The Cathedral Times - August 27, 2023

The CATHEDRAL TIMES

THE STILL, SMALL VOICE OF GOD

By the Rev. Canon George Maxwell, Vicar

Wow! Homecoming was great. We heard a wonderful sermon, celebrated the Eucharist together, and gathered in Child Hall for the annual ministry fair. It was not hard to sense the presence of the Spirit in the smiling faces and eager conversations that greeted the new program year. It reminded me of the way that the first day of the second year of school offers a fresh start on a familiar path.

I had another feeling this year, though.

I was eager to get back to church, but I had found something over the summer that I didn’t want to lose. We went back to Maine over the summer (which is well documented on Facebook!). We rented the same little cottage that we stayed in last summer, attended the summer chapel that has come to feel like home, renewed our friendships with people from all over the country who come back to this island every year, and made some new friends too! The pace of life slowed to what is affectionately known as “Island Time.”

Things often take longer than you anticipate on Island Time. If the bridge has swung open to allow a boat to pass through, then your trip to town is going to take longer than you thought. If the wind dies down or the fog rolls in, then your outing on the sailboat is going to be the only thing you do that afternoon. If the otherwise helpful salesperson at LL Bean sells you the wrong kind of pump for your inflatable kayak, then your paddling adventure is going to have to wait the day that it takes you to drive back to the store to get the right one!

It's too much to say that this change of pace is radically transforming, but it does slow your roll. It invites you to work a little more being into your doing. I find that I’m more interested in watching wildlife on the water than sports on the screen. Fiction replaces nonfiction on my bedside table and silence replaces the podcast voices in the car. I even begin to let go of my regret over things that have happened in the past and my anxiety about things that might happen in the future.

It is freeing and refreshing. I feel like the bull that has found the safe place at the center of the ring they call the querencia. It is a place of wholeness and strength. There is no need to run. I feel calm and peaceful. From here, I can see that the matador of life has been trying to keep me from finding this inner sanctuary.

I am eager to start the new program year, but I don’t want to lose the center I have found. Maybe you feel this way too? It would be a shame for us to come back from vacation with our batteries recharged only to resume living our lives in the same way as we were before we left.

I’m not sure what to tell you. I have a library of books that talk about all of this, most of which I have read. They have a lot to say about how to find and hold onto our center. They are clear that it is only in faithful being that we can see the doing clearly.

I am reminded, though, that Elijah didn’t find God in the great and strong wind, the earthquake, or the fire. When Elijah heard God, it was in a still, small voice.

I think I’ll start by trying to walk from my car to the church each morning without looking at my phone!

The weekly newsletter of the Cathedral of St. Philip · Serving Atlanta and the World · August 27, 2023

This SUNDAY

AUGUST 27, 2023 · The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 16, Year A Isaiah 51:1-6 • Psalm 138 • Romans 12:1-8

8:45 AND 11:15 A.M.: IN-PERSON AND ONLINE

• Matthew 16:13-20

CATHEDRALATL.ORG / THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. PHILIP APP / FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE

7:45 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, MIKELL CHAPEL

Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Salmoon Bashir

8:45 A.M. AND 11:15 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST, CATHEDRAL

Celebrant: The Rev. Canon Cathy Zappa

Preacher: The Rev. Salmoon Bashir

Cathedral Singers: Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), Jubilate Deo in C Craig Phillips (b. 1961), Teach me, my God and King

11:15 A.M. LA SANTA EUCARISTÍA, MIKELL CHAPEL

Officiant and Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Juan Sandoval

FAITHFUL Politics

BRAVER ANGELS FAITH-SPONSORED WORKSHOP: DEPOLARIZING WITHIN

Saturday, October 7 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Gould Room

For people of faith, civil discourse begins in recognizing the image of God in our conversation partner. Since we are all children of God, our approach should involve mutual respect. Respect, not agreement, is an essential key for a healthy discussion. This workshop addresses how we may inadvertently be complicit in, or possibly even encourage, political polarization.

