The CATHEDRAL TIMES
I AM ON THE ROCK, THE ROCK THAT LASTS
By the Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral
I spent the last few weeks of the summer among the rocks and forests of Ontario, Canada. My family and I have a couple of little cabins there, and we return to that rugged land every summer. The living there is rather rugged, because it is rocky and uneven. The lake, of course, can be beautifully smooth; but the shore and forests are full of twisted and slippery rocks.
I have usually considered a rock as something that is unchangeable. A rock is what is solid, something one should build on. “God is our Rock,” we say, because God is secure and unmoving. This year, however, I have been reminded of the opposite: rocks do change, rocks do move. Some of the outdoor places we admire the most, maybe the great mountains some of us visited this summer, are beautiful because they are the result of movement. Those slicing mountains and deep canyons are the result of massive shifts in the earth. Our great vistas were formed by rock upturning and eroding. It took a lot of time, of course, but rocks do change. And they are beautiful because of it. Some of us may have spent time at the beach this summer. Do you know where all that beautiful white sand came from? On our Georgia beaches, all that sand is from the Appalachian Mountains. Gradually, over time, as the Appalachians erode, their rock and soil flow down rivers to the Atlantic Ocean. By then, the rock has turned to sand. Those eroded rocks are now the small white grains of sand on our beaches.
“I am on the rock, the rock that lasts. I am on the rock that lasts….” God is our rock, we say. But that does not mean that God does not change. Maybe some of us once thought of our parents as rocks, as sure and steady foundations for our lives. We loved their sturdiness and we depended on their security. But, of course, our parents got older; and, gradually, they changed. There is something that does not change, and which might even grow stronger with age. There is a force in this earth that brings things together, too, that does not erode. That force is love, which I have sometimes considered as the opposite principle of entropy. Entropy, of course, is how we define that natural principle by which things dissolve and erode to states of lower and lower motion. Entropy is the gradual erosion of the rocks around us.
But love somehow acts against entropy. Love somehow brings atoms and molecules together. Love brings bodies together. Love brings hearts together. Love causes things to grow, even against the universe’s tendency to disintegrate. Love integrates. Love is the Christ force, the cosmic Christ force.
When I officiated at the funeral of an old friend this summer, I was reminded of this different kind of rock. Even as we missed her as friend, as mother, as grandmother, we were somehow surrounded by her love, in each one of us. The rock of love. There is a rock which opens up for each one of us, that draws us in, that protects us. We are acknowledging this rock of love when we sing, “Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.” We are asking the rock of love to open for us; that means it changes for us. The rock of love changes for the better. The rock of love changes for growth, for beauty, for eternity.
The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · August 13, 2023
This SUNDAY
AUGUST 13, 2023 · The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Homecoming Sunday: Proper 14, Year A 1 Kings 19:9-18 • Psalm 85:8-13 • Romans 10:5-15 • Matthew 14:22-33
8:45 AND 11:15 A.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 Very Rev. Sam Candler
8:45 A.M. AND 11:15 A.M. HOLY BAPTISMS AND HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL
Celebrant: The Rev. Canon George Maxwell
Preacher: The Very Rev. Sam Candler
Cathedral Choir:
Malcolm Boyle (1902-1976), Thou, O God, art praised in Sion
Paul Mealor (b. 1975), Ubi caritas et amor
Baptisms at 8:45:
Georgia Elizabeth Constantine, daughter of Lib and Walter Constantine
Sage Eliza Graves, daughter of Sara and Stuart Graves
Sloane Isla Graves, daughter of Sara and Stuart Graves
Wilson Deane Oswald, Jr., son of Katie and Wilson Oswald
Baptisms at 11:15:
Sybil Rose Brunette, daughter of Elizabeth Jeffrey Brunette
Sally Griffitts Crocker, daughter of Jessica and Michael Crocker
Ruger Dale William Dixon, son of Christina Lee Dixon
Ethan Alexander Harris, son of Anne and Alex Harris
Katherine McLendon King, daughter of Sarah and Will King
Elizabeth Winburne King, daughter of Sarah and Will King
Graham Stephen Loper, son of Regan and Jordan Loper
Eloise Martha Seewoester, daughter of Bethany and John Seewoester
11:15 A.M. BAUTISMOS Y LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA, MIKELL CHAPEL
Celebrant: The Rev. Canon Lauren Holder
Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval
Bautismos:
Erisbeth Daniela Agreda Fernández, daughter of Niglisbeth Fernández Urdanela and Eridano Agredo Aparicio
Genesis Reyes Fernández, daughter of Gerardo Reyes Islas and Niglisbeth Fernández Urdanela
Jerónimo Reyes Fernández, son of Gerardo Reyes Islas and Niglisbeth Fernández Urdanela
