The CATHEDRAL TIMES The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · March 29, 2020
MOST OF GOD’S MOMENTS OF MERCY WILL NOT MAKE IT TO THE INTERNET By the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral Tension thickens in our homes. Even the best homes, and marriages, and households, and children, and parents, get bored and irritated. There are moments, each day, when the tension overwhelms our equilibrium, and something snaps. Something boils over. Something uncaring and frustrating just erupts. In those situations, someone has to play the role of moderator, has to be the one to ease the tension or to add something softer and gentler to the situation. But, after a while, that moderator gets tired of being the moderator. It takes enormous energy to try to add patience and gentleness into tense situations. Give the moderator a break, too. Lord have mercy! Is there a balm in Gilead? Is there rest for the weary? Is there mercy? Surely, God has delivered that rest and balm for generations. We know that in faith, but we sure don’t know it physically or emotionally yet. Our hearts are heavy. Our worries mount. What to do? One strategy might be to imagine the future, to imagine some scenario when the world is more comfortable, when we are finally at some sort of rest. Where would we be? Would we be free to walk in a park, to gather at a church, to go to a movie or concert? Could we drive to see our children somewhere? Drive to see our parents at the nursing home? Another strategy is to remember the past. Remember that last family reunion, give thanks for that dinner at a restaurant with friends, even remember the last sports event we attended. Remember that church service or sermon or hymn sing. Remember, too, how naïve we seemed back then. The world was different, and we had no idea what would happen. We were simply unaware of what the future would bring. Well, that unawareness is exactly where we are now. Though we rarely admit it, being unaware of the future is actually where we are all the time. Even when things are going well, we can never depend upon this moment’s reality to continue on. In the same way, we do not need to think that this present, scary, moment will continue either. There will be better moments, because this is the way life is, and because this is the way life in God is: suffering and joy, death and resurrection. But where is God now? What is God doing in our crisis? My belief is that God is always where the crisis is. God is always where the need is. God is in the truly heroic people who are our health care providers, emergency room workers and nurses and doctors, those risking their health to care for the unhealthy. God is in the grocery store workers stocking shelves for us. God is in the truck drivers and delivery companies, preserving what is left of our nation’s distribution systems. And, God is in that person right next to you. If not in your house, then your neighbor, across the hall, or across the street. We are all feeling alone, even those of us stuck in houses with families—there are moments when we feel alone—but God is in that person with us or near us. When we have mercy on that person next to us, or when that person has mercy on us, God is in touch with us. In that moment of mercy, we find a moment of rest—a short, simple, moment of relaxation from worry and tension. We might say that those moments of mercy are really moments of salvation. Lord, have mercy upon us. Have mercy on us through the people we serve, and through the people who serve us. Have mercy upon us through our caregivers and grocery store workers. Have mercy upon us through our continued on back page...
This SUNDAY
MARCH 29, 2020 · The Fifth Sunday in Lent, Year A Ezekiel 37:1-14 · Psalm 130 · Romans 8:6-11 · John 11:1-45
EACH OF THESE SERVICES WILL BE LIVESTREAMED AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/STREAM, ON THE CATHEDRAL APP, AND ON THE CATHEDRAL FACEBOOK PAGE.
8:45 A.M. AND 11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST Celebrant: The Very Rev. Sam Candler Preacher: The Rev. Julia Mitchener Cathedral Singers
MEMBERSHIP TRANSITIONS BIRTH John Alejandro Bradshaw, son of Kathe and John Bradshaw, grandson of Elizabeth and Tom Ramsey, born March 10, 2020
PRAYER List FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING: IMMEDIATE NEEDS Mindy Boggs • Joe Burton • Charles Jacobs • Rose Leon • Will McGuffin • Alan McKnight • Joann Lewis Pobst • Kathleen Ravenscraft • Ryan Webb • Lowell Palmer Weicker, Jr.
LONG TERM PRAYERS R. Huntley Allen • Patricia Anderson • T. Mayo and Pat Atkins • Edgar and Judith Beach • Perry Benton • Virginia Bicksler • Heather Clark • Terry Dornbush • Sarah duBignon • Kitty Dukehart • Deborah Ellington •
Randy Farmer • Rita Fink • Robert Fox • William Ham • Katie Hughey • Louise Kan • John Kelleher • Lisa
Krysiak • Elaine Lyon • Carol McDonald • Glenn Miller • Ashley Minear • Cecil Miner • Royce Mitchell • Susan Myers • Charlie Neal • Marion Palmore • Garry Pryor • Rowland Radford • Tommy Ripley • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Peter Sanders • Louis “Skip” Schueddig • Jackie Stewart • Julie Thompson • Tommy Truesdale • Cindy West • Faye Van Winkle • Karen Young
FAMILY AND FRIENDS Eileen Abeyesundere • Karyn Bacon • Bettina Bass • Tom Bingham • David Bond • Lynn Chandler • Andrew Clark • Robert Coatney • Myron Danielson • Robert Discavage • Maureen Fernandez • Carleton Fuller •
Bruce Gillies • Tom Ingegneri • Stephen Jones • Bernard A. Kan • Pete Livezey • Joyce Lyford • Pat Martin • Michelle Maxwell • Willard McBurney • Bonnie Shields McCormack • Dawna Dunn Newton • Steven
Norman • Sally Taylor Rogers • Frank Roth • James Sands • Lillian Sandoval • Patricia Schooley • Jim and Becky Settle • Steve and Colleen Settle • Milton Shiver • Tina Susco • Tom Talley • Yvonne Tate • Pierson
Thames • Jeffrey Thomas • Janiece Townshend • Roger Traylor • Ron M. Wallace • Katherine Welden • Whit A. Wright • Patricia Young • Hollis Youngner
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED Ray Baltz • Tom Koivisto
ADULT Education These classes meet at 10 a.m. on Sunday via video conference. Contact the organizer for information on where to connect online.
