The CATHEDRAL TIMES
The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · February 16, 2025
HENRY VIII DID NOT START THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH! (OR: ANGLICANISM IS NOT THE MIDDLE WAY; IT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE WAY!)
by the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral
I present this week a repeat article! I will be speaking about this material at the Cathedral Chapter Retreat this weekend, in two confirmation classes soon, and maybe in a couple of Sunday morning presentations later this spring. Here is a review and a preview! A summary of the history and theology of our Anglican tradition. Enjoy!
– Sam Candler
You pass my confirmation class if you can say that simple sentence: Henry VIII did not start the Episcopal Church. You pass with honors if you can state who actually did found the Episcopal Church: Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ founded the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church, developed from the Church of England, and an integral member of the Anglican Communion of Churches, is part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
That church, started by Jesus Christ, has included inevitable conflict. Even the beautiful first century Christian community involved conflict, which we can read about clearly in The Book of Acts (see Acts 15:2).
One of the great apostles, St. Peter, was opposed to his face by the other great missionary apostle, St. Paul (see Galatians 2:11). From then on, every Christian community has lived through conflict. Sometimes that conflict was minor, and sometimes it has been major.
The Anglican tradition of Christianity, evolving as it did far from Rome and the more established centers of western civilization, has always seen its share of conflict and debate. Usually, that conflict has emerged from competing sources of authority. Who, or what, is the final authority in Anglican Christianity? From the fifth century onward, ecclesiastical authority rotated from the Archbishop of Canterbury, to whomever the reigning monarch might be, to the Roman Pope; after the Reformation, that revolving locus of authority included the common people themselves.
Consider the first Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Augustine, who landed at Canterbury in 597 AD. He was the first official Roman missionary bishop in what we now call England; but a Celtic form of Christianity, centered around local abbots and monasteries, was already present. St. Patrick had already returned to Ireland; St. David had evangelized Wales; and the great St. Columba had already founded Iona in the north country. One of the early English synods, held at Whitby in 664, was convened over a concern for authority; would the established Church follow Roman or Celtic Christian customs?
They chose Roman customs, for a season, but not for all time. Jump forward to the great William the Conqueror in 1066. Long before Henry VIII, William the Conqueror also considered himself the head of the Church of England. He convened church councils (not the Pope or the Archbishop of Canterbury), he nominated bishops and invested them; and he refused to allow the Pope to interfere in what he considered the king’s business.
Later, Thomas à Becket would lose his life by crossing King Henry II. In those days (11th and 12th Centuries), the King of England would often refuse to allow the Archbishop of Canterbury inside the country (Archbishops Lanfranc, Anselm, and Thomas à Becket were all exiled at one time or another).
The Church in England was living through authority issues long before Henry VIII arrived on the scene. And, of course, the Anglican Communion of Churches continues to live through authority issues. At our best, churches in the Anglican tradition, including the Episcopal Church, have learned to live through authority issues with grace.
This SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 16, 2025 · The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year C Jeremiah 17:5-10 • Psalm 1 • 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 • Luke 6:17-26
8:45 A.M., 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 Rev. Salmoon Bashir
Preacher : The Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener
8:45 a.m. Cathedral Choir:
Craig Phillips (b. 1961), The Beatitudes
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), Beati quorum via
11:15 A.M. LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA , MIKELL CHAPEL
Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Iñaki Guevara-Cuence
4 P.M. CHORAL EVENSONG FOR THE FEAST OF MARTIN LUTHER, CATHEDRAL
Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Dr. Thee Smith
Cathedral Schola:
William Byrd (1539/40-1623), Preces & Responses
Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), Magnificat
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80, movement 1
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), Beati quorum via
SUNDAY AFTERNOON RECITALS
KÄTHE WRIGHT KAUFMAN, ORGAN
Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church Atlanta, Georgia
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16— 3:15 P.M.
