here’s a short case study that may be instructive and inspiring. For context, consider how we define church membership. On the one hand we retain the traditional category of formal membership for people who provide baptism and confirmation records alongside contributions and pledges. On the other hand we recognize as ‘belonging’ a fluid population of people who do neither. Those folks simply show up for events, classes and programs on a regular basis. Indeed they regularly attend, participate in, visit, inhabit or ‘occupy’ our buildings or campus.

In addition many Cathedral members are aware that we provide formal arrangements to assist needy persons through our Outreach ministries, including aid agencies like Buckhead Christian Ministries (BCM) and Intown Cares (IC). But there remains a population who for various reasons fall through the net of such resources. One such person has involved me in an experiment in ‘emerging church’ practices that neither he nor I could have anticipated. He is an unhoused frequenter who began regularly visiting years ago when our outreach provided snack bags of sandwiches, with fruit and maybe a cookie.

After a couple of years I felt led to volunteer a more substantial weekly lunch for him in Child Hall during our Wednesday lunch offering for staff and whosoever. I used my Cathedral account of clergy discretionary funds; funds accumulated from funeral and wedding fees I earn in addition to ad hoc donations. When our kitchen option was terminated due to Covid-19 I improvised, phoning in a credit card payment once-weekly offsite to a local restaurant. Nowadays I also periodically provide hygiene, safety, and nutritional products such as towels and sanitizers, flashlight batteries and handwarmers, vitamins, and other health aides. Occasionally I use the funds to pay for recreational or educational opportunities like a holiday movie or an Atlanta History Center special event.

Significantly, our unhoused member has asked me to share the following proverbs with you; shared from his own perspectives on ministry that resonate with his background as a preacher’s kid. I feel they express his lived experience of the Cathedral as “a house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7). Also I discern an implicit exhortation to extend our ministries to include other unhoused people among us. On a personal note, a clergy colleague enlightened me that he also ‘feeds’ my spirit as we continue to ‘be church’ by feeding him.

• “Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the countenance of another.” (Proverbs 27:17 KJV adaptation)

• “When spider webs unite they can tie up a lion.” (African Proverb)

• “We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.”

(Gwendolyn

Brooks)

Emerging church among us?

The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · September 3, 2023

This SUNDAY

SEPTEMBER 3, 2023 · The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 17, Year A

Jeremiah 15:15-21

• Psalm 26:1-8

8:45 AND 11:15 A.M.: IN-PERSON AND ONLINE

• Romans 12:9-21

• Matthew 16:21-28

CATHEDRALATL.ORG / THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. PHILIP APP / FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE

7:45 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, MIKELL CHAPEL

Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Canon George Maxwell

8:45 A.M. AND 11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL

Celebrant: The Rev. Salmoon Bashir

Preacher: The Rev. Canon George Maxwell

Cathedral Singers: Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), Jubilate Deo in C Craig Phillips (b. 1961), Teach me, my God and King

11:15 A.M. LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA, MIKELL CHAPEL

Celebrant: The Rev. Dr. Thee Smith

Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval

FAITHFUL Politics

BRAVER ANGELS FAITH-SPONSORED WORKSHOP: DEPOLARIZING WITHIN

Saturday, October 7

1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Gould Room

For people of faith, civil discourse begins in recognizing the image of God in our conversation partner. Since we are all children of God, our approach should involve mutual respect. Respect, not agreement, is an essential key for a healthy discussion. This workshop addresses how we may inadvertently be complicit in, or possibly even encourage, political polarization.

The Depolarizing Within workshop is designed to foster skills to help you lessen the effects of polarization when you encounter them in your political conversations. Note that by “polarization,” we are not referring to healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy. We are talking about how we regard and talk about large groups of ordinary people on the other side of the political aisle. This workshop is for anyone interested in examining their own inner polarization and learning strategies to disagree without condemning or ridiculing others.

Goals of the workshop are to teach participants:

• How to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer”

• How to be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population

• Strategies for intervening constructively in social conversations with like-minded peers when these conversations veer into contempt and ridicule for people who hold other political views.

Braver Angels is America’s largest organization that brings conservatives and progressives together on equal terms to understand our differences, find common ground where it exists, and help the country we all love find a better way. For questions or more information, contact the Rev. George Maxwell, gmaxwell@cathedralATL.org, or Jeannie Mahood, jmahood@cathedralATL.org, 404-365-1031.

