The CATHEDRAL TIMES
The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · September 15, 2024
SEPTEMBER 14 IS HOLY CROSS DAY
By the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral
Observing the Feast of the Holy Cross, I ask this question: “Why do we carry these crosses everywhere?” We wear them around our necks and on our arms. We tattoo our skin with them. We lift crosses up into the air, and we process in lines behind them. We place them on our walls and doors. Do they mean simply that we are pious? That we are warm and cozy, soft-hearted people? Do they mean that we appreciate a spiritual dimension in our past? Do they mean simply that we are from a religious family?
No, the cross means more, much more, than those things. Sadly, regrettably, tragically, the cross has also been used wrongly. It has been used in acts of violence. It has been used in acts of racism and antisemitism and prejudice. It has been used in ways that are directly antagonistic to the way of Jesus.
But the cross means something which is the very opposite of violence, and it means something that is much more profound than mere emotional pietism. In Jesus’ day, crucifixion was a shameful form of death, akin to the electric chair, or even akin to lynching. To wear a cross around your neck in Jesus’ time would be akin, in our time, to wearing an electric chair around your neck. Strange. Brutal.
What happened? It is a testament to the power of Christ that the image changed. The image became transformed. That transformation declares that even the most painful suffering and most gruesome death are not stronger than God. God is greater. God defeats death at the cross.
Why the cross? I offer three answers. First of all, the cross means pain. Pain. I wish it didn’t mean this. I wish life itself did not include pain. There are some religions, in fact, who try to say that pain and suffering do not exist, that they are just illusions.
But Christianity admits that yes, pain and suffering really do exist. In fact, we share an important tenet with Buddhism in this regard. Life is suffering. Life, we believe, is much more than that, of course. But life does involve suffering. None of us gets around pain and suffering. The way to the other side of pain and suffering is not around it, but through it.
It is Jesus who shows us how to go through, not around, pain and suffering. The holy cross, then, reminds us that Jesus himself encountered pain, and betrayal and false witness and innocent suffering, too – more so than most of us ever will. We follow Jesus and the cross because they show us the way through. Remember: the cross never gives us permission to inflict pain; it gives us the strength to live through it. (Those of you who want more information might read what Robert Shaw, the Atlanta Symphony Chorus maestro, said about the Mozart Requiem and the admission of pain.)
Secondly the cross means paradox. This is more complex. It starts with the very paradox between suffering and joy, and between death and life. The cross means both death and life. Christians are supposed to know how to deal with both. The cross, two simple intersecting lines, represents the truth that life always has two lines going through it, at least two lines, usually many more. People who wear the cross care about the reconciliation of “both/and.” Paradox means the ability to live with opposites: for instance, in Jesus, we live with both humanity and divinity, concepts that are often seen as opposites, but which, to us, are not.
Thirdly: the cross means love. It was love that brought Jesus into the world, and it was love that led Jesus to the cross. The reason we follow Jesus to the cross is because we want to love like he loved.
In short, wearing the cross around our necks means that we choose to love. In the midst of pain, we choose to love. In the midst of paradox, we choose to love. In the midst of things we cannot hold together, things we cannot understand, we choose to love. In the midst of life, we choose to love, to give ourselves for each other. To for-give.
Love was the choice Jesus made, and he made that choice most powerfully at the cross, the holy cross. The holy cross means pain, but it means paradox even more, and even more still, the cross means love. Jesus loves us, this we know, for the cross tells us so.
This SUNDAY
SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 · The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 19, Year B Isaiah 50:4-9a • Psalm 116:1-8 • James 3:1-12 • Mark 8:27-38
8:45, 11:15 A.M., AND 4 P.M.: IN-PERSON AND ONLINE
CATHEDRALATL.ORG / THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. PHILIP APP / FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE
7:45 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, MIKELL CHAPEL
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener
8:45 A.M. AND 11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL
Celebrant: The Very Rev. Sam Candler
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener
8:45 a.m. Cathedral Choristers and Cathedral Singers / 11:15 a.m. Cathedral Choir
John Ireland (1914-1992), Greater love hath no man
Dan Locklair (b. 1949), O sacrum convivium
11:15 A.M. LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA, MIKELL CHAPEL
Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval
4:00 P.M. CHORAL EVENSONG FOR THE FEAST OF HILDEGARD OF BINGEN , CATHEDRAL
Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Canon George Maxwell
Cathedral Schola:
Paul Halley ( b. 1952), Preces & Responses
Jessica French, Magnificat & Nunc dimittis
Craig Phillips (b. 1961), Hymn to the Trinity
Frank Ferko (b. 1950), Laus Trinitati
SUNDAY AFTERNOON RECITALS
MASON COPELAND, ORGAN CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ATLANTA
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 — 3:15 P.M.
