The CATHEDRAL TIMES
The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · March 23, 2025
YES! THE BEAUTIFUL PLACES WHERE I HAVE FOUND GOD
by the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral
“Yes!” I say! I say “Yes!” to so many people who are eager to tell me all the places they have found God.
“I find God out in the wild,” they say, “up in the majestic mountains and at the edge of the expansive oceans. I find God in nature, in the beautiful outdoors. I find God in the rugged wilderness.”
“Yes!” I say, “I agree!” I have found God in those places, too. I am fortunate to have grown up in places a bit like that. I knew the beauty of God in the woods and in the lakes and in the pastures and fields of the countryside where I grew up. There was something simple and quiet, and overwhelming, out there. I learned about God fishing in the ponds, and hunting in the woods.
I have found something of divine holiness in the incessant rhythm of ocean waves, in the drawing and withdrawing of sand at the beach. In the deep water itself, beneath the surface, is the muscle and mystery of God. Yes!
I find God in the rhythm of the seasons, hot and cold, rainy and dry, windy and still. Even the awe of thunderstorms shows me something of the power of God. Certainly I have found God in the calm peace of a beautiful sunset, and in early eagerness of a sunrise.
Or how about walking? Merely walking, outside, along the turns of roads, and in the risings and fallings of paths, I become aware of something holy, right with me. The walking itself reveals something of God. Yes, I agree! I, too, find God in those places!
I hear something of God when I listen to the birds, from the curious wail of a high hawk, to the small chatter of songbirds at the feeder. In the swamps, I have been mesmerized by the swelling chorus of tree frogs and spring peepers. I have gotten lost in the buzz of cicadas, in the hoots of the barred owls. “Yes!” I say, “God is in those places.” God is everywhere!
Some people, even in jest, say they find something of God on the golf course! I don’t play golf, but I sense the sometimes spiritual element of the sport. The golfer is outside in the raw elements of weather, even if on a manicured green. The golfer learns to concentrate, practices paying attention only to what is worth paying attention to; that, in my mind, is the essence of prayer, too. People who pay attention know something of spiritual practice.
I don’t play golf, but I played other sports. And I admire the devotion and discipline of the athlete. I admire the practice and discipline of the artist, too, and of the musician and of the dancer. One finds something of God as one follows these beautiful pursuits.
“Yes!” I say. I agree that one can find God almost anywhere. But, let’s go further. The Holy is even in those students whom teachers spend their endless days with. The Holy is in those patients whom physicians and nurses serve. The Holy is in those clients of our businesses. The Holy is in the people we feed and serve, and teach and love.
“Yes!” I say. The holiness of God is in all sorts of places, even in some places where people claim God is not. “Yes!”
And here’s the thing: I have even found God in church! In church!
Ha! I am puzzled when spiritual seekers are unable, and sometimes obstinately unwilling, to find God in churches. Oh, I certainly realize, and lament, the harm that some organized religion has produced. May God have mercy upon mean religious leaders.
This
SUNDAY
MARCH 23, 2025 · The Third Sunday in Lent, Year C Exodus 3:1-15 • Psalm 63:1-8 • 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 • Luke 13:1-9
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 David Boyd
8:45 A.M. AND 11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL
Celebrant: The Rev. Canon Ashley Carr
Preacher : The Very Rev. Sam Candler
8:45 a.m. Cathedral Singers / 11:15 a.m. Cathedral Choir:
Roland E. Martin (b. 1955), Paradise, from Such Glorious Gifts
Percy Whitlock (1903-1946), Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face
11:15 A.M. LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA , MIKELL CHAPEL
Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval
4 P.M. CHORAL EVENSONG FOR THE FEAST OF Ó SCAR ROMERO, CATHEDRAL
Officiant and Preacher: The Very Rev. Sam Candler
Cathedral Schola:
Joel Martinson (b. 1960), Preces & Responses
Philip Moore (b. 1943), Third Service
John Ireland (1897-1962), Greater love hath no man
Colin Mawby (1936-2019), Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
SUNDAY AFTERNOON RECITALS
DAVID JERNIGAN, ORGAN Christ Church, Raleigh, North Carolina
SUNDAY, MARCH 23— 3:15 P.M. IN-PERSON AND ONLINE AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/RECITALS
Petr Eben (1929-2007),
“Moto Ostinato” from Nedêlní Hudba
Marcel Dupré (1886-1971),
Trois Préludes et Fugues, Op. 7
Cathedral BOOKSTORE
The Cathedral Bookstore is looking for a second Assistant Manager. The ideal candidate will have prior retail and management experience. Knowledge of the Episcopal church and church supplies is a plus, but willingness to learn is a must. This is a part-time, on-site position consisting of 20 set hours, 5 days per week—with flexibility to work more hours during holidays, events, and as needed. This is an hourly non-exempt position without benefits. To apply, please send cover letter and resume to: info@cathedralbookstore.org. We will send the full position description in return.