IN-PERSON AND ONLINE AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/RECITALS
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), Prelude in D minor, Op. 37, No. 3/i
Herbert Howells (1892-1983), Rhapsody in D flat, Op. 17, No. 1
Jehan Alain (1911-1940),
Deux Chorals (Choral dorien & Choral phrygien)
Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), Postlude in D minor, Op. 105, No. 6
Iain Farrington (b. 1977), Voices of the World
Weekly WATCH PARTY
BABETTE’S FEAST!: VIEWING MEDIA AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Wednesday, February 19
5 p.m., Lanier House Dining Room and on Zoom
Join our weekly watch party February 19 for a screening of Babette’s Feast. Cultures clash in 1870’s Denmark when two pious sisters governing a strict religious village employ a French refugee who serves a lavish feast that tempts their aging congregation to indulge in excess generosity and joy.
The film has English subtitles and was the Oscar winner of the 1988 best foreign language film.
RSVP to this invitation for in-person or Zoom attendance by emailing the Rev. Dr. Thee Smith, tsmith@cathedralATL.org or 404-365-1093. If you’re joining in-person, please arrive at the Lanier House by 5 p.m. with your (optional) potluck snack. We look forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming for LENT
WOMEN’S LENTEN RETREAT: WONDERS OF THE
WILDERNESS
March 14–16 at St. Mary’s Sewanee
The retreat will be led by Canons Ashley Carr and Julia Mitchener
Join other Cathedral women on the bluff at beautiful St. Mary’s in Sewanee, Tennessee. There will be time for quiet, rest, fellowship, and spiritual exploration as we mine the unexpected treasures that can be found in the rough ground of this wilderness time of Lent. Register at cathedralATL.org/lentenretreat.
Single Occupancy $360 • Double Occupancy $300/person (meals included: dinner on Friday–breakfast on Sunday)
Contact Jeannie Mahood, jmahood@cathedralATL.org or 404-365-1031, with questions. Registration deadline is February 15. All women of the Cathedral are welcome.
LENTEN BIBLE STUDY: EPIC OF EDEN
Wednesdays
12 p.m., Room 239
Join the Eat Your Word Bible Study this Lent as we embark on a transformative journey through the Old Testament with The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry Into the Old Testament by Dr. Sandra L. Richter. This in-depth study, taught via prerecorded videos by Dr. Richter, will help us make sense of the places, people, and events of the Old Testament by weaving together a story that runs from the Eden of the Garden to the New Jerusalem.
Through engaging discussions and Dr. Richter’s insightful teaching, we will bridge the gap between our modern understanding and the ancient biblical world, uncovering the Old Testament’s connection to the overarching story of redemption. Whether you’re new to studying the Old Testament or seeking to deepen your understanding, this Lenten study will bring fresh perspective and clarity to Scripture’s relevance in our faith journey today. All are welcome—come and rediscover the richness of God’s story this Lent! For more information, please contact the Rev. Salmoon Bashir, sbashir@cathedralATL.org.
WELCOMED HOME BY MERCY AND COMPASSION: A LENTEN QUIET DAY
Saturday, March 8, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The 2025 Lenten Quiet Day will be led by the Rev. Lynnsay Buehler, an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, and the Director of the Julian of Norwich Center of St. Bede’s Episcopal Church. Lynnsay is excited to be back at the Cathedral, where she was on staff in the pastoral care department from 1985-1989. The Cathedral also sponsored her throughout her ordination process. Lynnsay is an Associate of Green Bough House of Prayer, a member of Spiritual Directors International, an EfM mentor, and has trained in pastoral counseling, as well as marriage and family therapy.
The CATHEDRAL of ST. PHILIP
The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler, Dean
Dale Adelmann, Ph.D., Canon for Music
The Rev. Canon David E. Boyd III, Canon for Pastoral Care
The Rev. Canon Ashley Carr, Canon for Parish Life
The Rev. Canon 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
Mary Hall Perrin, Junior Warden
CATHEDRAL TIMES SUBMISSION DEADLINES: FOR THE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12. FOR THE SUNDAY, MARCH 2 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19.