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/RECITALS
COME ONE, COME ALL, AND COME HAVE SOME FUN IN CHILDREN’S CHAPEL!
We are looking to grow our Children’s Chapel team, whether you have a musical talent or just want to share God’s love with our youngest parishioners. Contact Lynn Wilmoth, Director of Children’s Ministries at lwilmoth@cathedralATL.org, if you might be interested.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541
J. S. Bach, Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 662
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), Andante in D Major
Robert Schumann (1810-1856), Canon in C Major, Op. 56, No. 1
Robert Schumann, Fugue on BACH, Op. 60, No.2
Walker Sullivan dons the armor of God as he teaches Sunday’s lesson.
David Overend is ‘down in the valley’ as he sings “This Little Light of Mine.”
PRAYER List
FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING: William D. Estes
LONG TERM PRAYERS: R. Huntley Allen • Pat Anderson • Lucy Baker • Ann and Frank Blackistone, Jr. • Emma Duke Bleke • Cheryl Bryant • The Bryant Family • Heather Clark • Elizabeth Coil • The Crossley Family • Rita Daly • Jerri Darnell • Terry Dornbush • Deborah Ellington • Paul Fekete • Phoebe Forio • Tom Frolik • Jenny Ham • Tory Hartness • Gena Inman • Bobby Johnston • Jane Jones • Randi King • Lisa Krysiak • Liza Lanier • Olivia Leon • Ralph Lewis • Robert Lewis • Stewart Long, Jr. • Betsy Loyless • Jill Mahaffey • Camille Martin • Tommy Mason • Sally Menning • Graham Mulling • Susan Myers • Jim Myrick • Charlie Neal • Lori Hegwood Owens • Marian Palmore • Nancy Qarmout • Buddy and Sue Redd • Rubye Reid • Lorraine Reynolds • Barbara and Joel Rice • Bob Riggins • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Lisa Rowe • Kay Sanders • Nancy Sanders • Vernon Skiles • Louis “Skip” Schueddig • Tommy Truesdale • Jonathan Wright
FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Josephine Rose Adams • Steve Baker • Bettina Bass • Ray and Pat Bell • Liza Bentley • Jason Borland • Scott Bouchillon • Jason Brady • Trip Bray • Darnell Brown • Chaz Brownfield • Lila Jo Callaway • Mika Chorey • Anna Clifford • Michael Cohen • Ava Corroon • Eliza Darland • Marty Dunn • Veta Durman • William Erb • Sam Fender • Kyle Garcia • Ann George • Melinda Miller Greenough • Kerry Gresham • Larry Hamilton • Christine Hanson • Carole Ann Harris • Gayle Higley • Keith Hinze • Lisa Hoybach • Jane Hunnicutt • Beth Ingle • William Irwin • Kathy Johnson • Joyce Jones • Pat Jones • Neal Littlejohn • Pete Livezey • Hilda Lukwago • Carolyn R. Lusk • Lauren Makhlouf • Elaine Metcalf • Marion Hickman Meythaler • Sam Muttiah • Fred Neuschel • Linus Nickel • Rosemary Palmer • Alfredo Paniagua • Stephen Pararo • David Raj • Peggy Reese • Terri Robertson • Jean Rudolph • Einar Sagstuen • Joe Salas • James Sands • Skip Saunders • Patricia Schooley • Alan Smith • Don Smith • Christopher Smithers • Michael and Kathryn Snider • Esther Rose Spade • Izzy Straus • Brandon Streets • John and Cleary Tanner • Timothy Tew • Pierson Thames • Leopildo Velita • Pat Volpicella • Suzette Walling • Curt Weaver • Jay Whitten • Christie Woodfin • Karen Woodward • Whit A. Wright • Hollis Youngner
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Thomas Frank Richardson, Jr.
