The CATHEDRAL TIM TIMES ES The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · April 18, 2021
THOMAS THE APOSTLE OF COURAGE By the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe. —John 20:25 There was an ancient monk of the Christian Church. This wise man was deep in prayer one day when he saw a glorious vision of light and majesty. He looked up to see a splendid image of Jesus himself. This image seemed wise and all-knowing; the image had answered great questions and showed great care and compassion. He seemed perfect. But the wise monk had one request of this marvelous image of Christ. The wise monk said, “Please, show me your hands.” The image offered his hands. “Away with you,” the wise monk exclaimed, “for your hands are smooth and unscarred. The hands of my Savior are pierced with holes and wounded. Away with you, you imposter.” Thus was the wise monk able to discern his Savior from the great deceivers of the world. That monk has gone down in history as a wise and spiritual man, whereas, somehow, the apostle Thomas has become relegated to the doubting category. Even if we are beyond calling Thomas merely “Doubting Thomas,” still we often limit our interpretation of his story to the simplistic “it is okay to doubt.” The real power of the story of St. Thomas is that he asked for wounds, just as the great monk would years later. Authentic religion is not just the glory and the mystery; it is also the acknowledgment of pain. We have entered a season of the church year when we proclaim resurrection. “Alleluia, Christ is Risen!” But how do we see Jesus Christ in the world? How do we believe in resurrection today, in our own time? Do we acknowledge Jesus by being talked into it through some intellectual argument? No, I believe we see Jesus today exactly in the way Thomas and the rest of the apostles saw him long ago. We see Jesus by looking at his side and his hands. We see him by touching his wounds, by touching the wounds of people in this world. When we see wounds and when we are brave enough to touch them, then we may also see and touch Christ. Of course it takes courage. It has always taken courage to enter mystery and to admit pain. Religious faith is a courageous act. Many of the wounds we touch are in us who are the Church. That is as it should be, for we say of ourselves that we are the Body of Christ. Most of us have scars on our hands, and we have holes in our hearts. We are the lonely, the hurt, the abandoned and ostracized. And many of the wounds of this world are outside the Church, among the poor, the sick, the homeless, among those about whom Jesus said, “Even as you do it to one of the least of these, when you clothe them, feed them, give them something to drink, you have done it to me.” Jesus Christ, then, is among the wounded, the hurt and lost people of this world. That is where we would find Christ, not just the crucified Christ, but also the resurrected Christ! In fact, it is sometimes easier to see Christ if we don’t expect intellectual answers to our intellectual questions. When we ask, “How can that wounded person be Christ?” we don’t get an answer in words. The answer comes when we recognize in a great mystery that the wounds of that person are the same wounds Christ had. The answer comes when we touch those wounds and believe for ourselves. Like Thomas, we have to touch them continued on back page...
This SUNDAY
APRIL 18, 2021 · The Third Sunday of Easter, Year B Acts 3:12-19 · Psalm 4 · 1 John 3:1-7 · Luke 24:36b-48
REGISTER FOR IN-PERSON SERVICES AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG, ON THE CATHEDRAL APP, OR BY CALLING 404-365-1009. THESE SERVICES ARE LIMITED TO PRE-REGISTERED ATTENDEES, WITH MASKS REQUIRED.