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
PRAYER List
FOR THOSE WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Lacy Buckmaster • Mary Chase Mize • Jon Moravec • Alice Smith-Mather
FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING:
LONG TERM PRAYERS: R. Huntley Allen • Lucy Baker • Catalina Barragan • Ed Black • Ann and Frank Blackistone, Jr. • John Blair • Lawrence Booker • Cheryl Bryant • The Bryant Family • Herbert Buffington • The Crossley Family • Rita Daly • Jerri Darnell • Debbie Dewees • Mary Wayne Dixon • Paul Fekete • Phoebe Forio • Tom Frolik • Susan Gavalis • Meriel Gregory • Jenny Ham • Tory Hartness • Gena Inman • Jane Jones • Bennie King • Randi King • Lisa Krysiak • Bonnie Lamberth • Virginia LaMon •
Liza Lanier • Ralph Lewis • Robert Lewis • Stewart Long, Jr. • Jill Mahaffey • Kit Mason • Tommy Mason • Floyd McRae • Sally Menning • John Mercer • Graham Mulling • Susan Myers • Jim Myrick • Charlie Neal • Lori Hegwood Owens • Marian Palmore • Jim Powell • Nancy Qarmout • Buddy Redd • Rubye Reid • Lorraine Reynolds • Barbara Rice • Bob Riggins • Tom Roberts • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Bill Roth • Kay Sanders • Nancy Sanders • Louis “Skip” Schueddig • Sheila Stovall • Tommy Truesdale • Len Wagner • Jonathan Wright
FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Josephine Rose Adams • Kenya Anders • Steve Baker • Bettina Bass • Annette Bechtold • Ray and Pat Bell • Jason Borland • Darrell Boyette • Jason Brady • Trip Bray • Saint Legend Brown • Chaz Brownfield • Anne Bumbak • Lila Jo Callaway • Roanne Chandraratna • Anna Clifford • Georgia Collier • Linda Connelly • Ava Corroon • Andre DeBussey • Veta Durman • Marilyn Epstein • Kyle Garcia • David Garlock • Ann George • Nikki Greenaway • Kerry Gresham • Ted Hackett • Ryan Hamilton • Joanne Dopp Hamlyn • Carole Ann Harris • Davis Hatcher • Shirley Helmke • Lisa Hoybach • Jane Hunnicutt • Beth Ingle • William Irwin • Farley Jenkins, Sr. • Pat Jones • Delores and Lee Josephs • Jack Karch • Tyler King • Pete Livezey • Carolyn R. Lusk • Lauren Makhlouf • Hampton Maxim • Elaine Metcalf • Iris Miller • Melanie Myers • Tom Myer • Vonnie Nahill • Fred Neuschel • Linus Nickel • Mary Jane Noyes • Jon Oscher • Alfredo Paniagua • Stephen Pararo • David Raj • Hugh Ripps • Terri Robertson • Einar Sagstuen • Joe Salas • James Sands • Patricia Schooley • Coley Sheats • Lelia Sinclair • Don Smith • William Mose Smith • Michael and Kathryn Snider • Joe Spencer • Kristen Ryan Stockton • Izzy Straus • John and Cleary Tanner • Pierson Thames • Leopoldo Velita • Pat Volpicella • Suzette Walling • Jay Whitten • John Wilmer • Christie Woodfin • Cutler Woodfin • Hollis Youngner FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Madonna Brownlee • Katherine Plank
The Cathedral Thrift House will be collecting donations of fine, vintage, and high-end costume jewelry during February and March for their Jewelry Box Bazaar. Donations will be collected at the Cathedral on the following Sundays: February 16, March 2, and March 16. Donations will also be collected at the Thrift House Tuesday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and designate your items as for the Jewelry Box Bazaar. Then visit the Cathedral Thrift House April 8–11 from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. to shop the sale!
THE CATHEDRAL THRIFT HOUSE
1893 Piedmont Road NE Atlanta, GA 30324 cathedralthrifthouse.org
GOING THERE: CONTEMPLATING DEATH TO INVIGORATE LIFE
Tuesday Evenings, March 11–April 15
6–8 p.m., Room 368
Join Cathedral member and Conscious Dying Coach, Susan Patterson, in this small group course beginning March 11. Over the course of six two-hour sessions, the group will focus on five contemplation topics, participate in grounding exercises, and share personal insights in order to increase our comfort level with dying and death; increase our ability to envision the experiences and connections that bring deep meaning to our lives, and, create action steps to share our thoughts, wishes and plans with others. A fee of $150 covers all materials and Susan’s leadership. Please direct questions to Canon David Boyd at david.boyd@cathedralatl.org. Register at cathedralATL.org/goingthere.