OLD FASHIONED SUNDAY SCHOOL Experiencing the Presence of God This term, we are continuing our study of the Bible and Christian contemplative spirituality. The course is built on the foundation laid by the Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, Episcopal priest and college professor, in his book titled Contemplating Christ: The Gospels and the Interior Life (Liturgical Press, 2018), which is, of course, available in the Cathedral Book Store. Canon George Maxwell leads this class.
Cathedral TOWERS HELP OUR RESIDENTS IN NEED Please consider helping the elderly residents of the Cathedral Towers, a HUD-subsidized apartment complex for approximately 150 residents over age 65, on the north section of the Cathedral campus. Residents occasionally have an emergency need for a few groceries or a prescription. If you are going out to the store or ordering online for your family anyway (not an extra trip) and could pick up a few items, please email Andrea Block, anpblock@gmail.com and she will add you to a blast email list to be notified of any emergency needs. Dropoff is curbside and reimbursement is available. Thank you for helping the most vulnerable amongst us!
PARENTING UNSCRIPTED Scott Russell, Kathy Loomis, Jeff Cunningham, and Michelle Perkins will be leading throughout the semester. Contact the Rev. Nate Huddleston for more information.
ADULT CONFIRMATION CLASS We are hearing from different clergy on some of the fundamentals of our faith, such as baptism, scripture, polity and community, worship, and Anglican history and ethos. Though this class serves as preparation for adults seeking confirmation, it is open to all adults who want to deepen their understanding of the Episcopal tradition. This class is led by Canon Lauren Holder and Canon Cathy Zappa.
The CATHEDRAL off 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. Catherine Zappa, Canon for Liturgy and Pastoral Care The Rev. John William Harkins III, Ph.D., Priest Associate The Rev. Nathan G. Huddleston, Priest Associate for Youth and Young Adult Ministries The Rev. Julia B. Mitchener, Priest Associate for Children’s Ministries The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval, Deacon for Hispanic Ministries The Rev. Theophus “Thee” Smith, Ph.D., Priest Associate The Rev. Carolynne G. Williams, Canon Associate for Pastoral Care and Elder Ministry Del King, Senior Warden Dorsey DeLong, Junior Warden
CATHEDRAL TIMES SUBMISSION DEADLINES: FOR THE SUNDAY, APRIL 5 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25. FOR THE SUNDAY, APRIL 12 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1. TO RECEIVE THE TIMES BY EMAIL, CONTACT MELANA DICKSON, MDICKSON@CATHEDRALATL.ORG. TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT REQUEST, CONTACT THE EDITOR, DAN MURPHY, AT DMURPHY@CATHEDRALATL.ORG.
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political leaders and our financial institutions. Have mercy upon us through our friends and families. And, Lord, we pray, be mercy to others through us. Have mercy on others, through us. May we be mercy to those around us. May we be salvation.
POSTMASTER: Dated Material. Please deliver by March 28, 2020 POSTMASTER Send address changes to: The Cathedral of St. Philip 2744 Peachtree Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2920 404-365-1000
CATHEDRAL TIMES (USPS-093440) is published weekly by The Cathedral of St. Philip 2744 Peachtree Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30305-2920 Periodicals Postage Paid at Atlanta, GA
Lord, have mercy. Mercy is not magic. Mercy does not simply appear out of the blue. Mercy happens because someone wills it. Someone takes the initiative to have mercy. There are stories occurring, even now, of mercy. You may not hear of them on the social media outlets, where so much is driven by some breaking urgency or another. (Okay, true: some social media outlets do give time to mention moments of mercy.) But most of God’s moments of mercy will not make it to the internet. Most of God’s moments of mercy are going to occur locally, in your own community and neighborhood, in your own household, in your own soul. Yes, in your own soul. Take some time, every day, to have mercy on your self. Give yourself a break. Pause. Take a rest. Have mercy on yourself. Lord, have mercy. AMEN.
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GROUP MEETINGS AND OFFERINGS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK (SUNDAY OFFERINGS ON PAGES 2 AND 3)
The Very Rev. Sam Candler Dean of the Cathedral
MIDDAY MEDITATION On Cathedral Facebook page,
THE CATHEDRAL AT KANUGA MAY 22-24
As of now, we are still planning to go on our parish retreat at Kanuga! This year, David Zahl, founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries, will be leading the adult programming. Contact Lisa McNamara, lmcnamara@cathedralATL.org, for more.
REGISTER AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/KANUGA
offered by a member of the clergy Monday-Friday, 12:15 p.m.
WEDNESDAY PARISH NOTICES with Dean Sam Candler Wednesday, 6:15 p.m., via Zoom
LENTEN SERIES with Dr. Kyle Lambelet (April 1) Wednesday, following Parish Notices, via Zoom
Other Bible Studies and small groups are also meeting! Contact your group leader or visit cathedralATL.org/calendar for more. cathedralatl