PRAYER List

FOR THOSE WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Hilda Lukwago • Rebecca McDonough

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING:

LONG TERM PRAYERS: R. Huntley Allen • Randy Allen • Lucy Baker • Lizzie Bicksler • Virginia Bicksler • Ed Black • Miguel Boaz-Contreras • Jeff Bonnell • The Bryant Family • Don Cameron • Connie Chapman • Geraldine Charles • Lawrence Cowart • The Crossley Family • Terry Dornbush • Deborah Ellington • Paul Fekete • Joyce Egan Ferris • Phoebe Forio • Tom Frolik • Bill Gray • Ken Griffiths • Steve Gunter • D. Louis Gruver, Jr. • Jenny Ham • Karen Howard • Jane Jones • Earline King • Lisa Krysiak • Harry Lamon • Liza Lanier • Jill Mahaffey • Tommy Mason • Lee Moran • Graham Mulling • Susan Myers • Jim Myrick • Charlie Neal • Catalina Barragan Oliveros • Marian Palmore • Al Plummer • The Priestley Family • Rubye and Wayne Reid • Lorraine Reynolds • Barbara and Joel Rice • Bob Riggins • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Betty Roper • Louis “Skip” Schueddig • Gail Morgan Timmis • Tommy Truesdale • Connie Vaughan • Ron Wallace • Jonathan Wright

FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Josephine Rose Adams • Elizabeth Alexander • Cinforosa Gómez Alonzo • Kaneez Khanum Bashir • Shaista Bashir • Bettina Bass • Ray and Pat Bell • Eleanor Blount and Justin Blount Murray • Jason Brady • Chet Brewer • Catherine Brinton • Lila Jo Callaway • Mika Chorey • Anna Clifford • Marie Corrigan • Ava Corroon • Apryl Roberts Cox • Bob Crawford • Angela DeRuvo • Megan Dyer • Ron Dyer • William Erb • Kenneth Farr • Harry Fifield • Peter Foster • John Gerding • Jim Gregory and Rick Hoyle • Scott Gregory • McKee Hamilton • Don Harp III • Gayle Higley • Jay Horton • Beth Ingle • Cami Jackson • Patty and Shannon Jafolis • Brendan Jenkins • The Kelly Family • Robin Kemp • Jane and Jim Kradel • Kim and Matt Kredich • Dick Kustin • Herb Larrabee • Pete Livezey • Cakers Long • Carolyn R. Lusk • Lauren Makhlouf • Susan Mendivil • Elaine Metcalf • Marion Hickman Meythaler • Betsy Moore • Sharon Morgan • Linus Nickel • Linda Pace • Ronald and Clara Peters • Ginny Quinn • Einar Sagstuen • James Sands • Skip Saunders • Patricia Schooley • Stacey Schuitema • Austin Scott and family • Don Smith • Philip Gregory Smith • Michael and Kathryn Snider • Christy Strum • Harry F. Sutcliffe • Gretchen Sutton • John and Cleary Tanner • Pierson Thames • LeAnn Tingle • Donnie and Ann Waller • Jennifer Wright • Whit A. Wright • Marjorie Young • Hollis Youngner

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Hank Burdine • Mermide Gatica-Gabino

The CATHEDRAL of ST. PHILIP

The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler, Dean

Dale Adelmann, Ph.D., Canon for Music

The Rev. Lauren R. Holder, Canon for Community and Education

The Rev. George M. Maxwell, Jr., Vicar

The Rev. Canon Julia B. Mitchener, Canon for Mission

The Rev. Catherine Zappa, Canon for Liturgy and Pastoral Care

The Rev. Salmoon Bashir, Curate for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations

The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval, Deacon for Hispanic Ministries and Pastoral Care

The Rev. Theophus “Thee” Smith, Ph.D., Priest Associate

Ward Bondurant, Senior Warden

Melody Palmore, Junior Warden

CATHEDRAL TIMES SUBMISSION DEADLINES: FOR THE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30. FOR THE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6.

TO RECEIVE THE TIMES BY EMAIL: CONTACT LIZ AULL, LAULL@CATHEDRALATL.ORG.

TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT REQUEST: CONTACT SARA CRAIG-GOODELL, SCRAIGGOODELL@CATHEDRALATL.ORG.

404-365-1000 | cathedral ATL .org

pastoral care emergency line: 404-365-1003

cathedralatl

Adult EDUCATION

ADULT EDUCATION DURING THE WEEK

Early Morning Women's Bible Study

Resumes Tuesday, September 19, Room 239, 7 a.m.

All women are welcome to this group led by Canon Lauren Holder; drop in when you can. Contact Canon Holder, lholder@cathedralATL.org, for more information.

Eat Your Word Bible Study

Wednesdays, Room 239, 12 p.m.

All are welcome to this weekly Bible study, led by Canon Cathy Zappa in Room 239. Please bring your lunch and be ready for a lively conversation!

The Chosen Watch Party

Wednesdays, Gould Room, 5:30 p.m.

Watch the final episode of The Chosen Season 3 while enjoying snacks and fellowship on Wednesday, September 13. For the most up to date information about future watch sessions, please contact the Rev. Dr. Thee Smith, tsmith@cathedralATL.org to join the newsletter.

Thursday Evening Book Study with Canon Julia Mitchener

Starting Thursday, September 14 in the Cathedral Bookstore, 6 p.m. Tracy Kidder’s 2023 New York Times Bestseller Rough Sleepers tells the story of a doctor who founded a medical practice for the homeless citizens of Boston. Her sharing of the complex issues that have created our nation’s affordable housing crisis and the personal stories of those most impacted challenges and inspires readers to greater personal engagement.

The Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener will lead a four week study of Rough Sleepers on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. beginning on September 14. Join us in the Cathedral Bookstore for light bites, fellowship, and good conversation about things that matter. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Canon Mitchener at julia.mitchener@cathedralATL.org.

Being With: An Exploration Of Christian Life and Faith

Begins Thursday, September 21, 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Canon George Maxwell and Mary Hunter Maxwell will lead a small group of between six to fourteen people in a ten-week course that follows a curriculum called Being With: A Course

Exploring Christian Faith and Life (2022) that was developed by Sam Wells and Sally Hitchiner. The course will begin on Thursday, September 21 at 6 p.m. and meet weekly thereafter. Each meeting will be in person and will last for 90 minutes. The course will follow a format that is designed to explore in more depth some of the concepts that will be discussed in Old Fashioned Sunday School on Sunday mornings. Please send an email to Canon Maxwell at gmaxwell@cathedralATL.org, if you are interested in participating.

ADULT EDUCATION ON SUNDAYS

Old Fashioned Sunday School

Being With: The Road to Reconciliation

Begins Sunday, September 17, Child Hall, 10:10 a.m.

In May of this year, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the United States Surgeon General, issued an Advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. The Rev. Samuel Wells, Vicar of St. Martinsin-the-Fields in central London, has argued that the first step we might take in dealing with this predicament is to change the way we think about God from one who works for us to one who wants to be with us. Canon George Maxwell will lead a discussion that looks more deeply at Murthy’s diagnosis and the healing remedy that Wells prescribes.

Murthy discusses his warnings about isolation, loneliness, and lack of connection in his book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World (NY: Harper Wave, 2020).Wells introduces many of his ideas about being with in his book Humbler Faith, Bigger God: Finding a Story to Live By (Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI, 2022). Copies of both books may be purchased in the Cathedral Bookstore.

Living Faith

Discovering Spiritual Growth with the Enneagram

Resumes Sunday, September 17, Room 239, 10:10 a.m.

The Enneagram is an insightful, spiritual personality-typing system that offers another lens into Christian teachings and is a helpful resource for spiritual growth.

Join Canons Lauren Holder, Julia Mitchener, and Cathy Zappa as we explore what it means to live out our faith through conversation with scripture and tradition, contemporary books, and, most important, one another. All are welcome!

Young Professionals: Seeking God in Our Daily Lives

Begins September 10, Room 368, 10:10 a.m.

Each Sunday, our Young Professionals group will gather for our new formation offering: “Seeking God in Our Daily Lives.”

During our time together, we will explore the story of our Christian faith and how we participate in that larger story. We will faithfully engage with scripture as we endeavor to be co-participants in God's desire for us in the world.