*Please note that due to the high volume of interest, we will only contact those candidates whose experience best align with the requirements above.
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
This may well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Atlantans to hear the 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.
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, MARCH 30 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19. FOR THE SUNDAY, APRIL 6 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26.
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
WEDNESDAY
EVENINGS IN
LENT
This Lent, spend Wednesday evenings with your Cathedral community. On Wednesdays through April 9, we’ll start with dinner in Child Hall at 5:30 p.m., followed by a variety of options from 6–7 p.m. to nourish your soul and mind.
Dinner will change each week. Adults are $15, and children’s buttered noodles and applesauce are free. Please register by Sunday each week so we can prepare the right amount of food. Register at cathedralATL.org/lentendinner; you can register for multiple weeks or come back to fill out the form again. Everyone will pay in person as you get your food.
CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING OFFERINGS:
GOOD FAITH RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
Child Hall
Draw closer to God through the visceral experiences of our faith as we steep ourselves in a different spiritual practice each week. Come and see how God is stirring through your senses and see where it takes you. This offering is guided by the Rev. Canon Ashley Carr and will feature different speakers each week.
BOOK STUDY WITH THE REV. CANON JULIA MITCHENER
What We Remember Will be Saved: A Story of Refugees and the Things They Carry by Stephanie Salda ña
Cathedral Bookstore
One of the central themes of Lent involves the wilderness journey—the struggle through a place of barrenness and danger in search of a land flowing with milk and honey. While we may think of this pilgrimage in metaphorical terms, refugees the world over experience it in real life.
COUNTDOWN TO EASTER WITH THE CHOSEN WATCH PARTY WITH THE REV. DR. THEE SMITH
Lanier House
*Please note this program begins at 5 p.m. Join us as we review key episodes of seasons 1-4 in anticipation of Season 5 being released (in theaters only) beginning March 28 through Easter weekend, April 19-20. To learn more, or to be added to The Chosen mailing list, contact The Rev. Dr. Thee Smith at tsmith@cathedralATL.org or 404-931-5062.
AGING ISSUES—A JOURNEY OF REFLECTION AND UNDERSTANDING
Walthour Library
Susan Troutman, Triff Cook, Terry Vawter, and others with lived experience will present a series of classes designed to explore the multifaceted landscape of aging. This program offers a unique opportunity for parishioners to engage with the challenges and joys of growing older, whether personally, within their families, or within our church community.
EXPLORING THE PASCHAL VIGIL: OBSERVING WITH SWEET SORROW—WITH DAVID PACINI
Chapter Room
The Great Vigil of Easter is one of the oldest observances of the Christian Church. The observance consists of five parts. In this series, we will focus on one part of the Vigil: the narratives of the Liturgy of the Word. Weekly presentations will prepare participants to envision Lent and Holy Week as part of the larger narrative of God’s historical interventions.
FOR KIDS:
JOURNEY WITH JESUS ON THE ROAD THROUGH LENT
Calling all Godly Play Children! Join Deacon Linda and Lynn Wilmoth on Wednesdays in Lent as we thoughtfully prepare for Easter through activities, stories and art. We’ll meet from 6–7 p.m., while adults have other Lenten series offerings. Each week will focus on a different part of Jesus’ journey to the cross and his resurrection.