7:45 A.M. OUTDOOR SERVICE OF KOINONIA, WITH HOLY COMMUNION, CLOISTER GARDEN 8:45 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL 8:45 A.M. OUTDOOR SERVICE OF KOINONIA, WITH HOLY COMMUNION, LABYRINTH 11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL 1 P.M. SERVICIO DE KOINONIA, CON LA SANTA EUCARISTIA , CLOISTER GARDEN CONTINUE TO WORSHIP WITH THE CATHEDRAL ONLINE 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 Rev. Cathy Zappa Preacher: The Very Rev. Sam Candler Music: Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707), Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist, BuxWV 208 Hymn 184, “Christ the Lord is risen again!” Christ ist erstanden William Mathias, Gloria in excelsis S-278 Hymn 200, “Come, ye faithful, raise the strain” Gaudeamus pariter Craig Phillips, The Lord is risen indeed William Mathias, Sanctus & Benedictus S – 128 arr. Charles Wood, This joyful Eastertide Hymn 205, “Good Christians all, rejoice and sing!” Gelobt sei Gott Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), Fugue in C major (“Jig Fugue”)
PRAYER List FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING: IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Kerrigan Casey • Robert Hoder • Carol Russell • Leticia Justo Serrano • Julie Sutton LONG TERM PRAYERS: R. Huntley Allen • Penny Barnett • Edgar and Judith Beach • Perry Benton • Virginia Bicksler • Heather
Clark • Sharon Crews • Lynne D’Huyvetter • Terry Dornbush • Sarah duBignon • Deborah Ellington • Dan Elson • Jane Jones • Louise Kan • Lisa Krysiak • Sandy Land • Carol McDonald • Glenn Miller • Ashley Minear • Royce Mitchell • Laura Moore • Susan Myers • Charlie Neal • Linus Nickel • Marion Palmore • Beth Pitzer • Joann Lewis Pobst • Garry Pryor • Rowland Radford • Rubye and Wayne Reid • Lorraine Reynolds • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Louis "Skip" Schueddig • Linda Stallcup • Tommy Truesdale • Ron Wallace • Faye Van Winkle
FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Bettina Bass • Bella Bond • David Bond • Andrew Clark • Vickie and Bob Coffman • Marie Corrigan • Ava
Corroon • Apryl Roberts Cox • David Elmore • Carleton Fuller • Patricia Plummer Glowatsky • Cadel Ingraham • Vivian Johnson • Stephen Jones • Robin Kemp • Grace Lawson • Pete Livezey • Lauren Makhlouf • Pat Martin • Marge Massey • Michelle Maxwell • Katie McRae • Betsy Moore • Mary Nelson • Steven Norman • Bella Emerson Plummer • Francis Powers • Courtney Rosenthal • James Sands • Pansy and Mitch Simonds • Cindy Snell • Paul Sturtz • Caroline Southerland • Tina Susco • Yvonne Tate • Family of Steven Taylor • Pierson Thames • Jeffrey Thomas • Wayne Thurman • Olive Toy • Roger Traylor • Whit A. Wright • Hollis Youngner
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Patricia Crawford • Grady M. Hatchett • Susan Tucker
United Thank OFFERING REFLECTING WITH GRATITUDE UTO Ingathering Day is Sunday, May 9. As we prepare for the May 9 United Thank Offering (UTO), we invite you to participate in a month of gratitude, pausing each week to see God’s blessing in different parts of our lives. This week, we encourage you to give thanks for God’s creation and the world around us. This Week’s Gratitude Prayer: Thank you, God, for the promise your creation brings each day, especially this spring, when we’re all ready for new beginnings. Grant us moments this week to appreciate the stars in the sky, the beauty of the earth, the rain and the sun and all the blessings that wait for us each new day. (Nehemiah 9:6) An Episcopal tradition since 1889, UTO supports the ministry of the whole church, with 100% of this spring’s proceeds supporting grants for COVID-19 healing and recovery. On UTO Ingathering day (May 9), we hope you’ll remember these blessings and give a thank offering. To donate online, go to www.cathedralATL.org/contribute.
YOUNG Professionals COME HIKE WITH US! Come hang out with other young professionals and meet our new Director of Young Adult Ministries Keith Dumke this Saturday morning, April 17, at Big Creek Park in Roswell. The hike should only take 1-1.5 hours and no advanced experience is needed. (The hike is a pretty easy trail!). Get some fresh air with us! RSVP to Hubert Tate, hubert.tate@gmail.com.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON RECITAL THIS WEEK: WILL BUTHOD HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL PARISH, DECATUR Aaron Copland, Fanfare for the Common Man (transcr. Will Buthod) Florence Price, Retrospection Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Impromptu No. 2 (from Three Impromptus for the Organ) arr. William Farley Smith, Wade in duh Wadduh! arr. Eurydice V. Osterman, Give Me Jesus John Williams, Selections from Star Wars STREAMING LIVE AT 3:15 P.M. SUNDAY AT CATHEDRALATL.ORG/RECITALS AND ON FACEBOOK
PASTORAL Care YOUR LOVE, YOUR LOSS So many of us have experienced all kinds of loss this past year, be it the loss of a loved one, loss of life as we knew it to be, loss of freedom of moving about, loss of connections needed for mental and physical health, or something else altogether. We have many losses to grieve, and grief in this time of pandemic is particularly complicated. With this in mind, Hospice Atlanta is offering a free online discussion with two renowned leaders in grief, loss, and hope: Ken Ross, son of Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, and Dianne Gray, both of the Kubler-Ross Foundation. Please join us online Saturday, April 24 from 1-2:30 p.m. To learn more about the event, visit www.vnhs.org.