Leonel Díaz Gaytán, son of Marfelia and Gaytán Penaloza
NEW MEMBERS
Ruth Sutcliffe from Greenwich, Connecticut
Hudson Shelton from Decatur, Alabama
Emily Harte from Marietta, Georgia
Chris and Melissa Chapman from Charleston, South Carolina
Marie Drake from Dunwoody, Georgia
Laird Almy from Marietta, Georgia
J.W. and Brittany Oxendine from Atlanta
Charles Walker from Augusta, Georgia
Brendan Knoblauch and Esther Udoji from Birmingham, Alabama
PRAYER List
FOR THOSE WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Noah Bryant
FOR THOSE WHO ARE ILL OR RECOVERING:
LONG TERM PRAYERS: R. Huntley Allen • Randy Allen • Lucy Baker • Lizzie Bicksler • Virginia Bicksler • Ed Black • Miguel Boaz-Contreras • Jeff Bonnell • The Bryant Family • Don Cameron • Connie Chapman • Geraldine Charles • Lawrence Cowart • The Crossley Family • Terry Dornbush • Deborah Ellington • Paul Fekete • Joyce Egan Ferris • Phoebe Forio • Susan Frierson • Tom Frolik • Aidan Gray • Ken Griffiths • D. Louis Gruver, Jr. • Suzanne Haerther • Jenny Ham • Karen Howard • Jane Jones • Earline
King • Lisa Krysiak • Harry Lamon • Liza Lanier • Sally Llewellyn • Jill Mahaffey • Tommy Mason • Lee Moran • Susan Myers • Jim Myrick • Charlie Neal • Marian Palmore • Al Plummer • The Priestley Family • Rubye and Wayne Reid • Lorraine Reynolds •
Barbara and Joel Rice • Bob Riggins • Agnes Elizabeth Robertson • Betty Roper • Peter Sanders • Louis "Skip" Schueddig • Mary Mac Sirockman • Gail Morgan Timmis • Tommy Truesdale • Connie Vaughan • Ron Wallace • Jonathan Wright
FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Josephine Rose Adams • Elizabeth Alexander • Cinforosa Gómez Alonzo • Alison and Jeffrey Armor • Kaneez
Khanum Bashir • Shaista Bashir • Bettina Bass • William Beane • Ray and Pat Bell • Eleanor Blount and Justin Blount Murray •
Jason Brady • Chet Brewer • Catherine Brinton • Calvin Burgart • Lila Jo Callaway • Lois Chapman • Mika Chorey • Anna Clifford •
Marie Corrigan • Ava Corroon • Apryl Roberts Cox • Bob Crawford • Judy Crosby • Angela DeRuvo • Megan Dyer • Ron Dyer •
Kenneth Farr • Harry Fifield • Peter Foster • John Gerding • Jim Gregory and Rick Hoyle • Scott Gregory • McKee Hamilton • Don Harp III • Gayle Higley • Jay Horton • Beth Ingle • Cami Jackson • Patty and Shannon Jafolis • The Kelly Family • Robin Kemp •
Tim Kirkbride • Dick Kustin • Herb Larrabee • Rachel Laurin • Pete Livezey • Cakers Long • Carolyn R. Lusk • Lauren Makhlouf • Susan Mendivil • Elaine Metcalf • Marion Hickman Meythaler • Betsy Moore • Sharon Morgan • Linus Nickel • Linda Pace • Ronald and Clara Peters • Ginny Quinn • Einar Sagstuen • James Sands • Skip Saunders • Patricia Schooley • Stacey Schuitema • Austin Scott and family • Don Smith • Philip Gregory Smith • Michael and Kathryn Snider • Christy Strum • Harry F. Sutcliffe • John and Cleary Tanner • Pierson Thames • Donnie and Ann Waller • Jennifer Wright • Whit A. Wright • Marjorie Young • Hollis Youngner
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Susan Cole • Betty Mize • John Simpson
FOR THOSE WHO WERE BORN:
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Grier Robinson, daughter of Kelsey and Nick Robinson, granddaughter of Beth and Tommy Holder
The CATHEDRAL of 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. Canon Julia B. Mitchener, Canon for Mission
The Rev. Catherine Zappa, Canon for Liturgy and Pastoral Care
The Rev. Salmoon Bashir, Curate for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations
The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval, Deacon for Hispanic Ministries and Pastoral Care
The Rev. Theophus “Thee” Smith, Ph.D., Priest Associate
Ward Bondurant, Senior Warden
Melody Palmore, Junior Warden
CATHEDRAL TIMES SUBMISSION DEADLINES: FOR THE SUNDAY, AUGUST 20 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9. FOR THE SUNDAY, AUGUST 27 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6.
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
cathedralatl
*Please note there are no adult education classes this Sunday, August 13, please join us at the ministry fair in Child Hall!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20 AND 27
Old Fashioned Sunday School
Child Hall, 10:10 a.m., led by John Beane
Come sing a hymn or two in Old Fashioned Sunday School. We will also discuss the history of hymnody in the Christian Church in general. Are hymns mentioned in the Bible? What was early hymnody like and how has it developed over the centuries? What is “sacred harp” or “shape note” singing? We’ll also zero in on hymnody in the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in particular. Did you know that the singing of hymns in the Church of England was only sanctioned in 1820, after the parishioners of a church in Sheffield, England, took their parish priest to court when he tried to introduce hymns into Sunday worship? We’ll talk about differences between our Episcopal The Hymnal 1940 and its successor, The Hymnal 1982, as well as review some of the conclusions of the 2012 Hymnal Revision Feasibility Study. As time permits, we’ll learn stories and facts about some of your favorite hymns, including amazing facts about “Amazing Grace”.