The CATHEDRAL of ST. PHILIP
The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler, Dean
Dale Adelmann, Ph.D., Canon for Music
The Rev. George M. Maxwell, Jr., Vicar
The Rev. Canon Julia B. Mitchener, Canon for Mission
The Rev. Salmoon Bashir, Curate for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations
The Rev. Deacon Linda Rosengren
The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval, Deacon for Hispanic Ministries and Pastoral Care
The Rev. Theophus “Thee” Smith, Ph.D., Priest Associate Geoff DeLong, Senior Warden
Melody Palmore, Junior Warden
CATHEDRAL TIMES SUBMISSION DEADLINES: FOR THE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. FOR THE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18.
TO RECEIVE THE TIMES BY EMAIL: CONTACT LIZ AULL, LAULL@CATHEDRALATL.ORG.
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404-365-1000 | cathedral ATL .org pastoral care emergency line: 404-365-1003
THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Old Fashioned Sunday School
10:10 a.m., Child Hall
Adult EDUCATION
The fall election season promises to be a trying time for all of us, regardless of political disposition. The heightened energy of the campaigns causes us to feel like we need to have opinions on things we don’t really understand, to argue until the person in front of us concedes that we’re right, and to stop seeing those who don’t. The result is pervasive disconnection.
Elizabeth Oldfield, the host of the Sacred podcast and former director and now senior fellow of the think tank Theos, offers a way for us to stay connected. In her new book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, Oldfield explores how religion helps us to develop deep principles and values that help us grow in empathy and curiosity for people different from ourselves. Canon Maxwell will lead a discussion that looks more deeply at Oldfield’s insights and explore how they might play out in our lives. Copies of the book may be purchased in the Cathedral Bookstore. For questions, please contact the Rev. Canon George Maxwell, gmaxwell@cathedralATL.org.
Living Faith
10:10 a.m., Room 239
Join us as we learn what it means to live out our faith through conversation with scripture and tradition, contemporary books, and, most importantly, one another. Beginning this Sunday, and continuing throughout the fall, we’ll be discussing David Brooks’s bestselling book How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. Intended for anyone seeking deeper a connection with others and yearning to be understood, this title draws from the worlds of religion, education, theater, neuroscience, psychology, and more. Bill Gates has described it as a guide to “a more humane way of living. It’s a must read for anyone looking to deepen their relationships and broaden their perspectives.” For more information, please contact Canon Julia Mitchener, julia.mitchener@cathedralATL.org.
Faith & Fellowship: A Young Professionals’ Journey in the Episcopal Church
10:10 a.m., Room 368
Join us as we journey through our faith, formation, and tradition. This gathering will offer a space for open and meaningful dialogue. This class is being lead by Rev. Salmoon Bashir. All are welcome! No advance preparation required. For more information about this class, please contact: The Rev. Salmoon Bashir, sbashir@cathedralATL.org.
Godly Play Parents (GPP)
10:10 a.m., Room 303
Beginning Sunday, September 15, Godly Play Parents (GPP) is a new Christian Formation class supporting parents of children in any of the Godly Play classes. Join fellow Godly Play parents and Deacon Linda Rosengren weekly for fellowship and conversation as we explore how we might engage in the stories and lessons of the Bible alongside our children. Contact Lynn Wilmoth, lwilmoth@cathedralATL.org, for more information.
Enjoy Biblical Greek!
1:15 p.m., Room 239 and on Zoom
This newcomer-friendly class is open to beginners, while including long-term members who enjoy exchanging tips, best learning practices, and coaching points on how to translate the Greek New Testament. The goal is enhanced Bible study, not language mastery.
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.
This class meets Sunday afternoons from 1:15-2:45 p.m., inperson in Room 239, and also via Zoom. Please contact the Rev. Dr. Thee Smith, tsmith@cathedralATL.org, for more information.