The Depolarizing Within workshop is designed to foster skills to help you lessen the effects of polarization when you encounter them in your political conversations. Note that by “polarization,” we are not referring to healthy disagreements over issues or philosophy. We are talking about how we regard and talk about large groups of ordinary people on the other side of the political aisle. This workshop is for anyone interested in examining their own inner polarization and learning strategies to disagree without condemning or ridiculing others.

Goals of the workshop are to teach participants:

• How to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer”

• How to be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population

• Strategies for intervening constructively in social conversations with like-minded peers when these conversations veer into contempt and ridicule for people who hold other political views.

Braver Angels is America’s largest organization that brings conservatives and progressives together on equal terms to understand our differences, find common ground where it exists, and help the country we all love find a better way.

For questions or more information, contact the Rev. George Maxwell, gmaxwell@cathedralATL.org, or Jeannie Mahood, jmahood@cathedralATL.org, 404-365-1031.

PRAYER List

FOR THOSE WITH IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Catalina Barragan Oliveros

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 • Tom Frolik • Bill 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 • Graham Mulling • 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 • Louis "Skip" Schueddig • Gail Morgan Timmis • Tommy Truesdale • Connie Vaughan • Ron Wallace • Michael and Jennie Wood • Jonathan Wright

FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Josephine Rose Adams • Elizabeth Alexander • Cinforosa Gómez Alonzo • Kaneez Khanum Bashir • Shaista Bashir • Bettina Bass • Ray and Pat Bell • Eleanor Blount and Justin Blount Murray • Jason Brady • Chet Brewer • Catherine Brinton • Hank Burdine • Lila Jo Callaway • Mika Chorey • Anna Clifford • Marie Corrigan • Ava Corroon • Apryl Roberts Cox • Bob Crawford • Angela DeRuvo • Megan Dyer • Ron Dyer • William Erb • 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 • Brendan Jenkins • The Kelly Family • Robin Kemp • Tim Kirkbride • Dick Kustin • Herb Larrabee • 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 • LeAnn Tingle • Donnie and Ann Waller • Jennifer Wright • Whit A. Wright • Marjorie Young • Hollis Youngner

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED: Jeffrey Armor • William Beane • Nan Fishburn • Juan Hernandez

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, SEPTEMBER 3 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23. FOR THE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 ISSUE, THE DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30.

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

Adult EDUCATION

THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 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. Martinsin-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.

PASTORAL CARE

STEWARDSHIP

Dear Fellow Cathedral Members,

When late my husband decided to include the Cathedral of St. Philip in his will, I was surprised. I hadn’t considered it. As we talked, I realized that the majority of our big life events involved the Cathedral. Before we joined as members, we started off with premarital counseling. Later, we celebrated birth with baptism of all three of our children, as well as first communions and their confirmations. We even celebrated the marriage of our daughter with a beautiful wedding at the Cathedral. Throughout the years, we have celebrated life with funerals and burials in the Cathedral garden. Someday, I plan to be in that garden.

LANDSCAPES OF GRIEF

Sundays, September 17 – October 22, 2023

Lanier House, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

This in-person grief support group is open to all adults working through the death of a loved one and is facilitated by Canon Cathy Zappa and Gillian Renault of Hospice Atlanta. Sessions occur over consecutive weeks. Participants are asked to commit to attending all sessions. After the 2nd meeting the group will be closed to new participants.

For more information and to register, please contact Paulette Slawson via email at Paulette.Slawson@vnhs.org or by phone at 404-527-6558.

BOOK LAUNCH CELEBRATION: THE NEW BIG BOOK OF CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM

By Carl McColman

Thursday, August 31, 7 p.m.

The Cathedral Bookstore

“The Christian of the future will be a mystic—or will not exist.”