Enjoy Biblical Greek

Resumes September 10, 1:15 p.m., Room 239 and on Zoom

Provided on a drop-in basis, first-time visitors need no previous knowledge of Greek. Classes typically begin with reciting the alphabet, pronunciation practice, and accessible grammar instruction prior to a half-hour or so of collaborative, rewarding translation. Please contact the Rev. Dr. Thee Smith, tsmith@cathedralATL.org, for more information

Adult EDUCATION

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN PAKISTAN AND IRAQ

Thursday, September 14

11:30 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.

Georgia State College of Arts and Sciences

Sunday, September 10

Child Hall, 10:10 a.m.

Cathedral Giving By Design is thrilled to welcome our 2024 beneficiary: The Boyce L. Ansley School to the Cathedral on Sunday, September 10. The Boyce L. Ansley School is a tuition-free private school in Atlanta, specifically catering to underprivileged children experiencing, or transitioning from, homelessness. The school started in 2018, as a Pre-K program, and has expanded by adding an additional grade each year. There are almost 2,000 children experiencing homelessness in Atlanta schools, and countless more who are not even enrolled. Trauma, disrupted education, and challenging circumstances leave them struggling academically. The scholars, and their family unit, thrive with the school’s framework of structure and support.

Come learn more about this amazing organization and the impactful work they are doing in our area. This is a great opportunity to learn more about an important outreach effort at the Cathedral!

THE DEAN’S MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

Tuesdays beginning September 26

Chapter Room, 7–8 a.m.

This group meets every Tuesday morning to read and study scripture, to share faith stories, and to support each other in prayer. Sam Candler, the Dean of the Cathedral, usually leads the group and coffee and biscuits are available. All men are invited, whether Cathedral members or not.

THE DEAN’S WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

Wednesdays beginning September 27

Chapter Room, 10:45–11:45 a.m. This group meets Wednesday mornings to read and study scripture, to share faith stories, and to support each other in prayer. Dean Candler usually leads the group and coffee is available. All women are invited, whether Cathedral members or not.

To be added to either email list for the Dean’s Bible Studies, contact the Dean’s office: jmahood@cathedralATL.org or 404-365-1031

Conference Room at Georgia State University (Room 223, 25 Park Place, Atlanta) and on Zoom

This lecture by our very own Rev. Salmoon Bashir is jointly presented by Georgia State University and the University of Michigan Center for South Asian Studies and is cosponsored by the Atlanta Global Studies Center and the GSU Asian Studies Center. Salmoon, born in Pakistan, has over a decade of experience providing leadership in diverse, multicultural, and multi-faith spaces in the US, Pakistan, Iraq, the UK, and the Republic of Georgia. Salmoon was appointed to serve alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Community of St. Anselm at Lambeth Palace in London. His Master of Divinity degree at Emory University brought him to Atlanta. Salmoon worked as the Chief of Staff for the Fearless Dialogues - an organization facilitating hard, heartfelt conversations. He is also a part of various ecumenical and interreligious dialogue committees and events, representing the Episcopal Church nationally and internationally.

Zoom registration is at tinyurl.com/BashirTalk.

YOUTH Ministry

Join the Cathedral Youth this school year by signing up for Youth Sunday School and EYC!

Sunday, September 10, is the kickoff of for youth Sunday programs. All youth are also welcome to attend the Tuesday night Bible Study at Fellini's at 6:30 p.m. for conversation, pizza, and fellowship. You can sign up for Sunday School and EYC, and prepay for pizza, at cathedralATL.org/youth.

You can also stay up-to-date on weekly youth activities as well as overnight trips, retreats, and holiday events by following us on Instagram, @CathedralATLyouthministry.

Contact Keith Dumke, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, kdumke@cathedralATL.org, for questions about any of the fun and engaging youth programs at the Cathedral!

Bible Studies with Dean Sam Candler

The Choirs of the Cathedral of St. Philip proudly present Choirs Uncorked! Join us Friday, September 8, as we hang up our cassocks and let our hair down to show a side of ourselves not seen on a normal Sunday morning. We will be showcasing many styles from 42nd Street to the Met. This musical feast will also include snacks and beverages for your enjoyment. We will also have a silent auction with treasures from the vaults of some of our finest parishioners. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the silent auction, and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. All proceeds from the evening will go to fund the choir's next pilgrimage to England in 2024 to St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, and York Minster. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you there!