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. Julia B. Mitchener, Priest Associate
The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval, Deacon for Hispanic Ministries The Rev. Theophus “Thee” Smith, Ph.D., Priest Associate Del King, Senior Warden
Samuel T. Wilmoth, Junior Warden
CATHEDRAL TIMES SUBMISSION DEADLINES: FOR THE SUNDAY, APRIL 25 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14. FOR THE SUNDAY, MAY 2 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21. TO RECEIVE THE TIMES BY EMAIL, CONTACT MELANA DICKSON, MDICKSON@CATHEDRALATL.ORG. TO SUBMIT AN ANNOUNCEMENT REQUEST, CONTACT DAN MURPHY, DMURPHY@CATHEDRALATL.ORG.
404-365-1000 | cathedralATL.org pastoral care emergency line: 404-365-1003
cathedralatl
...continued from front page for ourselves. It takes courage to be like Thomas. Courage to know our doubts and have the freedom to express them. Courage to touch the wounds of Christ in today’s world. Is Thomas, then, the apostle of doubt? I believe not. St. Thomas is the Apostle of Courage. The Resurrection of the Crucified Jesus reveals something quite powerful about the Christian faith. Peace cannot come from someone who has not known violence. Forgiveness cannot come from someone who has not been betrayed. The Holy Spirit cannot come from someone who has not felt forsaken. Wholeness cannot come from someone who hasn’t been wounded. But thanks be to God, and thanks be to Thomas, our Lord is all those things. Our Lord is a betrayed Jesus, a wounded Savior, a scarred Jesus, a pierced healer. His resurrection is for wounded people. His resurrection is for doubting people. It is for people who need peace. It is for people who need forgiveness. It is for people who need courage. His resurrection is for us.
The Very Rev. Sam Candler Dean of the Cathedral
POSTMASTER: Dated Material. Please deliver by April 17, 2021 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
NEWCOMER TOUR THIS SUNDAY A good number of people have
joined our Cathedral parish community while we’ve been worshipping from home or outdoors— we are grateful! And we’re eager to get those same people acclimated indoors. Come let us show you around! Canon Lauren Holder, David Rocchio, and members of the Newcomer Committee will give another tour of the campus on April 18 at 12 p.m. Tours will begin in Child Hall. Email Melana Dickson, mdickson@ cathedralATL.org, to sign up!
Cathedral BOOK STORE The Cathedral Thrift House will make a special guest appearance at the farmers market this Saturday, April 17—a curated collection of items like these; please stop and shop at our table! Peachtree Road Farmers Market is one of the largest producer-only farmers market in the state, meaning that everything at the market has been grown, raised, or made by the seller, ensuring fair prices for both the vendors and the consumers. Join us Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – noon in the Cathedral parking lot.
ONLINE EVENT WITH DIANA BUTLER BASS Please make plans to join the Cathedral Book Store on Friday, April 16 at 7 p.m. for a special event featuring Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., moderated by Dean Sam Candler. They will discuss Dr. Bass’s newest book, Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence. The book explores the many images of Jesus we encounter and embrace through a lifetime—and how we make theology from the text of our lives in conversation with scripture and tradition. Freeing Jesus invites us to liberate Jesus and free ourselves when it comes to the ever-compelling and yet often-elusive figure at the center of Christian faith. Go to cathedralbookstore.org for more information and registration.