STEWARDSHIP
ENTRANCED BY EYE AND EAR
by parishioner Fred Scott
Entranced by eye and ear, I fell for the Episcopal Church hook, line and sinker the first time I was taken to the National Cathedral for Evensong. A South-Georgia Baptist at a Jesuit university in our nation’s capital towards the end of the Vietnam war with lots of new ideas and life-changing thoughts, that’s what I was. That afternoon in a “house of prayer for all peoples” something hit home. This was the kind of worship I craved; from that moment on, smells and bells and holy food, priests and bishops and The Book of Common Prayer have been a part of my spiritual life.
MUSIC
ABO AND CATHEDRAL CHOIRS CONCERT: MONTEVERDI VESPERS
March 28, 2025, 7:30 p.m., Cathedral Nave
March 29, 2025, 3:00 p.m., Cathedral Nave
A special collaboration between the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra and the Cathedral Choir and Schola
I was raised in the church. I sang and played, led choirs, taught Sunday school. Our family was in church “every time the doors opened,” as we said. Everything about worship was thrilling to me, from sturdy hymn-singing and meaningful (read, long-winded) preaching on Sunday morning to Gospel-style piano-playing on a hot summer night in a tent revival. But that experience, on a beautiful September afternoon in a fantastic, still unfinished Gothic cathedral, was like nothing before and almost nothing since.
I learned more and more about my new church, took instruction here at the Cathedral of St. Philip from an opera-loving priest, was received into this Episcopal family thirty-two years ago and never looked back. I like the place, the people, the plans, the purpose. I like the way we sing and pray together. I like the quiet moments before a service begins, too—light streams through stained glass and the delicate sound of footsteps on marble can be heard. I admire the way we teach kids to love church. I am proud of the many ways we reach into the community.
Everything we do here takes money: I know that. My parents sent this curious young boy off to college in 1970s Washington knowing (hoping, praying) that I’d find a church that fit. And reminding me that no matter where I was, giving back to God wasn’t optional. It was the way you say thanks for the blessings you have, they said. And you give back with a smile, they said. That’s what makes it real, I figured out.
I love this Cathedral. The “big” church lifts me up. Looking into the treetops from St. Mary’s and the serenity of Mikell Chapel keep me centered. And soon there will be a middle-sized place as well, when the new Good Faith Chapel is done. I am happy that I have the ability to give to it, pray for it, worship in it. For everything here, I am eternally grateful. Day in and day out. In every size and shape and style. St. Philip, I have fallen for you hook, line and sinker!
To join Fred in giving back to the Cathedral of St. Philip with a smile, please visit cathedralATL.org/giving.
This may well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Atlantans to hear Monteverdi’s Vespers performed live by virtuoso soloists, multiple choirs, and expert period instrumentalists in acoustical and aesthetic surroundings similar to those for which it was written. Come and be swept away by one of the most transformative works in the entire history of music, and marvel at this kaleidoscopic work of sonic grandeur, extraordinary virtuosity, constant changes in color and performing forces, compositional brilliance, originality, and ravishing beauty, as Monteverdi ushers music from the Renaissance to the Baroque.
Presented by Friends of Cathedral Music at the Cathedral of St. Philip and the Cathedral’s Moore-Wilkerson Concert Endowment. Tickets can be purchased at cathedralATL.org/concerts.
CHOIR OF ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND
Friday, April 11, 2025
7:30 p.m., Cathedral Nave
The return to the U.S.A. of one of the most celebrated choirs of men and boys in the world—for the first time since adding girls to the top lines—will move and delight listeners! At home in the University of Cambridge, the choir sings six Evensongs and a full Choral Eucharist each week during university term, giving them a facility of musicianship and breadth of repertoire that is truly astounding. Over the past half-century, the Choir has toured independently throughout the world – on many occasions as official representatives of the British government – and released more than one hundred critically acclaimed recordings on international labels. This will be an extraordinary evening, featuring some of the most beautiful treble singing one will ever have the privilege of hearing anywhere!