Sunday EYP (Episcopal Youth Parents)
6 p.m., La Fonda restaurant
After dropping your youth off for EYC at 6 p.m., you are invited to park and walk across the street to La Fonda and join other youth parents for dinner and fellowship! We hope to do this every Sunday during EYC. For questions or if you would like to RSVP, please contact Keith Dumke, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, kdumke@cathedralATL.org. Canon Julia Mitchener will be joining the group as well.
OUTREACH
L AAMISTAD SNACKS NEEDED
We need snacks for the almost 30 young LaAmistad students who come to to the Cathedral four days a week for after-school tutoring and enrichment activities again this year. It’s so easy to help! Simply bring any of the following to the special table in the atrium through Sunday, September 29:
• Bags of small apples
• Bags of clementines
• Bags of baby carrots
• Pretzels
• Small packages of hummus
• Individually packaged cheese and crackers
• String cheese
• Yogurt tubes
• Individually packed gummy fruit snacks
• Individually packaged Rice Krispies treats
• Cookies (no nuts, please)
• Bags of popcorn (the prepopped kind)
• Protein, granola, or cereal bars
Thank you in advance for your generosity! For more information about LaAmistad and how you can get involved, please contact the Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener, julia.mitchener@cathedralATL.org.
OCTOBER BOOK STUDY
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Cathedral Bookstore
6-7 p.m., Thursdays, beginning October 3
Join us in the Cathedral Bookstore each Thursday evening in October for a discussion of Matthew Desmond’s Pulitzer Prize winning title Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. Named one of Time Magazine’s best ten nonfiction books of the past decade, Evicted follows eight Milwaukee families as they each struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Desmond transforms our societal understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while offering new ideas for addressing one of America’s most devastating problems.
COST OF POVERTY SIMULATION (COPE)
Thursday, October 17
10 a.m.–12 p.m., Child Hall
In partnership with BCM Georgia, the Cathedral will be offering a Cost of Poverty Experience: an immersive poverty simulation designed to offer a glimpse into the lives of lowincome individuals and families living in our communities.
COPE gives participants and volunteers an opportunity to experience poverty firsthand through the eyes of real families.
The experiential nature of this training helps organizations and communities more deeply understand the complexities of poverty, paving the way for addressing the issues of poverty more comprehensively. There will be time for reflection and discussion on what we can do as a faith community to support our community after the simulation.
Lunch will also be provided after the COPE.
We'd love to have you join us for this free event as we prepare for the Homeless Requiem. Our goal is to support low income families and those experiencing homelessness by better understanding the root causes of poverty and engaging with individuals with empathy and hospitality. We hope you, too, will find this experience engaging and thought provoking. Please visit cathedralATL.org/cope to register. Questions? Contact the Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener, julia.mitchener@cathedralATL.org.
“TIMES THEY ARE A’CHANGIN”
St. Veronica’s Guild is so grateful for the support the parish has shown for years for the guild’s work to provide a regular supply of toiletries to four Atlanta Episcopal ministries. The guild has appreciated the donations of both toiletries and funds. However, as times are changing, the guild needs to change, and beginning now, will no longer be able to accept toiletry items.
All are welcome to join in these discussions, which will run from 6-7 p.m. beginning Thursday, October 3. For more information or to sign up, please contact the Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener, julia.mitchener@cathedralATL.org. Copies of the book will be available for purchase in the bookstore.
COVID conditions in 2020 made it necessary to purchase the toiletries provided. Purchasing in bulk is allowing the guild to give personal care products that best meet the needs of the people served by the ministries, so the guild is solely purchasing items for the four ministries. Thank you to parishioners for understanding the change, and for the continuing monetary support that provides resources for this giving method for those who are in need. To donate to this ministry, please visit cathedralATL.org/toiletries.
SPIRITUALITY
THIRD MONDAY LABYRINTH WALK AND TAIZÉ
Monday, September 16
7 p.m., Child Hall
Refresh your soul with a contemplative third Monday of September. We’ll begin in Child Hall for an hour of walking the sacred labyrinth path starting at 7 p.m. Or come a few minutes early for a brief introduction if you are new to the labyrinth. Then, come to Mikell Chapel at 8 p.m. for Taizé Prayers for Peace. Originating in Taizé, France, this simple service of scripture, music, silence, and candlelight will bring a beautiful and prayerful close to your Monday.