THE YOUTH TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY WILL MEET ON WEDNESDAYS DURING LENT
Ages 0-3: Nurturing Center is open
LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH OFFERING AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/LENTENSERIES
OUTREACH
CHURCH OF THE COMMON GROUND LUNCH PACKING AND SERVICE
This Sunday, March 23
11 a.m., Cathedral Kitchen
Join in making sack lunches for our neighbors at Church of the Common Ground Sunday, March 23. Meet in the Cathedral kitchen at 11 a.m. This is a fun, impactful activity and a great way to get to know others in the parish. Volunteers are also needed to help deliver the lunches, and all are invited to stay for community worship with CCG in Woodruff Park at 1 p.m. To volunteer, please visit cathedralATL.org/CCGVolunteer.
Church of the Common Ground, a ministry of the Diocese of Atlanta, is a “church without walls” that gathers regularly for prayer, worship, Bible study, fellowship, and support. For more information, visit churchofthecommonground.org.
ALL GOD’S CHILDREN SCREENING OF A CASE FOR LOVE
Saturday, April 12
12:30 p.m., Child Hall
Join All God’s Children for a screening of A Case for Love on Saturday, April 12. The film’s director, Brian Ide, will join us for the screening and for discussion afterwards and lunch will be provided.
About A Case for Love
Our society is more divided than ever. Many have moved into tribal corners, seeing the world from an “us versus them” point of view. The teachings and writings of Bishop Michael Curry inspire A Case for Love. This feature-length documentary examines the question of whether or not love, specifically— unselfish—love, is the solution to the extreme societal and political divide facing the world. This event is free and open to all, but please RSVP at cathedralATL.org/acaseforlove.
During Lent, we are collecting food to support neighbors in our community experiencing food insecurity. Intown Cares serves more than 500 households at its food pantry every week. The items requested for the drive are those which are asked for frequently by pantry guests, but rising food costs/availability make them difficult for Intown Cares to keep in stock. Let’s come together to stock Intown’s shelves in this season of almsgiving!
THIS SUNDAY: Protein Bars
4th Sunday: Fruit cups
5th Sunday: Shelf-stable milk
6th Sunday: Canned fruit
Please do not donate expired food. Drop off donations in the bin labeled "Lenten Food Drive" in the Atrium.
PRAYER List
FOR THOSE WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Carolyn and Franklin Adams • Mary Weston Klein • Anthony Torre
FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING:
LONG TERM PRAYERS: R. Huntley Allen • Lucy Baker • Catalina Barragan • Placido Barragan • Ed Black • Ann and Frank Blackistone, Jr. • John Blair • Lawrence Booker • Cheryl Bryant • The Bryant Family • Melanie Contreras • The Crossley Family • Rita Daly • Jerri Darnell • Debbie Dewees • Mary Wayne Dixon • Tim Dwyer • 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 • Terry Morris • 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 • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Bill Roth • Kay Sanders • Nancy Sanders • Emmierose Scates • Louis "Skip" Schueddig • Tommy Truesdale • Len Wagner
FAMILY AND FRIENDSJosephine Rose Adams • Kenya Anders • Steve Baker • Bettina Bass • Annette Bechtold • Ray and Pat Bell • Jason Borland • Marianna Bortner • Darrell Boyette • Jason Brady • Trip Bray • Saint Legend Brown • Chaz Brownfield • Beverly Brownlee • Anne Bumbak • Lila Jo Callaway • Roanne Chandraratna • Anna Clifford • Georgia Collier • Linda Connelly • Ava Corroon • Marshall Cox • Andre DeBussey • Veta Durman • Mary Kent Ellis • Marilyn Epstein • Adam Freeman • Kyle Garcia • David Garlock • Ann George • Nikki Greenaway • Kerry Gresham • Ted Hackett • Ryan Hamilton • Joanne Dopp Hamlyn • Carole Ann Harris • Davis Hatcher • Carolyn Hawxhurst • Shirley Helmke • Lisa Hoybach • Jane Hunnicutt • Beth Ingle • William Irwin • Farley Jenkins, Sr. • Curtis Jones • Delores and Lee Josephs • Jack Karch • Tyler King • Pete Livezey • Carolyn R. Lusk • Lauren Makhlouf • Hampton Maxim • Elaine Metcalf • Iris Miller • Jon Moravec • Melanie Myers • Tom Myer • Vonnie Nahill • Fred Neuschel • Linus Nickel • Alejandrina Orellana • Alfredo Paniagua • Stephen Pararo • David Raj • Hugh Ripps • Terri Robertson • Einar Sagstuen • Joe Salas • James Sands • Patricia Schooley • Coley Sheats • Lelia Sinclair • Alice Smith-Mather • Don Smith • William Mose Smith • Michael and Kathryn Snider • Kristin Ryan Stockton • Izzy Straus • John and Cleary Tanner • Pierson Thames • Leopoldo Velita • Pat Volpicella • Suzette Walling • Thomas Watford • Jay Whitten • John Wilmer • Bridget Woltman • Christie Woodfin • Cutler Woodfin • Hollis Youngner