Presented by Friends of Cathedral Music at the Cathedral of St. Philip. Tickets are available at cathedralATL.org/concerts.
In the great Protestant Reformation issues of the sixteenth century, Henry VIII actually never abandoned the theology of the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, he wrote a treatise against Martin Luther in 1521 which earned the title “Defender of the Faith” for Henry – and thus for all the rest of his successors to this day. When he appealed to the pope for annulment from his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry was concerned far more for a suitable male heir for the kingdom than for the new Protestant theology. In another era, the Pope might have granted his request easily; but at that time, the weak pope was under the sway of the holy Roman emperor, Charles V – who was the nephew of Catherine of Aragon. There was no way the pope was going to offend Charles V by annulling the marriage of his aunt! If there is any one person (other than Jesus) who did start—or who best represents—the Anglican tradition of Christianity, it is Elizabeth I. Reigning from 1559-1603, just after England had been swung violently back and forth between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, it was she who found a way for the Church of England to be both Catholic and Protestant. She represented a way to resolve conflict gracefully in the church. At its best, the Anglican tradition of Christianity resolves conflict gracefully. And it does so, rarely by taking “the middle way,” which has long been another name for the Episcopal Church (the “via media”, or “middle way,” between Catholicism and Protestantism). Rather, I believe the Anglican tradition of Christianity often finds truth on both sides of theological and cultural disputes. The Anglican Communion of Churches finds “the comprehensive way,” affirming truth on both the traditional and the progressive wings of Christian community. The Anglican Communion of Churches might better be called the “via comprehensiva,” the comprehensive way.
I believe this “comprehensive way” was responsible for resolving other conflicts in Episcopal Church history, too. It explains how the early Protestant Church in the United States of America could be related to the Church of England but also separate from it. It was the comprehensive way that held the Episcopal Church together during the tragedy of the American Civil War. The comprehensive character of Anglicanism and the Episcopal Church also enabled us to meet the rise of science and higher literary criticism in the nineteenth century with grace and faith. We found a way to read the Bible with both faith and reason.
The Christian Church inevitably involves conflict. Usually, there are persons of good Christian faith on both sides of the conflict. The particular Anglican tradition of Christianity is a way of dealing with conflict gracefully. Obviously, our history has not always been clearly graceful. But the tradition which guides us is truly a graceful one.
From generation to generation, the Episcopal Church seeks to honor the universal claim of the Christian gospel while also honoring local authority and indigenous faith. That is another inherent challenge—and conflict—in all churches. How can we be obedient to both global tradition and local authority? How can we honor both the gospel and our local culture? It is a journey and task entrusted to us by our Lord Jesus Christ himself.
When we remember Jesus, the founder of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion of Churches, let us also remember that our faith declares a comprehensive truth about him, too. Jesus Christ, we say, was both fully divine and fully human. Orthodox Christianity refuses to choose one nature over the other; Jesus is fully both. Jesus Christ is not some middle ground between divinity and humanity; Jesus Christ is comprehensive of all divinity and all humanity. That incarnational faith is the graceful style of Anglican Christianity, too.
The Very Rev. Sam Candler Dean of the Cathedral
This sunday at a glance
7:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Mikell Chapel
8:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist Cathedral
10:10 a.m. Living Faith Room 239
10:10 a.m. YP Sunday School Room 368
10:10 a.m. Godly Play Parents Room 368
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
2 p.m. Landscapes of Grief Lanier House
3:15 p.m. Sunday Afternoon Recital: Käthe Wright Kaufman Cathedral
4 p.m. Choral Evensong Cathedral
6 p.m. EYC for Middle and High School Room 382
POSTMASTER: Dated Material. Please deliver by February 15, 2025
POSTMASTER
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SPIRITUALITY
LABYRINTH WALK AND TAIZÉ PRAYERS FOR PEACE
Monday, February 17
7 p.m., Child Hall
Refresh your soul with a contemplative third Monday of February. 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.