Tickets:

• General Admission: $40

• VIP Table of 8: $450 (includes preferred seating, available online only)

• Reserved Table of 8: $400 (includes reserved seating only, available online only) Tickets are available online at cathedralATL.org/uncorked and in-person from the Cathedral Bookstore.

This concert is a fundraiser, so if you can’t make it but would like to contribute, you can donate to the choir pilgrimage online at cathedralATL.org/2024Pilgrimage or send your donation to the Cathedral c/o the Music Office. You can also donate items for the silent auction; some highly sought-after items include vacation home rental, theater tickets, airline miles, artwork, gift certificates, collectibles, service vouchers, antiques, etc. Items can be dropped off Sundays between services (10 a.m.–11:10 a.m.) in the Atrium, or during the week at the Security Desk, also in the Atrium. For more information, please call the music office at 404-365-1050.

PASTORAL CARE

12-STEP GROUPS AT THE CATHEDRAL Alcoholics Anonymous

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 7 p.m., Lanier House

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who come together to solve their drinking problem. A.A.’s primary purpose is to help alcoholics achieve sobriety.

Peachtree Al-Anon Family Group

Thursdays, 10:30 a.m., Lanier House

LANDSCAPES OF GRIEF

Sundays, September 17 – October 22, 2023

Lanier House, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

This in-person grief support group is open to all adults working through the death of a loved one and is facilitated by Canon Cathy Zappa and Gillian Renault of Hospice Atlanta. Sessions occur over consecutive weeks. Participants are asked to commit to attending all sessions. After the 2nd meeting the group will be closed to new participants.

For more information and to register, please contact Paulette Slawson via email at Paulette.Slawson@vnhs.org or by phone at 404-527-6558.

Al-Anon is a mutual support program for people who are living with–or have lived with–someone whose drinking or drug use created problems for themselves or others.

Families Anonymous

Thursdays, 7 p.m., Lanier House

Families Anonymous is a 12-step fellowship for the families and friends who have known a feeling of desperation concerning the destructive behavior of someone very near to them, whether caused by drugs, alcohol, or related behavioral problems.

All 12-step programs are free and open to the public. For questions, please contact Cathy Zappa, czappa@cathedralATL .org.

FARMERS MARKET

... AND ONE FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR

The Cathedral Farmers Market takes place every Saturday through December

16 in the Cathedral parking lot from 8:30 a.m. – noon. This parochial entity of the Cathedral provides fresh fruits and vegetables from local and sustainable farms, prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, and a variety of other goods created, curated, and crafted by local small businesses. In addition, the farmers market offers a place for community and outreach for the Cathedral. You can leave a prayer request, learn more about happenings at the Cathedral, and provide food for our community partner Intown Cares by dropping off canned and shelf-stable goods at the market’s information tent or participating in the “One for Your Neighbor” program. Just look for the “One for Your Neighbor” signs at the farmers’ stalls to purchase fresh produce for the Intown’s food pantry which is delivered each Saturday after market. Also, as a Georgia Fresh for Less partner, SNAP dollars (formally known as food stamps) are doubled for purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables making eating healthy more accessible for all. Learn more at peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com

CHILDREN'S Ministries

All GOD'S CHILDREN

JOIN US FOR THE ATLANTA PRIDE PARADE

All God's Children, the Cathedral's community of LGBTQ+ members, families and friends, will be participating and marching in the October 15, 2023. We will parade through the streets of midtown Atlanta, affirming the lives and dignity of our LGBTQ+ community.

Registration is $20 per person, which includes a custom Cathedral Pride T-shirt to wear during the parade! Please RSVP at cathedralATL.org/prideparade by September 22, 2023

Important note: Interested persons who want to participate with All God's Children or the parade, are not required to identify as an LGBTQ+ individual; the only conditional requirement is a loving heart! For any questions, please contact Canon Lauren Holder, lholder@cathedralATL.org.

MEMBERSHIP TRANSITIONS

NEW MEMBERS

Sarah and Jim Kennedy, Atlanta

Mark Morgan, Atlanta