Living Faith: Discovering Spiritual Growth with the Enneagram
Room 239, 10:10 a.m.
The Enneagram is an insightful, spiritual personality-typing system that offers another lens into Christian teachings and is a helpful resource for spiritual growth. Join Canons Holder, Mitchener, and Zappa as we explore what it means to live out our faith through conversation with scripture and tradition, contemporary books, and, most important, one another. All are welcome!
NEW BOOK STUDY IN SEPTEMBER
Thursday Evening Book Study with Canon Julia Mitchener
Starting Thursday, September 14
Tracy Kidder’s 2023 New York Times Bestseller Rough Sleepers tells the story of a doctor who founded a medical practice for the homeless citizens of Boston. Kidder’s writing is compelling and highly narrative. Her sharing of the complex issues that have created our nation’s affordable housing crisis and the personal stories of those most impacted challenges and inspires readers to greater personal engagement.
The Rev. Canon Julia Mitchener will lead a four week study of Rough Sleepers on Thursday evenings at 6 p.m. beginning on September 14. Join us in the Cathedral Bookstore for light bites, fellowship, and good conversation about things that matter.
For more information, or to sign up, please contact Canon Mitchener at julia.mitchener@cathedralATL.org.
OLD FASHIONED SUNDAY SCHOOL THIS FALL Being With: The Road to Reconciliation
Begins Sunday, September 17
Child Hall, 10:10 a.m.
In May of this year, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the United States Surgeon General, issued an Advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. The Rev. Samuel Wells, Vicar of St. Martins-in-the-Fields in central London, has argued that the first step we might take in dealing with this predicament is to change the way we think about God from one who works for us to one who wants to be with us.
Canon George Maxwell will lead a discussion that looks more deeply at Murthy’s diagnosis and the healing remedy that Wells prescribes.
Murthy discusses his warnings about isolation, loneliness, and lack of connection in his book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World (NY: Harper Wave, 2020). Wells introduces many of his ideas about being with in his book Humbler Faith, Bigger God: Finding a Story to Live By (Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI, 2022). Copies of both books may be purchased in the Cathedral Bookstore.
Being With: An Exploration Of Christian Life and Faith
Begins Thursday, September 21
6 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Canon George Maxwell and Mary Hunter Maxwell will lead a small group of between six to fourteen people in a ten-week course that follows a curriculum called Being With: A Course Exploring Christian Faith and Life (2022) that was developed by Sam Wells and Sally Hitchiner. The course will begin on Thursday, September 21 at 6 p.m. and meet weekly thereafter. Each meeting will be in person and will last for 90 minutes. The course will follow a format that is designed to explore in more depth some of the concepts that will be discussed in Old Fashioned Sunday School on Sunday mornings. Please send an email to Canon Maxwell at gmaxwell@ cathedralATL.org, if you are interested in participating.
Adult EDUCATION
The Choirs of the Cathedral of St. Philip proudly present Choirs Uncorked! Join us Friday, September 8, as we hang up our cassocks and let our hair down to show a side of ourselves not seen on a normal Sunday morning. We will be showcasing many styles from 42nd Street to the Met. This musical feast will also include snacks and beverages for your enjoyment. We will also have a silent auction with treasures from the vaults of some of our finest parishioners. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the silent auction, and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. All proceeds from the evening will go to fund the choir's next pilgrimage to England in 2024 to St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, and York Minster. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you there!
Tickets:
• General Admission: $40
• VIP Table of 8: $450 (includes preferred seating, available online only)
• Reserved Table of 8: $400 (includes reserved seating only, available online only) Tickets are available online at cathedralATL.org/uncorked and in-person from the Cathedral Bookstore.
This concert is a fundraiser, so if you can’t make it but would like to contribute, you can donate to the choir pilgrimage online at cathedralATL.org/contribute or send your donation to the Cathedral c/o the Music Office. For more information, please call the music office at 404-365-1050.
Calling all women of the Cathedral – join us for a glass of wine and light fare and learn about all the ways you can "plug in" at the Cathedral this year.
As a woman in our parish, you are already in the ECW! This is a wonderful group of women who support the efforts of ALL members of the Cathedral in order to help people find Christian community through service, study and worship.
Stop by for casual conversation and fellowship and learn about the Guilds of the Cathedral and the other ECW supported groups like Cathedral Giving By Design, Green Aprons and the Thrift House. There is no pressure to sign up, just come and learn and meet new friends – a perfect way to start the fall.
We promise there is a place for you! Come find it at our Ladies' Night!
There is no charge for this event, but we ask you to kindly RSVP at cathedralATL.org/ladiesnight.
Questions? Contact Kendrick Dopp, ECW President, at kendrick@cookingforlove.net, or Haven Long, ECW President-elect, at havenlong@yahoo.com.