The facilitated Labyrinth walk and Taizé service take place every third Monday at the Cathedral. Come to one, or both— and bring a friend! Questions? Contact Jeannie Mahood, jmahood@cathedralATL.org, or 404-365-1031.
Pastoral CARE
REMEMBERING YOUR BABY
Sunday, October 13
4–6 p.m., St. Mary’s Chapel
In October, 1988 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The month recognizes the loss so many parents experience, a loss that is complex and not easily navigated. In the 36 years following this proclamation conversations and support surrounding the loss of an infant by miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn death remain difficult. Parents of perinatal loss continue to feel alone and isolated.
If you are a parent or grandparent who has experienced the loss of a child during pregnancy or the death of a newborn, you are invited to join Deacon Linda Rosengren and other parents on Sunday, October 13 for conversation. We will also plan for the observance of the annual “Wave of Light” on October 15, a night when parents of loss light a candle at 7 p.m. in their respective time zones creating a Wave of Light around the world. Please let Deacon Rosengren know if you plan to attend by emailing her at lrosengren@cathedralATL.org.
PARISH Life
COFFEE AND CONVERSATIONS
Saturday, September 21
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., St. Mary's Chapel
Join Canon Julia Mitchener as she leads a discussion on what the Bible really says about being LGBTQ+. Come and enjoy fellowship, coffee and conversations with members of our LGBTQ+ parish community and allies!
All God's Children, the Cathedral's community of LGBTQ+ members, families and friends, exists to welcome all people into the body of Christ, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Register at cathedralATL.org/coffeeandconvo.
CATHEDRAL SUPER SINGLES
The Cathedral Super Singles is a group of singles over 50 that meet at least once a month for fellowship and community.
The Cathedral Super Singles will be meeting each Wednesday at 8 p.m. for Trivial Pursuit at the Whitehall Restaurant at Peachtree Battle Shopping Center, 2391 Peachtree Rd. Look for the star.
The Cathedral Super Singles will also be dining at F&B French Bistro, 3630 Peachtree Rd. NE, on Thursday, September 19, at 6:30 p.m. The Bistro accepts cork fees, so you can bring your own wine. The food is fantastic!
Please RSVP at cathedralATL.org/supersingles so the restaurant can accommodate the seating. Look for the star.
This sunday at a glance
7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Mikell Chapel
8:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Cathedral
10:10 a.m. Old Fashioned Sunday School Child Hall
10:10 a.m. Living Faith Room 239
10:10 a.m. Young Adult Sunday School Room 368
10:10 a.m. Godly Play Parents Class Room 303
10:10 a.m. Youth Sunday School Room 382
10:10 a.m. Godly Play 3rd Floor above the Atrium
11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist Cathedral
11:15 a.m. La Santa Eucaristía Mikell Chapel
1:15 p.m. Enjoy Biblical Greek! Room 239 and online
3:15 p.m. Sunday Afternoon Recital: Mason Copeland Cathedral
4 p.m. Choral Evensong Cathedral
6 p.m. Cathedral Super Foyers Child Hall
6 p.m. Sunday Evening EYC Room 382
POSTMASTER: Dated Material. Please deliver by September 14, 2024
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404-365-1000
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CATHEDRAL FARMERS MARKET Every Saturday
8:30 a.m.–12 p.m., Cathedral Parking Lot
Love is Love Cooperative Farm is bringing a great variety of certified organic fall plants to the Cathedral Farmers Market on Saturday, September 14.
Choose from lots of types of cooking greens, lettuces, broccoli, cabbages, herbs, and edible flowers for your home garden, whether you plant in raised beds, in ground, or pots. All plants come in plantable, wood fiber pots.
Owners and farmers, Monica Ponce and Joe Reynolds, will be at the market to answer all of your fall gardening questions. Love is Love Cooperative Farm is in a worker owner coop in Mansfield, GA. See you Saturday!