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Milton Flake Campbell • Sally Llewellyn • Kimberly Waller
CHILL ON THE HILL
Sunday, May 4 | 5:30 p.m., Cathedral Parking Lot
Join us for an evening of singing and dancing! Dean Sam Candler will start the show on the piano, and then Yuppie Scum will take the stage with rock, dance, and party tunes. Bring your friends, your dinner, and favorite beverages and join the fun! We hope to see you there! Tickets are $25 per person or $200 to reserve a table for 8. For questions, please contact Liz Aull, laull@cathedralATL.org. Get tickets at cathedralATL.org/chillonthehill.
STEWARDSHIP
2025 STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN IS OFF TO A GREAT START!
Thanks to the 400 families that have pledged $2,250,000 to the 2025 Stewardship Campaign. To-date, pledges are running about 10% ahead of last year’s pledges—a great start that is needed to meet our ministry goals for the year. Thanks to everyone who participated in the pledge ingathering, have mailed pledge cards, and submitted online at cathedralATL.org/pledge. Raising an additional $2,000,000 from 500 families will help ensure this holy community continues to grow throughout the year. Please contact David Rocchio at 404-365-1033 or drocchio@cathedralATL.org with any questions about pledging. Again, many thanks!
I/We, with God’s help, pledge $__________ to the ministry of God in Christ, through the 2025 annual operating fund of the Cathedral of St. Philip.
Name(s):
Email:
Signature:
Phone:
Date:
This commitment, offered in faith, may be increased or decreased due to changing circumstances.
...continued from front page
Still, I have found God even in church. I have found God even in the routines of prayer and sermon, song and silence, that can seem so tedious; but mainly they are tedious to those who are already bored.
In the faces and words of ordinary people at church, I have found the same God who appears in the ordinary branches and leaves of trees in the woods. What might seem like the monotonous, repetitive prayer of church has the same rhythm of ocean waves rising and falling at the beach. These routines, these routines of church, mean something. They carry the muscle and mystery of God.
The weather rhythms of hot and cold, wet and dry, are mirrored in our church seasons of birth and death, joy and sadness, Lent and Easter. In church, I sometimes hear the raspy frog voices, and I sometimes hear the sweet soul of the white-throated sparrows. In church, I hear the same heavenly chorus that I have heard outdoors.
My walks through the church year, and through the church aisles and through the church prayers, are just as delightful as walks in the woods, or walks on the beach. I find all sorts of things on those walks; what looks like lonely driftwood on the beach, and what looks like lonely drifted people at church, are actually beautiful and weathered souls, eager and thankful for God.
Oh, the beautiful places I have found God! Even in church! Join me! Use this spring to go to church somewhere. Or to some synagogue or mosque that has stood the test of holy time. At church, this is a holy season for us. According to ancient tradition, we call these next forty days, “Lent,” when the days of God’s creation begin to “lengthen.” (It is uncertain, but one theory of where the word, “Lent,” comes from, is that it comes from the word, “lengthen.” Days are lengthening.)
God is in these rhythms. God is even in our broken branches and yearning blossoms. God is in our driftwood and in our spring growth. Our prayer, clumsy as it may be sometimes, is part of God’s creativity, bringing Easter and new life into the world!
The Very Rev. Sam Candler
Dean of the Cathedral
POSTMASTER: Dated Material. Please deliver by March 22, 2025
POSTMASTER
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404-365-1000
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