These words from theologian Karl Rahner uttered half a century ago seem more relevant than ever. Is mysticism necessary for the survival of Christianity? What exactly is Christian mysticism? How can it be relevant in our crisis-ridden world? Questions like these inspire The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism, a newly updated edition from beloved spiritual teacher and bestselling author Carl McColman. PREORDER YOUR BOOK AT CATHEDRALBOOKSTORE.ORG

All along the way, many of our family traditions have centered around not only the most popular services, such as Christmas and Easter, but also weekly services throughout the year. My family enjoyed serving the Cathedral through ushering, acolyte teams, and the flower guild.

Additionally, I have witnessed and participated in opportunities offered by the Cathedral for good works of service to our communities near and far. Most importantly, the Cathedral is my church home where I can pray and worship.

Including the Cathedral in our wills is a gift of love and gratitude. It is the intention, not the amount, that counts most! It all adds up. I hope many of you will consider joining me in this endeavor to perpetuate the presence of the Cathedral of St. Philip in our Atlanta community.

~ Betty Hall

Please contact David Rocchio at 404-365-1033 or drocchio@cathedralATL.org to learn more about the Arbor Society, planned giving opportunities at the Cathedral, and/or for estate planning referrals.

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/2024Pilgrimage or send your donation to the Cathedral c/o the Music Office. You can also donate items for the silent auction; some highly sought-after items include vacation home rental, theater tickets, airline miles, artwork, gift certificates, collectibles, service vouchers, antiques, etc. Items can be dropped off Sundays between services (10 a.m.–11:10 a.m.) in the Atrium, or during the week at the Security Desk, also in the Atrium. For more information, please call the music office at 404-365-1050.

Adult EDUCATION

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN PAKISTAN AND IRAQ

Thursday, September 14

11:30 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.

Georgia State College of Arts and Sciences Conference Room at Georgia State University

(Room 223, 25 Park Place, Atlanta) and on Zoom

This lecture by our very own Rev. Salmoon Bashir is jointly presented by Georgia State University and the University of Michigan Center for South Asian Studies and is cosponsored by the Atlanta Global Studies Center and the GSU Asian Studies Center. Salmoon, born in Pakistan, has over a decade of experience providing leadership in diverse, multicultural, and multi-faith spaces in the US, Pakistan, Iraq, the UK, and the Republic of Georgia. Salmoon was appointed to serve alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Community of St. Anselm at Lambeth Palace in London. His Master of Divinity degree at Emory University brought him to Atlanta. Salmoon worked as the Chief of Staff for Fearless Dialogues - an organization facilitating hard, heartfelt conversations. He is also a part of various ecumenical and interreligious dialogue committees and events, representing the Episcopal Church nationally and internationally.

Zoom registration is at tinyurl.com/BashirTalk.

MUSIC

ORGAN DEMONSTRATION

Sunday, September 3

10:10 a.m., Cathedral Nave

On Sunday, September 3, between the 8:45 and 11:15 services, Organist and Associate Choirmaster Dr. Caroline Robinson will give a demonstration of the great AeolianSkinner pipe organ in the Nave. Her talk will include an explanation of the mechanisms of the instrument, a brief explanation of how it works, and some aural examples! Please meet by the organ in the Nave at 10:10 for an inside look at this amazing piece of musical technology.

All GOD'S CHILDREN

JOIN US FOR THE ATLANTA PRIDE PARADE

All God's Children, the Cathedral's community of LGBTQ+ members, families and friends, will be participating and marching in the Atlanta Pride . We will parade through the streets of midtown Atlanta, affirming the lives and dignity of our

Registration is $20 per person, which includes a custom Cathedral Pride T-shirt to wear during the parade! Please RSVP at cathedralATL.org/prideparade by September 22, 2023

Important note: Interested persons who want to participate with All God's Children or the parade, are not required to identify as an LGBTQ+ individual; the only conditional requirement is a loving heart! For any questions, please contact Canon Lauren Holder, lholder@cathedralATL.org.